OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

139374 Chris Hartman <hartman@c...> 2004‑12‑07 Chris Hartman bio
Ok, geez, where to start.

Been a GIT myself, (not quite a galoot yet) for several years. Only 
academic training in woodworking (in the worst sense of the word - read a 
lot, haven't done much of anything) for a long long time. Built a king 
sized platform bed about six years ago (all 'lectric), can't think of 
another woodworking project I've completed. Fair amount of carpentry, 
plumbing, renovation, electric, even concrete work though.

My shop: Seven  years ago I bought the house I live in now - and will for 
the next 15 years, at least. I posted to rec.woodworking at the time, about 
my plans for a shop. Web page coming, but in the meantime, the short story 
- It's _under_ the garage. The way this place was built, they did 
foundation and full 13 course cinderblock wall, built a wooden garage floor 
at the upper level on a hillside. The floor was held up by one central beam 
consisting of three 2x12s sistered together with a screw-jack post in the 
middle, covered by 2x10 joists on 16" centers, with three layers of 1/2" 
plywood for the floor. Underneath wasn't finished, and that might be an 
understatement. More below... Engineer told them that wasn't good enough 
when we bought the house (wouldn't be good if the cars fell through now, 
would it?), they needed at least two 16" glue-lam beams with posts. Already 
imagining shop space, I asked how much more it would cost for clear span 
metal beams instead. $300? "Here's a check, have them do that instead." How 
many people do you know that have 14" I-beams in their house?

So I had space for a shop. $1000 in outisde dirt work and $200 in concrete 
cutting, and I had an outside door, too. Three weeks worth of a couple of 
hours of shovel and wheelbarrow work a day, and I had removed the dirt they 
had never bothered to excavate. Another $1200 in concrete, and a little bit 
more for a 42" door and frame, and I had a shop.

The project lagged for several years. Bought a _big_ shop inside city 
limits with a partner. We rent out various office and garage space, and go 
to a lot of auctions to buy more junk. Sell some of that, too, but not 
enough. Our 11,000 square foot pole barn is nearing capacity, but mostly 
with crap. Not junk. That's good stuff. We're half full with stuff that was 
too good to leave (after buying a row of pallets) but not good enough to 
sell. But hey, there's a lot of treasures in there too. Anybody need a 20" 
Dewalt three-phase radial arm saw? Naw, that's not galootish... Even the 
2000 sq. ft. we keep for ourselves seems to fill up with stuff that just 
has to be inside. Anyway...

Recently, I've had time to work on MY shop again. Insulation, electric, 
wall coverings, etc. Pictures will come (as I said) but being nearly ready 
to have a bench and a place to work at home, I had the inclination to 
browse the web and the world for woodworking info. Having always had an 
interest in old tools (both tailed and non), I was immediately fascinated 
by the porch. Imagine my pleasure when finding Chris Swingley is not just 
the archiver, but somebody I'll be able to learn a lot from, and in my 
area, too! I doubt there are many of us in Fairbanks. I'll send you email 
soon Chris - we'll get along great. In any case, I'll soon have a heated 26 
by 20 foot shop for a total expenditure of less than $4000. Ceiling height 
could be better, but I've got 8'2" to the _top_ of the joists. Enough to 
swing a sheet of plywood, if I hold it the right way :).

Tools I own. Pretty sad, I can fit this in a smaller paragraph than others 
in this post. Newest purchase was a user Stanley #7 from our favorite 
auction site. First decent galoot tool was user Stanley #4 at the flea 
market back east several years ago. That's the only one that's tuned. Scary 
sharp, even! Got a Miller's Falls #5 at auction here in Fairbanks last 
year. Have a couple of spokeshaves, saws, drawknives, etc. from other 
auctions, but those belong to the downtown shop - along with couple of 
other Stanley's - router plane (missing a couple of knives) and shoulder 
plane.  Have a couple of block planes, lots of old but not antique paring 
chisels (Buck Bros., Stanley, etc.). One 1/2" Weatherby mortice chisel, 
looking forward to turning a handle for it. That's about it.

So why the bio? Heck, I feel at home here already. And in a month or so 
I'll be building my first bench. Can't say I'm 100% against killing those 
electrons, but I do like the hand-work. And fixing old tools has always 
been a hobby. Can't help it, I'm cheap. Can't say that I seem to be out of 
place here, either!

What else belongs in a bio? Non-woodworking? I'm 35, have three kids (girl 
3, boy 6, girl 9), a SWMBO, a dog, and two cats (in some order). I'm a 
professor here at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, with a Ph.D. in 
math, but I teach computer science. They pay us more :)

Guess that's about it. Looking forward to translating "academic" knowledge 
into some neat projects. With no electrons killed, neither!
         -Chris

-- 
"To use bad English is regrettable, to use bad Scotch is unforgivable."
Chris Hartman, Dept. of Math. Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks



Recent Bios FAQ