OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

170710 "Bob Klein" <bobklein1@c...> 2007‑06‑13 Bio-Bob Klein
All you fine folks,

It has been brought to my attention by an old friend that a bio is
appreciated here.  Had I read the FAQ and other related material I would
have known.  However, I do apologize, no slight was intended, it is just my
own shortcomings as I was kicking some wood shavings out of the way and
trying to figure out how to sharpen these little 8 inch saws with the little
half handles that I found laying around with a funny looking hand drill with
what looks like pewter rings in the wood part of the handle and a funny
looking thumb screw to hold the twisty thing that cuts holes.

I am in the antiques refinishing and restoration business and have been for
nearly 40 years here in Pensacola, Fl.  As is generally the case this path
came to me by accident, it sort of discovered me as I paddled down the river
of time trying to live and get a degree in something.  Building furniture is
not really my area, but rebuilding certainly is.  In my early 20's I was
fortunate to work with a fellow that was very knowlegable about old
furniture (American, not imported Euro hotel stuff, although I will say
there are a lot of fine imported pieces of furniture), tools, repair methods
and all.  He gave me my first taste of seeing and identifying tool marks on
furniture, barns, wooden bridges, and other structures.  We used to travel
to central Penn every 5-8 weeks on buying trips filling a 45 foot truck.
The old dealers there knew a lot and were very willing to share their
knowledge.  When I went into business for myself in the mid 70's the first
two projects were to build farm tables for two customers, you know the two
or three board top kinds of old.  That is probably the only thing I can
build from scratch and get right.  I leave all the straight line building to
others, too hard.  I still remember the tables well as it took months to
find the right wood for the tops.  All hand tool build as if it were the
1820 era.  What a wonderful feeling, the same feeling I get when I take
something that looks like it is ready for the fire and bring it back to
life.  A few years after building the tables a customer brought an old farm
table by the shop to show me.  Seems they had bought it from a dealer in
town and wanted to show me their prize with all the hand plane marks, water
saw marks on the undersides of the top, mortise and tenon lines at the
leg/apron intersections.  I guess I did good--it was the first table I had
built.  Shellac coating of course.

Last Feburury I had the opportunity to attend the tool seminar at MESDA
(Winston-Salem).  Wonderful speakers, Mack Headley, Don Williams, James
Gaynor, and three others whos names escape me at the monent, and
demonstrations.  It was there that I remembered this list which I had
visited many years ago and thought I would like to drop by once again to
hear and learn about the variety of subjects discussed and hopefully
contribute a little, if something comes up that I know a bit about.

Forever learning

Bob Klein

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Recent Bios FAQ