Gentle Galoots,

Like so many before me I have been lurking here on and off for quite  
some time. Thought I'd say 'hello'.

I've been a woodworker for some twenty years, theater sets mostly,  
and of course my home. I was bitten by the old tool bug on or about  
the time of my dad's retirement some dozen years ago when I realized  
the the old b***ard knew a damn site more about tools than I ever  
will, and that I wish he had paid more attention to what *his* dad  
had tried to teach him back in the day.

So I'm sure that I fit somebody's profile of a neander-wannabe: IT  
guy by day, basement woodworker by night (when home and family  
obligations permit). I own the usual complement of electron killers  
and prefer to scrounge my old hand tools and wood materials wherever  
possible (which is a polite way of saying that my meager salary does  
not permit me to buy from Wenzloff or Knight, though I'd love to...)

I have been afflicted these past few decades with a desire to obtain  
rusty old tools (hand and power), restore them, and put them back  
into use in my own workshop. This is of course not merely a slippery  
slope but a pit as bottomless as one's home or (homemade wooden!)  
sailboat....   The nice D-8 inherited from grandpa inspired a few  
rust-hunting expeditions which, though successful, now require me to  
learn how to sharpen their ilk. The Stanley 2101 inherited from dad  
inspired further scrounging for much older, 18th and 19th Century  
iron braces.... but then one needs a complement of bits... and since  
they're not so plentiful in this neck of the woods (northerly 'burbs  
of NYC) then one must buy or make one's own.... which led inexorably  
to a RR track anvil...  and years later to a garage-sale Trenton...   
My wife looks on with a mix of kindness, forebearance and  
resignation, bless her.

I'm sure this kind of thing is not news to any of you.

I am an occasional reenactor at the local colonial-era restoration in  
my town, have made more than a few modern-day replicas of old tools  
as described in "Ancient Carpenter's Tools" and Moxon for said  
reenactment purposes, and as practice for such events have adapted  
certain colonial forms of furniture for use in my basement workshop  
(e.g.  the whales' tail shelf is my saw-till, the spoon rack is a  
brace-bit holder,  the pipe box holds turnings and wedges for hammer  
handles,  there's a joint-stool made of a doug-fir 4x4 that's my  
chair/stepstool/sawbench -- none of which are works of art by any  
means). I am presently devoting effort to making spokeshave irons,  
tanged chisels and (soon) a replica bitstock/piercer (without the  
fancy brass work, though). That's before I get to the list of real  
furnishings to make. And the list goes on...  Planes or grandfather  
clocks, anyone?

Thanks to all for a useful mailing list and archive. I now return to  
my usual place of lurkature beneath the floorboards where I hope to  
be able to contribute back something of value one of these days.

John Leyden
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welcome back! 

Hope to see some of your goodies on the bay.

--- On Sat, 2/21/09, Bill Rittner  wrote:

> From: Bill Rittner 
> Subject: [OldTools] bio
> To: oldtools@r...
> Date: Saturday, February 21, 2009, 11:48 AM
> Some years ago pressures of business and life cut into my
> time to the point that I was forced to leave the porch and
> many other of my most pleasurable activities. Well, things
> have changed and I have been under the porch for a few
> weeks. Some things have changed here too, but it still looks
> as comfortable as a well worn boot so I humbly request a
> small space amongst this most illustrious group.
> 
> Let me bring you up to date on the changes. My small
> business failed when my biggest customers went to China for
> their inductors. This came as no suprise to my wife and I.
> We had been preparing for this by starting a new business in
> antiques, collectibles and vintage merchandise. However, the
> failure forced us to pick up the pace a couple notches! All
> of the coil winding equipment was disposed of and my
> woodshop was moved from my home to the business location. I
> now work part time running the inspection department at a
> local machine shop owned by a friend and the rest of the
> time I buy, repair and refinish antique and vintage
> furniture for sale in our retail shop. I'm also back to
> dealing a little rust on *ba*.
> 
> This past December I turned 62 and am now semi-retired,
> working my --ss off and lovin' every day. Now if I could
> just make some money:)
> 
> Bill Rittner
> Manchester, CT
> 
> I thought when I retired my work would slow down :) 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of
> hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the
> history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and
> restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
> 
> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
> 
> To read the FAQ:
> http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
> 
> OldTools archive: http://swingleydev.com/archive/
> 
> OldTools@r...
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools

      
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and, if i wanted to test the theory, where would i look on the earth?

welcome to the top side of the porch!

best,
bill
felton, ca

On Mar 2, 2009, at 10:43 AM, Paul Perillat wrote:

> my three woodpiles (mostly heart pine
> pulled out of dumpsters), which I'm told can be seen from space per
> Google Earth.

