Handmade: Britain's best woodworker

Princess Calla

Anyone watching this?

Started tonight c4 8pm.

I didn't see it advertised so don't know much about it. Looks to be on same format at sewing bee/pottery throwdown but with wood.

@HeidiHeidi just paging you as you usually watch these type of programs ☺️

stargazer 68

I watched it. Not as entertaining as the pottery or sewing but enjoyed it nonetheless

Princess Calla

I enjoyed it too. C4 still hasn't sorted out it's subtitles so "all picture no sound" was definitely the situation for me but it still held my attention.

Don't know much about woodwork but I thought a bed was a fairly big challenge for the first challenge but for the most part they all did fairly well.

A diverse mix of contestants too which is good.

stargazer 68

Yeah thought a bed was a bit ambitious for the first episode all right!

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058214225/handmade-britains-best-woodworker

Haha, you're right, I'm a total sucker for these programmes!

Spotted this at the last minute, I'm a bit dubious about the sound of it, but have it recorded - I'll give it a go anyway.

On a slight aside, does anyone know if Sewing Bee is coming back? There's some other sewing show on, but I haven't watched it - I hope it's not a replacement, I need my annual dose of Esme and Patrick!! (seeing as he bombed so spectacularly at cooking 🙄)

Princess Calla

Sewing bee is abit of an institution at this stage I'd be very surprised if it didn't return.

I enjoyed the show, the judges aren't as wooden (boom boom) as "all that glitters" and Mel is always abit of fun.

HeidiHeidi

Hmmmm, interesting!!

Loved the square/box bed - that just ticked all my boxes, I'd love to see the finished article (and I'd probably pay a lot of money to own it!)

The rest - none really shouted out to me - maybe the tree bed to look at, but that just seemed wildly impractical in a real life scenario - but Radha with all his joinery beat others with electric drills and a million screws and infill wedges out of the park!

Interesting to see the contrast from large to small scale next week (although some in the teaser didn't look all that small!)

Yep, I'm hooked already!!

Princess Calla

What I didn't like about radhas was the headboard, he had the "silhouette" ply then about 2 inches of a gap to the second part of the headboard. That to me is a dust collector and worse a spider collector.

I was watching gogglebox earlier and looks like c4 have their subtitles back so next week I'll actually have abit of a clue of what's going on... hopefully! I find it mesmerizing that people can be so creative...I wish I had talent 🤣

Princess Calla

I enjoyed this weeks show, it's really peaceful TV.

Charlie's lighthouse was just fab.

Radha seems to be the one that's abit of a maverick and go his own way (there's always one) I thought he'd have done better in the Dovetail joining.

Joe is on shaky ground two weeks in a row he's survived by someone being just a smidge worse.

HeidiHeidi

I loved Charlie's lighthouse - but I love lighthouses anyway so that was a gimme.

Tim - ideas great, but waaaay out of synch with his abilities (certainly within the time constraints of the show).

Whoever made the beach house (Joe?) definitely got tunnel vision about the perspex windows, to the detriment of the actual house.

In some ways the "simpler" designs did better, just because they got a better finish on them - although in fairness there was not a lot simple about a graduated hexagonal lighthouse!

I just love Billy's attitude - knows he has the skills and just wings it - i really hope it takes him far in the competition, he's my favourite at this stage.

Princess Calla

Tim's was just too big and clumsy. I loved his Lazer beam though.

I think it's the same in all these programmes, no point in going super complicated if you can't deliver a finished piece. That said when you go simple it really has to be perfect.

Billy has the confidence of youth, bless him.

At this stage I'm thinking Misti, Charlie, Billy and Radha to go far.

I'm on the fence about Jade.

Joe to go next week and the other woman the week after.

Princess Calla

Omg what was Billy's lion like 😅😅😂😂

I actually thought Joe's dog was very cute and better than the lion but over all billy is stronger.

Radha was very lucky he had immunity.

