Erik, I know this to be true. as president of the North Texas woodworkers Association. Our membership has doubled since Covid and the average age of the new member is under the age of 60 so yes, RUclips is beneficial as woodworkers like myself from my own channel “ DIY Home and Garden Projects “ is more of a how to channel while your channel teaches a little more on the philosophy of woodworking, which I appreciate. Long live RUclips woodworking channels.
WOW Eric,....you built this beautiful little box with NO clamps at all. I have this wall full of clamps and that's the first thing I think about when I spread glue.👍👍
RUclips was the main reason that brought me into woodworking. Just watching videos of you and all those great people making fine furniture and sharing their storys convinced me to get into it and build ma own stuff. Just finished my first own whiskey cabinet. Keep up the great work man! Nothing but love!
Lets be honest Erik, you reflect often enough it sets you apart from other channels in my mind. You are a professional, but there is a connection you make even for us hobbyist's. There is a tremendous amount we/I learn from you among others in the woodworking community. The platform for providing this information is ever changing and more widespread than we could have imagined. The pleasure is ours. Thank You!
Back when I started this hobby there was no youtube. My inspiration came from David Marks and Norm Abram. I got to meet David Marks and was devastated when he said that they hadn't called him to renew Woodworks. Now, I'm a hack and best at building shop furniture, but the amount I've learned from watching you and other woodworking youtubers is phenomenal. So, stay hopeful, you're welcome, and thanks for everything you do.
I think watching people like yourself is a definite plus, there is everything you would want in a video. Inspirational,interesting,good humoured and honest. Thanks for the video Erik.👍👍
It is a journey that has been made easier by You Tube etc... 41 years ago when I started there was no interweb, let alone YT. I had to literally beg my Mentor to take me on and teach me the craft of Luthiery. How glad am I he took the gamble and said yes to that goofy uncoordinated 17 year old. Spent 4 years with him and then struck out on my own, screwed up a lot but always learning and perfecting my craft. Then I took 3 years out and went to Art School in my mid 30's.... Man was that a trip! Those 3 years taught me more about myself and how I viewed the world and most importantly, how to see things. So from when I was your age until I hit 50 I was smashing it, smashing it well enough to retire at 50 and do the things I want to do and not what I had to do to make a living. Not once did I ever question why I was doing, I just lived in the moment and always had the attitude that if you love your work, it isn't work.. So keep getting in the shed and making those things!
I’ve started and stopped since the seventies. One of my buddies has a bookshelf i built in I think in the eighties. His wife polishes that thing just about every week and it looks good. It’s made out of some old 1 x 12 and some spindles we found at a lumber yard. I know that thing is fifty years old if it’s a day.
Yuri Kobiashi...WOW! You do the dame knd of thing. I look at a problem, and it becomes a box with things that slide in and out. Where does the inspiration...the originality of curves and such that meld together in such a harrmonius way? I am in awe of you both
I would also add to the "Social Media is Saving Woodworkers" pile with this: Every time Cam charges some nutcase $35k for a river table for his yacht, the rest of us can make a reasonable profit on work for mere mortals.
I want nothing more than to make a living from working with wood. The problem is run into is having found this love late in life and having 5 kids. Being anywhere close to supporting my family with my passion is not in the foreseeable future. I applaud those like yourself who have been able to make it through dedication and hard work. Love the craftsmanship and overall content of your videos.
I never would have had the confidence to start down this path without the content provided on RUclips. It may sound basic, but I had trouble with a glue up 2 days ago. Im listening to you explain that someone believes that by me watching you, somehow cheapens the craft I so badly want to learn. I have served my community for decades and in my 50’s, I can’t just ship off to a furniture school for 6 months. Books and magazines are great, but they are no replacement for watching someone do it and explain the thought process as you do it. So as I watched your video, I saw what I was doing wrong in my last glue up. I didn’t even pay for it. And the guy that made it the video, hopefully profited from it. Thank you.
It is amazing that there are fellowships available, especially if the pay in the US. But those are for young people without other responsibilities. I love You Tube because it allows creator and viewers to connect in ways that are more personal as well as accessible. ❤
Nah. I'd say with the knowledge being distributed so freely, there is less business for woodworkers. Especially basic carpentry suffers, because a lot of that is simply buying the right tools and materials. But at the same time more actual woodworking gets done because these days even people like me, who never would have dreamed of getting made-to-measure furniture, are now taking a crack at it.
Good sir, thank you for providing inspiration. Even though I’m a hobbyist, I don’t want to spend my limited shop time building throw away furniture. Your pieces give me something to aspire to and prevent me from settling on Ana white pieces or river tables
I've built a lot of throw away pieces. I haven't thrown too many of them away yet though. Not everything has to be an heirloom piece. I find great utility in the utilitarian. The desk I'm sitting at now I knocked together out of scraps decades ago. I've been using it every day since then. Drywall screws through the top of it and all. Not everything has to be fancy.
I had no woodworking skills before I found the videos on You Tube. I have watched a number of them from very different types of content creators. And, I have to say that I have learned something from each of those creators. Some are still making content and some have packed it in and left You Tube. I also can say for me, my skill set and my failures as well as some of my success have made me very happy that I have invested the time, energy, and money into this craft. Your videos have broadened my horizons. Being a former teacher, I know that you never know how many students you have touched until one day one of them says 2 small words to you. "Thank you" When you hear that phrase the money that you didn't make is irrelevant. So form me to you. Thank you.
This is indeed a win-win proposition. You get some of the financial support you need and we get some excellent tutelage. Yes, we get exposure to techniques we SHOULD know. But more importantly, we get exposure to things we do not THINK we need. Until that day comes where we actually have to do it and we know that technique actually exists. It is easy to thank you for the things we use all the time. It is far harder to remember to thank you for the lessons we did not want to see but are now grateful we know. In my mind, that is actually what will save woodworking. People like you teaching and the rest of us watching to see if we actually want to do it.
