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GlueTube

How to build a table, in 60 seconds

Stephen Scott, associate editor

160 users recommend

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David Moore is a St. Louis-area furniture maker. His short video - made in 2007 - is brilliant: a quick, terrific window into the creative rewards of woodworking. 

In a little under a minute, we get milling, resawing, layout, mortising, shaping, decoration, finishing and a look at the completed piece. And every second looks like great fun.

If I were running a school or small shop, I'd post my own equivalent of this video (assuming I could pull it off) to get people jazzed about what I was doing.

To see more of David's work, check out his website.

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Comments (45)

ISAF2007 writes: i would just like to point out that the title is grammatically true. It says "How to build a table, in 60 seconds", not "How to build a table in 60 seconds". Its amusing how that one little comma has caused so much trouble. I almost expected a jury of woodworkers to pay more attention to the little details. ;)
Posted: 10:20 pm on January 9th

BostonRob writes: "Sexy Legs"

I enjoyed it, misleading title or not. Loosen up, people.
Excellent soundtrack as well.
Good work Dave.
Posted: 10:04 pm on October 4th

jhentschel writes: I'm appalled at all of the negativity. Great Video, fantastic skills...If everyone that had a negative comment could match this man's skill level, I would love to see all of the testimonial video's. Kudos to FWW for bringing us a wonderful demonstration of really good skills and allowing them to be showcased in a cool medium. I hope to have as many piles of really good curls. And as soon as I get the bloody plane irons properly sharpened, I will.
Posted: 9:41 pm on October 4th

3Rivers writes: I read many of the comment postings and couldn't bear reading any more. For God's sake people....must you be so anal and analytical? The kid is good....it's a clever idea....the comma "explains" it UP FRONT. What do you need? The perfect world DOES NOT EXIST so get over it. From a fellow furniture maker who makes a living doing this......Well done David and well done Taunton!!
Posted: 10:32 pm on October 2nd

netartsdave writes: I was intrigued from the moment that I saw the article in the E-magazine, and it is the first "article" that I went to. Maybe I am kind of weird, but before I clicked on the video, knowing that making a table in a minute is, or should be impossible, I read the short article below the video. Besides, I almost always read the article, prior to watching the video's, as they often point out something important that I may not see, on my own. In the article, is states, and I quote; "In a little under a minute, we get milling, resawing, layout, mortising, shaping, decoration, finishing and a look at the completed piece." Reading this, I immediately understood what I was going to see, and it made it just, that much more special. This was/is a great video, in my opinion, and the title just made it a little bit more exciting. THANKS FWW, if you can find more of these, I would love to see them. Wonderful short pieces that show the skill and beauty of woodworking. . . a real inspiration! To those that were disappointed, I might suggest that you, at least, skim the review of the video you are about to see. I can save you disappointment, and you may just pick up a little something extra in watching it.
Posted: 6:21 pm on October 1st

yodrez writes: Hmmmm. 60 seconds to watch the video, almost 15 minutes to read the reactions and post this response. I need a life!!!
Posted: 12:29 pm on October 1st

synchro writes: Okay, so no one wants to see my video clip of a man eating chicken?
Posted: 11:03 am on October 1st

epirnik writes: Hello everyone,

Hmmm, well, it would seem we touched a nerve with this one. When the piece was promoted in the eLetter, the intent was not to be misleading but rather, to come up with an interesting headline to describe the video. We thought it was a great little piece that worked as an inspirational type of video, getting folks fired up to go and build.

I was a bit surprised when I read some of the negative comments here. That said, we take reader feedback pretty seriously around here so, I hope those of you who expressed disappointment understand that your voices were heard.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this post and sorry for the mix-up!

Cheers,

-Ed Pirnik
FWW
Posted: 9:29 am on October 1st

pickleseeder writes: Makes me want to get in out to the shop and get to work. Inspiring!
Posted: 11:15 pm on September 30th

kkelley writes: No he didn't.,,,,
Posted: 9:49 pm on September 30th

theflash writes:
NO ONE EVEN NOTICED THIS: THIS IS NOT EVEN A "HOW TO"

The title is in fact misleading in two ways. I understand the 60 second part, just a misunderstanding, but it's actually not a "how to" at all. It's just a 60 second video of someone building a table. I've got to admit, it's pretty impressive, but DOUBLE misleading.
Posted: 6:45 pm on September 30th

askanes writes: OK, anyone who said that the title was misleading, well sure, strictly speaking that's probably true. But really, did you honestly expect to see someone build a table, start to finish, in 60 seconds?!?!?!?! (unless it was from prefab parts) Lighten up!!! It was a play on words and nothing more. I found it kind of amusing. And talk about talent for someone so young!!!
Posted: 6:06 pm on September 30th

Wade01 writes: Come on guys, has everyone lost their sense of humor?
I did stop for a second when I read the title but then it just raised my curiousity more!
I also knew before watching that it couldn't mean it the way I was interpreting it.
As we get older sometimes we turn into, well you know...
I hope he does well with his apparent talent and keeps his youthful outlook...