Misti's was fab.

Charlie's snail was lovely too.

HeidiHeidi

Feckin Sky Go won't let me watch back on the laptop for some reason 🙄

Hope tonight's was good.

Princess Calla

Well I just spoiled the result for you.

Tbh it wasn't overly good or bad.

They were carving big pieces of wood so it was slow moving.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118154590#Comment_118154590

I skimmed over your post, and it was very late, so I can't remember now what you said 🤣

I'll catch up with the recording this evening.

(but I'd love to know why Sky Go will sometimes let me watch back on C4, and other times flatly refuses......)

HeidiHeidi

God, those judges have no sense of humour 🙄

I loved Joe's boxer! And the whole theme. The face was just so cute!!

Misti's zebra had me conflicted - fabulous in one way, but the others just seem to have done more work or something. It definitely worked as a concept though.

Billy just exhausted me this week - earlier on his "just go at it" attitude was exciting, but he just looked defeated from the start on this. I really thought he was going to walk at one stage!

Charlie's snail - meh, didn't really do it for me.

And Radha's peacock - the bird body was gorgeous, the rest was a bit shite! He really dodged a bullet by winning immunity this week!!

Yeah, not the best episode.

I missed the trailer bit for next week - what's the next theme going to be?

Princess Calla

I think Billy realised very early on that he had taken way too much on. I think his previous performance and the fact the judges hated the boxer dog in boxing gloves saved him....I loved that dog.

I honestly can't remember the trailer, I was nodding off at the end, but to be fair I don't pay attention at the best of times to the trailers.

Rket4000

I haven't been watching this series at all but came across it last night as I was flicking across TV channels. I LOVED the boxer dog and thought the woodworker who created it would be a shoo in for the next round.

Princess Calla

I think he might have scraped through if Radha the guy with the peacock didn't have immunity. The judges didn't like the idea of the peacock and the execution was poor. However he is usually quite skilled, hence he won immunity.

Joe the guy with the dog has also been in the bottom two each week, just someone has always done him a favour and performed abit worse. However his chair piece last week was picked as the best.

Billy the guy with the lion is "exciting" and pushes boundaries by completely winging it, so I think the judges want to keep him to see what he'll do next.

Charlie the one with the snail and Misti the one with the zebra are consistently good.

I think you're caught up now 😂

Princess Calla

Didn't really like any of the pieces tonight, but then I'm not a drinks cabinet person.

I think Billy lost his mojo last week and hasn't recovered. I'm glad he went over Charlie as I think she really deserves to be in the final.

Radha is a weird one, he's obviously skilled as he keeps winning immunity but his builds aren't that great.

I think it will be between charlie and Misti. I do think Charlie is the more skilled but she made abit of a hames of it tonight.

HeidiHeidi

Anyone watch this series, it just ended last night?

I really enjoyed it - there were lots of ups and downs throughout.

While I don't disagree that Lauren was a worthy overall winner, I thought she got away with murder in her final big build - what was meant to be an art deco-inspired creation turned into two square boxy bars, with a nod to art deco in the shelving bit. And it was never mentioned.

The fact that she never used a nail or a screw throughout the entire series was incredible, though, and that scooter during the toy week was amazing.

I loved Chloe's arty designs, I really thought she might squeak the win, although missing a shelf from her design probably ended all hopes of that (however it still looked like what she set out to build!) I felt so sorry for her in the skills challenge!

Jacob was amazing throughout as well, I suspect he'll go far in the future. I think his vase was my favourite piece from the whole series, I'd pay good money for that!

Very enjoyable series.

Princess Calla

Yeah I watched it. .....I watch all crafty shows I'm aware of 😂.

I never really warmed to Lauren tbh though her builds were always very good.

I think both Jacob and Chloe are so talented especially for their ages .... hopefully this is a good stepping stone for their careers.

I was happy enough with the final three and they were all very close it really was anyone's to win, but like you said Lauren didn't deliver what she had promised.

