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In October of last year, we learned that after 21 seasons, “The New Yankee Workshop” was closing up shop and at the time, Russ Morash, executive producer and director of  the show, told Editor Christopher Schwarz that he foresaw an online future for “New Yankee.” That future has come to pass.

The first episode (#101 from 1988) is available now for online viewing. The “New Yankee” site says the web episodes are an experiment, and that if there’s enough positive feedback, a different episode will be available every week.

It’s a bit of a time warp to go back 21 years and watch this first episode; there’s no gray in Abram’s beard, and there’s no wide-belt sander. In fact, the shop isn’t tricked out at all; the tools are what might be found in any decent 20-year-old woodshop , a table saw, a drill press and what looks to be a Craftsman radial arm saw (man does that thing scare me). And Abram is wearing a short-sleeved blue windowpane plaid shirt, not his signature red. Oh , and there’s not one mention of safety glasses.

But what I found most interesting was that the show opens with a visit to the Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Mass., from where Abram says he’s taking his inspiration, but the project looks decidedly non-Shaker and (if I’m being honest here) a bit generic. It’s a finger-jointed oak medicine cabinet with a plywood back, screwed-together half-lap face frame and a mirrored door attached with a brass piano hinge. Now, there’s nothing wrong with the project, mind you; it just doesn’t look Shaker. It’s a simple project that anyone with basic skills and a few pieces of machinery could build.

I kinda love that , because I didn’t start watching “The New Yankee Workshop” until about five years ago, and the projects Abram was building then were often decidedly more advanced and period authentic , his Windsor chair, for example, from season 16. But this first episode shows me that Abram’s talents and stylistic influences progressed along with the show, and perhaps along with his viewers (though it’s arguable his workshop became a bit more tricked out than most). Though he was certainly an accomplished carpenter when the show began, Abram’s work in later episodes was decidedly that of a craftsman.

I want the episodes to keep coming, and I posted a message to let them know (there’s a link on the show’s home page to do so). I hope you can take a minute to do the same (and perhaps 25 or so minutes to watch that first show).

– Megan Fitzpatrick


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Showing 8 comments
  • Keith Hankins

    You fostered my love of woodworking for ages. Love it, please give us more. I’d love you take your show to the net from PBS. Do more furniture! I’d support a pay subscription!

  • Steve

    I have been watching the show for many years and never get tired of watching what Norm can do with any project. I would like to see these shows over because you always see something you missed everytime. These are one of the "best tools" I believe we have.

    Steve

  • Tim

    No tenon jig for cheek cuts? Ouch! Craftsman and Shopsmith? This was before the Delta sponsorship. Real nails. No cordless tools. And the cabinetmakers friend–the belt sander. Great!

  • Eric

    Thanks Megan for posting this. I watched that episode and wrote them asking to keep them coming. I sure hope they do.
    Norm is one of my favorites.
    Thanks again.
    Your articles are always interesting and informative.

  • Matt

    I couldn’t believe the techniques he was using… Cutting the rabbit after the case was constructed, and talking about going slow and being real careful. I don’t think I ever heard him say anything like that before this. Also, he didn’t run the 1/4 inch cut twice, flipping the board; another technique he uses a lot in later episodes. His techniques certainly have changed… glad to see it. It gives me hope!

  • Jeremy Pringle

    Humble begin eh?

    Did anyone notice that he did not use a push stick on the table saw? And he made cheek cuts free hand, not only that but he made a comment about the $$ of 1/4 oak plywood. Wow have things changed over the years. I put my vote in to see more, that was awesome.

  • dh0well

    Thanks for letting us know about these vintage episodes.

    Did you notice that his drill press is actually a Shopsmith machine? I recognized it because I have one, although mine is older: http://www.owwm.com/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=3172

  • Jon Spencer

    Megan,

    I caught this yesterday morning, and it was so fun. I’ve been watching New Yankee Workshop for many years, but not that long. I really enjoyed seeing him build a project with tools that look more like what I have. I hope they keep it up and I put my two cents in, too.

    Jon

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