A short bio.

I have been interested in making things for as long as I can remember. I
trained for three years in 3D design at the University of Wales, where I
spent most of my time making furniture in wood, metal and plastic. After that
I spent another two years at the Royal College of Art in London studying
furniture making under tutors such as Fred Baier (or Bayer, cant remember
correct spelling), Floris van den Broeke and David Field blah blah blah. When
I left there I set up a workshop in Wales and made furniture for a year
before I drifted into teaching and couldn't get back out again. Spent the
next six years teaching design and making at various colleges and
universities ultimately making it to the dizzy heights of Head of Art and
Design at East Berkshire College, Langley, Slough. As management took up more
and more of my time I decided enough was enough, and this September I got a
great job teaching design and technology at a nice school in Guildford. Not
exactly the world famous furniture designer/maker that I had planned, but at
least I now have good holidays in which to do whatever I want in the way of
making stuff.

Despite having been involved in furniture making for many years, my knowledge
of old woodworking tools could be better. This is possibly because my
training was in furniture making in general, not woodwork. As such I had to
learn about other machines, from milling machines and lathes etc through
woodwork machines to injection moulders and vacuum formers. I even spent time
learning about ceramics and jewellery making techniques. Therefore, there is
much that I do not know about old woodwork tools and their use.  Apart from a
talk by Alan Peters, and a demo from Fred Baier on how to resharpen saws, I
was taught little about hand tools. I know loads about lectric tools, and
how to make lectric router jigs that can do just about anything, but how
you get a Stanley #71 to perform is another matter.

Discovering how many different and specific old tools are out there, has been
a revelation to me. I have discovered that many of the things I used to find
difficult when working with wood have been overcome decades ago by tool
makers who made all sorts of specialist tools.

I don't want anybody to get the idea that I am a complete beginner galoot, I
broke up with my first steady girlfriend when I was about 18 (13 years ago)
following an episode in which she refused to pinch a Stanley 10a ratchet
screwdriver for me that I found in her dad's garage. (see, I was attracted to
Stanley stuff all those years ago)

Anyway, hope this constitutes a short bio and hasn't gone on too long or too
short. Hope to post some questions soon.

P.S. Does anybody know a patron of the Arts, the sort that buy Stradivarius
violins for up-and-coming violinists who can't afford the 500,000 grand
needed to buy one. I need a Norris jointer; promise to make them a nice table.

JustBKelly