Hello all!

All I really wanted to do was learn how to sharpen some chisels. That
said permit me to introduce myself.

I got into woodworking through necessity. SWMBO and I lived in a
depression era house that needed a new screen door. Well it turns out
that
the only place that was willing to make one was a security door company
that
wanted $400 for it. The door was to the kitchen and extremely narrow
(~24").
Since we had a t*bl*s*w (SWMBO chose it instead of an engagement ring)
I figured I'd buy a drill press and with the money I saved and make a
wooden screen door myself.

To make a long story short I built the door after about 2 months and was
hooked. Before long I was really into the tailed apprentices and
blissfully happy in my ignorance of hand tool methods.

This spring I was at the local wood store when I saw they were giving
intro
classes to woodworking. I knew at this point how to make the basic wood
joints like dovetails and such ( with p*w*r tools) but, they also said
that they were going to teach sharpening which I was/am  terrible at.
So I signed up.

I show up the first night and it turns out the guy teaches everything
with
hand tools. He is a Neanderthal who makes windsor chairs. I was hooked.
The joy of not having to fidget with jigs and stuff to use my power tools

was a revelation. Also the experience of using a really sharp hand tools
changed my whole outlook on woodworking. By the time class ended I
already
had a Stanley jointer and jack plane and I haven't looked back.

I haven't finished any projects from start by hand but, those that
were under way when I took the class were finished by hand.

I keep seeing references to a slippery slope but, I have to tell you that

to me it seemed much more like a cliff. The power stuff is for the most
part gone now. I kept my R*ut*r which is the only way I have of making
wood threads and my b*nd saw. I find myself stopping for flea markets,
antique stores etc. all in the hope of finding more hand tools.
I've made two trips this year to New England (in theory to visits
SWMBO's relatives). All this because I just wanted to sharpen my
cheap no-name plastic handled chisels....

Brian WIlson

P.S. By day I support my habit working with computers and live with my
wife
 a cat and shop dog in Maryland.
I know nothing about surfing  :)

On Wed, 21 Oct 1998 08:40:14 -0400 Robert Arthur  writes:
>Welcome to the porch Brian.  What part of Maryland?  There are quite a
>Galoots in the Washington D.C. area. You'll want to get involved with
>PATINA.  The annual spring sale is Galoot paradise. There are
announcements
>here on the porch about their meetings, or Karl Sanger can put you in
touch
snip

I'm just inside the D.C. beltway on the border between Chevy Chase and
Kensington.

If Karl sees this I am interested or, if you have his e-mail address I'd
appreciate it.

Thanks,

Brian

On Wed, 21 Oct 1998 15:41:07 -0700, Brian J Wilson wrote:
>I'm just inside the D.C. beltway on the border between Chevy Chase and
>Kensington.

Welcome, Brian!  I'm ten minutes away, in Bethesda off River Road.  I assume
you know about Abernethy Sticks in Kensington?  Nice hardwood lumber shop
behind the firehouse.  Go up Conn. Ave. and hang a left on the street
(Plyers' Mill Rd.?) between the RR overpass and the firehouse.  Pull up at
what looks like a former gas station with wood in the windows.

>If Karl sees this I am interested or, if you have his e-mail address I'd
>appreciate it.

Karl, the cheapest guy in town, king of the bottom feeders, is
sangerkw@m...

>
>Thanks,
>
>Brian
>
>--
>
>

Michael D. Sullivan, Bethesda, Md., USA ICQ #15033066