I think you’re right about RUclips saving woodworking. Without the vast amount of information on here I wouldn’t have known where to start. Thanks to folks like you, who are sharing your knowledge, I’ve been able to develop enough skills to really make this a hobby I love and don’t see myself ever stopping.
I have a lot of the modestly expensive tools but haven't used them to full effect because my problem is wanting to go from start to perfect, which has never happened. I find myself stuck on various basic methods. Listening to you is actually quite calming, and you have a lot of good things to pass on. One is "just make a thing", and do the best you can. I simplified my current project, and have left some unnecessary details that won't show, just so I can practice some tool techniques, to get better at using chisels, and to focus on methods to ensure my cuts are accurate. The project will likely look fairly good in the end and I will have improved some skills in the process. Who knows? I may surprise myself and the project will look better than I think it will. Time will tell. You provide not just instruction, but some personal philosophy with it. While not actually providing any kind of project or plans for others to try and copy, you show us how you do things, and tell us why you do them, and we get to watch, and try some of your techniques. I decided to try some of the things you have shown, get comfortable with them and then move to the next. At this point, I believe I can now make some things that I will feel satisfied with the outcomes. Only time will tell.
I know those feelings all too well! I spent 15 years in school, and that's after graduating from HS. I was 35 years old before I was able to get my first "job" and truly support myself in my chosen field. The journey to proficiency is hard -- but true expertise requires a relentless obsession and that comes with setbacks, countless hours of work, study, practice, and heartbreak. However it is precisely that struggle which makes the achievement so fulfilling. Best of luck in the New Year!
Love your videos and value the lessons I have learned watching them. Thank you for being genuine in your approach. I shall continue to watch and learn to further this hobby which I use as therapy.
My father and grandfather taught me how to use tools, not for fine woodworking, but for stuff you need around the farm and home. And that’s where my skill level stayed until I was 66 years old. Then Covid hit, I was “furloughed”, and I decided I needed to make some drawers for my reloading shop workbench with all this free time I suddenly had. RUclips videos opened my eyes, and made fine woodworking accessible to me. Yes, it’s just a hobby, but my projects 4 years later are in demand, by real customers, for real money. Who knew? This channel, Rob Cosman, Rex Krueger, James Hamilton (Stumpy Nubs), Epic Woodworking, Matt Cremona, Tamar (3X3 Custom), Izzy Swan, Keith Johnson, and several others have taught me so much through their/your RUclips channels. Many others, too numerous to name, have inspired me with their videos and designs. I cannot even begin to imagine how I could have learned these skills without RUclips. So I subscribe to all my favorites, and hit “like” and write comments on all of them to “feed the algorithm” so all of you RUclipsrs get some dollars to repay you for what you have given me for free.
In my mind, this is what sets you appear from the other 90 or so RUclips channels I subscribe to. You connect with me. I believe you connect to all the people that subscribe to your channel. Rex Kruger and James Wright also have that same effect. I feel that if I saw you in a pub in Philidelphia i could walk up to you, buy you a drink and sit down for a chat.i would honestly love that. Please keep doing what you do. I will keep watching you. Thank you.
I first found you a bit over a year ago close to a year and a half. At first I thought you were a bit cocky, but in fairness you did get number 1 for woodworker of the year. I kept watching and I learned a lot from you since and now I like looking to see what you posted to see what I might learn next. To see you post what you did in this video about woodworking not dying out fills me with hope as I'm on the cusp of starting my own channel in my woodworking career. I have only been doing woodworking for about a year and a half but this is something I look forward to doing and it has become a dream of mine to be a woodworking RUclipsr. I do still have a long way to go and a lot more to learn but I want to show my journey to show others that if a regular guy like me works hard enough to achieve it then they can too. You and a handful of other RUclipsrs have given me the encouragement to make a thing and reach for my dreams, so for that I say thank you. Stay safe and have fun 💯😁
Congrats on 100k! You’re the first channel I ever subscribed to and have watched religiously since. Hope I can get to be a quarter as good as you are. 54 have a great career but starting at a woodworking school next month.
Thank you so much! I'll wear that honor with a pride. As for wood school--enjoy it my friend. It will be exhausting and (hopefully) kick your butt, but it will push you to grow in tremendous ways. Take it all in as best you can!
Your so right! U tube is able to inspire. As a retired teacher of Design and Tech in the UK I would have loved to have access to the range and depth of resources now available. In retirement I have tackled new projects inspired by you and others and taken so much joy from doing so. Keep them coming, you are valued.
I enjoy watching your content. I am new at being a maker. I retired a few years ago and was finally able to fulfill my dream of having a woodworking shop since the age of 12 (46 years ago) . I started making and selling items about 18 months ago. My skills have improved immensely from watching your content and the content of others on RUclips. I was inspired by your walnut whiskey cabinet and made one similar. I feel that is one of my best pieces to date. Thank you for the content you create and the inspiration you provide. Jeff.
Thanks for all your content from the bottom of my heart! I'm retiring in 6 weeks and so looking forward to spending time in the shop. I've been woodworking on and off since I was 10, mostly to make things I couldn't afford to buy including building an entire set of kitchen cabinets for our first house, numerous sets of loudspeakers etc. A few years back I returned in earnest, buying my first of many hand planes and learning proper techniques of precision woodworking. I learned about reference edges and faces, and proper joinery. This came from Paul Sellers, then expanding ever farther to Ishitani, Shannon Rogers and now of course ENCurtis. I have learned far more from all of you than I ever could have from the few shows I watched on TV way back (before you were born LOL)and the magazines.
No, thank you. I really appreciated this. You’ve had a profound impact on how I approach my craft this year and it really hit home that I should be thanking you twice as loudly. RUclips is a better place with you teaching and communicating on it and it’s been real cool to watch your process. Here’s to the future and thanks for the insights and meditative builds.
