Legends of YouTube and Instagram

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Social media can be a wonderful place to connect with people and learn from them. Kerryn Carter stands near the centre of this group selfie of people who have largely met through online forums and networks and came together in real life at Popular Woodworking magazine’s Woodworking in America event.

Words and photos: Kerryn Carter

As you will read about in the next issue of Wood Review, I had the good fortune of attending this year’s Woodworking in America conference in Kentucky in September. As you would expect it was a whirlwind of classes, tools and people. But the absolute best thing for me was that I got to meet some legends of Instagram and Youtube woodworking. I sat with each of them for a short period and asked them some questions about themselves, WIA and woodworking generally.

I should add that while we talked, we were sometimes interrupted by fans wanting to say hello to them. Being the people they are, they always said hello and talked at length with anyone who approached or had the courage to sit down with us. April Wilkerson said later in our interview that she enjoys knowing not only that people enjoy the content but also finding out about the fans and who they are and what shops they have and their tools etc. I watched a few of them interact with their fans and each other and could see that this did ring true. If these guys all had one thing in common (besides woodworking) it would be their down to earth attitude.

Without further ado, here are some “down to earth” legends of Instagram and Youtube woodworking.

NickFerry2

Nick Ferry: Instagram @nickferrybuilds / Youtube creator
Who would you like to have an after hours beer with?
I’d love to have a beer with Roy Underhill because he’s a handtool guy and that’s what I want to get more into. I grew up watching Roy Underhill on The Woodwright’s Shop and Norm Abram from the New Yankee Workshop.

What's your favourite WIA memory?
Meeting the people every year... Woodworking is such a solo occupation. You are out in your shop by yourself so it’s about being with other like-minded people that love their hobby, they love their craft. I talk to people about tricks of the trade, finishing techniques and just shooting the breeze when it comes to shop stuff.

What’s the best woodworking advice you have ever received?
My dad once told me not to ever get discouraged. You will make mistakes and as long as you learn from those mistakes you are going to get better and better.

April Wilkerson2

April Wilkerson: Instagram @wilker_dos / Youtube creator
Which WIA classes would you like to take?
Matt Cremona and his Harvesting Your Own Lumber class. I love the idea of doing something similar. He chops down a tree, mills it, dries it and makes a project out of it. It’s like making bread from scratch but in the woodworking world.

Who would you like to have an after hours beer with?
You. (Author’s note: excellent choice.) There aren’t a lot of females in the woodworking world.

What’s your favourite memory from WIA?
The last WIA was also my first. It was the first time we (Nick Ferry, Jay Bates and 14 other other Youtube Creators) all met in person. We had known each other for a year and half before we met. We had lots of emails and video chats, so getting 16 creators in a booth was pretty cool. We all enjoyed interacting with all the people who watch our videos and enjoy the content.

JayBates2

Jay Bates: Instagram @jaybates86 / Youtube creator
Which WIA classes would you like to take?
James Hamilton’s class. He’s known as Stumpy Nubs on his Youtube channel. He has a class on advanced router jigs and techniques. The thing I do least in my shop is the router table. James Hamilton is a very smart when it comes to making any tools or jigs for the woodshop on a budget.

Who would you like to have an after hours beer with?
I’d like to have a beer with Marc Spagnuolo from the Wood Whisperer. He is the godfather of online woodworking media. He was the first really major hobby/educational content creator specifically in the woodworking world.

What’s the best woodworking advice you have ever received?
Norm Abram from the New Yankee Workshop once said, “There’s no more important safety rule than to wear these safety glasses.”

AnnBriggsBohnett2

Anne Briggs Bohnett: Instagram @anneofalltrades
Who would you like to have an after hours beer with?
I would love to share a beer with Megan Fitzpatrick the editor of Popular Woodworking magazine because she is a very influential female in the industry.

What’s your favourite memory from WIA?
My first WIA that I came to, which was three years ago, was a huge opportunity for me because I had only just started woodworking and I didn’t know anyone. I got to meet my good friends Jason and Sarah (Thigpen) and WIA is where I got the job at Furniture and Cabinetmaking magazine. That led to working with Lee Valley and eventually here (Lie Nielsen Toolworks) so I made a lot of really awesome connections at WIA.

What’s the best woodworking advice you have ever received?
My brother-in-law once said, “Buy the best that you can afford and don’t start with starter tools.”

Nick Cremona

Matt Cremona: Instagram @mattcremona / Youtube creator
Which WIA classes would you like to take?
Any class that Alf Sharp is teaching. He is old school, he does period furniture.

What’s your favourite memory from WIA?
My first WIA which was two years ago I knew no one and no one knew who I was. So it was really great to be able to turn to anybody and talk about woodworking with them. The people I met here two years ago are some of my closest friends today.

What’s the best woodworking advice you have ever received?
Someone once said, “Pay attention to the details that matter and ignore the ones that don’t.”

Jason Thigpen 2

Jason Thigpen: Instagram @txheritage
Which WIA classes would you like to take?
Coffin making with Roy Underhill. I’ve read the Anarchists Design Book which shows the stages of making a coffin. You never know when you are going to use it, you can make it now and use it is as a bookshelf.

Who would you like to have an after hours beer with?
I’d like to have a beer with Roy Underhill since I grew up watching The Woodwrights Shop. I’d like to find out if he’s the same character off screen as he is on screen.

What’s the best woodworking advice you have ever received?
There are a lot of methods out there so find the one that makes the most sense for your abilities and your budget and stick to it and perfect it. A good example would be sharpening. There are a lot of methods, just pick one and stick to it.

I would like to thank Nick, April, Jay, Anne, Matt and Jason for their time. It was great to meet you guys.

Kerryn Carter teachers teaches woodworking classes for kids at Tool School in Sydney. Read a profile of Kerryn in issue 92 of Wood Review magazine. Learn more at www.toolschoolcom.au and Instagram @toolschool  In the December issue of the magazine Kerryn Carter writes about some of her experiences at Woodworking in America.  

 

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