I listen to the Welding Tips and Tricks podcast that features a 60 year old from Alabama (Hi It's Jody from Welding Tips and Tricks) talking to two guys in rural Ohio. They regularly mention how Instagram in particular has encouraged friendly competition amongst welders. Whereas previously a great welder would only be known to the 20 guys in his shop, now he can post those intricate welds on Instagram and people countrywide try to emulate that technique. The maker community is positive, kind and encouraging. For all the negativity swirling around social media, it is nice to see it used in positive ways to unite people.
Two rally car fabricators and lifelong friends in Shropshire who, over the last five years, have been fitting an AWD turbo Celica into the rusted out shell of an old Mini, while adding an air conditioner and a stereo. The craft and attention to detail are absurd.
Doing the important work first :)
I'd also add B is for Build.
At the other end of the spectrum (low-tech but maybe considered home-improvement) would be Primitive Technology [2] - an Aussie that builds all manner of things from clay, sticks, vines, and fire.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/clickspring
[2] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAL3JXZSzSm8AlZyD3nQdBA
"People building things" is easily my favorite genre on YouTube. Old things [0, 1, 2], new things [3, 4], useless things [5], repairing things [6] - all fantastic.
0: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAL3JXZSzSm8AlZyD3nQdBA
1: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEjEAxdJLOg4k854j-oESfQ
2: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiDWnTP0WB1xCp6uuUo0VA
3: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvdee86uThqIrloZjWwNVg
4: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq2rNse2XX4Rjzmldv9GqrQ
5: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjRkUtHQ774mTg1vrQ6uA5A
6: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJvsSlrbdhn4PDXdIuLKW...
They have seemed to start taking PPE more seriously in recent episodes though, at least for welding bronze.
(AvE was involved. I chose wood shop because he said there weren't any old welders i.e. they don't live long)
I don't know any old dancers, but that doesn't mean dancing is lethal. It means they tend to shift to choreography or teaching or something else as they get older.
As someone who welds as a hobby, I'd say the bigger danger for anyone welding is probably grinding dust/silicosis, rather than welding fumes. (But, There are obvious qualifications, like don't weld zinc, etc.)
I think the subtext of the article which is that skilled tradespeople are to be admired just as much as skilled professionals (doctors, lawyers, Etc.) is sometimes overlooked.
For young people, especially those who have been told that a STEM job is the only job you can excel at and get respect, this message needs to be surfaced more often. You can be respected and in demand and well paid by mastering a skill that takes practice and experience. You don't need an expensive college degree, you just need a solid mentor.
This is such an excellent point, and something that really gives YT an advantage. For instance, AvE certainly has some excellent information in his videos, but I personally have found the presentation style (all the channel-specific jargon & toilet humor) increasingly off-putting; while a channel like this old tony still manages humorous content without sacrificing approachablility & technical accuracy.
For another example, there have been multiple people upthread reccomending channels like Abom & OxToolco. I really enjoyed Tom Lipton's (OxTool) book "Metalworking: Sink or Swim"; I just have trouble with the typical length of the videos so I rarely watch them. None of these channels can draw a large enough audience for television, but there's enough space online for these smaller, distinct presentation styles.
A sibling lives near an old industrial center; he drives truck for Sysco. We occasionally discuss different careers. Tool & die makers near him don't make more than truck drivers.
I'm sure there are some examples -- if you can do eg old-style timber framing for people who can afford 10-inch old growth timber and want 30+ foot ceilings, there will always be a handful of well-paying gigs.
But how common are these jobs for people at the, say, 70th percentile of skill rather than 95th?
That show, apart from being educational, is gentle and warm in the same was that the late great Bob Ross makes people feel from his show. It’s salve for the soul.
Anyway, without that PBS show I would have never gotten into hand-tooled woodworking.
This isn't even that new; your post reminds me of Orange County Choppers, supposedly a show about custom-made motorcycles. I tried watching this once or twice, many years ago (10+), when it first came out, thinking I'd get to see some interesting welding and such. No, I just saw a bunch of yelling and arguing. And this was on the "Discovery Channel".
We also like Anna White's construction videos since she and her husband build in cold environments whereas Matt is often talking about Texas projects.
[edit to make the channel name obvious]
Humorist Adam Carolla has pointed out several times on his podcast that guys who work with their hands (his examples have been car guys and carpenters) don't have time to worry about the drama-filled escapades that the creative types or the white collar types engage in every day. Having worked in both there seems to be some validity in this.
I don't feel particularly concerned by the espoused narrative that skill is being replaced by drama on TV. We live in a world where people seeking drama-free, skilled craftsman content can access all they could want and more, and This Old House can be proud of their contribution to this through a 40 year legacy of television content (and, relatedly, an awesome YouTube channel)