Being a hobby woodworker, it’s so fortuitous having the content provided by you and other makers, to teach and inspire. I love the making community,and have made some great friends through RUclips and Instagram, and it brings great joy to create something from nothing !
my concern is that there is a lot of people that are putting out videos that have no idea what they are doing as a woodworker, and they get a lot of views because they have the ability to make a good video and are entertaining, You are one of the few woodworkers, that have skill and the ability to make good videos and teach. There are very few skilled woodworkers on you tube that get enough views and subscribers to make it worth while. My concern is that the craft will suffer because there are fewer actual skilled makers out there, making quality items.
I have to say, THANK YOU for the calm instruction, the honesty, the transparency, and the great videos. I've learned a lot from you and others in my 2 years of woodworking. As a 56 year old getting started two years ago, I wondered if I could actually learn this craft...could I make pieces that didn't suck? You taught me to see...to see the design, the possibilities, the beauty of the thing. And I thank you for that!
Than you. You are an inspiration and a gifted teacher. The projects are frigging incredible, which is a bonus to the other two traits. Have a happy New Year. I know it will be awesome, and I look forward to you sharing it with us.🎉
Thank you for doing what you do and congrats on 100k! I know personally I have a much more fulfilling experience making a thing now than before I came across your videos a couple of years ago :)
Without you all of us hobbyists would be worse off. Thank you for what you do I very much appreciate your teaching, style, honesty, realness (is that even a word? --words are hard:). Hopefully someday this retired hobbyist will be able/worthy to actually sit in the ballpark that you pitch in.
A lot of your videos you say words are hard because you blanked on a word or something but you are very well spoken and have a nice way of articulating your thoughts and telling a story. Congrats on the 100k and have a happy new year.
Nice video. Almost my entire woodworking education is from RUclips and got it for free. The hobby has been life-changing - and I can’t thank you enough for what you do. I’m glad to hear the rewards go both ways.
Another year spent watching woodworking videos from what I consider the best on RUclips. Thank you for your content, your motivation, and I can’t wait to see what you do in 2025. Cheers.
I love your reflection videos. They're well thought out, and you don't just sit there with a weird looking mug the whole time. We still get to watch you at work. I don't quite understand your opener though. Why are people saying that RUclips is bad for woodworking? I steer clear of the Morley Kert's of the world who just try to convince you that you can make a mediocre coffee table out of a pallet and sell it for $18k or the plethora of channels that just try to sell you tools. But there's still plenty of content here that's great for the aspiring woodworker who doesn't have time or money for real training.
Erik, thank you for sharing your thoughts and insight. I’m a 50+ year old that has found his way back into building a thing. I subscribe to many woodworking channels for both inspiration and learning. Between you and Matt Estlea, I have learned so much! I hope you know how much we appreciate and value you!
I watch your channel because it inspires me, as you say, to make a thing. I'm not looking for step by step instructions to copy what you're making. And I have no delusions of gaining your skill level by osmosis. That's on me to learn and grow. I guess I just want to say thank you for the nudge I get every week.
Erik, spot on as always, man! There are a handful of RUclips woodworkers that I consider my mentors and friends, even though we've never met. I continue to learn and evolve through each video, post, PM, and podcast. I truly wouldn't be where I'm at now without your support, and for that, you have my unending gratitude.
Yes. You and so many others add positively to the lived experience. As an example, I just learnt a new way of locating the box lid. There is a video in how that is done. And how nice was it to see that HNT Gordon rebate plane working. They cost a zillion but they are "the best".
A. Tidy box. B. Congrats on reaching 100k subscribers, you earned it. C. Appreciate your heartfelt comments, and the sharing of your woodwork and vision, and I look forward to more in the future. Salud.
On the learning side I am 100% on the side that it's saving woodworking. There are so many learning opportunities available to anyone with an internet connection now that 10 years ago pretty much didn't exist. I have learned everything I know about working with wood from RUclips and a few books and magazines. There aren't good woodworking schools available in most of the continent anymore so this is what most of us have to learn from fantastic craftspeople like yourself. On the side of a woodworker content creation is a game changer. More people are on RUclips now than ever before. It's rivaling network TV for time share with average consumers. If you find a niche, put in the work and build a community you can 100% make a go on RUclips. Even if you don't have a huge audience you can still make a reasonable living if you are savvy with brand partners and other avenues like that. It's there for the taking for anyone willing to put in the work and share honestly.
Preach! You speak daTHUTH! I can apprehend your journey and process! I recently stumbled on your channel and you are 100% correct that the POWER of social media has connected us like minded people that share the same passion! I just learned something with your box. I never thought about making those cuts and shoulder that way…GREAT Job!
This. This is why I watch your videos. You instill so much inspiration in me. Your enthusiasm and love for the craft comes through your videos and makes me want to try and do more things in my shop. Thank you for this content and sharing your knowledge. I’m so excited to see where your journey takes you.
Great video. I am also in a craft (not on RUclips) and I think the platform really helps reveal and showcase the meaning of craft. The why, the depth of patience needed, the discipline and the bumpiness of the journey. At least I hope so. So glad you have reached financial stability!
Let's get real. Reflection is necessary. It's a vital part of anyone elevating their skill level for a chosen craft. In fact, reflection can change the face of a craft or the craftsman. Shoot, I grew beard and bought a Capt America shirt cuz that's what real woodworkers do. Now when i get up on a day and head to the workshop (garage) wearing that...totally feel like a real woodworker. I can do it all day. But truthfully, I appreciate your channel. It's on my 'must watch list' for several reasons, but mostly because there isn't a lot of BS and you aren't hawking some new, cool tool every five minutes. Keep it up - I'll always be a fan.
