Galoots,

With Galootaclaus on the horizon I figured an updated bio is in order. So,
here goes.

TL:DR version: I'm Zach from Michigan. I like old tools and other assorted
old things. Thanks for having me.

I'm Zach Dillinger. I'll be 35 years old on Halloween this year and I've
been making stuff in one form or another since early childhood. I learned
woodworking as a young child courtesy of my Dad, my grandfather (who
thankfully taught me to sharpen tools at a very young age), Roy Underhill
and Norm Abram. As I grew up, I decided I liked hand tool work more than
power tool work and cut out the latter completely. The first plane I ever
bought for myself, an Ohio Tool transitional jack plane from eBay sealed
the deal, I was hooked and never looked back to electron-slaying devices.

In my years of making stuff with wood, I've managed to build some
acceptable stuff now and then and have been very lucky to get to write
about my experiences for Popular Woodworking Magazine, Fine Woodworking,
and in two books. In my near total obsession with the craft, I've managed
to carve out 30-40 hours a week in the shop while in school, then while
keeping a day job and a wife, and now a toddler, all for the better part of
the last two decades. I haven't slept much in the last 20 years but I've
learned a hell of a lot and have gotten pretty good at a few things if I do
say so myself. The gentle persuasions from The List has propelled me higher
and faster in this world than seems remotely possible even to me and I
can't thank you all enough.

Though I have more of just about every hand tool than I'll ever need or
could possibly use, I seem to really collect only three things: Gabriel
planes, William Butcher tools and 20-22" wooden try planes. I've got more
of the latter than just about anything, with a total count approaching some
25 of that specific tool. I don't know why. I suspect some of you may have
similarly inexplicable motivations / vices and that I don't really have to
explain it. I certainly don't need or use 25 of them, I just can't leave
one on the shelf when I find one with good bones for sale. I've bought
three in the last week after having not found a decent one in months...

Highly active in my first couple of years on the list (2008-ish, if memory
serves), I've been mostly in Lurker Mode on the List for a while now,
focusing on my magazine writing and on my 2 1/2 year old daughter Abigail
with whom my wife April and I share a 1900-built Michigan farmhouse. The
house is conveniently located just 4 miles from one of the finest
woodworking stores in the Midwest, Johnson's Workbench. I just lit the
wood-fired boiler last week, when the temperature dropped from 90 to 35 in
less than a week. Ahh, Michigan...

In addition to my woodworking, I enjoy collector cars (especially those
from the Packard Motor Company), tennis, films noir, Golden Age radio shows
(Jack Benny especially), and cooking historic recipes from old cookbooks.

Thanks for reading and for sharing this corner of the oft-unfriendly Web
with me.

Zach
--
Zachary Dillinger
517-231-3374