Jimmy DiResta Biography
Jimmy DiResta is an American New York-based designer, artist and video producer, fabricator, and television personality.
DiResta enrolled in the school of Visual Arts in 1986 and he graduated with a BFA degree in 1990. He formed a now-defunct toy design company/store called “DiResta” in the East Village in 1993, and he went on to teach at the School of Visual Arts.
Jimmy DiResta Age
Jimmy DiResta was born on April 3, 1967 in New York City. He is 51 years old as of 2018.
Jimmy DiResta Siblings
Jimmy grew up in the Five Towns area of Long Island with his siblings John DiResta, Kathleen DiResta and Joseph DiResta. John is a former New York Transit police officer turned comedian, frycook, and actor and Kathleen is a jewelry designer.
Jimmy DiResta Taylor Forrest | Jimmy Diresta Married | Jimmy DiResta Wife
DiResta is married to Taylor Forrest, a designer and creator of furniture and homewares in a studio that is based in the lower east side of Manhattan. She mainly uses bronze, leather and steel to make the furniture.
Jimmy DiResta Career
In 2011, DiResta co-hosted Dirty Money with his brother, John, on Discovery Channel. They set out scouring every corner of New York City, from dumpsters to flea markets.
Since his TV career, Jimmy has entered the YouTube media business, publishing on the Make Magazine and Core77 channel as well as his own.
DiResta has also co-hosted the weekly “Making It” podcast since October, 2014 together with David Picciuto and Bob Clagett.
Jimmy DiResta Make
Make (magazine) published a book co-written by Jimmy DiResta and John Baichtal entitled “Workshop Mastery with Jimmy DiResta” in 2016.
Hammered With John & Jimmy DiResta
In 2006, DiResta co-hosted Hammered with John & Jimmy DiResta, on HGTV. It focused on the marriage of Jimmy’s craftsmanship and John’s humor. The show’s tagline was “Jimmy can make anything and John can make anything funny.” In 2009, he hosted “Against the Grain” on the DIY Network.
Jimmy DiResta Podcast
DiResta now has the nickname “Jimmy Two Shows” as both his podcast and the show share a name.
Jimmy DiResta Book
Make (magazine) published a book co-written by Jimmy DiResta and John Baichtal in 2016.
- Workshop Mastery with Jimmy DiResta: A Guide to Working With Metal, Wood, Plastic, and Leather
Workshop Mastery With Jimmy DiResta
Jimmy DiResta has made a name for himself with his inventiveness and workshop skills, creating dozens of projects for YouTube videos and television shows such as Hammered and Against the Grain on the DIY network. In Make: Workshop Mastery With Jimmy DiResta, Jimmy and co-author John Baichtal teach readers essential workshop skills with over a dozen projects that explore everything from mold-making to CNC routing on to metal smithing. Projects in this book include:
- Tool-drawer cabinet
- A chess set
- One-sheet metal stool
- A machete
- Crowbar-hammer mashup
- An electric guitar with a carved body
- Your own sign
- A leather backpack
Where Is Jimmy Diresta Shop? | Jimmy Diresta Shop Location
DiResta’s shop is located at 15 Clinton St, New York, NY 100.
Jimmy DiResta Net Worth
Jimmy’s net worth has not yet been revealed.
Jimmy DiResta Shop | Jimmy DiResta Ice Pick | Jimmy DiResta Glasses
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Jimmy DiResta Interview
FORGING AHEAD: A CONVERSATION WITH JIMMY DIRESTA
Published on; May 08, 2017
Source: https://www.filson.com
Murphy: How did this all start for you, which has culminated into a profession and part of your everyday life?
Diresta: It was a very natural thing in art class from elementary school and high school. I would sketch and draw to the point where all the kids would ask me to draw something for them. Even as a kid, my dad would give me projects to work on while in his wood shop. This is how I learned how to hot glue, use different tools and machines in the wood shop. After finishing school, I trained to become an Architect, but after some classes it was clear to me that I can do the sexy work with my hands and they can do the boring work.
After I graduated from SVA, I began right away working in the toy business. I worked with a teacher of mine who became my mentor and worked for him designing and developing toys. I freelanced for Hasbro, Mattel and did things for all companies.
MM: What are some changes in the neighborhood you’ve witnessed?
Diresta: The neighborhood is less scrappy. You’d be able to park wherever you wanted it didn’t matter. Now I have a Vespa and walk around most of the time. I used to get into my 1978 Cadillac and drive up to 14th and 23rd st. There used to be a lot of abandoned shops and vacant shops in the area. The reason I moved out here, we looked for the cheapest neighborhood and moved to 2nd and B. Back then, there used to be more makers and artists here, there were fabrication shops and wood shops, now I think I’m the only one in this neighborhood making things.
My buddy rented the store front upstairs in 2003 (15 Clinton St), we went down to check the storage space and I asked the landlord if the basement was available. I started in one room and over the years I expanded and took over the entire basement.
MM: When did this shop open and become the studio it is today?
Diresta: I had the store front on 2nd St and our business started growing. We needed more space and moved to Attorney St in 1995-2000, went broke because our clients went out of business and for another client, worked with him until 2004 and developed one of his biggest products the South Park keychains and stuffed animals. Then he went out of business and I opened up this shop up and it became the “I’ll do whatever you want shop.” I grew disillusioned with the toy business and wanted freedom of creativity. I hustled a lot and did interior design work going around the neighborhood handing out my card and would make whatever anybody wanted, a sign, a chair.
MM: How did you get involved with Make?
Diresta: The people at discovery channel said I should get Twitter. Within the week I got a message from Brooklyn Morris who worked at Make magazine at the time and she said we’re doing a make affair in Queens and invited me to come. I said yea I’ll go, not really thinking about it. She tweeted me again to remind me so I hopped on my vespa and rode out to Queens and it was great. Everybody knew me, they welcomed me with open arms, it was a beautiful experience. They knew me because my license plate says “I make”, so Make magazine was watching my TV show and said “we should get this guy”.
I started doing Youtube and that’s when things started to change for me, in the fall of 2011.
MM: Your traveling a lot more now too?
Diresta: Yea I just got invited by ikea to go to Sweden.
MM: What’s the plan for the new studio in the Catskills?
Diresta: In short time I’ll be building my next workshop on my own property. In the intermediary period my workshop is a big old beat up warehouse, completely empty. I’ve been helping the landlord fix up the property so I’ll be running electric this weekend and working from there. Also, I’ll be making my first video this weekend for a series I do. When I get my shop done on my property I want to have people come up and arrange trips with the shop down the road, its about a mile down. In October we did a tin type photographers class and had people up making the plates and photos for 2-3 hours, had fires at night in the backyard, it was great.
MM: How many videos do you do a month?
Diresta: I do at least 9 videos. On my Patreon page my fans get access to early stuff, rough cuts or when I’m not able to publish videos.