I’m doing the nine month at CFC right now and am both terrified and excited beyond belief for what the future holds. I just wish people at CFC wouldn’t bash on RUclips as much as they do because despite how much horrible info is on this platform, it can be a very real way to make a living doing this craft and great learning tool. But for now, I have to finish my case piece. Keep up the great work. Also, Yuri is freakin amazing. 🤩
Thank YOU for what you bring to the community, Erik. You are doing well because you are a good woodworker, you have unique and helpful insights, you are relatable, and you have good forearms haha. The woodworking subreddit has like 5 mill subscribers. Woodworking is growing a lot, esp with younger people. It think social media is showing that anyone who wants to woodwork can do it. You are helping it grow. Congrats on 100k 👍🏻🚀
It's definitely providing a lot of people with inspiration to try, and I'm in that category I love the approach in your videos bringing across both the aesthetic and structural elements of building a thing. Despite not having an artistic bone in my body, I feel like I've found a way to be creative thanks to people like you.
Massive thanks to you too Eric! Love you videos, your energy, enthusiasm and outlook on life. Oh and you’re fairly god damn talented at the wood stuff too. Happy holidays dude
From the UK. 30 years ago I trained as a class 1 cabinet maker in the Army. Since then I have worked on the railways for the past 25 years. You cannot make a living from it in the UK. Like yourself I love hand tools and making bespoke furniture which is one of a kind. I disagree about SM, I see untrained people getting free tools from big name suppliers making furniture which shouldn't be sold in IKEA. I don't want a big following on my SM, but what I want is true craftsman to be acknowledged for their skills, not the number of followers. This sir is why I follow you. A true time served craftsman. Keep up the amazing work.
Dang you're young! :shakes fist: I've heard the preferred way to make a good living in woodworking is to have a wife that makes the money (and attaches you to her health care plan). But hey, what ever works for you.... :^) I get most of my good ideas/advise from Fine Woodworking. But the print media can only take you so far. RUclips really helps with the rest. In person classes would be better but too often that is not a viable choice. Looking forward to another year watching you - and staying above ground.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TEACH, EVEN BEING A PRO,IVE LEARN A NEW THING OR TWO! FROM RUclipsRS. (YOU) BEING ONE! WOODWORKING IS CHANGING ,EVOLVING, AND LEARNING NEW THINGS FROM RUclips IS AMAZING (FREE APPRENTICESHIP) BASICALLY
100%. My only experience woodworking was from 45 years ago at age 10. Fast forward quite a number of years and my old house needs some love, where to start 🤔. People like yourself helped show me techniques etc to get me underway and like you mentioned, "IT'S FREE" 😮. YT is incredible, you just need to be switched on enough to recognise the BS. Thankyou 👊🍻
Pasta?!?!! You could afford pasta! I was totally living on bologna and ramen in school! ;) Of course, that was thirty five+ years ago... But I'm so glad you did, I've learned so much from you. Thanks! I'm glad you've made a way for yourself, and shared it with us. Merry Christmas & HNY!
From my perspective as a hobbyist RUclips has been a tremendous resource. I’m able to learn from many different perspectives. I’m able to see different philosophies and styles. There is certainly no substitute for experience. With the limited time I have for getting experience as a hobbyist I am able to learn more and develop faster because I have a rough idea of how it’s supposed to work. I appreciate your videos and your work so thank you.
You've brought it up, as have 1000's of others, Woodworking is not a money machine but rather a lifestyle. I am a woodworker and live in extreme poverty. I need to do more side gigs than I care to, but bills have to be paid. I am moving further away from the craft and at times I realize that I should have done so decades ago. The Sunk Cost Fallacy is a real dilema. So much has been invested and with no appreciable results and yet one continues at a loss since so much has been invested. Sane people call this insanity!
Always thought provoking, in a good way. Congratulations on reaching a period of financial fulfilment that allows you to choose what to do and when to do it! It is deserved.
Seeing you use the blade guard on the table saw is really nice to see, I don’t get why almost all youtube-ww don’t, just for a better shot. Congrats on 100k you deserve it !
I appreciate a woodworking channel that actually shows tips, tricks, and builds. So many of my favorite channels have become nothing more than a tool review channel, and it's a huge turnoff for me.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Erik, I know this to be true. as president of the North Texas woodworkers Association. Our membership has doubled since Covid and the average age of the new member is under the age of 60 so yes, RUclips is beneficial as woodworkers like myself from my own channel “ DIY Home and Garden Projects “ is more of a how to channel while your channel teaches a little more on the philosophy of woodworking, which I appreciate. Long live RUclips woodworking channels.
WOW Eric,....you built this beautiful little box with NO clamps at all. I have this wall full of clamps and that's the first thing I think about when I spread glue.👍👍
RUclips was the main reason that brought me into woodworking. Just watching videos of you and all those great people making fine furniture and sharing their storys convinced me to get into it and build ma own stuff. Just finished my first own whiskey cabinet.
Keep up the great work man!
Nothing but love!
Lets be honest Erik, you reflect often enough it sets you apart from other channels in my mind. You are a professional, but there is a connection you make even for us hobbyist's. There is a tremendous amount we/I learn from you among others in the woodworking community. The platform for providing this information is ever changing and more widespread than we could have imagined. The pleasure is ours. Thank You!
Back when I started this hobby there was no youtube. My inspiration came from David Marks and Norm Abram. I got to meet David Marks and was devastated when he said that they hadn't called him to renew Woodworks. Now, I'm a hack and best at building shop furniture, but the amount I've learned from watching you and other woodworking youtubers is phenomenal. So, stay hopeful, you're welcome, and thanks for everything you do.
They were my teachers too…✌🏻
I think watching people like yourself is a definite plus, there is everything you would want in a video. Inspirational,interesting,good humoured and honest. Thanks for the video Erik.👍👍
It is a journey that has been made easier by You Tube etc... 41 years ago when I started there was no interweb, let alone YT. I had to literally beg my Mentor to take me on and teach me the craft of Luthiery. How glad am I he took the gamble and said yes to that goofy uncoordinated 17 year old. Spent 4 years with him and then struck out on my own, screwed up a lot but always learning and perfecting my craft. Then I took 3 years out and went to Art School in my mid 30's.... Man was that a trip! Those 3 years taught me more about myself and how I viewed the world and most importantly, how to see things. So from when I was your age until I hit 50 I was smashing it, smashing it well enough to retire at 50 and do the things I want to do and not what I had to do to make a living. Not once did I ever question why I was doing, I just lived in the moment and always had the attitude that if you love your work, it isn't work.. So keep getting in the shed and making those things!