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Welcome, friend!!!

Spent about 16 months enclosing a basement for bedrooms etc. Bunch of
men from church helped. It was one of greatest learning times of
different ideas, methods, and work arounds. Nothing like a "real"
project to hone one's skills.

Best wishes for consistent progress!!!!

Archie

--- On Mon, 3/2/09, Paul Perillat  wrote:

> From: Paul Perillat  Subject: [OldTools] Bio To:
> oldtools@r...
> Cc: ted.shuck@g... Date: Monday, March 2, 2009, 12:43 PM Dear Galoots,
>
> After about 3 years of lurking under the porch, I think it is about
> time I showed myself. I've always had a facination with woodworking
> and the old ways. However, a couple of woodshop classes in junior high
> (no hand tools) was my only woodworking experience until about 9 years
> ago. That's when I built a large table (seats
> 10) out of heart pine with the help of a friend using another friend's
>     cabinet shop. While we did use mainly electrick tools, I thought
>     that it there had to be a way to do the same procedures by hand.
>
> Fast forward to the present. I am now 46 years old. Rehabbing my 106
> year old house has taken precedence over building furniture and other
> "fun" stuff. However, I've managed to accumulate a number of hand
> tools and even put some to use. I find that even with carpentry, my
> best work is by hand.
>
> I don't have a garage, workshop, or basement. I do my woodworking on---
> the porch! That's where I keep my 40ish German bench that, thankfully,
> does not have the same appeal as a flat screen TV in my neighborhood.
> This spring/summer, I hope to build a workshop/storage solution to put
> my tools and the my three woodpiles (mostly heart pine pulled out of
> dumpsters), which I'm told can be seen from space per Google Earth.
>
> The Porch has been invaluable in helping me along a great big learning
> curve. And the people are nice too, which is great. Thank you.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>
> To read the FAQ: http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
>
> OldTools archive: http://swingleydev.com/archive/
>
> OldTools@r... http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools


------------------------------------------------------------------------

> I don't have a garage, workshop, or basement.  I do my woodworking
> on---the porch!

Welcome, Paul.  Since the O'Deenster has seen fit to chime in today on
another thread, perhaps he can fill you on on woodworking in the park...

Chuck Myers, in deceptively sunny Western PA

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Paul,

Nice to have you come out from under the porch. We missed you at the CW
conference.

Dennis Heyza Macomb MI

----- Original Message -----

From: Paul Perillat

Dear Galoots,

After about 3 years of lurking under the porch, I think it is about time
I showed myself.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quoting Bill Kasper : 12,000 kms north west of mine

wots heart pine???

Neil Queanbeyan Oz
>
> and, if i wanted to test the theory, where would i look on the earth?
>
> welcome to the top side of the porch!
>
> best, bill felton, ca
>
> On Mar 2, 2009, at 10:43 AM, Paul Perillat wrote:
>
> > my three woodpiles (mostly heart pine pulled out of dumpsters),
> > which I'm told can be seen from space per Google Earth.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>
> To read the FAQ: http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
>
> OldTools archive: http://swingleydev.com/archive/
>
> OldTools@r... http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome back!

Thanks for the good word of coping with life's little surprises. Your
comments reminded me of good counsel in younger years--trials make you
better or bitter. "Better" is always the best choice.

Archie

--- On Tue, 3/17/09, Chuck Digney  wrote:

> From: Chuck Digney  Subject: [OldTools] Bio To:
> OldTools@r... Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 12:28 PM Esteemed Porch
> Dwellers, I have been lurking under the porch here for a bit and feel
> it's time to emerge. I was a member back a couple of years ago, but
> needed to take some time to get my personal affairs in order. I lost
> my home, a great many of my tools (a flood), and a lot of money, but I
> emerged a better person and happy to be alive. I have been working
> wood ever since I took a hammer in hand and "remodeled" mom's dresser!
> Dad thought it wise to show me how to use the tools properly and I was
> off and running. I used to own many a tailed monster, but I gave them
> all up for the peace and quiet of hand work. I also rebuild/repair
> wooden sailboats for folks. I am currently rebuilding my arsenal of
> tools and looking forward to many happy hours in the shop (which I am
> rebuilding as well). I need to build a bench, tool cab, saw till, etc.
> Oh the many happy hours I'll have! Anyway, I'm glad to have a source
> of help as well as great conversations about tools and working wood.
> You guys are the best!
>> Chuck
> =A0who used to live in SE PA, but jumped the river into NJ.
>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> -----
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>> To read the FAQ:
> http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
>> OldTools archive: http://swingleydev.com/archive/ OldTools@r...
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools



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