Sleepy

A predictable end to the series tbh, it's been Lauren's to lose for weeks despite it being fairly obvious that Jacob is the more skilled woodworker imo.

Princess Calla

A new series started back tonight C4 9pm . Anyone watching it?

Seem a nice bunch so far.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121211984#Comment_121211984

Ah feck, missed it - and heading away for a week so won't see next week's either. Will do a big catch up when I get back.

Lovely programme!

Princess Calla

I only caught it by accident. I look at alot of C4 and More4 programmes and saw no ads for it....very weird!

stargazer 68

Oh thanks. Will catch up tonight:)

Thargor

Are they all a bit crap this year apart from Wolfgang? Not crap obviously theres some skill there but I dont remember this many dodgy cuts and damaged wood in previous seasons, and the quick little immunity challenge has produced some shocking stuff that looks like something a child would make.

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325032#Comment_121325032

Yeah I suppose in other years there were 2-3 contestants that really were streets ahead of the others.

Wolfgang is very good (but he knows it and that takes away from it)

The autistic guy is also very good but he hasn't really got much air time...I suspect he'll probably be in the final 3.

I think this year we had 3 fairly weak contestants. The woman in her 50's , the school teacher that took up woodwork during lockdown and the guy from Barbados.

The girl that did the BLT table , I think she might be in final 3 as well. The other two girls have good ideas but weak execution.

Thargor

Pretty underwhelming finale, I was a bit bored tbh. Wolfgangs wine glass holder got a laugh though, wtf was that?

Sleepy

TBH, I think Wolfgang threw it. He seemed to be the best all-round woodworker there but kept being too ambitious for the time allowed for the tasks.

Was happy Nathaniel beat out Jen though. As Wolfgang quipped at the start she's "a talented designer" but her woodworking skills leave a lot to be desired (to say the bit he didn't), she didn't even seem to know how to use a router properly (nor that she could have created the dados for her drawer runners faster and easier on a table-saw)

RoryMurphyJnr

Good final, Nathaniel did a great job, lovely design.

Wolfgang's skills test was like something from 1st year woodwork, he's a great character though.

Princess Calla

Wolfgang's wine holder was really sloppy, I'd expect better from a 1st year student. I did like the idea though.

Tbh I liked Jen's final piece.

They didn't show the contestants initial reaction when the winner was announced. I wonder if Wolfgang had a bit of a moment.

I did like Nathaniel's final piece, plus it had a lovely finish. The knife block was also a great idea.

He was a steady contestant all the way through.

Shame they didn't give an update on what all the contestants have been up to at the end of the programme.

Thargor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121429202#Comment_121429202

They didn't show the contestants initial reaction when the winner was announced. I wonder if Wolfgang had a bit of a moment.

Oh yeah, wonder what the story was there? Not mentioned over in the Digitalspy thread, not seeing anything on Twitter either.

Princess Calla

They did show Jen congratulating him, but the segment was weird which is how it actually registered to me.

I think Wolfgang thought he had it in the bag. He is very skilled but he kept over promising and under delivering.

HeidiHeidi

I finally managed to finish this series about a month later!!

Couldn't argue with Nathaniel as winner although I was rooting hard for Jen at the same time. Both made outstanding islands, but Jen's finish let her down - and to be fair the design and finish of Nathaniel's was amazing, she sheer amount and quality of slats to clad all the pieces was kind of mesmerising!

Wolfgang could have done with less time cracking jokes and more time concentrating, but then that just seemed to be his personality. They were very kind about it, but both his island and his wine cooler (especially his wine cooler!) were a bit shite.

A great series, I'm sorry I didn't have the company of this thread watching it, must get in in real time for the next one!

Standout pieces for me were the tartan bed, and the caterpillar. And Nathaniel's wood turning, all of it.

expectationlost

really should change the name, hardly Britains best woodworker, bake off, wasn't so declarative.