‘The American Woodshop’ returns for 22nd season

The American Woodshop,” with co-hosts Scott and Suzy Phillips, is in its 22nd season on PBS, featuring projects based on the theme of “Bringing It Home.”

Public television’s only husband-and-wife team are bringing viewers 13 new episodes that Scott Phillips describes as “changing the way things can be done,” as well as incorporating the different aspects of upcycling.

“How many times does a damaged piece of furniture just get thrown away? What a waste,” Phillips said in a statement. “It is time for all of us to add value to life by creating new things from found parts. In one episode, we use a beautiful reclaimed top from a table found by the road and ready for the trash to build a trestle table that features through pegged mortise-and-tenon joints.”

In a telephone interview with Woodshop News, Phillips says there’s no end in sight to the long-running series and wants to encourage new woodworkers through this season’s episodes.

“There are so many people that don’t have years and years of experience and sometimes getting started is the hardest thing. We want to make woodworking approachable, not the exclusive domain of old-school masters with one way of doing something. There are lots of different ways for anyone with any skill level to increase the furniture count in their home and take ownership of their work,” Phillips says.

“I have learned over the years that the reason people work with wood is because there’s a satisfaction that comes from creating things with your own hands. Working with things in your shop to create your own furniture to enhance a home is priceless. The sense of accomplishment you get is really important.”

The show airs on 350 PBS stations. For information, visit http://wbgu.org.

This article originally appeared in the February 2015 issue.