# What happened to Tommy Mac and Rough Cut?



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

What happened to Tommy Mac and Rough Cut? Our local station is running episodes from 2012. I looked at WGBH Boston web site and it looked like they just have the old episodes, nothing recent. Did he get the axe? (pun intended ;-) )


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

Tommy's web site is up and running, and it has a copyright date of 2014 and there are blogs that have been posted on Feb 28, 2014. So I'm assuming that things are OK. On Tommy's website he has up through season 4, I don't know what seasons and years and how they are related.

I saw on one posting on Google that he started in October 2010, Another posting stated season 3 was in 2013, So I guess that Season 4 then should be 2014


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

UNC-TV finished airing season 3 a few months back. He made some nice projects this year. Good to see a woodworking show doing something other than the basics.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Thanks for the replies, I found his website. They aired a season 3 show today, but it was labeled as being from 2012. This PBS Station seems to have Woodwright a year behind also. Looks like Tommy has a a whole season on the web site that we will get to see in a year or 2 ;-)


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## PLK (Feb 11, 2014)

wttw in chicago has his season 4 currently running. I'm caught up to episode 9.

Paul


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

KBTC had Episode 2 of season 3 today. They are labeled 2012, so I haven't been paying to close attention. They may be rerunning season 3. They are always labeled as "rerun" ;-) Not sure if that is the station or Comcast. Maybe they label it "rerun" because everyone else around the world has seen it ;-)


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

The program dates are often messed up here too, on all the woodworking shows. Which is why I have my DVR set to record all the shows then just delete the ones I've already seen.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

I don't mind them rerunning since there are only 13 or so per season, but seems like they could get the current season on the air. Maybe they are wanting to hold us in suspense like the days of "Who Killed JR." ;-))


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## bluekingfisher (Mar 30, 2010)

We had the show over here in the UK, but I guess they were old shows. I really enjoyed his way of working. Hope more shows are aired.

David


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Our PBS station aired like 3 shows a few years ago and never aired any more. I think woodworking shows are just fillers for them. If some new British drama comes out, or they get a new classical music series, the woodworking shows go bye-bye.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

David, Can Englishmen understand a guy with a Boston accent? ;-))

Here, they seem to cook all day and allow a something else once in a while. I wonder if the cooking shows are a season or two behind too?


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I have a relative that watches cooking shows like it's her job and she is still a crappy cook.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

I just saw my first TMac show this year. Not sure what season it was from, only know that I hadn't seen this episode before. It must be a newer show…he seems much more relaxed and polished than at the beginning, plus he has a decent haircut as well ! LOL


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

The haircut is the latter half of season 4.


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

Tommy was a member here a few yrs ago. Stumpy had a thread about his show/style. Tommy chimed in on it. At that point I think (and this is just my wild opinion) he was a bit uncomfortable with the new found fame and required skills of being a "celebrity". I think he was a bit stressed about the ado, and quit LJs. He has calmed his on air persona and delivery, the show is moving in the right direction. Hopefully more seasons to come.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

That thread was a disaster. I don't blame him for leaving. Lots of guys criticizing everything from his hair, the way the show was structured, too much use power tools, too little use of power tools, too many hand tools, not enough hand tools, the way the lead in to the show started,...........on and on.


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

Here's a photo of Tommy, Charles Neal and myself.


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

Tommy called me and asked if I could get him removed from LumberJocks. he was getting tired of all the crap that was going on at the time.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Where was that taken Karson?


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

At the Baltimore Woodworkers Show, I think in 2012. I didn't make it the last 2 years.


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## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

About the online thrashing, I guess this all happened before my time here. It's a shame, really. An absolute shame. Tommy MacDonald isn't my absolute favorite woodworker of all time, he might not even be in the top ten if I could be bothered to make a list. But he's still pretty damn good at what he does, and there are a few reasons I'll go to bat for the guy.

- His projects are really solid looking, with good design and craftsmanship behind them.

- Say what you will about the Boston accent, but at least he's not faking his speech and mannerisms for the sake of showbiz and the lowest common denominator. I'm looking at you, "Larry the Cable Guy".

- As to whether he doesn't use enough hand tools or too many, it's easy to be an armchair critic. Everyone will have their own way of doing things and you just can't please everybody. If you really think you know better, then start your own YouTube channel and enlighten us.

