About

Hosted by master carpenter Norm Abram, who is legendary for his woodworking skills, The New Yankee Workshop has guided millions of viewers through the hands-on process of furniture making. Working in a 936-square-foot workshop, Norm would complete a typical episode of The New Yankee Workshop in two days. He did all the work himself, using an assistant only for clean up and finishes. Each episode in the series offers step-by-step instructions for building furniture and other woodworking projects.

Created in 1989 by Russell Morash, the show ran for 21 seasons and featured the construction of woodworking projects, including workshop accessories, architectural details and furniture projects ranging from simple pieces to complex, high-quality reproductions of antique classic furniture. Approximately 235 projects were produced most with measured drawings for viewers to purchase and complete on their own.

The Workshop

The shop is 936 square feet (87.0 m2) in size. The famous sliding barn door faces west. Along the west wall is the “back bench” and drill press. Along the south wall is the miter bench and storage unit, radial arm saw, and (not seen in episodes) a computer, a TV, and a small office area. The east wall of the shop has a staircase leading to a loft area, jig storage, horizontal edge sander, and dust collector. The north wall houses sheet goods, router table, bar clamps, Timesaver wide belt sander, planer, jointer, band saw, and various mobile tools. The center area of the shop consists of the table saw and associated outfeed tables as well as a large assembly table. In the northeast section of the building is a separate finishing room.

With the exception of the famous “Timesaver” the workshop remains virtually the same as when the show ended. Russ still uses it as his daily office and Norm stops by on occasion to conduct his woodworking magic as he continually works on his house not far away.

The New Yankee Workshop layout
New Yankee Workshop
Norm Abram and Russ Morash at The New Yankee Workshop
Norm with the Tap table