# Norm Abram is Retiring



## StarBright (May 9, 2020)

Norm Abram's retirement from This Old House was announced yesterday.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220519005404/en/This-Old-House%C2%AE-to-Air-Tribute-Special-to-Master-Carpenter-and-Television-Trailblazer-Norm-Abram

PBS will air a tribute show to him titled The House that Norm Built. While Norm is 72 and has not appeared on camera for a while, it is sad to see him described as "hanging up his tool belt." I hope he continues woodworking in his retirement, as 72 years old is certainly not too old to do most things with wood. I hope he isn't ill, and I wonder if there's a deeper story to this.

I'm hoping to see him on a YouTube channel, but he doesn't seem to have much of an online presence.

Here's to the legend himself!


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## 987Ron (Apr 9, 2020)

Have enjoyed Norm over the years in the past when he had his own show. Built a couple of his projects. The plans always were complete and great. Mission style grandfather clock now over 15 yrs old, a mission style king bed, about 10 years ago. Both working great.

Miss his shows.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

Watched him a lot as a kid with my Day.

I'll never forget all the "galoo" and the brads to hold things in place while it dried "p'that, p'that, p'that"

He made things look easy.


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

I know his one-time co-star, Bob Vila, never gets mentioned…ever. Is there bad blood between him and the PBS family?


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## StarBright (May 9, 2020)

There was bad blood between This Old House and Bob Vila since the 1980s.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

Bob Vila used to drive me crazy. He would say now to do the floor tile, lay down one section of tile (the kind glued to a fabric web) and say "and that's how you do it". Norm was a kind soul, didn't watch him much but what I saw I liked.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

IMO Bob Villa is an idiot.

Last time I caught him on a show, he was "helping" build a brick wall. They left a gap in the wall for him to put in the last brick. He buttered the bottom and slapped it onto place, but forgot to butter the sides.
He stepped to the side and mentioned how easy it was to get "pro" results easily. You could see the brick layers staring at the gaps on the sides of the brick crack smiles when he made that comment.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Bob got fired after going over budget for the umpteenth time and I suspect finally PO'd the right person. He was a talker, not a doer and talk is cheap. Norm was almost too stoic in the shop rarely cracking a smile. I was really hoping they'd put together a bloopers reel of Norm whipping a hammer through a window after smacking his thumb or having his wide belt sander kick back a giant beam mantle through the engine block of a diesel truck parked outside, even a good ole fashioned tablesaw kickback that sends a thin, long board through a few walls before it finds a stud. Nothing that hurt anyone but something dramatic. I suspect nothing like that actually ever happened though if Norm was overseeing safety protocol. He studied engineering at MIT so by all accounts, he was a pretty smart cookie.


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## Mosquito (Feb 15, 2012)

I don't know Yeti, I've known some grads from some pretty prestigious colleges and universities that couldn't common sense their way out of a box lol


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

Reminds me of one Wood Whisperer video. He had this new-to-him router table and he wanted to profile the edge of a long, thin strip.

Set the bit away from the fence so the strip was between the two, begin the cut….

Before I could scream "Nooooooo!" the strip shot across his shop.

Norms incessant safety intro (read, understand, and follow…) has always stuck in my head, but common sense isn't so common.

I would have enjoyed seeing Norm get pissed off and smashing something up 8^)


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

havn't seen this old house much in the last 15 years but was a big fan of the new yankee workshop.some woodworkers put him down as being too simple,bur he was the average woodworkers hero.i loved how he always did a procedure a different way each time,he showed there were many ways to do something.i hope he is healthy and able to continue his passion. i agree about villa,he was an idiot.


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## AMZ (Jan 27, 2020)

A few years back Vila was on an anniversary show. I enjoyed the very first episodes as they were geared towards remodeling for the common folk. Norm was always great and did more for our hobby than any other modern maker.

All in all, I would take either's broadcast over 95% of the crap on TV these days.


