IDIOT(?) Village

Friends don't let friends woodwork drunk. ;) I think I've seen most of this guy's videos. He's a real piece of work.

At the 2:10 mark in this one, he's actually holding the sole of the power plane in the palm of his hand when he hits the power switch and starts the blades spinning. So many other blatant safety violations I couldn't even keep track of them all. (Plus, I think I could get a cleaner end grain cut with a rusty axe.)

In general I'm real tolerant of people doing things whatever way they think is best. But if someone poses as an "expert", or a "master carpenter with over 20 years of experience" and posts stuff like this on the Internet as a teaching aid, I'll be the first in line to publicly skewer him and roast him over the coals of public opinion. :D
 
In just about every one of the morons videos - the comments are a warning for the viewer to not follow that guys instructions.

It is sad to note - the viewer will likely watch the vid - and maybe never see the warnings.

I am pretty tolerant of how people do stuff - uh - well mabbe not.

I would never condone - TEACHING - the stuff this guy does.
 
I agree with all of you. This guy is drunk in my opinion. This is the dark side of the net. A site with a name like that needs to consider vetting in some form or other in order to have some legitimacy to me.

If they had the inclination to be any kind of value in the internet knowlede market, simply retaining a few of the pros we have on our forum to vet or vote on the quality of a submission prior to allowing it to go public would ratchet the status and value of the site.

I could barely watch the first video and it only got worse as my curiosity got the better of me and I watched the rest.:eek:

Man I feel like einstein by comparison to him and I am a in reality a rank amateur.

One thought occurred to me is that this guy needs help. I would not like to see the work he has put out for the past 20 years as he claims.

Thanks Dewey for highlighting the very real problem of seeking solutions in places like that. Why would one when you can get such excellent guidance here by so many really qualified pros.:thumb:
 
Someone should clamp this guy to a work bench for a week just so he knows what a clamp is for. As for the rest of his habits, the power company should cut his line.

One of my favorite lines (often used in rush hour traffic, yelled within the confines of my own car) is, "Hey, your village called. They want you back!" I'm afraid this fellows viallage was happy to see him go.
 
I'm just confused as to why you would use a power planer by hand to 'sqware' up a board?????

We all know that's a job for a freehand SawzAll cut...


He was definitely on something in that video.
 
The thought of this being a perpretated hoax in order to achieve exactly what is happening with all our comments crossed my mind, like that famous one about "bonsai kittens", but it looks too real, and too real stupid to be a hoax.

Honestly I think this guy is pathetic and needs help.
 
I'm convinced that the Expert Village management doesn't read the comments, but only look at the hit counts for individual videos or presenters. If this is indeed the case, we're helping to make this guy a star by watching his trainwreck.

I decided to use their "Contact Us" page to drop them a polite note mentioning a few of the issues that have been noted with this particular guy's techniques (and condition). They really should remove his videos. I could name scores of members here who could provide better "expert" advice, including many of our "beginner" folks.
 
You know it might be kind of fun to put our own spoofs of this pathetic site out there for real entertainment. Of course I don't have time for that. I had my own idiot moment last night as I was sealing bowl blanks with Anchorseal. I went to flip a blank over and lost the handle and knocked the gallon of Anchorseal onto the floor. The splattering was all of 15' and all over the place. Lots of choice words about being a clumsy oaf. :(

Truly the best way to learn a craft or subject is to teach it. I don't think he is making any progress. I have also seen first hand the wreckage of drunks and dope heads running equipment. One of the most impressive was seeing an 80 lb. vise thrown across a shop floor 30 ft. and leaving a good dent in a cement wall. It traveled past 4-5 guys running lathes. Very fortunate that nobody was killed or maimed. The same guy later nearly killed himself by forgetting to take 2 10lb. parallels out from behind a lathe chuck and firing up the lathe. One of the parallels flew out and clipped him in the head knocking him senseless. I stayed as far away from him as possible.
 
You know it might be kind of fun to put our own spoofs of this pathetic site out there for real entertainment.

