OldTools Archive
Recent | Bios | FAQ |
125192 | Michael Campbell <michael_s_campbell@y...> | 2003‑12‑03 | [bio] etc |
I don't have much to "bio-ize" that would be much of interest to anyone, so this will be short. I have some questions along the way, and there will be a pop quiz at the end, so stay sharp. I can't honestly say how I got sucked into this hobby, really. I'm 38 and the last time I did any "real" woodworking was in high school shop class, but for some reason, here I am. Professionally, I'm an application developer (fancy term for computer programmer) in the financial sector; over the years I've worked at securities firms (of the stocks and bonds variety), banks, and so forth. I have a degree in computer science, and am about as creative as a cinder block. I live and work in the northern 'burbs of Atlanta, and love southern food, southern rock, and blues music. (This from someone who grew up outside Chicago!) I, along with some coworkers have somewhat developed this woodworking desire together, starting about a year ago. I started along the typical path of powertools and have a few of the usual suspects; table saw, compound miter saw, ROS, etc. No planer or jointer though. My father, a heavy machinery mechanic (retired) has always dabbled in the metalworking side of things and has passed down to me a number of valuable gifts, not the least of which is some modicum of mechanical ability, though I will never know as much as he's forgotten. Where my coworkers continue down that path, I deviate. I can't saw how, or why, but handtools have delighted me since I started this. Maybe it's the quiet, or the deceptively low entry price (which I'm finding is a cruel joke), or ... something, but I just love 'em. I suspect you all know what I'm failing to elucidate here. I don't DISLIKE power tools, but I feel like I'm missing something by using them, something important I can't quite explain; like an itch you can't locate. I'm equally terrible with all of them, so the extent of embarassment, but I'm trying to learn what they do, how to use them, take care of them, and to just be a decent craftsman. Some of my contemporaries' desire to be more of a "manufacturer". Maybe there's a difference there I'm making up to justify my leaning on all that is old, but I don't think so. I find myself breaking away at work from redesigning financial algorithms to wondering if I should practice dovetails or dimensioning rough stock by hand that evening. So, I've started down the slope; it's started with planes (I have a #4C, #5, #8, #60, #80, no-name woodie rabbet, 2 #71's on the way from ebay, scrapers...), but has seemed to start spilling over. I have a bowsaw, and I'm going to make my own as well, and a frame saw. My father gave me a D-23 which I haven't dated yet, and a saw set HIS father gave him, which he used in the first half of the 1900's. I find myself gleaning ebay for a brace and bit set now. Am I a galoot? I leave that to you. I'd /like/ to be, but I don't think I have the experience to justify that claim. GIT maybe, or apprentice perhaps. Is there a ritual I muss pass to qualify? Some arcane and bizarre hazing practice, maybe? Demonstrate some knowledge of the subject, or skill? Do "new" versions of old tools qualify? Say, hypothetically...a Steve Knight jointer, or is this an egregious faux pas? Lastly, I think I can get it by context, but can someone give me some pointers to the practice of qualifying something in a sentence for someone else, typically "Jeff"? I see things like... "And then I sharpened the florx (snozlet, Jeff) until it was sharp as a bowling (bocce, Jeff) ball!" Ok, so that wasn't short. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ |
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125195 | "Ken Greenberg" <ken@c...> | 2003‑12‑03 | Re: [bio] etc |
On 3 Dec 2003 at 14:24, Michael Campbell wrote: > Lastly, I think I can get it by context, but can someone give me some > > pointers to the practice of qualifying something in a sentence for > someone else, typically "Jeff"? I see things like... "And then I > sharpened the florx (snozlet, Jeff) until it was sharp as a bowling > (bocce, Jeff) ball!" It is, of course, in the FAQ.... http://www.brendlers.net/oldtools/oldtools.html All you new guys and gals ought to check it out. -Ken, suppressing any tendency toward bad humor today Ken Greenberg (ken@c...) 667 Brush Creek Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 woodworking page: http://www.calast.com/personal/ken/wood.htm |
