Making It · 31 Jul 2020 · 1h 04m
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their current projects, including Jimmy's CNC chicken coop, David's walnut slab chair, and Bob's weight rack. The conversation shifts to the psychological challenges of creating content, specifically the tension between making practical, useful videos versus 'epic' long-term projects that may not yield immediate financial returns. They explore how to overcome creative blocks and self-imposed roadblocks by breaking large tasks into manageable steps and giving big projects energy even without guaranteed performance.
makers and hobbyists
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Hosts Elecia White and Chris White discuss personal projects and burnout, with Chris detailing his experience using CircuitPython and the MIKROE 8800 board to run Conway's Game of Life, and Elecia sharing her paper engineering class. They explore the psychology of creativity, the desire for obscurity versus recognition, and the operational strain of maintaining a weekly podcast schedule, announcing a potential reduction in frequency.
Elecia White and Christopher White discuss recent personal and professional projects, including Christopher's band 12AX7's Kickstarter campaign for their new album and Elecia's upcoming conference talks on memory maps and origami. They reflect on the challenges of self-promotion for creative works and the difficulty of breaking through digital noise without a live performance component. The episode also serves as a call for community contributions, specifically asking listeners to submit cat videos for a music video.
Mike Pekovich, Vic Tesla, and Amanda Russell discuss strategies for managing limited shop time, emphasizing the use of detailed checklists and 'order of operations' to minimize setup friction and decision fatigue during short work sessions. The hosts address how to handle interruptions in large projects by breaking tasks into small, definable steps and using visual markers like grease pencils to track joinery locations. They also debate the value of deliberate practice, suggesting that building functional, low-stakes items like trays or boxes is more effective for skill acquisition than repetitive drills on scrap wood.
Erik Curtis, a furniture maker and YouTuber based in Philadelphia, joins Shop Talk Live to discuss the realities of running a woodworking business, teaching, and creating content. Curtis and hosts Amanda and Vic explore the myth of the solitary furniture maker, arguing that modern makers must diversify through teaching, writing, and media to sustain their craft. They debate the role of YouTube in woodworking, distinguishing between entertainment-focused channels and those that provide substantive technical education, while addressing the accessibility of high-end tools versus the necessity of skill. The conversation also covers design philosophy, emphasizing the importance of grain selection, proportion, and stripping away excessive ornamentation to achieve clear, functional aesthetics.
Myke Hurley of Cortex Brand discusses the manufacturing challenges and high cost of his new Sidekick Notepad, which features paper made from recycled coffee cups and was hand-assembled in London. Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost of Studio Neat share their experiences with product video production, highlighting the difficulty of lighting and the value of tools like Dragonframe and motorized sliders. The hosts then help each other decide on new computer hardware, debating the merits of Mac Studio, MacBook Pro, and monitors for heavy video editing tasks.
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