[ Originally posted on Facebook 25 March 2020 ]
Right then, ‘Riches of YouTube.’ Where to begin?
Let’s assume no prior knowledge about how YouTube works.
Most of the places we’ll be visiting are what YouTube calls ‘channels.’ These usually (but not always) have a home page with some sort of introduction on who the contributor(s) are and what they do.
Then there are tabbed links to the list of videos on the site, and sometimes also a ‘playlists’ option, where videos are grouped by theme or project.
Most of the links I give will be to the home page. If you then click on the ‘videos’ tab, the easiest way to start viewing is just to choose ‘play all’ below the tabs. This will start you off with the oldest video on the site and work steadily forwards to the most recent.
This is a good idea where the contributor is working on a multi-video project, as later videos will continue the story from previous ones.
Bear in mind that for many channels, the earliest videos are often not quite as polished as later ones. It’s fairly common for contributors to adjust how they film, whether and what commentary and/or music they use, that sort of thing, as they become more confident with the medium.
So even if the first few videos on a site aren’t particularly professional, do persevere, they’ll get better as you go along.
Of course you can always pick ‘à la carte’ from the video list if you see one that particularly takes your fancy . . .
Ok, that’s about it for the introduction.
So, what’s first?
Well, there are quite a number of channels that illustrate the process of restoration, of everything from micrometers to tractors.
But there’s one that far outdoes all the rest. It’s called my mechanics.
The chap is (I think) Swiss, and is (I think) a watchmaker. He certainly has the full range of tools and equipment.
But that’s just the start. A leitmotif throughout much of this series will be ‘attention to detail,’ and you won’t find any more of that than here.
Basically, he starts with some rusted old piece of apparent junk, and turns it into . . . well, you’ll see.
And if this channel speaks to you, you’ll quickly come to cherish the phrase “I make a new one.”
So here it is: the first in my ‘Riches of YouTube’ series is the ‘my mechanics’ channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMrMVIBtqFW6O0-MWq26gqw/videos (link straight to video listing).
I tend to watch these with the sound down, as the joy is in what he does and the videos are all subtitled where needed.
You lucky people . . .