I’ve started and stopped since the seventies. One of my buddies has a bookshelf i built in I think in the eighties. His wife polishes that thing just about every week and it looks good. It’s made out of some old 1 x 12 and some spindles we found at a lumber yard. I know that thing is fifty years old if it’s a day.
Yuri Kobiashi...WOW! You do the dame knd of thing. I look at a problem, and it becomes a box with things that slide in and out. Where does the inspiration...the originality of curves and such that meld together in such a harrmonius way? I am in awe of you both
I would also add to the "Social Media is Saving Woodworkers" pile with this: Every time Cam charges some nutcase $35k for a river table for his yacht, the rest of us can make a reasonable profit on work for mere mortals.
I want nothing more than to make a living from working with wood. The problem is run into is having found this love late in life and having 5 kids. Being anywhere close to supporting my family with my passion is not in the foreseeable future. I applaud those like yourself who have been able to make it through dedication and hard work. Love the craftsmanship and overall content of your videos.
I feel you. I have a large family also and just can't see the financial side of it being enough yet. Which I am barely a hobbyist...lol
I never would have had the confidence to start down this path without the content provided on RUclips. It may sound basic, but I had trouble with a glue up 2 days ago. Im listening to you explain that someone believes that by me watching you, somehow cheapens the craft I so badly want to learn. I have served my community for decades and in my 50’s, I can’t just ship off to a furniture school for 6 months. Books and magazines are great, but they are no replacement for watching someone do it and explain the thought process as you do it.
So as I watched your video, I saw what I was doing wrong in my last glue up. I didn’t even pay for it. And the guy that made it the video, hopefully profited from it. Thank you.
It is amazing that there are fellowships available, especially if the pay in the US. But those are for young people without other responsibilities. I love You Tube because it allows creator and viewers to connect in ways that are more personal as well as accessible. ❤
More people being made aware of woodworking and woodworking skills = more demand for woodworking projects for people to buy.
Nah. I'd say with the knowledge being distributed so freely, there is less business for woodworkers. Especially basic carpentry suffers, because a lot of that is simply buying the right tools and materials. But at the same time more actual woodworking gets done because these days even people like me, who never would have dreamed of getting made-to-measure furniture, are now taking a crack at it.
@Volkbrecht but people who make woodworking will always be more willing to buy woodworking because they can appreciate it more
Good sir, thank you for providing inspiration. Even though I’m a hobbyist, I don’t want to spend my limited shop time building throw away furniture. Your pieces give me something to aspire to and prevent me from settling on Ana white pieces or river tables
I've built a lot of throw away pieces. I haven't thrown too many of them away yet though. Not everything has to be an heirloom piece. I find great utility in the utilitarian. The desk I'm sitting at now I knocked together out of scraps decades ago. I've been using it every day since then. Drywall screws through the top of it and all. Not everything has to be fancy.
I had no woodworking skills before I found the videos on You Tube. I have watched a number of them from very different types of content creators. And, I have to say that I have learned something from each of those creators. Some are still making content and some have packed it in and left You Tube. I also can say for me, my skill set and my failures as well as some of my success have made me very happy that I have invested the time, energy, and money into this craft. Your videos have broadened my horizons. Being a former teacher, I know that you never know how many students you have touched until one day one of them says 2 small words to you. "Thank you" When you hear that phrase the money that you didn't make is irrelevant. So form me to you. Thank you.
Yep, you got to be where we all wanna be someday ourselves
I completely agree with you. You and RUclips got me back woodworking at the age of 57 and I thank you.
Dude! Are you my twin? Same story here, same age. But I’m almost 59 now
I love that. Glad to have you back in the fold!
@@LyleAshbaugh same here brother
This is indeed a win-win proposition. You get some of the financial support you need and we get some excellent tutelage. Yes, we get exposure to techniques we SHOULD know. But more importantly, we get exposure to things we do not THINK we need. Until that day comes where we actually have to do it and we know that technique actually exists. It is easy to thank you for the things we use all the time. It is far harder to remember to thank you for the lessons we did not want to see but are now grateful we know.
In my mind, that is actually what will save woodworking. People like you teaching and the rest of us watching to see if we actually want to do it.
One of my favorite comments so far. Thank you Michael. I'm glad you're taking such important lessons from this platform.
I think you’re right about RUclips saving woodworking. Without the vast amount of information on here I wouldn’t have known where to start. Thanks to folks like you, who are sharing your knowledge, I’ve been able to develop enough skills to really make this a hobby I love and don’t see myself ever stopping.
Best woodworking on RUclips bro, you’re still teaching while others are busy peddling products that they don’t use. Thank you
🎉🎉 Congratulations On Hitting 100K!!!🎉🎉
I have a lot of the modestly expensive tools but haven't used them to full effect because my problem is wanting to go from start to perfect, which has never happened. I find myself stuck on various basic methods. Listening to you is actually quite calming, and you have a lot of good things to pass on. One is "just make a thing", and do the best you can. I simplified my current project, and have left some unnecessary details that won't show, just so I can practice some tool techniques, to get better at using chisels, and to focus on methods to ensure my cuts are accurate. The project will likely look fairly good in the end and I will have improved some skills in the process. Who knows? I may surprise myself and the project will look better than I think it will. Time will tell.
You provide not just instruction, but some personal philosophy with it. While not actually providing any kind of project or plans for others to try and copy, you show us how you do things, and tell us why you do them, and we get to watch, and try some of your techniques. I decided to try some of the things you have shown, get comfortable with them and then move to the next. At this point, I believe I can now make some things that I will feel satisfied with the outcomes. Only time will tell.