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

I just remembered something about Bob Vila….As far as I know, he violated his contract with PBS for accepting payments from Sears for promoting Craftsman products. PBS found it unethical for its staff to accept compensation from private businesses.


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## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

I once built a flag pole from one of his New Yankee Workshop shows.


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## Peteybadboy (Jan 23, 2013)

This old house was right on time for us buying our first fixer upper. Really liked Norm in both shows. Little bit of GlOOOO stuck with me also. My favorite Norm quote "What's a duchman? Its a PATCH!"

Vila was pompous in my opinion.

TOH taught me how to do a lot of things way before the internet.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

> IMO Bob Villa is an idiot.
> 
> Last time I caught him on a show, he was "helping" build a brick wall. They left a gap in the wall for him to put in the last brick. He buttered the bottom and slapped it onto place, but forgot to butter the sides.
> He stepped to the side and mentioned how easy it was to get "pro" results easily. You could see the brick layers staring at the gaps on the sides of the brick crack smiles when he made that comment.
> ...


Bob Villa is no idiot..


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

> I don t know Yeti, I ve known some grads from some pretty prestigious colleges and universities that couldn t common sense their way out of a box lol
> 
> - Mosquito


If it were a related arts or the like course of study or from any of the more touchy Feely universities, I would put far less faith in his ability to do something constructive with his education. Another thing to remember is he would have been attending at a time when there was far less emphasis on something like CRT and far more on objective math and science.


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## mnguy (Feb 4, 2009)

I found both TOH and NYW to be incredibly informative and to build confidence as I started my journey as a DIY'er and a handyman. In this age when anyone and everyone can post a TikTok or Youtube video and profess to be an expert, we forget that the few people on TV 30 years ago were the only source of inspiration and information for many of us. Norm was a keystone in the foundation of transforming woodworking from something passed down on a jobsite or a workshop to something that many people felt they could try. The thousands of influencers making a living on social media stand on his shoulders.

BTW, Norm went to U Mass, Amherst, not MIT (per Wikipedia), studied mechanical engineering, switched to business, and didn't quite graduate. I agree with Mosquito; being an engineer doesn't mean you can solve practical problems. As an engineer, I know - lol.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> IMO Bob Villa is an idiot.
> 
> Last time I caught him on a show, he was "helping" build a brick wall. They left a gap in the wall for him to put in the last brick. He buttered the bottom and slapped it onto place, but forgot to butter the sides.
> He stepped to the side and mentioned how easy it was to get "pro" results easily. You could see the brick layers staring at the gaps on the sides of the brick crack smiles when he made that comment.
> ...


your right,as petey said, he was a pompous ass !


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

I actually had no idea that he was still on. Kind of assumed he'd retired decades ago. I only tend to watch the newer shows on HGTV etc. lol


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## secharles (Jun 19, 2018)

well that congratulatory thread went in the pishatoo pretty quick.

hope Norm has time to finally enjoy all he's work for, and health, happiness, & peace follow him wherever he decides to go in life.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> well that congratulatory thread went in the pishatoo pretty quick.
> 
> hope Norm has time to finally enjoy all he s work for, and health, happiness, & peace follow him wherever he decides to go in life.
> 
> - secharles


really ? well with only 39 posts i guess you dont know how threads evolve here ? heck i thought it was going pretty smooth ! ;-))


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## WoodES (Oct 8, 2013)

First of all, congratulations to Norm on a well-deserved retirement!

Thanks for being the inspiration and giving me the confidence to try to do both home improvement and woodworking. I miss the 25 minutes I spend with you on Saturday mornings, and I have not found a suitable replacement.

You took me from someone who hung on every word and technique to someone who would question the technique you chose. Take this as a compliment as you taught me how to think through the challenges of the piece and come up with a solution.

Farewell my TV friend and mentor.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> well that congratulatory thread went in the pishatoo pretty quick.
> 
> hope Norm has time to finally enjoy all he s work for, and health, happiness, & peace follow him wherever he decides to go in life.
> 
> ...


