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TOMMY MC DONALD HAS LEFT ROUGH CUT PBS SHOW

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52K views 61 replies 37 participants last post by  CrockerHill  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi Gang
According to Charles Neil and Facebook Tommy Mcdonald has left the Rough cut tv show, It seems that the information about him leaving has two sides of the story, one side says he quit, while the other says he was fired.
A rather Ironic item is the Charles Neil has just shot a pilot for a local PBS TV show perhaps putting Charles on the air in some locations. Who knows what will happen next.
 
#3 ·
I found that interesting since he had just built that new shop and must have had $100K worth of Mini-Max/SCM tools in the lower level. They were also listed as a sponsor at the end of that episode. I did not check his Facebook after I had first heard the news, but one person posted his words seemed to have some bitterness in them.
 
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#8 ·
I have nothing against Tommy, but I hope the next guy is less on appearance and hair, and more about explaining and teaching. Norm was always such a good teacher. I learned a lot about woodworking from Norm. I will miss Tommy's friends Al and Eli.

I did have the feeling that Tommy's new shop was filled with equipment far beyond the reach of his audience's pocketbook. Frankly, I didn't get it. Tommy's new shop was set up for commercial production not home woodworking.
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hey Jim!

Haven't seen a post from you in awhile. Tommy was mentioning in an interview awhile ago that the shop only looked like that for the cameras. Jimmy Diresta was on TV as well and then he wasnt and he now has found his niche is kinda the Mr. Internet now doing it his way. He has been asked to do tv production shows but said it's a lot of hoops to jump through and it's always their way.

I'm guessing no one told Norm how to do it, but I remember when he was the spokesman for Meralack ( SP) cabinets and he was told to stop.

Great news for Charles the "Big dog" and I hope they give him a lot of latitude. ( he'll need it. LOL!)

Happy Easter to you and all if you're so inclined.
 
#11 ·
I think I agree w/BigAl. Norm was Norm, and he was/is good at what he did, woodwork and teaching woodworking. Everything revolves on fast fast fast anymore. I've learned that we all should just slow it down, and "smell the coffee". All will be good. Just my thoughts.
 
#12 ·
Thanks again "J" I did read the other comments, I appreciate the tip.

Hi Tom
Yep, I've been pretty busy. I'm not familiar with Jimmy Diresta but I can see why all that's involved with a TV production is not all glamor and fame. Not sure about Norm his producer and director and creator of THS,NYW,and others was an is Russell Morash know to be fairly picky about his shows, but I doubt he messed with the content that much.

Charles has a behind the scenes Vido of his taping of the Pilot show for his local PBS show,He said they had to stop and go a few times on things like sawdust on his shirt etc.



Sure I observe Easter are trying to get me in trouble with the easter Bunny? :))
Just kidding we observe Easter for it's religious purpose.
I hope you and the whole family have a wonderful Easter also
 
#13 ·
Interesting news. I wonder what Tommy Mac will go on to do? I imagine that being a woodworking celebrity doesn't bring the same sort of fortune as other forms of celebrity. That said, I think that it would be hard to go back to a work-a-day life doing kitchen re-models after the glamour of your own show. Hopefully Chris Schwartz at Lost Art Press has already signed him to write a book "My life as a Woodworker TV Star".
 
#16 ·
Funny, I had just caught the final show of this season this morning (I record and watch when I get a chance). He had already (apparently) thinned the herd of machine tools from the last episode I saw. He had rearranged things slightly and I didn't see the stand alone 16" jointer (his combo TS also has a jointer). It may have been there, but he had a lot more space on the lower floor. Oh, well.
 
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#18 ·
I've met him and watched his show, as I watch any woodworking shows. I'm a junkie like most. He was a little over passionate at times but we all have our idiosyncrasies. Too bad his show is no longer and wish him the best. It was sad when he left lumberjocks because of some bashing he was receiving as well.

I will surely be on the lookout for Charles show. He's a great guy and he took the time to talk me through some finishing issues in was having a few yrs ago. Best mm to both of them.
 