Paul,

I thought of that too. But things are so often mis-taken... :dunno:

I remember, when I was just still learning to turn, coming across a page that was meant as a joke, about a dumb woodturner and the things he would do. I'm sure the author thought it was funny, and I'm sure his expert friends thought it was funny, but *I* wasn't laughing... if he named 18 things, I'd done at least twelve of them. It's one thing for me to laugh at myself for being a fool, I do it all the time. But other approaches are a whole different kettle of fish... ;)

It all reminds me of the whole "Wood Butcher" scandal that caused such an uproar. If you missed it, you can find it here: http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ProjectsAndDesign/ProjectsAndDesignArticle.aspx?id=32323

I don't care what the editor's note says, I felt like the writer, and especially the editors who reprint it over and over (at least three times by their own admission) were making fun of people like me, who are just trying their best, and who *used to* constitute a large part of their subscriber base... :doh:

Sometimes, I kinda miss that magazine, and then I remember what they're really like... ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
Who is "Expert Village" anyway? Is this like Wikipedia where any ding-thod that "sounds" like he knows what he is talking about can post? Holy Cannoli, this guy is hammered. Believe me, I've been around a few 'professional' drinking men and if he's not drunk, he used to snort Pam in high school or something . .. whew!
 
Hey I have a question. I watched this guy on Village Experts use a sawsall to cut a round hole in a piece of plywood. Well I thought it was pretty cool so I went out and got me one and tried it my self. Well I cut half my leg off with the saw. Do I have a case agents Village experts?:thumb::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::dunno:

I haven't checked, but I'd bet there's disclaimer language in fine print somewhere on their site.

Glenn, I don't think it's quite as open to drive-by posting as Wikipedia, but seeing videos like this guy's sure puts their vetting process under scrutiny.
 
Bill I am by no means an expert wood worker nor claim to be. I am getting better at hiding my mistakes.:D If I do know something about a subject, I'm willing to share but I am always open to suggestions or a better way to do things.
I used to teach MIG welding for certification at my workplace, and had some prospective repair guys tell me up front that they knew how to weld and I couldn't teach them anything. I gave them their chance to prove their expertise and then when they failed certification if they were willing to learn we could do something about it. I kicked a few out of the program right quick. The thing is, Bad welds can kill people when the automobile body doesn't protect the occupant. That is the primary issue I have with people who claim to be "experts" and really are ignorant. When I was less tactful I once told a guy that I was glad he was "just a half-whit. If he had the other half of his brain he would be dangerous" . Not very nice by me but the guy was genuinely arrogant and poor at his work.

I don't see anyone on this forum claiming to be an expert and the friendly advice I have gotten is down right helpful.
I think it is an important aspect of society to razz those who give bad information or examples and do it with no remorse nor care for others. I think it's one thing that makes our country great. I also find it interesting, reading all the comments about this so called "expert". Some of his mistakes I didn't quite catch the first time watching and I appreciate other observations. :huh:
 
Friends don't let friends woodwork drunk. ;) I think I've seen most of this guy's videos. He's a real piece of work.

In general I'm real tolerant of people doing things whatever way they think is best. But if someone poses as an "expert", or a "master carpenter with over 20 years of experience" and posts stuff like this on the Internet as a teaching aid, I'll be the first in line to publicly skewer him and roast him over the coals of public opinion. :D

I watched a couple of the videos, but I'm not a fan of any horror movie, so I stopped after that...

and as for being an "expert"...
I have an explanation of the word that I heard years ago and still use today....
def: EXPERT - X is an unknown quantity... a SPURT is a drip under pressure.
 
I used to teach MIG welding for certification at my workplace

Paul,

I truly admire your expertise, and your approach. I really really want to do some welding, but I don't have the slightest idea where to start. and it gets pretty confusing (mig, tig, gas, who knows... ;)

Besides, Doorlink is not in favor (maybe after I get her kitchen done? :rofl:

And really, I want to do it so I can do other things, like use welding to build myself a nice bowl lathe. With so many things undone, its hard to justify the time and expense. But I'll get there some day... ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
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