Fans of the television show Parks and Recreation may have caught this awesome scene at the very end of season 5, episode 14, where character Ron Swanson rips out a wall sconce and forges wedding rings from the metal in a cast iron waffle maker.
“Any moron with a crucible, an acetylene torch, and a cast iron waffle maker could have done the same. The whole thing only took me about 20 minutes. People who buy things are suckers.”
The character of Ron Swanson is played by Nick Offerman, who is an accomplished woodworker in real life. According to Offerman’s Wikipedia page, the writers of the show added a fondness for woodworking to Offerman’s character.
38 thoughts on ““People Who Buy Things Are Suckers.””
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Does that make you a sucker for buying: the waffle iron, the bucket, the ring mandrel, the ladle, the acetylene torch, the welder’s mask, the gloves, all tools, oh, and, of course, the wall sconce?
Making things is great, but let’s not start casting aspersions along with rings. (Which are of an unknown alloy and could cause your sweetheart to have an unromantic allergic reaction, btw.)
You are never a sucker for buying tools, unless you don’t use them.
I actually think that was the part of the joke. This show can be really subtle, and the idea that you ‘all you need’ is all that stuff to get a ring, is not out of line for them.
More than fair, andytanguay. I’ve never seen the show.
Personally, I would’ve left the sconce and the waffle iron to their intended purposes and used the rest of the supplies, plus some scrap sterling, a candle and plaster of paris to make lost-wax cast rings with some personality and known metal content. More than 20 minutes of time investment, but you could eat waffles while waiting for the plaster to dry. Mmm, waffles.
It’s funny you say that. I thought a wall sconce was an odd choice too! Ha
(PS: It’s a good show, worth a watch)
You’re waaaaaaaaaaay over thinking this, dude! Lighten up and enjoy the funny.
…and you left the waffle iron on. :P
but… it was FUNNY?!
Sorry. Sorry. I’ll just take my logic elsewhere. Can I take the acetylene torch with me? I told myself having one in an apartment was a bad plan, but think of all the comedic potential!
only if you have a camera crew following you around. :)
Ron Swanson is the real man’s MacGyver.
Ron Swanson – Maker Hero
The Rainn Wilson picture is really creepy with the kid in the back ground. I know it is meant to be funny but I think of one of those photo collections of skanky women taking nude pictures of themselves with their children in the back ground. Is that supposed to make it more funny?
If you get a chance, check out his shop at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIA2Xl8P7Es absolutely drool worthy. Stick around till you see the bandsaw and the lumber. Just wait until you see the lumber….
OMG, that’s some serious lumber!
Good video, thanks for posting that.
It was extremely lucky that the sconce just happened to be made from sterling silver and thus easy to cast and forge into rings.
Not exactly the most likely of circumstances.
Most light fittings are made from alloys that would more likely burn (zinc diecast, maybe plated to look like bronze) rather than melt and be rather brittle and useless for and sort of forging process.
Funny stuff
Funny stuff here
So are those who buy a subscription to make or from make advertisers suckers? ;)
I’ll defer to commenter andytanguay: “I actually think that was the part of the joke. This show can be really subtle, and the idea that ‘all you need’ is all that stuff to get a ring, is not out of line for them.” : )