I know those feelings all too well! I spent 15 years in school, and that's after graduating from HS. I was 35 years old before I was able to get my first "job" and truly support myself in my chosen field.
The journey to proficiency is hard -- but true expertise requires a relentless obsession and that comes with setbacks, countless hours of work, study, practice, and heartbreak. However it is precisely that struggle which makes the achievement so fulfilling.
Best of luck in the New Year!
Love your videos and value the lessons I have learned watching them. Thank you for being genuine in your approach. I shall continue to watch and learn to further this hobby which I use as therapy.
My father and grandfather taught me how to use tools, not for fine woodworking, but for stuff you need around the farm and home. And that’s where my skill level stayed until I was 66 years old. Then Covid hit, I was “furloughed”, and I decided I needed to make some drawers for my reloading shop workbench with all this free time I suddenly had. RUclips videos opened my eyes, and made fine woodworking accessible to me. Yes, it’s just a hobby, but my projects 4 years later are in demand, by real customers, for real money. Who knew?
This channel, Rob Cosman, Rex Krueger, James Hamilton (Stumpy Nubs), Epic Woodworking, Matt Cremona, Tamar (3X3 Custom), Izzy Swan, Keith Johnson, and several others have taught me so much through their/your RUclips channels. Many others, too numerous to name, have inspired me with their videos and designs. I cannot even begin to imagine how I could have learned these skills without RUclips. So I subscribe to all my favorites, and hit “like” and write comments on all of them to “feed the algorithm” so all of you RUclipsrs get some dollars to repay you for what you have given me for free.
In my mind, this is what sets you appear from the other 90 or so RUclips channels I subscribe to. You connect with me. I believe you connect to all the people that subscribe to your channel. Rex Kruger and James Wright also have that same effect. I feel that if I saw you in a pub in Philidelphia i could walk up to you, buy you a drink and sit down for a chat.i would honestly love that. Please keep doing what you do. I will keep watching you. Thank you.
I first found you a bit over a year ago close to a year and a half. At first I thought you were a bit cocky, but in fairness you did get number 1 for woodworker of the year. I kept watching and I learned a lot from you since and now I like looking to see what you posted to see what I might learn next. To see you post what you did in this video about woodworking not dying out fills me with hope as I'm on the cusp of starting my own channel in my woodworking career. I have only been doing woodworking for about a year and a half but this is something I look forward to doing and it has become a dream of mine to be a woodworking RUclipsr. I do still have a long way to go and a lot more to learn but I want to show my journey to show others that if a regular guy like me works hard enough to achieve it then they can too. You and a handful of other RUclipsrs have given me the encouragement to make a thing and reach for my dreams, so for that I say thank you. Stay safe and have fun 💯😁
Congrats on 100k! You’re the first channel I ever subscribed to and have watched religiously since. Hope I can get to be a quarter as good as you are. 54 have a great career but starting at a woodworking school next month.
Thank you so much! I'll wear that honor with a pride. As for wood school--enjoy it my friend. It will be exhausting and (hopefully) kick your butt, but it will push you to grow in tremendous ways. Take it all in as best you can!
Your so right! U tube is able to inspire. As a retired teacher of Design and Tech in the UK I would have loved to have access to the range and depth of resources now available. In retirement I have tackled new projects inspired by you and others and taken so much joy from doing so. Keep them coming, you are valued.
Just watching your videos has made me a better woodworker. More importantly it has made me want to be a better woodworker. Thank you.
YOU DID IT 100K Subscribers. Well done! And thank you!
Thank you so much! This wouldn’t be possible without you!
As always, another good and honest video. I am glad you are now making it!
I enjoy watching your content. I am new at being a maker. I retired a few years ago and was finally able to fulfill my dream of having a woodworking shop since the age of 12 (46 years ago) . I started making and selling items about 18 months ago. My skills have improved immensely from watching your content and the content of others on RUclips. I was inspired by your walnut whiskey cabinet and made one similar. I feel that is one of my best pieces to date.
Thank you for the content you create and the inspiration you provide.
Jeff.
Atta boy, Jeff! Go fulfill that dream, sir. And keep improving with each project. Glad that whiskey cabinet spoke to you!
Congratulations on getting to 100k it’s well deserved have a safe and happy new year see you in 2025. Great box by the way it’s a stunning piece
Thanks for all your content from the bottom of my heart!
I'm retiring in 6 weeks and so looking forward to spending time in the shop. I've been woodworking on and off since I was 10, mostly to make things I couldn't afford to buy including building an entire set of kitchen cabinets for our first house, numerous sets of loudspeakers etc. A few years back I returned in earnest, buying my first of many hand planes and learning proper techniques of precision woodworking. I learned about reference edges and faces, and proper joinery. This came from Paul Sellers, then expanding ever farther to Ishitani, Shannon Rogers and now of course ENCurtis. I have learned far more from all of you than I ever could have from the few shows I watched on TV way back (before you were born LOL)and the magazines.
No, thank you. I really appreciated this. You’ve had a profound impact on how I approach my craft this year and it really hit home that I should be thanking you twice as loudly. RUclips is a better place with you teaching and communicating on it and it’s been real cool to watch your process. Here’s to the future and thanks for the insights and meditative builds.
Thank you. Having such a great spectrum of dialogue and projects is very impressive and inspiring.
Being a hobby woodworker, it’s so fortuitous having the content provided by you and other makers, to teach and inspire.
I love the making community,and have made some great friends through RUclips and Instagram, and it brings great joy to create something from nothing !
Dude you also hit 100K before the end of the year!!!! lol congratulations. See you at WBC if you are gonna be there again.
my concern is that there is a lot of people that are putting out videos that have no idea what they are doing as a woodworker, and they get a lot of views because they have the ability to make a good video and are entertaining, You are one of the few woodworkers, that have skill and the ability to make good videos and teach. There are very few skilled woodworkers on you tube that get enough views and subscribers to make it worth while. My concern is that the craft will suffer because there are fewer actual skilled makers out there, making quality items.
