BOSTON, MA - Have you ever dreamed about furniture making but been too afraid to pick up the tools to make it happen? This fall, WGBH Boston offers a brand-new woodworking series, Rough Cut - Woodworking with Tommy Mac. Premiering nationally on Saturday, October 2, 2010 (check local listings), Rough Cut arms viewers with the confidence and woodworking skills needed to make a wide variety of furniture for the home and office, at varying levels of difficulty.

Thirteen half-hour episodes will introduce a wide range of projects, perfect for the weekend "Do-It-Yourself" enthusiast. Ranging from a Trestle Table and Flag Box, to a Shaker-inspired Step Stool and Wall Cabinet, the projects will feature basic woodworking techniques for cutting, shaping and joining wood. Specific skill sets addressed will include: wood selection; making dovetails and mitered joints; creating mortise and tenon joints; and coping for inside corner joints. And, recognizing that everybody is bound to make mistakes, Tommy will offer his tips and tricks on how to fix the most common mishaps that inevitably arise.

"We're thrilled to introduce the first season of Rough Cut, which is designed to be accessible for all levels of woodworkers, from novice to expert," says WGBH Executive Producer Laurie Donnelly. "Tommy's easygoing personality, combined with his exceptional woodworking skills, make him the perfect teacher for our viewers."

From design inspiration to completion, Tommy shares with viewers the step-by-step process for the thirteen projects debuting in the premiere season. Each episode also features a road trip that follows Tommy as he visits historic places, as well as the woodshops of some of the most talented woodworkers around, including: Allan Breed of the Breed School; period finisher Christine Thomson; and world-renowned carver Will Neptune. Rough Cut road trips include the prestigious North Bennet Street School (Tommy's alma mater), the USS Constitution, and The John Adams House, among others.

"I'm excited to invite viewers into my shop to teach them about woodworking and help them to build these great projects," adds host Tommy MacDonald. "And, by getting out in the field, I can show them some of the most likely (and unlikely) places I find my inspiration, as well as how I bring my pieces to life working with rough cut lumber."

After returning from his "road trips," Tommy will head back to the workshop where he is often joined by North Bennet Street School graduate Eli Cleveland, Boston-based woodworker Al D'Attanasio, and Steve Brown of the North Bennet Street School. In the shop, this group of friends works together to complete the projects and has a laugh or two along the way.

Beyond Broadcast

The series will be developed as a multi-platform initiative that will include a comprehensive Web site, to launch in October 2010. Its online component will provide viewers with a forum to ask questions, along a wide variety of additional resources, including:
· Glossary of basic woodworking terminology
· Procedure and tools list for each project
· Extensive resource list for tools and suppliers
· Blog where viewers share their experiences building projects from Rough Cut
· Vodcasts with Tommy's tips of the trade
· Rough Cut tune-in, searchable by zip code

Viewers can also become a fan of Rough Cut on Facebook and follow the show on Twitter.

Rough Cut - Woodworking with Tommy Mac is produced by WGBH Boston and distributed by American Public Television. Tommy MacDonald is host. Executive producer is Laurie Donnelly for WGBH Lifestyle Productions. Woodcraft is the exclusive corporate sponsor.

Source: WGBH Boston