Posted: 5:59 pm on September 30th

joe4liberty writes: Okay folks, I didn't think that someone could build a table in 60 seconds, but I was curious. Now forget your grammatically correct "comma", the title doesn't matter when the lead-in was:
"Creative slump got you down? We've got a woodworking Rx that's sure to inspire you. Watch a gifted furniture maker crank out a beautiful table in only 60 seconds."
That not only implies it, it outright says that he can "...crank out a beautiful table in only 60 seconds." which by any description is misleading.
That said, I have no idea if the video is any good or not since I can't get it to open.

Posted: 2:05 pm on September 30th

Jonathan_Janacek writes: Forget the misleading wording of the whole thing, did anyone notice how young this guy was? I'm 27 and I can only dream of being as good as that guy, I would be surprised if he was over 30.
Posted: 1:32 pm on September 30th

MaxYak writes: I liked the video a lot. Wasn't disappointed that I watched it. But I was hooked in by "The 60-Second Table". The grammatically correct comma doesn't show up until you've followed links all the way to the video itself.

I suspect the strongly negative response is due to an overload of dishonest marketing that pervades our society. Makes some folks emotionally allergic to any misleading marketing hook, no matter how benign.
Posted: 12:33 pm on September 30th

jhonbaker writes: For all the slow responders who are aghast at the title of the video. First, there is a comma! look at it! which makes the sentence mean - a sixty second lesson in how to build a table. Secondly, did you really think that someone could build a table in sixty seconds that would warrant being touted by Taunton?
Great Video, Thank you FWW once again for providing interesting content AND being grammatically correct in honest lead in titling.
Posted: 12:08 pm on September 30th

studioso writes: has any of you see this video?:
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/klausz/
this is a true, amazing video of master furniture maker Frank Krausz hand fit 2 boards with divetail joints. that he does in less than 3 minutes.
The first time I've seen that video, I was tremendously inspired, and despite being but a short web clip it talked decades of hard work, dedication and love for his craft, crammed in 3 minutes.

when I open the email, and I see a stop watch stopped on "00:60" , and I read "Watch a gifted furniture maker crank out a beautiful table in only 60 seconds." I was mistakenly led to believe that I was going to see someone like Christian Becksvoort, or Garrett Hack pull an amazing feat.
what a let down! yes, dave moore is cool, he seems to be a kid with skills, but the misleading title ruined it for me!

it's nothing to do with the video, it's the poor choice of words. and the fact that almost every woodworker that posted a comment feels the same way should tell you something...
Posted: 11:47 am on September 30th

Bidgybudget writes: Gimme a break folks! Have a little sense! Of course it was a play on words!

This video nicely captures the magic of making furniture out of wood. Quite frankly if it was any longer it might have lost the fluid beauty of the process.

The fact is, most of us might not be able to build that table in a year let alone a minute, so hows about we all try to relax and enjoy the fact that there are masterful woodworkers out there willing to share what they do with those who can appreciate it!

Yes it is a nice ad for the guy but isn't that true of most published woodworking content?



Posted: 11:46 am on September 30th

islanderb30 writes: Thanks Benno. For a moment, I though I had logged onto Facebook. As I sat with my first cup of coffee, trying to decide what I was going to start my day with, I played this video. My first fleeting thought was "well, this is different from what I was expecting" (those are thought quote marks). What the video did do was to set my goal of heading to my shop first thing this morning to start a new project. That alone was enough to make me appreciate the video. It also gave me an idea or two. Hmmm, I don't think I would want to see a table that was made in 60 seconds anyway. Now,off to shop...
Posted: 11:33 am on September 30th

Curmudgeonworks writes: Talk about sour grapes. Wake up ! He builds beautiful furniture using hand tools to refine them. If you all are so good present your video! I think the video is a good idea and it shows a young master on his way up. It is the job of FWW to feature fine woodworking. I think the video shows the steps in 60 seconds and you are hereby challenged to do the same and show the young man up.
I can't produce as diverse a pallet as he does and I admire a young man who can produce such lovely pieces as are on his website. Yeah he does much better in 120seconds.

Posted: 11:06 am on September 30th

uncleslyme writes: I am puzzled by the grimness of so many woodworkers who missed the creativity and humor of this piece. Perhaps they are their storing steel rod stock where the sun don't shine?

Surely this project would take me [a comparative newbie] many hours, [and who knows how many extra pieces of wood?] to make. Realizing this added to my appreciation of Moore's skill at woodworking, video editing, and conceptualization.

It's just like playing music: play all the notes you can. as in tune, rapidly and expressively as possible.....just leave out the 'wrong' ones!

Please include more such demos, and for the benefit of those who are among the laughter challenged, label the videos....CAUTION: This might make you smile!
Posted: 10:57 am on September 30th

woodrapper writes: Plain stupid. It wasn't even a novel, creative design. Not even an idea for a quick (maybe 120 seconds?) knock together way-out wacky design. Booo.

