Paul Sellers takes on Jeff Miller in Fine Woodworking    After being a subscriber of over 30 years, I finally let my FWW subscription lapse last year.  Just wasn't getting much out of it any more.   Miss the old days with  Tage Frid, R Bruce Hoadley, and some of the other old-timers.

 

I've often wondered about this.  Paul ponders the fallacies of Jeff's arguments

 

https://paulsellers.com/2017/05/re-easy-angled-tenons-article-fine-woodworking/?pk_campaign=feed&pk_kwd=re-easy-angled-tenons-article-fine-woodworking

https://paulsellers.com/2012/12/fine-woodworking-qa-section-answer/

https://paulsellers.com/2012/05/more-flawed-concepts-from-fw/

"he who frames the issue determines the outcome"--- I like that statement!

1 hour ago, lew said:

"he who frames the issue determines the outcome"--- I like that statement!

 

virtually says it all.....

the whole show in a nutshell....

Edited May 26, 20179 yr by Stick486

I am not familiar with Paul Sellers, have not heard of him till now, and reading through those three articles I do like him. He is taking a world of woodworking that is so over-jiggified, and bringing it back to simplicity, great work Paul Sellers!

I think what we are seeing in woodworking publications these days is creativity in writing and content, we've had woodworking magazines on the market since the early sixties? After 55+ years writers are going to run out of things to talk about, as endless as the craft of woodworking can be, there are limited techniques, it's not endless. They are running out of projects and techniques to write about. Now they are reaching and creating techniques.

 

One thing I would like to take to task on Paul Sellers, I think most readers read these articles as suggestions, not "the only way to do it" type of articles. He infers that the writers and instructors are stating that their way is the only way to do it. I have never read anywhere where an author from a woodworking magazine states, "this is the only way to do it".

 

And the readers "us" know the difference. We are not sheeple.

19 minutes ago, John Morris said:

I think most readers read these articles as suggestions, not "the only way to do it" type of articles

 

yes...

I like seeing different approaches and then make the decision how I will approach the situation based on my knowledge and skill.

6 hours ago, John Morris said:

And the readers "us" know the difference. We are not sheeple.

Baaaaa.   What; wait a minute, the herd's going a different direction. 

Paul can get a bit grouchy, now and then.  

 

I also get Paul's blogs.....The ones I like, I keep.   The ones I don't find interesting ....I delete.  

 

One other thing....he doesn't seem to preach that one HAS to buy a special Brand of tool, to be a good woodwroker.   Too many others seem to be "Pitchman" for a toolmaker.    I usually turn those kind of shows...OFF.  

Edited May 27, 20179 yr by steven newman

I finally tackled hand-cut dovetails to my satisfaction by watching some of Seller's videos.   I watched Frank Klausz a long time ago and got frustrated.   Frank has done hundreds of thousands of dovetails.  He seemed to always encourage "fast, fast."  Others were similar.  Get accurately first, then pick up speed with experience.  And a few techniques to help along the way.

 

What is the difference between a trick and a technique?   A technique is a trick used more than once."  (paraphrasing George Polya)