Bent's Channel

[Birdhunter]

I've recently found Bent's woodworking channel on Youtube.

I think it's an excellent source of information presented clearly and with very good production quality.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I've recently found Bent's woodworking channel on Youtube.

I think it's an excellent source of information presented clearly and with very good production quality.

Is he not listed in the post about woodworking channels? I would have thought so. I have been watching him for years, though I don't remember how I found it. In the older videos he mentioned that he was still in the military and would be retiring and probably moving. He was down south somewhere? GA maybe? Then he moved to Indiana, very near Festool North America.
He has appeared with Sedge on the Festool Fridays episodes a few times too.

 

[rmwarren]

He did a video on assembling cabinet boxes that was a real eye opener for me.


RMW

 

[HighlandMarine]

Check out the Green Suiters Podcast, full of quality woodworking info from Jason Bent, Ronnie Fulton, and of course Curly.  Unlike some other wedge salad and falafel worshipping podcasts that shall not be named.

 

[GoingMyWay]

Festool USA posted a quick video with Jason Bent going over Mortise and Tenon Joinery:

 

[krudawg]

I've recently found Bent's woodworking channel on Youtube.

I think it's an excellent source of information presented clearly and with very good production quality.

Just hit my Radar last Week.  I like his channel and it is packed with information.....and, wait for it, Lots of mini infomercials.  But his delivery comes off so honest and sincere with deep knowledge of the product.  They are just another "how to". segment I love the content.  Great Job Bent's Woodworking!

 

[onocoffee]

I also found that Green Suiters Podcast that [member=79984]HighlandMarine[/member] mentioned. That's a pretty good podcast and it's interesting to hear Sedge in an informal setting - like a real person instead of the online personality. That's not meant to be a dig on him, just that I'm used to Festool Sedge from SedgeTool, Festool Live and the Festool Podcast, and was pleasantly surprised to find the innuendo-laden Sedge of Green Suiters.

 

[smorgasbord]

I'm really biting my tongue here.

In general, I have problems with relative newbie woodworkers going on YT and claiming all sorts of things that later on in life they realize weren't the whole story (to be kind). Seeing Bent's evolution, funded no-doubt by YouTube, to a new sliding tablesaw as some new revelation just rubs me the wrong way, much like Dennis' similar migration (which has gone even further, tbf).  But, even the great pioneer, Norm Abram, was learning true woodworking during his first few seasons.

That said, there are some good things in Bent's channel. For instance, I particularly liked his demonstration with panel glue-ups and how adjusting the pressure up or even down on the clamps can flatten the assembly.

And maybe I'm just an old crusty hobbyist, but I do wish there was some way to warn newbie woodworkers watching these channels about the sometimes dubious information they're being presented.

 

[TSO_Products]

[member=77266]smorgasbord[/member] -

you undoubtedly speak for more than a few subscribers on the FOG in regard to dubious content on YouTube - including myself.
Let's recall the past contributions made to the craft by the likes of Eric Clevinger (@PoplarShop) and Paul Marcel (@HalfInchShy) in the absence of the financial incentives drawing newbies onto the YouTube stage.

I suspect that as today's  "Newbies" gain experience some of them will learn to see the difference between "wheat and chaff" in the information they ingest.

In the end, let's remember what the advent of social media has done to breathe life into woodworking as a recreational activity and where woodworking would be, in general, if the interest and demand for tools had not been boosted by the same social media forces which make you and me groan from time to time. [wink]

Hans

 

[festal]

Also shows evolution of growing.  And it seems to be a trend.  As influencers gain subscribers and grow their channel, more expensive brands want to sponsor them and their equipment gets upgraded in the process (Bent's woodworking made a deal with Felder and got a slider) Looks like powermatic entered the influencer market lately as few influencers started showing Yellow equipment in their shops.  Latest trend is the shop build/expansion/move

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I completely agree with Hans. YouTube woodworking channels are mostly a double-edged sword.
They do indeed draw people in and at least somewhat educate them, but at the same time, many of them are also quasi-infomercials. As it just so happens, the most popular also seem to be the most sponsored.
In this consumer-driven society, it has a tendency to drive the desire to "keep up with the Joneses"
As long as a person can watch and take in the good, understanding that there is a financial motivation to most of them. That, in itself, is not necessarily but, as long as you are aware.

 

[onocoffee]

I think you guys speak some wise words. I'm quite new to the woodworking world and barely a neophyte. For someone like myself, YouTube has been a great resource to be exposed to aspects of woodworking from a variety of people and approaches. As a newbie, I try not to get sucked into any particular YouTuber's mindset, or believe that what they're pushing isn't being fueled by some sort of sponsorship. After watching a lot of woodworking YouTube for the past several months, it's quite apparent which channels are more like infomercials and which channels are hosted by people with actual experience.