Posted: 10:49 am on September 30th

Benno writes: I'm baffled at the petulance of the majority of the responders after being beguiled by a teaser title. Can one not expect the demographic served by FWW to possess an emotional maturity commensurate with their chronological age? Or at least possess a sense of humor? That the majority chose to criticize the editorial staff for choosing a clever title, rather than appreciating that we were getting a glimpse into the domain of an master furniture maker is indicative of behavior one would expect of the prepubescent, not adults.
Posted: 10:23 am on September 30th

magicmartz writes: I guess I should have read the Tag line more carefully. I really thought someone could do it. Heck a couple of sawhorses and a piece of plywood. Seats 8. All that is needed is a tablecloth. I would feel like I'm back at church for a dinner on the grounds. Functional. What more could you want?

Give the editors a break. It did make us watch.
Posted: 9:54 am on September 30th

quartered writes: I enjoyed it, but I still have a sense of humor. By the way, did anyone go to David's web site and see his 120 second work? Pretty impressive.
Posted: 9:48 am on September 30th

bhwarchitect writes: Great! Let's have more of this on the site. In this economy, don't we all need a humorous "pick me up"? C'mon watchers, gets the slivers out of your craw and varnish up your sense of humor(s)!!
Posted: 9:28 am on September 30th

bshop writes: It must have seemed like a good idea at the time.
A "sounded better in my head" moment.
I hate it when that happens.
Posted: 9:12 am on September 30th

Chaqueno writes: Cmon guys, this is still far better than all the other junk advertizing you get to see and hear all day long. (look at all the reality TV shows out there... eg:Build a house for a family in one week and show it in an hour...) Great to see a fellow wood worker do his job. Maybe some more fine woodworkers would like to show us their skill and craftiness in a 60 second video.... Thumbs up and well done Editors! Keep up the great work.
Posted: 9:09 am on September 30th

RavenCroft writes: Even if it's just a minute, this is a silly waste of my time.
Posted: 8:41 am on September 30th

Kikodoss writes: OK guys, let's not get out of control here. Did any of us really think someone could build a table in 60 seconds?? Let's not flog the FWW staff for a little creativity. Sure it lured me to the video, but then again, I come to the site every day to see what new and original things are being done. This is just another example of that creativity.

Erick


Posted: 8:36 am on September 30th

Hogbone writes: Short term thinking by whomever approved this tag line. I will now be more hesitant to click-through emails.
Posted: 8:35 am on September 30th

ohwoodeye writes: Although not as agitated as most of your watchers, I still would have watched this video and enjoyed it more even if you had you been "less clever" in you title.
Posted: 8:29 am on September 30th

VicHappy writes: Sad and deceptive grammar in the lead-in mail title that, rather interestingly, is corrected in the article itself.

While he has crafted a nice video, this way of selling is improper of a publication like Fine Woodworking. I understand the desire and need to lure unique visits to the website but, please, let's not go for the cheap marketing techniques and keep the level of the publication where it deserves to be.

My thumbs down for this one.
Posted: 8:06 am on September 30th

montani1970 writes: Great video. But can FWW be a bit less shallow? I expect more from FWW than silly headlines and fake marketing.
Posted: 7:28 am on September 30th

AyeDoonie writes: I hope the Taunton marketing department resists the temptation to do this again. As if I don't run into enough deceptive advertising every day...
Posted: 7:18 am on September 30th

tmblweed0429 writes: I see now. How to Build a Table COMMA in 60 seconds. Ahhhh...I enjoyed the video. The table is beautiful and highlights to potential customers what is involved in making their products.
Posted: 7:16 am on September 30th

bvww writes: Seriously people? You might want to have your doctor look at that. And next time your table saw kicks back I recommend facing it rather than picking up that penny on the floor behind you. Dave Moore kicks...never mind.
Posted: 6:32 am on September 30th

altiani writes: well.........its certainly a good ad for david
Posted: 6:12 am on September 30th

kevingeaney writes: Boy! He's GOOD! The only table I can make in 60 secs is on Microsoft Word!
Posted: 5:58 am on September 30th

Hacker writes: Awesome! Yes, the lead-in in the email was misleading but don't let that detract from the cleverness and creativity of the film clip. Well done!
Posted: 5:46 am on September 30th

Billll writes: Obviously fake. It takes me 2:37 minutes to build a table, but that includes photorealistic inlay, and me felling, splitting, drying, sawing, planing, resawing, not to mention making my own hide glue!
Posted: 4:50 am on September 30th

Majestic6 writes: Its not exactly good form for a site I go to for useful, well-earned, trustworthy information to be misleading about it's content. Video not honestly described, not useful, certainly not brilliant. I believe "cute" is the more descriptive word.
Posted: 4:50 am on September 30th

rkopman writes: Dare I be negative? Yes, this is a worthwhile video, but he did NOT BUILD this table in 60 seconds. Not even close. "A 60 second video on building a table" would be more accurate.
Posted: 2:14 am on September 30th

habilis writes: BS!
Like how to play a football game in 60 secs. Watch the highlight reel.
Posted: 2:11 am on September 30th

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