I have passed the age when I am assigned an advisor to help and guide me. Indeed, I’m probably too old to be anyone’s tutor. Any guidance I might offer younger people would be regarded as outdated or, worse, unfashionable.
Rather than fret over life’s iniquities, I have found a bevy of mentors who are helping me, every day, to become a more proficient woodworker. If you have similar interests, they would also be willing to help you, all free of charge. Well, they might want you to become a Patreon, or send money their way to buy equipment, or sell you some plans.
In this post, I’d like to introduce you to ten of them. I am now trying to add channels where projects, problems, challenges, equipment, materials and even measurement units mirror mine.
I have not listed everyone I have watched, nor all those I subscribe to on Youtube. Rather, I am just listing those that I find inspiring, helpful and able to help me improve my woodworking skills. Certain names may also be missing because I put them into a non-woodworking category; Others because they are no longer inspiring.
Mentors are grouped by age: old fogy, middle fogy and young fogy.
The Old Fogies
Mentor: John Heisz
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IBuildItHome/ Website: https://ibuildit.ca/
I believe that my first Youtube woodworking subscription was to this channel run by Ontario, Carpenter John Heisz. It covers home improvements, especially the renovation of a 1953 Bungalow.
I was especially impressed with his advice on how to build kitchen drawers: Make the bottoms solid!
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzGbp-rRVNwyFhn9gHoZr5g
This is John’s maker channel. A lot of the stuff he makes are wooden components that can be used in a workshop. “This is a splinter off my main woodworking channel where I’ll post videos on a wider range of topics, but all closely related to DIY. These videos will usually be longer and more informal, with more detail than the full build videos on my main channel.”
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaJsEh2_YxWHMcjASs4cJcA
This is John’s third channel. To quote him, “On this channel there are NO RULES!!! I’ll be posting whatever I want, whenever I want and you can like that, OR HIT THE ROAD!!! :D”
Mentor: Paul Robinson
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/pauly1060 Website: http://geo-dome.co.uk/
Information about building geodesic domes. Yes, there are other subjects, usually filed under alternative. Avoid these.
The Middle Fogies
Mentor: Matthias Wandel
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Matthiaswandel/featured Website: http://woodgears.ca/
Matthias is one of those people who almost didn’t make it onto this list. He makes a lot of wooden equipment, some of which actually solve real world problems. He likes engineering challenges, but his design sense, especially his use of colour, differs from mine.
Mentor: Jeremy Fielding
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_SLthyNX_ivd-dmsFgmJVg Website: http://www.jeremyfielding.com/
When I look at Jeremy’s shop, I realize how lucky I am to have so much space available. I like him because he shows people how to make equipment out of recycled, and inexpensive materials.
Mentor: Anonymous
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/bellevuesnekkeri Website: http://bellevuewoodshop.com/
Channel mainly about shop built tools and machinery. Anonymous is an automation electrician by trade.
Aside: Everyone knows my geographical prowess. When I first watched one of Anonymous’s videos, I was convinced that he must be living in Bellevue, Washington. Even at that point in the video where one can read a sign “Ikke gå under hengende last”, I said to myself, this guy has Norwegian ancestry. Well, I was certainly right about that. He writes: “I am located in a small city (pop aprox 7500) in the southern part of Norway.” My guess at location is now Lyngdal, in Vest Agder, Norway.
Mentor: Andreas Kalt
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTomKrWlaNa1YVVWwjpbZpA
Andreas is a biology teacher and a hobby woodworker. He seems to enjoy making things out of wood and learning new skills in the process. In each of his newer videos he has a section called “What I learned” in which he shares his insights.
The Young Fogies
Mentor: Jeremy Schmidt
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0T7tvy44mlQCjaTtparOZw
Jeremy also makes a lot of tools, workbenches, cabinets in addition to video production equipment.
Mentor: Marius Hornberger
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn7lavsPdVGV0qmEEBT6NyA
Videos about woodworking, homemade machines, wood-turning, making jigs and more stuff from a small basement workshop.
Mentor: Cosmas Bauer
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Alukuchen1992
Cosmas is a woodworker and tool maker. He presents a lot of interesting ideas about what can be made, rather than purchased.
Mentor: Jay Bates
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Jayscustomcreations/
Jay does more woodworking than making tools for woodworking.
Has someone important been missed?