“I Like to Make Stuff” was a short-lived reality TV series that aired in 2013, featuring Bob Clagett as the host, and centered on do-it-yourself, DIY crafting. The eponymous YouTube channel was launched in the same year, eventually expanding to become an online hub for anyone with an appreciation for DIY, with a wide array of projects including several crafting niches. Clagett’s way of crafting his pieces is often easy to follow and serves to motivate the audience, pushing viewers to pick up brand-new talents and face challenges they thought difficult. His clear directions and broadly useful advice have contributed the most to the channel’s growth, which proceeds with uploads even as of mid-2024.
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What hooks everyone in
Comprising a varied range of DIY hobbies, the channel provides both relief and education to its many frequenters. From carpentry and metallurgy to electronics and 3D printing, Clagett’s material touches upon a massive range of crafting disciplines. Every video is carefully designed to make the displayed process as easy as possible for the viewers to follow, allowing even outright beginners to emulate what’s shown on the screen, provided that they have the appropriate tools and materials. Being an educator outside of his usual profession, Bob finds it easy to translate complex ideas into reasonable bite-sized steps that make up an otherwise daunting project.
His projects often involve the creation of specialized and unique devices, electronics, furniture, and even props from hit films and TV shows. The videos usually open up with a clear overview of the project’s objectives and the required supplies, after which Ben goes into all the details, walking the viewers through the building process and breaking it down into pieces that most anyone can understand. He normally talks about the entirety of the creative endeavor and strives to show how to overcome regular project setbacks and adapt to unexpected problems as they arise. Projects like making a unique arcade cabinet or a secret door bookcase are some of the easiest to recognize his channel by, standing out among the less creative competition. No matter what, the audience can always count on the YouTuber’s openness to experiment with new things in unique and creative ways, which inspires them to explore their own ideas.
Aside from project guides, Bob also provides advice on utilizing other tools and approaches, doing his best to empower viewers to develop their crafting confidence and individual abilities, thereby facilitating their participation in more ambitious undertakings. His friendly and grounded demeanor also helps the material stay relevant and interesting, which strengthens the feeling of community among his fans. All things considered, the channel is an irreplaceable resource for everyone seeking to engage in the DIY niche in one way or another.
The channel’s crowning jewel
Bob’s most popular video has received more than 17 million views, showcasing yet another novel endeavor as he sets out to make a Japanese sword out of hardwood flooring. Inspired by seeing “Iron Fist” on Netflix and a video by creator Alex Steele, he chooses to carve a practice katana for the sheer thrill of it. He begins by choosing the best out of various hardwood flooring samples for different sections of the sword, including the guard, grip, and blade. He settles on several distinct species, cutting out the shape of the sword with a bandsaw after carefully laying its form using masking tape. He then resaws the weapon to the proper thickness and runs a clean, uniform curve using sanders to give it considerable definition.
He then builds the tang and fits it for the handle, cutting and shaping it for the right fit using a table saw, bandsaw and chisels. He measures and marks the spots before using a drill press and Dremel to carve out the required area for the handguard. He also uses a file to get a perfect fit and square off the corners, using two kinds of wood to make the handle. Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines are employed to generate the intricate inlays, after which he puts the handle parts together so they exactly line the tang.
The latter stages consist of putting a kashira, or bottom cap, to the handle’s end and finishing the whole sword, and then it’s painting time. The YouTuber accentuates the distinct hues of the wood by combining linseed oil with beeswax, and although he runs into several issues along the way, he’s ultimately happy with the outcome and expresses customary enthusiasm. He finally offers links to comparable videos for more inspiration and challenges all of the viewers to attempt creating their own katana using similar materials, testing the sword at the very end of the video to take pleasure in his creation.
Who really is Bob Clagett?
Bob Clagett was born on 4 July 1977 in the US, fostering a great love for building and designing from a very young age. He frequently spent his free time playing with LEGO and other similar toys, trying to come up with the earliest versions of his unconventional creations. His artistic disposition had him enroll in Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) immediately upon matriculation in 1995, where he especially enjoyed studying 3D building and physical construction. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1999, but that didn’t determine his profession.
Instead, his initial career choice landed him in software development, whereby he worked as a frontend developer focusing on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. He founded Velocity Works, Inc. immediately after college and stayed there until 2006, with a brief stint as an interactive design professor at SCAD in the year of his graduation. He became the vice president and senior developer of BFGInteractive in June 2006, which he kept at until February 2010. The very next month he took the position of software engineer at Dell/Kace and stayed there until May 2015.
His TV series and YouTube channel were launched in 2013, but it apparently took him another two years to obtain enough popularity to live solely off the content. Over the years he expanded the production team by adding a creative director in 2018, video producer in 2019, and director of marketing in 2022. After 10 years of hard work and success, it’s hard to imagine the channel as anything other than highly impactful and more than capable of reaching its target audience.
Clagett’s dedication to his family also plays a big part in his overall success, as his wife and four young children add another whole layer of complexity to his calendar, but their unwavering support undoubtedly helps him aspire to ever-greater heights. He’s thus been hard at work producing the highest possible quality videos while balancing the channel’s demands with those of his six-member household, somehow managing to dedicate just enough time to both of his life’s most important aspects.
He also provides a platform for three different DIY-oriented podcasts: “Brain Pick,” which is his own creation meant for any guests he finds interesting, “Making It” with two other expert craftsmen discussing the latest trends in their profession, and “No Instructions” – co-hosted with his channel collaborator and colleague Josh to feature various toy-related topics as they strive to build innovative toys for the youngest of their fans.
What is his net worth?
The most reputable sources available have determined that Bob Clagett’s current wealth may be above $3 million. He’s garnered this sum from a multitude of successful endeavors, not least of which is his YouTube channel, which makes ad revenue anywhere up to $47,000 per year according to Social Blade. There are also the numerous sponsorships strewn throughout his content, as well as both YouTube and Patreon membership promoted to his almost 3.4 million subscribers.
Aside from the podcasts, Bob’s business website also has its own shop featuring branded t-shirts, hoodies, hats, pencils, notebooks, mugs, and multiple other household and workshop items. There’s also a wide assortment of paid, specialized digital plans for those seeking to take on unique projects designed by the YouTuber himself, and finally, two in-depth courses for machine programming and 3D design.
Clearly, Bob never sits still for long, to the benefit of his loving audience!