No one on this platform deserves the existence they want more than you. Hope you get to make some things next year you really enjoy.
Great message. I too jumped into woodworking because of you and your peers. Thank you.
I have to say, THANK YOU for the calm instruction, the honesty, the transparency, and the great videos. I've learned a lot from you and others in my 2 years of woodworking. As a 56 year old getting started two years ago, I wondered if I could actually learn this craft...could I make pieces that didn't suck? You taught me to see...to see the design, the possibilities, the beauty of the thing. And I thank you for that!
Than you. You are an inspiration and a gifted teacher. The projects are frigging incredible, which is a bonus to the other two traits. Have a happy New Year. I know it will be awesome, and I look forward to you sharing it with us.🎉
Thank you for doing what you do and congrats on 100k! I know personally I have a much more fulfilling experience making a thing now than before I came across your videos a couple of years ago :)
Thank you for doing something that you enjoy and enjoy sharing with RUclips and all of us. Your work is truly amazing and inspiring ❤
Thank you Jodi 🙂
Without you all of us hobbyists would be worse off. Thank you for what you do I very much appreciate your teaching, style, honesty, realness (is that even a word? --words are hard:). Hopefully someday this retired hobbyist will be able/worthy to actually sit in the ballpark that you pitch in.
A lot of your videos you say words are hard because you blanked on a word or something but you are very well spoken and have a nice way of articulating your thoughts and telling a story. Congrats on the 100k and have a happy new year.
Nice video. Almost my entire woodworking education is from RUclips and got it for free. The hobby has been life-changing - and I can’t thank you enough for what you do. I’m glad to hear the rewards go both ways.
Even simple comments like this sustain those of us who love the craft deeply. Keep on keepin on my friend.
Another year spent watching woodworking videos from what I consider the best on RUclips. Thank you for your content, your motivation, and I can’t wait to see what you do in 2025. Cheers.
Now you're here and it's your full time job with 100K subs...congrats!
I love your reflection videos. They're well thought out, and you don't just sit there with a weird looking mug the whole time. We still get to watch you at work. I don't quite understand your opener though. Why are people saying that RUclips is bad for woodworking? I steer clear of the Morley Kert's of the world who just try to convince you that you can make a mediocre coffee table out of a pallet and sell it for $18k or the plethora of channels that just try to sell you tools. But there's still plenty of content here that's great for the aspiring woodworker who doesn't have time or money for real training.
Congratulations to 100k 🎉
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Erik, thank you for sharing your thoughts and insight. I’m a 50+ year old that has found his way back into building a thing. I subscribe to many woodworking channels for both inspiration and learning. Between you and Matt Estlea, I have learned so much! I hope you know how much we appreciate and value you!
You deserve all that you have received. Practice leads to proficiency which breeds efficiency. In all things. Think about it. Do it and live it.
Thank you for supporting US!
You're an inspiring teacher!
Thank you!
I watch your channel because it inspires me, as you say, to make a thing. I'm not looking for step by step instructions to copy what you're making. And I have no delusions of gaining your skill level by osmosis. That's on me to learn and grow.
I guess I just want to say thank you for the nudge I get every week.
More than happy to oblige, my friend. Thanks for being here and for your support.
Erik, spot on as always, man! There are a handful of RUclips woodworkers that I consider my mentors and friends, even though we've never met. I continue to learn and evolve through each video, post, PM, and podcast. I truly wouldn't be where I'm at now without your support, and for that, you have my unending gratitude.
That was a really interesting video: open and honest and not in the slightest bit self indulgent. Here's wishing you the best for the coming year.
Yes. You and so many others add positively to the lived experience. As an example, I just learnt a new way of locating the box lid. There is a video in how that is done. And how nice was it to see that HNT Gordon rebate plane working. They cost a zillion but they are "the best".
I'm glad you learned something from even this video. And yes, I do love that HNT Gordon plane 😁
Happy New Year EN. Looking forward to your content in the new year!!
A. Tidy box.
B. Congrats on reaching 100k subscribers, you earned it.
C. Appreciate your heartfelt comments, and the sharing of your woodwork and vision, and I look forward to more in the future.
Salud.
Thank you 👊
You are an inspiration, in more ways than woodworking. Hold the line, man, hold the line! 😊
On the learning side I am 100% on the side that it's saving woodworking. There are so many learning opportunities available to anyone with an internet connection now that 10 years ago pretty much didn't exist. I have learned everything I know about working with wood from RUclips and a few books and magazines. There aren't good woodworking schools available in most of the continent anymore so this is what most of us have to learn from fantastic craftspeople like yourself.
On the side of a woodworker content creation is a game changer. More people are on RUclips now than ever before. It's rivaling network TV for time share with average consumers. If you find a niche, put in the work and build a community you can 100% make a go on RUclips. Even if you don't have a huge audience you can still make a reasonable living if you are savvy with brand partners and other avenues like that. It's there for the taking for anyone willing to put in the work and share honestly.
Thanks for all your content, it's really appreciated and you are an inspiration to so many people. Including me!
Thank you!
RUclips and social media are a godsend for all makers. Wood, metal, plastics, and even fabric stuff
Thank You! Have a great New Year, and I look forward to the next!
Preach! You speak daTHUTH! I can apprehend your journey and process! I recently stumbled on your channel and you are 100% correct that the POWER of social media has connected us like minded people that share the same passion! I just learned something with your box. I never thought about making those cuts and shoulder that way…GREAT Job!
I’m glad this was useful for you!
This. This is why I watch your videos. You instill so much inspiration in me. Your enthusiasm and love for the craft comes through your videos and makes me want to try and do more things in my shop. Thank you for this content and sharing your knowledge. I’m so excited to see where your journey takes you.
Great video. I am also in a craft (not on RUclips) and I think the platform really helps reveal and showcase the meaning of craft. The why, the depth of patience needed, the discipline and the bumpiness of the journey. At least I hope so. So glad you have reached financial stability!