Norm is awesome. He single-handedly inspired a generation of woodworkers.

On the other hand, guys like Russ Morash and Bob Vila are parasites sucking at the public broadcasting teat. After all, Morash fired Vila for trying to horn in on his gold mine, so Vila started his own scam. He had a stake in most of the projects on his show-if not all. As I recall the "banana house" belonged to his sister, which he never disclosed on the series.

The New Yankee Workshop existed on Morash's property. Those tools were his. Recall how there was always a prototype for each project? One of them wound up in Morash's house each time.

I'm not faulting profit from productions like those, I fault the use of PBS funding for personal gain.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> well that congratulatory thread went in the pishatoo pretty quick.
> 
> hope Norm has time to finally enjoy all he s work for, and health, happiness, & peace follow him wherever he decides to go in life.
> 
> ...


yes all true my friend.but morash was the creator and did deserve the reward.without his creative drive there would be no TOH today,nor new yankee workshop.villa was a leach that morash simply scrapped how his leg.villa was merely his puppet,not even a good one.i doubt he was missed by many.surely not by me -lol !


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

My impression of Bob villa is he will endorse anything for a buck.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> yes all true my friend.but morash was the creator and did deserve the reward.without his creative drive there would be no TOH today,nor new yankee workshop.villa was a leach that morash simply scrapped how his leg.villa was merely his puppet,not even a good one.i doubt he was missed by many.surely not by me -lol !
> 
> - pottz


All good points. With millions of grifters and leaches out there anyway, at least Russ gave us some good shows.


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## AMZ (Jan 27, 2020)

Morash was singularly responsible for all the home renovation programs that followed. Norm did the same for our hobby. Vila, in the early shows, was the glue that held it together. The direction TOH took was more to keep viewers returning, as the market for watching US knock drywall off walls was limited. The show that brought the early iteration to an end, was one where the homeowners claimed the show took over the project and in a direction against their wishes. What I remember from that time, was the homeowners were MIA and the show had to go on.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> My impression of Bob villa™️©️is he will endorse anything for a buck.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy


Fixed that for you


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## StarBright (May 9, 2020)

If there were no This Old House or New Yankee Workshop, would we ever have VCG Construction or Stumpy Nubs?


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> If there were no This Old House or New Yankee Workshop, would we ever have VCG Construction or Stumpy Nubs?
> 
> - StarBright


And that would be bad why?


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

> If there were no This Old House or New Yankee Workshop, would we ever have VCG Construction or Stumpy Nubs?
> 
> - StarBright
> 
> ...


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

Bob seems to worth a lot more than Norm.I watch a lot of Bob's shows.and Norms. Enjoy both..

Personally I'd rather watch David J. Marks


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> If there were no This Old House or New Yankee Workshop, would we ever have VCG Construction or Stumpy Nubs?
> 
> - StarBright
> 
> ...


Please edit carefully. The way you screwed up the quoting in your post makes it appear that what you wrote was said by me.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

> My impression of Bob villa is he will endorse anything for a buck.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy


Me too If I could get 30 million…


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## StarBright (May 9, 2020)

> If there were no This Old House or New Yankee Workshop, would we ever have VCG Construction or Stumpy Nubs?
> 
> - StarBright
> 
> ...


You don't like VCG Construction or Stumpy Nubs?


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

+1 on Marks.

I saw an interview where he said how much work it was to produce his show. Multiple prototypes to catch the process filming and all the time for setups, etc. Basically it took 100% of his time during the filming of all the episodes, which were done in continuous production.

Norm was easy to follow along with and I'm sure inspired a lot to try woodworking.

Marks was good for demonstrating the more advanced techniques and projects.

Norm would never show how to guild and patina a tall vase, though I'd bet he could do it.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Bob seems to worth a lot more than Norm.I watch a lot of Bob s shows.and Norms. Enjoy both..
> 
> Personally I d rather watch David J. Marks
> 
> - JackDuren


i dont think norm was money hungry and greedy like villa was. i agree about david marks,loved his show.


