Beautiful work from the class. Those of us who've never had the pleasure
of any such classwork are indeed envious. 

(and welcome topside, BTW...). You wouldn't happen to have meticulously
documented that chest/changing table, now would you?  (minus the
severing of appendages, of course..) GIT #5 due in November and I've
worked out the plans for the hardware-less crib so now passively looking
for ideas for the rest of the nursery.

My own evolution (though the cord dependent crowd has other words for
it..)has been quite similar - especially that sudden overwhelming
interest in auctions, rummage sales, flea markets, and antique shops.
SWMBO is slowly adjusting - the flow of nice things from the shop comes
at sufficient pace to keep her smiling..

cheers,

Jim E #2 in Wisconsin

-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Peters [mailto:rgpeters@m...] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2003 2:40 PM
To: oldtools
Subject: [oldtools] Lurk mode off; bio

GG's

Greetings.  I have turned off the lurk mode and would like to introduce
myself.

Married, mid 30's, two boys (5 and 1), and I support my woodworking
addiction through employment as a chemistry professor.

My path towards this site and traditional woodworking was pretty
straghtforward.  As a chemistry prof, I'm quite familiar with the power
of an electron, and saw nothing wrong with shamelessly exploiting that
power to satisfy personal woodworking ambitions.  I started down the
slippery slope with a curious interest in hand made hand planes.  I made
a few that really worked well for a short time ('tempered' steel?
whazzdat?).  I hit the point of no return when I broke the "10-in,
10-out" rule.

I was building a chest/changing table for the (at the time) embryonic
GIT when I decided (for reasons I cannot explain) to pick a fight with
my table saw (yep, it was on).  The results were predictable.  A strange
calm descended over me as I gathered my wits (and gathered my um...it
doesn't matter), hollering to Her Worshipfullness that I've lopped off a
finger and I need to go to the hospital.  She got me there, only to
nearly go into premature labor (at six months pregnant).  As I explained
my injury to the trauma staff, I was told to hush up, while they took
care of my wife.  Normally, I'd have been a bit miffed, but by that
time, I was on a Demirol drip, my blood pressure was something like
80/40, and I was well on my way to HappyHappy Land.

I have since healed, thanks to a wonderful medical staff here in the 
Memphis area. During that recovery period, I reevaluated how I thought
about the craft, and reading Graham Blackburn's book on hand tools
(which I had purchased prior to this injury to learn more about hand
planes), I thought it might be possible (certainly less hazardous) to
continue my passion for woodworking without such a reliance on
machinery.

I discovered the name Disston.  I discovered an on-line auction site
that sells said items.  The words "Daddy has a saw problem" have been
uttered in my home.  My wife shakes her head when I get "another package
of rust".  I bought so many saws I had to build a saw rack (not knowing
there were designs here for that very item); I broke the rule of
clustering your tool purchases too closely together....

Hand saws that are properly shaped, sharpened, and set are incredible.
I learned the care and feeding of your own handsaws is ridiculously
simple. 
I was startled at how easy it is to shape, sharpen and set some of the
handsaws I got from that online auction site (like the 4 tpi H Disston
and son sawblade a seller included in a lot that I purchased because 'it
didn't have a handle' and he 'didn't know what else to do with it').
When that beast rips through wood, it makes a pleasant sound that
resembles 'oink'.  I politely thanked him.

I discovered Stanley planes.  I read something called Blood and Gore.
My left arm is bald from taking test shavings.

I learned what a brace is, and how to use it.

I discovered OldTools, and learned there is a group that will support
your tool buying habits as long as those habits don't interfere with
their OWN buying habits (so I no longer bid when I see the user name of
'aperrault', or some of the other easy-to-spot crossovers from this
list).

I stalk flea markets, estate sales and garage sales like a criminal;
"Antique Store" is no longer a euphamism for "$#!+ to Dust Store".

I learned that Guinness is a magnificent beverage...........OK, I
learned that a long time ago

I learned that you can make beautiful things without electric tools....

I recently attended the weeklong Traditional Woodworking class (9-13
June) at Marc Adams' School; Chris Gochnour was in charge. Strange thing
about this class was that I was on the waiting list for it, and received
a call from Marc on Saturday afternoon (around 6), informing me there
was an opening--would I like to attend.  The class started on Monday
morning at 8 (36 hours of notice).  I did some quick thinking (...500
miles from Memphis to Franklin is about 8 hours; expensive week long
course, wife left alone with two GIT's 5 and 1, I have to pilfer the
cherry I had earmarked for our headboard, cut list, tool list, pack,
steal my car [in the shop for repairs]).  Um..........this was a really
tough sell.  I'm pretty sure I cashed in every 'good husbanding' point
I'd ever received. 
She let me go.  Here are the results

http://www.chem.memphis.edu/faculty/peters/toolchest.htm

As a scientist, I'm used to documenting things as I do them, and this
was no exception.  I have actually transcribbled about 25-30 pages of
notes from this class, which was without a doubt a magnificent
experience.  As I put what I've learned into practice, the notes section
keeps getting longer as I continue to remember things that I forgot to
note initially.
 
I am now in the process of updating my workbench; my first effort was a
replication of the bench Norm built in the second-ever episode of the
show.  Too small, limited vise/clamping mechanisms and the aesthetic
appeal of crabgrass.  Thanks to Keith Rucker, as I will attempt to 
duplicate your success, I'm sure I will lean heavily on your extensive
documentation.

I suppose I'll acquiesce to SWMBO's demands for that headboard (though
we're short on cherry), but the bench likely comes first. (I DID just
build her a walnut sewing table; my first project completed using only
hand tools). 

I've successfully shirked my work responsibilities for the day; it's
quitting time somewhere on the globe.  Time to pop open a Guinness and
find a seat on the porch.  Should your travels bring you to Memphis
area, know there's a Galoot with a large back porch, a fridge full of
beer and plenty of chairs.

Cheers.

Greg

--If woodworking is an addiction, I'm not interested in your 12 step
program