tchisel

Thomas MacDonald, Canton, MA, US
member

I studied carpentry at the Blue Hills Technical High School in Canton, Massachusetts. After graduation, I joined the Carpenters union in 1985 and began a four year apprenticeship program at the Robert D. Marshall training center in Milbury, MA.

I finished the program in 1989 earning a journeyman's certificate and then a Massachusetts supervisors license in 1991. I continued to work in construction in the carpentry field. Then, in 2000, I was accepted to the North Bennet Street School in Bostons North End.

In my second year I replicated a secretary from a picture of a Chippendale style piece, originally made in Salem, Massachusetts. That Spring, Bob Vila, host of the television program, Home Again, came to film the school for one of his episodes. He saw the secretary and was so impressed with it, that he profiled me in the segment that he was filming on the cabinetry department. He invited me to demonstrate shell carving on one of his shows and also invited me to showcase my furniture in the house that Vila was building on Cape Cod.

Since graduating in 2002, I have been designing and constructing custom furniture pieces in Canton, Massachusetts. I am now the co producer/host of Rough Cut Woodworking with Tommy Mac.on PBS

Gender: Male

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Contributions

ouch this on hurt

Mar 10, 2010
3 comments

what can i say...its ulgly

Welcome to the North Bennet Street School!

Mar 30, 2009

A behind the scenes look at The North Bennet Street School.

Get Your Chisels Wicked Shaaaahrp!

Mar 28, 2009
2 comments

A quick primer on shaaaahrpening essentials from Thomas MacDonald.

Dovetails Anyone?

Mar 26, 2009

A quick primer on hand cut dovetails and a demonstration of how to use a paring block.


Recent comments


Re: Rough Cut Director Gets Emmy Nomination

Hi Joe, I am sorry to see your dissapoinment with the show,I hope you tune in for season two.I think you will be pleasantly surprised .

posted: 4:36 pm on May 26th  

Re: Have you seen Tommy Mac's new woodworking show? Let us know what you think.

hi...thanks for all the feed back..i understand and hear what your saying ..i shot all 13 episodes this summer so its all "in the can" as they say ...the order they are playing is the order in which we shot..we shoot for 12hours a day and get ton of film to work with..but its wicked hard for the editors to put every step on the show...its rushed as it is without them and the show does get better week to week..now that i have more time to get going on season two i am sure it will be better..i am still very proud of this show and my team and believe the content on the show is terrific even with all the short comings of a season one.. keep the opinions and comments coming..and dont worry about hurting my feelings...we want a great show just like you !! you know you can post comments at my site...its easier for me to keep up...oh and thanks for watching!! i am trying my best!! i will get it down thanks guys!!! guys guys ..guys.. ha! i do seem to say that ALLOT!!

posted: 5:55 am on October 31st  

Re: Have you seen Tommy Mac's new woodworking show? Let us know what you think.

Hi guys,I really appreciate all the feed back!! I am really proud of the work my team was able to do this year and I am already working on next years show.Please feel free to head over to our site and let us know who and what you want to see. Again,Thanks for all the feed back and I promise to work even harder to make the show better in the future.For all of you looking for some deeper material,i just posted over 25 videos on the tool box dvd i made last year..so check it out...its pretty sweeeeet!! :)



http://www.thomasjmacdonald.com/media/category.php?cat=Tool-Box

posted: 12:16 pm on October 7th  

Re: Tommy MacDonald and WGBH pursue a new woodworking show

hi guys..i appreciate all your comments about our attempts at a show for pbs...i want to clear..there will never be another Norm ..EVER..i only hope to provide a new outlet for our craft ..i have no intentions of being norm..it will never happen..i watched him as a kid and his shows inspired me to go to a voc tech high school,become a carpenter,get my contractors license and pursue my goals in the construction field,i always thought i would one day have a shop..you know...for retirement,i just didn't know my retirement would start at 34.. i have been blessed with opportunities like going to NBSS,meeting bob vila,getting on his tv show and website..being invited to museums and other historical places for inspiration to build way outside my comfort zone..and now trying to fill the space (just a little bit) from the huge hole left by Norm since his retirement..all i am looking for is a shot at the job..and i promise if i succeed i will never forget who's shoulders i am standing on ..from the first guys who made a dovetail 5,000 years ago right up to the present day craftsmen..i see a new kind of woodworking show that puts the light on you and your work..who really cares about me and mine...right :)

thanks again!

posted: 8:32 am on March 10th