So yeah, I enjoy watching Rough Cut. I have it programmed to record on my DVR and on the weekends my four year old daughter always hops in my lap and asks, "Daddy, can we watch the wood show?" There are things that I would do differently if I had my own show, but I accept that my own point of view is entirely subjective. The internet is amazing when it comes to sharing information, but criticism often turns into a downward spiral. If you ever want to see what happens when too many people comment on something, look at YouTube comments for a while. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

The trouble is that so many people can't tell the difference between their own opinion and objective truth.


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## BentheViking (May 19, 2011)

I was just noticing earlier today that I haven't had any new epiosdes record on my dvr in a few weeks/months


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

We just started getting new episodes maybe a month or two ago. I think we're 6mos to a year behind. Same with Woodsmith and Woodwright.

I really like rough cut. I liked it more once he stopped doing so many road trips and there was more woodworking in the 30 minutes. I think it offers a good variety of projects/techniques, and presents them in a way that doesn't make me feel stupid, but also makes it seem like something I could try my hand at (not with the same results, though).

I was talking to a woodworking buddy the other day about various shows. I said that I think Woodwright's Shop provide a lot of great information, techniques and principals, but not as many everyday usable applications. Woodsmith, on the other hand, provide a lot of everyday stuff, but I feel like it's really dumbed down. I think Rough cut is somewhere in the middle.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

The local WW club had an online chat with Tommy MacDonald, he was pretty much exactly the same as on the show-hyper, enthusiastic, and came off as a really solid guy. I wish they would drop the road trips but I like that his projects are intermediate to advanced; he's honest about mistakes and his woodworking is solid.


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## BentheViking (May 19, 2011)

i don't hate all the roadtrips as the sometimes add something interesting


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Life for a celebrity WW must have been infinitely easier before the internet bringing 10 million editors to every episode! I like all of them. Norm, Roy, Tommy, Woodsmith, Charles N…........ They are all unique with their own style. If they are all exactly alike, it would get boring fast.


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## mramseyISU (Mar 3, 2014)

I got to see one season of his show and really liked it. We only get woodsmith on tv here and while I do like it the more content the better as far as that goes even if his hair is stupid.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Blame the Beatles for the hairdo. They brought it from England in 1963 or 4 ;-))


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## SWCPres (Mar 19, 2014)

Has anyone been a demonstrator or showed their wares at a wood show? I helped a friend one time man his booth while he did some live demos. While out grabbing us coffee and wading back through the crowd, I overheard an "arm-chair critic". "Why is this guy at the show? I could do what he is doing for half the price and it would look a ton better." When I walked over to my friend and repeated what the guy had said, my friend told me he's invited many a challenger to come up and show him his "superior skills", he has not had a taker yet. That was really my first time seeing it from the person on display's point of view. I can see why he wouldn't want to be somewhere where he had to subject himself to it. He's only right up the road from me, maybe I will drop him a line and see if I can tour the shop sometime. I have always enjoyed his show. "If a man thinks he knows everything, he knows nothing of what he ought to know."


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## marcuscraft (Nov 14, 2012)

Can you watch rough cut online anywhere?


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Welcome to LJ SWCPres! Being able to do WW is one thing. Doing it in public or on TV is definitely a whole another level ;-) I have noticed at demonstrations, very few will even try a tool, much less demonstrate it.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

*Can you watch rough cut online anywhere?* I found a few on his webpage.

http://videos.thomasjmacdonald.com/channel/full-length-episodes/9/


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## rhybeka (Nov 8, 2009)

I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for it! WOSU has two woodworking shows already so i'm not sure if they'd carry TMac but I've caught bits and pieces and would love to see some full eps


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## jjbuzard (Oct 30, 2012)

So reading thru all this, did any one come up with why Tommy is not on any more? I know he didn't leave because he wanted to, he had just sunk a chunk into the shop. And then was Raffling it after he was cancelled?


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

> So reading thru all this, did any one come up with why Tommy is not on any more? I know he didn t leave because he wanted to, he had just sunk a chunk into the shop. And then was Raffling it after he was cancelled?
> 
> - jjbuzard


Everything I know is in this thread: 
https://www.lumberjocks.com/topics/270537

Far as I know, Fine Woodworking wanted Tom McLaughlin in and Tommy Mac out.


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