OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

121694 Larry Marshall <larrym@s...> 2003‑09‑10 newbie introduction
Hi all,

I shouldn't be here.  First, I'm violating the recommendation that 
newbies lurk while reading the archives and I've only done that for 3 
days.  Second, I shouldn't be reading msgs from guys who coll&%! and 
use hand tools; they'll just give me ideas.

In my defense I can only present myself as a weak, undisciplined guy 
can't resist his urges.  I spent several hours reading everything on 
the Galoot website and I can't say I've felt so 'connected' to a 
website before.  After wandering the various Yahoo woodworking 
conferences the website was like a breathe of fresh air.

So..by way of introduction, I'm a guy who's got a bit of gray on the 
roof and 54 years behind him.  I've got a supporting wife and an 
8-year old daughter that is my center of attention.  I've spent time 
as a research scientist (ecological processes) and several years as 
editor-in-chief of a major model airplane magazine.  These days I 
write and do translations, having given up the hectic world for a 
French world that I mostly don't understand :-)

To more pertinent stuff...

When it comes to woodworking, I'm mostly a model builder.  I've built 
models for roughly 40 years and I'm still not good at it. I do have a 
sense, however, that the next one will be perfect.  These days I'm 
interested in building 1/12 scale furniture and the most impressive 
thing about it is how many 1/12 scale board feet you can get for very 
little money :-)  I also build Native American flutes and, of course, 
do all the honey-do projects around the house.  An upcoming project 
is a new bed for my daughter.   I would be remiss if I didn't mention 
the most important recent project - a large crayon box my daughter 
and I made last weekend.  It was her first experiences with a saw and 
she became an accomplished nail-driver.

We're in the process of moving into a house (again), having lived in a 
small apartment for way too long.  This will allow me to have a shop 
again.  I've got a bunch of power tools in storage, some of which I 
miss dearly.  BUT, I've spent a while without them and found that 
working wood with your hands is...well very enjoyable and a whole lot 
more quiet.  My table saw got sold during our last move and I've sort 
of decided not to replace it.

So, here I am, more interested in hand planes and chisels than in what 
sort of gizmo Norm Abrams is using.  To be honest, I have few of the 
tools that you discuss regularly, partly because most of my hand 
tools are small to fit the models I build and partly because I've 
been caught in the mental vortex of 'cutting = power saws', 'drilling 
= drill press', etc.

Moving from that vortex to the one where you feel drawn by some 
irresistable force to any piece of rust sitting on a flea market 
table seemed so easy, so seamless.  I picked up a Disston D-8 (24", 
10-tooth) a couple weeks ago, a Stanley type 15 (I think) the week 
before that and, [whisper mode]...I think I'm hooked.  I hope you 
will accept me and my feeble attempts at woodworking.

Cheers --- Larry Marshall (GIT)
Quebec City, QC



Recent Bios FAQ