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

I always enjoyed Norm's New Yankee Workshop. On one of the programs, he built a farm table with turned legs. I ordered the plans and built the table with tapered legs instead of turned legs - it's been over 20 years and that table is still in regular use. My older brother and I would watch the program regularly, and we'd roll our eyes when Norm would do a dry fit to test before assembly, and of course, the joinery was perfect every time.

Norm, you can store your safety glasses away. Thanks for the shows and the teaching you shared on those shows.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> You don t like VCG Construction or Stumpy Nubs?
> 
> - StarBright


Stumpy Nubs is way off the mark quite often. He's a monetized video maker, not a source of the best information.

Case in point, he injured himself using a chainsaw wheel on an angle grinder. Instead of trying to find out what he did wrong, he did a series of those "Never use this product" videos. They got lots of views and made money for him, but it was totally off-the-mark.

He broke several rules regarding the use of those wheels, yet blamed the tool instead of himself.

If you doubt me, go watch his videos (I found three, there may be more), then watch the King Arthur Tool Company video where they explain how to properly use the product. You'll see clearly that it was he, not the tool, that is responsible for the accident.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

I set up my 1st woodshop according to Norm's shop…

Good for Norm, enjoy your retirement….

There are some here that seem to follow people around ( trolls?) and all they will post EVERYTIME someone mentions a name they are trolling…boy-howdy…listen to all the HATE they post…..

Almost as bad as some that show up whenever someone happens to even whisper the 2 words…Harbor Freight…

Norm, enjoy your retirement!


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## 1thumb (Jun 30, 2012)

Good to see all the Vila hate. There is hope for humanity yet.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Norm was second place behind Roy Underhill.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Norm was second place behind Roy Underhill.
> 
> - TopamaxSurvivor


ill take norm for the win anyday ! roy just never figured out how to plug a tool in ?


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> My impression of Bob villa is he will endorse anything for a buck.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy
> 
> ...


Some how that doesn't surprise me.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

> Norm was second place behind Roy Underhill.
> 
> - TopamaxSurvivor
> 
> ...


No he didn't )))))))) But he could be done by the time Norm got his specialty tools set up


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## StarBright (May 9, 2020)

Does anyone worry that Norm looks ill in that recent photo?


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

> Norm was second place behind Roy Underhill.
> 
> - TopamaxSurvivor


I am taking a class on window joinery next weekend and Roy Underhill is the instructor. It seemed like to good of an opportunity to pass up.


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## AMZ (Jan 27, 2020)

> Norm was second place behind Roy Underhill.
> 
> - TopamaxSurvivor
> 
> ...


Very lucky! YouTube has Roy videos on window joinery you can seek out, to get a leg up.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

> It all started for Norm on Christmas Eve in 1958 as he went with his father, a Boston carpenter on a job installing hardwood floors. They installed the floors the old-fashioned way - with cut nails and a skill saw turned upside down on a milk crate.


I read this and immediately thought about how anyone today suggesting such a setup, would be chastised to no end around here for such a careless disregard for safety!

Cheers,
Brad


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> It all started for Norm on Christmas Eve in 1958 as he went with his father, a Boston carpenter on a job installing hardwood floors. They installed the floors the old-fashioned way - with cut nails and a skill saw turned upside down on a milk crate.
> 
> I read this and immediately thought about how anyone today suggesting such a setup, would be chastised to no end around here for such a careless disregard for safety!
> 
> ...


What? No riving knife. Oh it cut off both his hands for sure just looking at it. Those are cyborg hands you see now.


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## secharles (Jun 19, 2018)

really ? well with only 39 posts i guess you dont know how threads evolve here ? heck i thought it was going pretty smooth ! ;-))

- pottz
[/QUOTE]

yup; seems to be holding


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

> My impression of Bob villa is he will endorse anything for a buck.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy
> 
> ...


It shouldnt. You have a lot to learn in this business.