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125201 | Jonathan Peck <jpeck@m...> | 2003‑12‑03 | Re: [bio] etc |
Hi Mike and welcome aboard, I've been wondering the same thing myself. My own self imposed Galoot apprenticeship goes something like this: 1) you not only have a post drill, but use it 2) instead of buying a bow saw, you make your own 3) see above except insert treadle or pole lathe for bow saw 4) you have a bunch of chisels that you use, and a box of chisels under the bench that you don't, but had to buy anyway 5) see above except insert saw, plane, brace, drill, marking gage, or other for chisel. 6) your finish of choice is - shelac, shelac, shelac. You will kill anyone who doesn't like shelac. 7) you're amazed that you have any tools at all, but you do, since you rarely pay more than $5 for anything 8) you rarely if ever complete a woodworking project 9) you will rise at 5AM even on a Saturday to get first crack at the local yardsale 10) and last but not least - you have the hat Regards Jonathan Peck - ducking and running >snip>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >Am I a galoot? I leave that to you. I'd /like/ to be, but >I don't think I have the experience to justify that claim. >GIT maybe, or apprentice perhaps. Is there a ritual I muss >pass to qualify? Some arcane and bizarre hazing practice, >maybe? Demonstrate some knowledge of the subject, or >skill? Do "new" versions of old tools qualify? Say, >hypothetically...a Steve Knight jointer, or is this an >egregious faux pas? |
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125197 | Michael campbell <michael_s_campbell@y...> | 2003‑12‑03 | Re: [bio] etc |
> It is, of course, in the FAQ.... > > http://www.brendlers.net/oldtools/oldtools.html > > All you new guys and gals ought to check it out. > > -Ken, suppressing any tendency toward bad humor today Whoops, my humblest apologies. I *did* read the FAQ, but put 2 and 2 together and got 22. |
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125206 | Jim Thompson <jdthompsonca@s...> | 2003‑12‑03 | Re: [bio] etc |
Yep, I said that very same thing a while back. Now I have 52 saws, and I only need a couple more. But I can quit buying them any time I want. I really can. Really! On Wednesday, December 3, 2003, at 05:48 PM, C N Schwartz wrote: > > Yup, 24 saws. All differnt function. And I only need 2 more. A > stair saw, > and a small panel saw. Sheesh. |
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125202 | "Bill Taggart" <ilikerust@a...> | 2003‑12‑03 | Re: [bio] etc |
On 3 Dec 2003 at 14:24, Michael Campbell wrote: > Am I a galoot? I leave that to you. I'd /like/ to be, but I don't > think I have the experience to justify that claim. GIT maybe, or > apprentice perhaps. Is there a ritual I muss pass to qualify? Some > arcane and bizarre hazing practice, maybe? You Don't... Wanna....Know. ;-) > Demonstrate some knowledge of the subject, or skill? Do "new" versions > of old tools qualify? Say, hypothetically...a Steve Knight jointer, or > is this an egregious faux pas? Just hang around, soak up the accumulated knowledge, make an effort to acquire some yerself - y'know, read some books, do a little internet research, start fiddling around with those old tools, hit the garage sales and flea market, and before you know it, you're a Galoot. - Bill T. |
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125205 | "C N Schwartz" <kjworz@c...> | 2003‑12‑03 | RE: [bio] etc |
Ahhhh, THAT SWMBO excuse. I did that starting out. Now instead of buying a $1500 t@b...&s@w from Delta or Jet all with one fell swoop of a credit card, we buy 25 $60 saws from Disston or Atkins (well... originally from those companies). Average price, or course. Maybe one $5 Disston and one $115 IT, that sort of purchase. It SEEMED like it was an economical tradeoff originally, when we only had 3 saws, but NOW look at use. I am a fastidious user, so no collector grade saw, but to get one for each function.... lessee, I'll go count. Wait one. Yup, 24 saws. All differnt function. And I only need 2 more. A stair saw, and a small panel saw. Sheesh. -----Original Message----- From: Michael Campbell [mailto:michael_s_campbell@y...] Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 5:25 PM To: oldtools Subject: [oldtools] [bio] etc can't say how, or why, but handtools have delighted me since I started this. Maybe it's the quiet, or the deceptively low entry price (which I'm finding is a cruel joke), or ... something, but I just love 'em. |
