OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

-299 Bruce Haugen <bhaugen@p...> 1970‑01‑01 bio/wiseass/usw/etc

Hi, 
Me:	My name's Bruce and I own a craftsman 
Group: 	Hi, Bruce!

Oops!  Wrong group.

Hi, 

My name's Bruce, and as some of you know, I got my hand tools the old
fashioned way.
OTOH, I have a couple I've actually paid for (sorry po).

I live in the old-tool drought area in the nation.  A place that Steve says
is the standard against which people in Seattle measure their bad weather
(don't bitch -- we could be in North Dakota :-) ).  The problem is, North
Dakota is a relatively new state (European types didn't settle the place
until 1870's or so) and most of the economy was farming.  Still is, come to
think of it.  The bottom line is that there weren't very many craftsmen
around to own the tools that they would eventually sell to me for a song.
Having said that, I've heard stories about people finding a 1945 A in the
original box and paper, complete sets of Jennings pattern bits, etc.  They
just don't seem to happen to me.  Fortunately, I inherited a pretty decent
set of stuff.   Unfortunately, none of my woodworking relatives ever owned a
Norris or Mathieson.

As far as feeding my family, myself and my tool habits, I work as assistant
to the chancellor of the ND University System.  I do press work, mostly,
economic development, public affairs and act as liaison with a bunch of
System groups.    I've spent a fair amount of time in a political office,
and am an anthropologist by training.  

My maternal grandfather was a Swedish carpenter and cabinet maker.  He
apprenticed the traditional way and moved here in time for WWI.  My father
was a carpenter and he and my grandfather worked together for many years.
Neither was into hand tools very much, for as soon as my grandfather could
get jointers, planers, etc., he got them.  Unfortunately, my grandmother
sold those Normies, but I did get a nifty Delta lathe from her for $15 about
35 years ago.  Anyway, neither she nor my mother saw fit to sell the planes
(thank God).

Me, I've worked the construction trades, built houses, cabinets, finish
carpentry, etc.  About 23 years ago, I was on my way to NoCal to search out
an apprenticeship in furniture when someone else changed my mind.  About ten
years ago, I discovered this wealth of hand tool inheritance in an active
sort of way.  While I work both sides of the woodworking street, I've been
drawn far more into the hand crafting aspect within the last few years.  

My brother once remarked that while I didn't seem to have a name for the
style of stuff I make, he thought it all looked Danish modern.  I prefer
clean lines, Krenov, Shaker, Federal (sometimes), Moser.  Veneering is an
absolute mystery to me (I screwed up badly the only time I ever did it).  I
don't make PD's and while I have a workmate, mine is mostly intact (except
for a corner that I whacked off with my ryoba (I thought the going was a
little tougher in that spot).  I have a bandsaw to hog off large quantities
of material so I can finish it by hand.

I have only a couple of concerns:
1.  isn't it time to split this group?
2.  where is zero?
3.  With a little luck, the Bruces could have the upper hand (yes!).  Call
it an evolutionary thing.

I mostly sign my posts

bh


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Recent Bios FAQ