I liked the premise of the show, and the contestants were very creative, they all brought a unique talent to the work bench. However the judges, time frame and production let them and the show down big time. Metal work, sculpture and installation art typically need more than a measly 10 hours to yield anything spectacular. It's not a tattoo. Had the competition allowed even 2 x 10 hour blocks, the outcomes would've been far more dynamic and showcased the potential of the artists.
The judges were not constructive at all, and their expectations were un-clear and always contradictory. They lacked any sense of authority or guidance, and just came across as nit-picky, tasteless and lacking an eye for art. The one who kept saying "Rad" clearly peaked in 2006.
The finale was a bit of a let down, at the very least the strongest contestant could've made some money. Instead it went to a guy who simply survived by playing it safe while others made forgivable errors trying to actually show ambition. Making the finale event hinge on the two random helpers given to the final 2 contestants totally obscures their chance to show their own talent, and makes it an immeasurable contest of project management rather than artistic ability - and consequently a guy who delivered epic work for every single challenge lucked out.
Bit of a lame outcome.