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125212 | "Steven Kubien" <kubienjs@p...> | 2003‑12‑04 | Re:[bio] etc |
Esteemed Galoots, Judging by some of the content of this thread, I think I can call myself a galoot. Lemme describe the symptoms.....13 saws, one of which was bought for the handle. Useable Stanley planes...check. Hunks of rust lying in waiting...check. Post drill, not yet but I'm looking! Dreaming about dovetails...sometimes but these days I am mostly planning in my head a plane till and saw till during every waking moment. Does that count? Searches for flea market tables that do not have shiny stuff...check. Already planning next years Christmas tree, which I get to design/decorate because SWMBO got to do it this year, to have chisels for tinsel, saws for ornaments and a bedrock (which I don't even own yet) in place of the star.....check. Well, I might be a galoot. Pass the spitoon. Steve Kubien FOYBIPO Ajax, Ont. |
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125223 | "Jeff Gorman" <amgron@c...> | 2003‑12‑04 | RE: [bio] etc |
: -----Original Message----- : From: Michael campbell [mailto:michael_s_campbell@y...] : Sent: 03 December 2003 23:11 : To: oldtools : Cc: oldtools : Subject: Re: [oldtools] [bio] etc : .................. I *did* read the FAQ, but put 2 and 2 : together and got 22. Better than 1 + 1 = 3! Jeff, feeling naughty. -- Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK http://www.amgron.clara.net |
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125232 | "Steve from Kokomo" <stjones@k...> | 2003‑12‑04 | RE: [bio] etc |
C N Schwartz said: > Yup, 24 saws. All differnt function. And I only need 2 more. A stair > saw, and a small panel saw. Sheesh. DON'T DO IT! I set out innocently to buy a small panel saw to put in my grandGIT's toolbox. Cute little Woodrough & McParlin, bought from Galoot Jim Crammond at Darley's Barn. Hmm, that looks kinda nice alongside the little Henry Disston (no sons) I bought for $65 at an auction a few years ago. (Thanks again for bowing out, Chris. Yeah, thanks a lot. Greased a slope I didn't even see.) Y'know, I kinda like those little Disstons, especially the nibbed varieties. Oh, look, the Leach Ness Monster has a cute little Atkins on Ebay. Uh oh, here's a little Taylor (Sheffield) panel saw with a spiffy beech handle. About 20 small panel saws later, well, you know.... Don't risk it. If the first one don't getcha, you'll buy another and that one will. -- Steve - another Kokomo galoot |
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125226 | bugbear <bugbear@p...> | 2003‑12‑04 | Re: [bio] etc |
Jonathan Peck wrote: >Hi Mike and welcome aboard, > >I've been wondering the same thing myself. My own self >imposed Galoot apprenticeship goes something like this: > >1) you not only have a post drill, but use it >2) instead of buying a bow saw, you make your own >3) see above except insert treadle or pole lathe for bow saw >4) you have a bunch of chisels that you use, and a box of >chisels under the bench that you don't, but had to buy anyway >5) see above except insert saw, plane, brace, drill, marking >gage, or other for chisel. >6) your finish of choice is - shelac, shelac, shelac. You >will kill anyone who doesn't like shelac. >7) you're amazed that you have any tools at all, but you do, >since you rarely pay more than $5 for anything >8) you rarely if ever complete a woodworking project >9) you will rise at 5AM even on a Saturday to get first >crack at the local yardsale >10) and last but not least - you have the hat > > Hmm. That fits me rather well except I don't have room for a treadle lathe (item 3) and I use oil finishes most of the time (item 6). I'm not confident on this point since I conform to item (8) and thus very rarely use finished of any kind. BugBear (who doesn't have the hat) |
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