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## StarBright (May 9, 2020)

Does anyone else think Norm looked ill in last week's photo? I hope he's okay…


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## AMZ (Jan 27, 2020)

> Does anyone else think Norm looked ill in last week s photo? I hope he s okay…
> 
> - StarBright


Not really, he's 74, getting older. He had heart surgery a few years back and as most that come up through the trades, his body has taken a beating.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> My impression of Bob villa is he will endorse anything for a buck.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy
> 
> ...


Yep there is definitely a benefit to taking endorsements


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

Huge difference…


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

> It all started for Norm on Christmas Eve in 1958 as he went with his father, a Boston carpenter on a job installing hardwood floors. They installed the floors the old-fashioned way - with cut nails and a skill saw turned upside down on a milk crate.
> 
> I read this and immediately thought about how anyone today suggesting such a setup, would be chastised to no end around here for such a careless disregard for safety!
> 
> ...


A different world in those days. When I was a young journeyman the industry standard was to wire gas pumps hot. They would not loose any sales for safety ;((


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

I do miss watching Norm. I hope he enjoys his retirement.


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## StarBright (May 9, 2020)

> Does anyone else think Norm looked ill in last week s photo? I hope he s okay…
> 
> - StarBright
> 
> ...


I didn't hear about his heart surgery. That would explain the weight loss.


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## Bowe (2 mo ago)

JackDuren said:


> Bob Villa is no idiot..


Sholy agree - that son is worth 70M!


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## Bowe (2 mo ago)

StarBright said:


> Norm Abram's retirement from This Old House was announced yesterday.
> 
> This Old House® to Air Tribute Special to Master Carpenter and Television Trailblazer, Norm Abram
> 
> ...


I don't think so. Roger Cook retired back in 2019 because of illness but think Norm retired because he's 73 and had been doing TOH and NYW for 43 years! That's a helluva long time flying all over creation under the pressure of producing top quality etv that your viewers have come to depend upon. Beyond, if he's anything like me at 65+, I've clearly found that one's mindset changes in several ways, meaning you really want to avoid airports and all of the associated rush crapola at all cost and you also find that your once stalwart mental energy, volition, and tolerance just isn't as it was when you were in your 40's/50's. You just want to fade away into a quiet small town, not be bothered with the working rigamoroll, and just do your own thing! I think Norm has earned that especially given he's become an unwitting celebrity and the general loss of privacy that comes with it.


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## Bowe (2 mo ago)

RichT said:


> Norm is awesome. He single-handedly inspired a generation of woodworkers.
> 
> On the other hand, guys like Russ Morash and Bob Vila are parasites sucking at the public broadcasting teat. After all, Morash fired Vila for trying to horn in on his gold mine, so Vila started his own scam. He had a stake in most of the projects on his show-if not all. As I recall the "banana house" belonged to his sister, which he never disclosed on the series.
> 
> ...


Welp I don't think they ever made a whole helluva lot off PBS! PBS paid Vila at $250/episode in the beginning and later raised it to $800/episode. Bob mainly agreed to do it because he thought it was good advertising for his then mainline construction company. He later left when he began being the Sears frontman for Craftsman tools and started his own show that he retained all the residuals from. Hs current net worth is close to 70M. And that is what really garners respect and endears Norm to me as a national treasure - god knows what PBS was paying him but he stuck with it for 43 years no less and yet amassed a net worth of only 2.5M - or about 58K/year!


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## secharles (Jun 19, 2018)

worth . . . . 

in the end, we're all just dust in the wind


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## JIMMIEM (Feb 5, 2016)

33706 said:


> I just remembered something about Bob Vila….As far as I know, he violated his contract with PBS for accepting payments from Sears for promoting Craftsman products. PBS found it unethical for its staff to accept compensation from private businesses.


Another Bob Vila story. I'm from the Boston area and contacted a roofer to replace my roof. In conversation, the roofer told me that his company had done a roof for a TOH show and that afterwards Bob V asked for a kickback because he figured that the roofer had gotten free advertising by working on the show.


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