#19 ·
Other than Tommy saying he won't be on the show anymore I haven't heard anything. Any other stories are probably gossip. Norm had carte blanche to do what he wanted, Tommy was hired by a production company. I think their big mistake was trying to be too much like New Yankee because that only draws comparisons.
 
#20 ·
I saw him at a woodworking show in Dallas, I struck up a conversation with him, then he said come on, I'll buy you a beer. I had a beer in the hallway, he didn't drink one, but bought some soda's for a couple of kids too.

I thought he was a real good guy… but buy me a beer I would say that about anyone
 
#21 ·
I really enjoyed Norm a lot and Tim Yoder for turning and he was on there for 18 months and gone. He did a good job in turning and teaching to.

To bad it seems the TV network is all cooking and I am very tired of that and it seems woodworking in way down on the ratings.

To bad to since it is so good for the person to do a craft and relax doing it to and they see something that can be achieved in the making.
 
#22 ·
I use to communicate with Tommy when he had his podcast before his TV show he always seemed like a nice guy ,At that period in time he was making a Bombe chest on Chest he seemed to be very persistent going to great efforts and sometimes tons of work to correct the smallest errors,it took him close to a year to build it but it was a beautiful work of art when finished.He had it finished by a professional finisher and I use to see it when he had it in the back of the shop when he first started Rough Cut show, I'm not sure he every sold it. Tommy is far more talented than myself but I could see he had quite a bit to add to his woodworking knowledge bank, back in the pod show days he seemed afraid to even try routers and he got upset when he got glue on his hands. I like Tommy I wish him success in the future.
Now it's Charles Neils turn to give his local PBS show a go, Charles is truly and experets expert woodworking and finishing but he still can teach and relate the very beginning novice woodworker all the way up to a 20 year woodworker.Charles is already an author, teacher, lecturer and master finisher and woodworker so he doesn't need a show to prove his worth, but he loves to share his knowledge with others.
Good luck my friend with your PBS show "Woodworking Then and Now"
 
#23 ·
I wasn't always the biggest fan of Tommy Mac the TV personality, but I really appreciated the wide variety of projects they did on the first few seasons of the show, from contemporary to traditional and everything in between. I think that variety is really missing from the other woodworking shows including St. Norm.
 
#24 ·
Charles contacted me when there weren't the wide variety of YouTubers and asked me to give input as I'd been critiquing woodworking DVD's.

Charles has his way of teaching from being in the shop. He has learned and been burnt along the way. He has a lot of great YouTube videos with excellent tips.

He suggested I check out Lj's many years ago, and it's been my home away from home ever since. I met Jim on Charles site when Charles was daily blogging, but he wearied of that.

Tommy was a young fresh face who was doing something new. In my opinion the pace was too fast and too frenetic. To Tommy's credit he brought in people including Charles to share their knowledge. Jim wanted to know who Jimmy Diresta is as Jim stays in the woodworking zone. Jimmy is an example to all of us that we can make a difference if we are willing to swim upstream. Charles is my main mentor, and I refer to his DVD's as I know what he has taught me and if I forget I have him to help.

I truly wish both men a lot of success. I have been looking at myself when attempting to make a VLOG and saying "Who'd watch that guy?" LOL!
 
#25 ·
Things I really appreciate about Tommy is that he will say he made a mistake and show it, and he was always quick to give credit where it was due. If Eli was the man behind something, he gave Eli credit. A few times I noticed mistakes or that a piece had been switched out between takes but that is editing, you can't show everything. But my impression is that he is a straight up and honest guy.
 
#26 ·
While I have been an open critic of Tommy Mac and RoughCut as it began, I do understand how and why he needs to sever that relationship with PBS. Having met and talked with an "earlier" PBS WW star(DM), I think I understand about the financial short-comings of working with PBS in the long term.

Good luck to Tommy and his future ventures. At least he recognized the PBS reality early enough to do something positive for his own reputation and future.
 
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