Ok Paddy, here's the bio/into. Please,... put the spade bit away!

My name is Jim Peden. I'm 37, married, have a 3 1/2 year old boy.
Currently living in the Denver metro area, I'm a native of Arkansas.
Grew up working in my dad's business, which had two parts; a machine shop
and a cast-iron foundry. Worked there from age 13 to 21. I'm currently the
computer system manager for a small manufacturer in Denver, but I now own
half of that machine shop/foundry back in Arkansas and all this talk of
infill castings has made me think.... 

My dad got me into refinishing when I was a teenager; first gun stocks,
then furniture that we picked up cheap at garage sales. I never became
very good...I lack patience. But, it got me interested in things made of
wood and I decided to try woodworking. Fifteen years later (I'm a
procrastinator of great repute) I bought my first plane and took a
woodworking course taught at night in one of the local high school shops.
Made an end table and have been hooked ever since. 

Next project was a woodworking bench. Made the one (with a few dimensional
adjustments) that was detailed in a 1985 Popular Mechanics article. 
Massive and made of hard maple. Justified quite a few normie toys with that
one. Next came the baby, so I planned to make a crib, but couldn't find the
hardware for it. So, I made a dresser for him instead. Couldn't find 
any plans that fit my taste and limited abilities, so I drew a sketch 
and just started winging it. Made it out of cherry with the drawer supports 
and slides made of maple. The only plywood in it are the drawer bottoms, 
and there are no metal fasteners. Got lots of practice hand-cutting 
dovetail joints, both through and half-blind. Some of the joints 
give away my status as a newbie neanderthal, but I'm still kinda proud.

Glad to have found a place that I can come and listen to some old galoot 
woodworkers and pick up some tips on collecting and using old tools. I'll
mostly be a lurker though, because as a newbie I just don't have that much
to say.

Jim
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Just Say "Veni, Vedi, Velcro"
Or "I came, I saw, I stuck around."  Pass the spitoon woodja?

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