I remember watching one person's channel talking about the PowerMatic bandsaw, then I looked it up. That's some serious cheese for a bandsaw. And then Dennis' and Jason's Felders? Awesome but also awesome in price for the amateur woodworker.

One thing I noticed about Woodworking YouTubers that irritates me is the consistent need for them to breakaway to movie or television pop culture clips. All of them seem to do it and it's pretty stale.

Some of it is also a bit useless. Okay, I get it that the Skil 10" tablesaw for $300 is a great beginner saw - but how about tell us why that saw might hold its own against the SawStop PCS - really illustrate the strengths of the saw. Or what kind of accuracy am I going to get beyond the likability of the rack and pinion fence control?

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi [member=82312]onocoffee[/member] ,

In terms of Felder, it's a nice brand (I have a Felder slider, band saw, horizontal mortiser, dust extractor, etc....), but decidedly "mid-tier" when compared to machines from brands like Hofmann, Martin, Altendorf, etc.... To put these machines in perspective, a Felder F700 shaper can be had for ~$8k, whereas a well-equipped Martin T29 shaper can easily exceed $125k....

 

[Michael Kellough]

Bent’s channel? I guess I picked the wrong video, one about the Dewalt and Makita cordless trim routers. Does it really take 18 minutes to explain why screw adjustment is better than rack and pinion?! And by the way Bent, Bosch’s screw adjustment is better than Dewalt’s and Milwaukee’s.

And the Green Suitors Podcast? Why does anyone want to listen to three guys yammer for however long it lasts? It’s not even a video where you can scroll through to see what they’re talking about.

Now if it was Susan Sontag, Dave Hickey, and Cornell West chatting I’d drop everything to listen.
(RIP Susan and Dave)

OFF TRACK WARNING

Frustrated today because two orders delivered today are screwed up. Bought an Arbortech Industrial Cutter from Lee Valley and (shockingly) they sent an old yellowed package that does NOT have the cutter. Relatively minor annoyance to resolve since they are so good at customer relations.

Thought I bought a particular out of production Dewalt Tstak organizer on eBay (DWST17805 7 bin clear lid organizer) but the box received is a different one (DWST17805 9 bin clear lid organized but 1-1/8” shallower). The listing had the right model number and the photo is of the one I wanted so I was happy to pay substantially more than the thing originally cost. And a lot more that what the one I received is worth.

After doing some research I discovered that Dewalt only retired the product not the model number. They use the old product stickers (even has the same old copyright date) on the different product, even though it already had it’s own product number which is on the flyer inside the box.

So the vender is half right and so am I. Don’t know how that will turn out. Nearly half the retail listings for the product number show the old version even though the description is correct for the current version. Thanks a lot Dewalt.

 

[krudawg]

I can't believe all this hate on YouTube Woodworking Videos in General and Bent's Woodworking specifically. Let's look at it from a newbie's perspective; Where does a newbie source information about woodworking tools, machinery and Tech?  Wood Magazine (Great Magazine)?  Popular Woodworking?  In a Tool Buyers Guide?  Maybe, but most newbies, including myself, want to watch how a tool is used or how a project is actually planned, built and finished - I learn best by "seeing" not reading.  Some of these YouTubers answer replies and questions to their videos which is just another added value to YouTube.  Let's not forget that we all learn differently and the learning curve for woodworking can be steep for some people.  I started woodworking 9 years ago and without people like James Hamilton, Paul Marcel,The Wood Whisperer and most importantly, Peter Parfit and Jason Bent, I'd still be building the family dog house instead of kitchen Cabinets and bookshelves etc.  Anyway, where was I.......

 

[Michael Kellough]

I can't believe all this hate on YouTube Woodworking Videos in General and Bent's Woodworking specifically. Let's look at it from a newbie's perspective; Where does a newbie source information about woodworking tools, machinery and Tech?  Wood Magazine (Great Magazine)?  Popular Woodworking?  In a Tool Buyers Guide?  Maybe, but most newbies, including myself, want to watch how a tool is used or how a project is actually planned, built and finished - I learn best by "seeing" not reading.  Some of these YouTubers answer replies and questions to their videos which is just another added value to YouTube.  Let's not forget that we all learn differently and the learning curve for woodworking can be steep for some people.  I started woodworking 9 years ago and without people like James Hamilton, Paul Marcel,The Wood Whisperer and most importantly, Peter Parfit and Jason Bent, I'd still be building the family dog house instead of kitchen Cabinets and bookshelves etc.  Anyway, where was I.......

I don’t think it’s “hate”. In my case the value of most of the videos isn’t worth my time.

But your point is well taken. FOG has one of the broadest ranges of experience of any forum. If videos were readily available when I started I’d happily have watched them. Even the bad ones. With the vast archive of the internet and the ability to search it’s a completely different learning environment.