Congratulations on 100k
I'm just surprised it's not 500K. Or more.
Let's get real. Reflection is necessary. It's a vital part of anyone elevating their skill level for a chosen craft. In fact, reflection can change the face of a craft or the craftsman. Shoot, I grew beard and bought a Capt America shirt cuz that's what real woodworkers do. Now when i get up on a day and head to the workshop (garage) wearing that...totally feel like a real woodworker. I can do it all day.
But truthfully, I appreciate your channel. It's on my 'must watch list' for several reasons, but mostly because there isn't a lot of BS and you aren't hawking some new, cool tool every five minutes. Keep it up - I'll always be a fan.
I’m doing the nine month at CFC right now and am both terrified and excited beyond belief for what the future holds. I just wish people at CFC wouldn’t bash on RUclips as much as they do because despite how much horrible info is on this platform, it can be a very real way to make a living doing this craft and great learning tool. But for now, I have to finish my case piece. Keep up the great work. Also, Yuri is freakin amazing. 🤩
Thank YOU for what you bring to the community, Erik. You are doing well because you are a good woodworker, you have unique and helpful insights, you are relatable, and you have good forearms haha.
The woodworking subreddit has like 5 mill subscribers. Woodworking is growing a lot, esp with younger people. It think social media is showing that anyone who wants to woodwork can do it. You are helping it grow.
Congrats on 100k 👍🏻🚀
Thank you. For all of that. Including the forearms 🤣
It's definitely providing a lot of people with inspiration to try, and I'm in that category
I love the approach in your videos bringing across both the aesthetic and structural elements of building a thing. Despite not having an artistic bone in my body, I feel like I've found a way to be creative thanks to people like you.
Congratulations on reaching 100K+ subscribers! I hope your New Year will be even better than the last one.
Thanks so much!
Massive thanks to you too Eric! Love you videos, your energy, enthusiasm and outlook on life. Oh and you’re fairly god damn talented at the wood stuff too. Happy holidays dude
From the UK. 30 years ago I trained as a class 1 cabinet maker in the Army. Since then I have worked on the railways for the past 25 years. You cannot make a living from it in the UK. Like yourself I love hand tools and making bespoke furniture which is one of a kind. I disagree about SM, I see untrained people getting free tools from big name suppliers making furniture which shouldn't be sold in IKEA. I don't want a big following on my SM, but what I want is true craftsman to be acknowledged for their skills, not the number of followers. This sir is why I follow you. A true time served craftsman.
Keep up the amazing work.
“Learn to grow, to set more roots”- that’s you. Amazing
Dang you're young! :shakes fist: I've heard the preferred way to make a good living in woodworking is to have a wife that makes the money (and attaches you to her health care plan). But hey, what ever works for you.... :^)
I get most of my good ideas/advise from Fine Woodworking. But the print media can only take you so far. RUclips really helps with the rest. In person classes would be better but too often that is not a viable choice. Looking forward to another year watching you - and staying above ground.
Great video and retrospective. Appreciate you.
You’re welcome and thank you.
Like I said before, you are the Peter McKinnon of woodworking, and I appreciate the hell out of you. Btw, that’s a mighty fine box you made there…
Nicely done. Thanks for a good years full of sharing your knowledge. Happy New Year.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TEACH, EVEN BEING A PRO,IVE LEARN A NEW THING OR TWO! FROM RUclipsRS. (YOU) BEING ONE! WOODWORKING IS CHANGING ,EVOLVING, AND LEARNING NEW THINGS FROM RUclips IS AMAZING (FREE APPRENTICESHIP) BASICALLY
100%. My only experience woodworking was from 45 years ago at age 10. Fast forward quite a number of years and my old house needs some love, where to start 🤔. People like yourself helped show me techniques etc to get me underway and like you mentioned, "IT'S FREE" 😮. YT is incredible, you just need to be switched on enough to recognise the BS.
Thankyou 👊🍻
RUclips was my gateway into learning what I was capable of doing…
Pasta?!?!! You could afford pasta! I was totally living on bologna and ramen in school! ;) Of course, that was thirty five+ years ago... But I'm so glad you did, I've learned so much from you. Thanks! I'm glad you've made a way for yourself, and shared it with us. Merry Christmas & HNY!
Haha pasta is the cheapest option nowadays! $.99 can feed you for two days! 😂 Thank you sir. And HNY to you as well!
From my perspective as a hobbyist RUclips has been a tremendous resource. I’m able to learn from many different perspectives. I’m able to see different philosophies and styles. There is certainly no substitute for experience. With the limited time I have for getting experience as a hobbyist I am able to learn more and develop faster because I have a rough idea of how it’s supposed to work. I appreciate your videos and your work so thank you.
I would never have gotten into this hobby if not for RUclips. I grew up hating wood and loving metalworking
You've brought it up, as have 1000's of others, Woodworking is not a money machine but rather a lifestyle. I am a woodworker and live in extreme poverty. I need to do more side gigs than I care to, but bills have to be paid. I am moving further away from the craft and at times I realize that I should have done so decades ago. The Sunk Cost Fallacy is a real dilema. So much has been invested and with no appreciable results and yet one continues at a loss since so much has been invested. Sane people call this insanity!
Thanks for all you do for the RUclips community, and I appreciate every video you have made. Best regards in 2025!
Thanks Erik
Paul Sellers, GOLD STANDARD.
Wonderful video to end the year. Congrats on 100k man
Always thought provoking, in a good way.
Congratulations on reaching a period of financial fulfilment that allows you to choose what to do and when to do it! It is deserved.
Thank you Erik for all you do!
Seeing you use the blade guard on the table saw is really nice to see, I don’t get why almost all youtube-ww don’t, just for a better shot. Congrats on 100k you deserve it !
Where'd they use a blade guard?
I appreciate a woodworking channel that actually shows tips, tricks, and builds. So many of my favorite channels have become nothing more than a tool review channel, and it's a huge turnoff for me.