OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

114223 Steven & Anne Nelson Fisher <safisher@u...> 2003‑02‑09 Bio & the Abyss
Greetings Galoots,

As a GIT and long time lurker I've found the thread talking about=20
Sandy=92s basement and the slippery slope helpful, funny, and =
frightening.

It has finally inspired to get my bio out there. It's clear that I have=20=

a problem and that I need to join up with the support group from hell.=20=

Maybe I can avoid Sandy=92s problem with your help or maybe work to help=20=

him with his problem as someone suggested.

Pass the spittoon, please.
Thanks.
Here goes:

Hi, my name is Steve. I'm hooked on old steel, cast iron, and wood=85

I'm betting my addiction started about six years ago. I was standing in=20=

a recently harvested cornfield, a few miles north of Iowa City, IA.=20
Being originally from Thief River Falls, MN=96a stones throw from the=20
Canadian border=96I'd been hanging out in the public library lots that=20=

hot summer, reading about architecture. That eventually lead me to Fine=20=

Homebuilding, which then lead me to Fine Woodworking, which, in turn,=20
lead me to books about hand tools. The Daily Iowan had advertised the=20
flea market, calling it the best flea market ever in the =93Great State=20=

of Iowa.=94 There, with permission from my wife, I bought my first old=20=

tool, a Stanley transitional jointer plane. =46rom then on if my wife=20
wanted to find me she just needed to look at the library, antique=20
stores, flea markets, and other sundry places. I mostly drooled over=20
any good old tools I found, because we had little cash flow and a very=20=

little shop.

We eventually moved back to our home state of Minnesota. We increased=20
our cash flow, our family size to four, and, most importantly, our shop=20=

space. Since then I=92ve acquired about two dozen user planes (no=20
duplicates, so far) including two combination planes, a post drill,=20
several spokeshaves, braces, bit sets, handsaws, and various layout=20
tools. In true bottom feeder tradition I built my 3=92x5=92 workbench at =
a=20
minimum cost, using mostly refurbished materials. It features a 3=94=20
thick maple top, a locker base, a front vise, and tail vise=96all=20
purchased for about $31 (plus there=92s still one more locker base and=20=

one more top left to make another bench). My prize tool was acquired in=20=

a manner similar to the first tool. It, like my jointer plane, also,=20
started something that has affected our household.

Imagine a clear blue spring MN plains sky, a warm breeze, and the smell=20=

of tools=96wagonloads of tools beckoning. I told SWMBO that I would come=20=

back with a scraper plane or maybe an inclinometer. When I arrived at=20
the auction it was clear that the sought for items were hours off, so I=20=

meandered around the field scattered with hay wagons loaded. I passed=20
by tons of railroad tools and lumber tools--monstrous hulks of metal.=20
Stealth was still important at that time. I was there for something=20
useful and small. Then I spied an oddity far off among rusting cream=20
separators. I walked over to it. Seven feet tall. Big spring on the=20
top. A single foot pedal. An adjustable table. AND a set of six=20
mortising chisels. I couldn't believe it. Here was a working=20
foot-powered mortising machine. =93Damn the other buys. Damn stealth.=94 =
I=20
thought, =93That *** from the county museum will probably outbid me on=20=

them anyhow.=94 So I went for the mortiser.

The rest, as they say, is history. My pocketbook was $90 lighter. I had=20=

a Park Tools mortiser, and SWMBO had her excuse for the intervention=20
she had been planning for some time. Luckily, for me, she was the only=20=

one who showed up for the intervention. All of our friends have their=20
problems too (they collect music, flowers, tailed tools, medals, &=20
sculpture). They wisely stayed away=96more for their own benefit than=20
mine. Nothing was really settled then, except that I formulated a=20
shadow budget and a means to acquire most tools by stealth. Most of the=20=

time I kept my purchases below her radar. Once in a while; however, I=20
needed to be forthright with her because items were too big: the 1940=92s=20=

era Stanley miter saw for example. I wouldn=92t suggest my path to=20
others. There are better ways=96maybe.

Just last week I was talking about purchasing a table saw (the d*+#@=20
tailed variety) this summer and she said she didn=92t want that loud=20
hulking power tool in shop or house. She=92s come around to my way of=20
thinking (a bit) and sees a measure of safety with hand tools and young=20=

ones in the home.

Yesterday I showed her Sandy=92s basement. End result?

I=92ve got an official line in the family budget for tools, IF I keep to=20=

the budget and keep the image of Sandy=92s place as a reminder of what =
to=20
avoid.

There you have it. I=92m on the slope.
Hope I=92m welcome on the porch.

Steve Fisher
Brrrrainerd
Central Minnesota=92s Lakeland

*****************************************

If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music he hears,
however measured or far away.

--Henry David Thoreau

*****************************************



Recent Bios FAQ