I was still a beginner at woodworking when Fine Woodworking launched and it was aimed at professionals at the time so it was mostly over my head but I feel lucky to have been exposed to relatively advanced material.

I was in a bad mood yesterday and should have just refrained from posting.

 

[smorgasbord]

I can't believe all this hate on YouTube Woodworking Videos in General and Bent's Woodworking specifically. Let's look at it from a newbie's perspective; Where does a newbie source information about woodworking tools, machinery and Tech? 

That's kind of the point - videos from people who think they know it all, but in reality have just scratched the polyurethane surface, can do more damage than help. So, yeah, I take issue with you grouping Jason Bent and James Hamilton together. You also left out people like Nick Engler, who obviously has years of experience, but doesn't bother, for the most part, doing tool reviews.

And that's where YouTube's audience and algorithm come in. Peter Millard found out that early one when he did a tool comparison (I think it was track saws) that his less than a year old channel exploded. And Dennis of Hooked on Wood also found out that tool reviews get a lot more views than build videos. Heck, people even watch "unboxing videos," which do nothing more than unbox the item - sometimes they don't even turn it on, much less use it.

That said, some of the channels you've posted - Wood Whisperer, Peter Parfit, etc. are good. But it seems people want a personality to review tools, so the 731 and similar channels get lots of views, even despite them doing obvious literal commercials more than half the time now.

But, I've been a long-time complainer. Back in the day I watch Frank Klaus videos and DVDs and complained about cross-grain gluing construction in Norm Abram's show. Norm learned on the job, which was kind of an interesting thing to watch back then.

 

[krudawg]

You threw out a couple of names of YouTubers I never heard of until now - must of been they did not offer a video of something I was interested in building or learning about.  My point is, Woodworking YouTubers make videos of interest to all Woodworkers, even picky ones or "long-time Complainers" as you put it.  There is something in the video that is of interest or the video won't monetize or videos won't get made or last long on YouTube.  I have a buddy who is a classic car nut and he nit-picks cars used in "Period Piece" movies.  For example, he will complain if he see's a 1937 Chevy 5-window coupe with say a 1938 Chevy tail light on it.  It drives him crazy.  For me, having the wrong tail light on a classic car may be a faux pas but does not ruin the movie for me.  I think you may fall into that same kind of mindset.  I don't notice mistakes made on woodworking videos because my skillset  is not at that level.  If I build that project in the video and figure out the video was wrong, then I learn from that.  Anyway, I have come a long way in the last 9 years from struggling to build a decent dog house to now building and finishing  cabinets, bookshelves and night stands.  I also  enrolled in the Southwest School of Woodworking located in Downtown Phoenix.  They have a "Fundamentals of Woodworking 3-part class that is all about using hand tools like chisels and hand saws to make dovetails and mortise and Tenons-all by hand.  The class was several weeks long and supervised by the very talented Raul Ramirez.   

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Agreed, I think hate is a very strong word here.
As most of you know, I have been working in a cabinet shop for over 20 years, but I still watch many of them too. I spent many years and many dollars on magazines, long before YouTube was ever a thing, long enough to see them recycle content. I was starting to get bored, then discovered the video aspect. I had kind of assumed that YouTube was just kids busting themselves on skateboards or BMX bikes. It may have started that way, but it grew into so much more.
In the early days, the ads were rare (here and there, between videos, never in them), but the content was not nearly as polished either. Whether that is good or bad, is an entirely different subject.
Even with the much more invasive commercialization, I still watch and enjoy them, some for very different reasons.
There are so many different ways to do things and directions to approach. I appreciate them all, even if it is what not to do  [unsure].
I learned a lot about Festool initially from [member=131]Paul[/member] Marcel the Woodwhisperer, [member=41421]Peter[/member] Parfit and Erik t the Poplar shop (though the channel name was different then) I discovered Jason Bent a while later, since he posted less frequently, back then.
I watch a lot of other woodworking content to though, from sawmilling, hand tool only guys, CNC, tool reviews, and everything in between. The life of an autodidact is consuming  [blink] though it's not quite fair to say "self-taught". It's more curious and needing to research, then blending it all together, with no formal training. I especially appreciate learning from here. The European perspective and resulting differences are fascinating.

 

[bertv]

Also shows evolution of growing.  And it seems to be a trend.  As influencers gain subscribers and grow their channel, more expensive brands want to sponsor them and their equipment gets upgraded in the process (Bent's woodworking made a deal with Felder and got a slider) Looks like powermatic entered the influencer market lately as few influencers started showing Yellow equipment in their shops.  Latest trend is the shop build/expansion/move

Yellow? To me its is more like Baby Poop. Reason enough to never have one of their machines.