32 Comments

  1. Paul,
    I’ve noticed recently that you have been using Metric almost exclusively. I would appreciate, at least, an equal footing between it and the Imperial system. I know you have a far and varied audience, but I do see the Imperial system as a connection to the past woodworking world. Like hand tool woodworking itself, using this system has an aesthetic quality not found with its more sterile scientific younger cousin. There is a beauty and charm-full elegance found in the Imperial Standard that SI lacks.
    I also see it as an 18th century persistence of the Continental superiority complex found in England at that time. Everything Franco-Germanic was seen as superior.
    I remember as a boy growing up in America in the 1970s when the government under our engineer President Carter pushed for coerced transformation of the Imperial with the Metric. Many hyperbolic promises were made about the change to Metric, from cheeper gasoline to easy of use. None of which was found to be truthful. I find the Imperial just as simple, if not easier, to use. For example, using the ‘Thou’ is more intuitive then the micron.
    What are your thoughts regarding this?

    1. I am not Paul …
      but I feel the same wit imperial versus metric.
      It is more ‘natural’ and logic, works with proportions which can be find in nature and the human body (o…that’s part of the nature…)
      It looks also ‘just right’ when you make something with imperial measurements.
      I grew up with metric (belgium) and I always looked for something more ‘divine’.
      I once was interested in ‘the divine proportions’.
      I think that has something to do with this subject.
      And we have to feel free to chose and change some measurements so that it fits for us.

      Great episode Paul: thanks everybody who helped!

    2. I live in a metric country, and it’s a pretty fantastic set of units. That said, my background is in computer science, where binary and powers of 2 are king. So I’m very happy working in fractions of inches, where each major step down is half the previous one. It’s handy for quickly finding organic shapes and good proportions.

      Each system has it’s use, and I’m completely comfortable with both. When it comes to maths and science for example, I’d much rather work in simple metric power of 10 steps, than crazy fractional land, with 12″ inches to the foot, 3 feet in a yard, and who knows what else after that.

      It really depends what you want to do with it, is my point.

      1. Speaking of binary system, I noticed, that since 1/16″ is approximately 0,16mm, that is a good starting point for a quick calculation: 1/32″ = 0,08mm, 1/8 = 0,32, 1/4 = 0,64, 1/2 approximately 1,28 and so on. See what I mean? Quite handy sometimes.

        David

    3. Only the United States, Liberia and Myanmar uses the Imperial system. It´s just a means of measuring so I don´t think there´s anything divine about it. I think Mr. Sellers is a very pragmatic man and that´s why he´s using metric mostly.

  2. Even better, I’d love to have some basic drawings supplied with the projects. I know each of us might build these with slightly different dimensions, but it’s a pain not having anything to reference.

    I really don’t understand why, at a minimum, you don’t give us a scan of the page or two from the notebook that you refer to as you build your piece. Instead we have to try and jot down measurements as you rattle them off in your videos.

    Even just drawings of the project without measurements would be great, because you can see at a glance all the joints and their relationships to each other.

    I think most subscribers would appreciate this, but maybe I’m the only one.

    I continue to enjoy your lessons; I’m just agitating for an even better product from your service.

  3. i agree Marty i didnt want to comment because i thought it was just me , as projects get bigger i am getting a bit lost so many components, maybe if we got a screen shot of the component being discussed in poistion on the finished build i for one might get to grips with the build although it may be self explanatory when the timber is on the bench and not just watching it on a screen .

  4. Thanks for the episode! Since the drawknife has been waiting hanging on the tool cabinet door for many months it would be great if you (@paul-sellers) could introduce it and show how quickly it could cut the arch for example in this episode. I know you are aiming for a minimal set of tools but the drawknife is a very useful and cheap tool and an awesome device for many types of shaping or just removing a lot or a little material.

  5. Hi everyone,

    I agree with several of the comments above, drawings giving the measurements are something that we are going to increasingly need. Especially as projects get more complicated.

    We are going to get some drawings up for the project and will be including them at the beginning of each project.

    They will be detailed, include measurements in inches and mm, be hand-drawn and downloadable/printable.

    We are only beginning work on these now and it will be a little time before we can put them up. However, in future we will aim to have them available from day one of each project.

    Also, as a rule we are going to continue giving measurements in inches first but with conversions to metric. The bookshelf is an anomaly 🙂

    1. Joseph,

      To encourage your efforts I would like to say I was feeling a bit lost as well. I had resigned that I would rewatch the videos once the build was complete so I could pick up on some of the references Paul made about specific components. Therefore the idea of drawings to help the student visualize the final project in detail will be very useful for me. I am VERY pleased to hear that drawings, Imperial/metric measurements will be used, and other aids will be put into practice. As an IT practitioner I fully appreciate the fact that this is no small task and will add considerably to your already voluminous workload. For this reason, allow me to say thank you on behalf of all the students. I commend you for not taking shortcuts and for being so responsive to the needs of your students, Not just in this case but in all your dealings. For me, it’s what makes this site such a stand out. Thank you and the whole team for doing so much to make the site the best it possibly can be.

    1. Eddy, I was about to make the same exact comment. I think this is one of the great things about woodworkingmasterclasses.com. It’s so refreshing to be able to get responsiveness from an educational organization. If you write to an administrator, somebody write you back rather quickly whether it be Joseph or Resi or even Paul himself, they’re just wonderful. Try getting that specialized attention or feeling of community from some other websites, it’s pretty uncommon. All of this despite the fact that they really are very busy. It makes it even more special that they’re never too busy to attend to their students. Having said that, I think the students in the community that contribute here are also pretty wonderful. There’s no backbiting, sarcasm, or snide remarks and it seems like everybody is mature, helpful, non-competitive, and genuinely interested in achieving a common goal. How nice is that!?

      1. It’s wonderful to see that almost three years later, this comment is just as relevant as it was the day it was first posted. This site (students, Master teacher, administrators, and techs) feels like a supportive family. Over the past year it has become part of my morning to spend 20 minutes or so (or longer on Wednesday’s!) while having my coffee waking up with wwmc.

      1. There’s a resemblance. I guessed right that he was from the Manchester area, so there must be some similarities with Liverpudlian, at least to the un-trained American ear.

  6. Observing you work and following as carefully as possible while trying to make one of these. I appreciate your level of detail in the explanation of finer points and the zoom work of your camera man also! Thank you once more for the incredible opportunity to learn from you. US Army Retired.

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