Welcome. Good bunch here as you could probably tell from under the
porch. Good to have you up here. Frank Segreto

----- Original Message ----- From: mactrek@u... To: oldtools@r... Sent:
Thursday, May 5, 2011 7:44:40 PM Subject: [OldTools] Bio, crawling out
from under the porch.

My name is Mac. I have been lurking under the porch for quite a spell
now. With gracious help of the site owners I think I have finally got
up on the porch. I was born in 1951 at Scrabble Creek, WV. I work at a
VA hospital and live out in the country in the mountains on WV(I can't
even get internet except dial up or by using this blackberry
phonamajig). I have always liked to make things. My people were mostly
blacksmiths, carpenters, stone masons, or farmers with a couple of
country Drs, a granny midwife, and a couple of horse traders thrown in
for good measure. My dad worked in a hardware store and I was
practically reared there. I have used hand tools since I can remember.
Dad's and uncle Howard's shops had no electric so hand tools were a
necessity. (Howard did not even have electric in his house.). Now I
enjoy making things in the manner of my 18th century forefathers. I
have a small blacksmith shop although I do not have the audacity to
call myself a blacksmith. I have a woodshop with a couple tailed
critters and I must confess I do use a gas powered chainsaw to cut
firewood and rough beams and boards. However, I use hand tools for
woodworking and blacksmithing 95 per cent of the time. My wife(SWMBO?)
also makes spoons, bowls and occasionally boxes. She can also swing a
pretty mean hammer at the anvil. I guess I collect tools but not just
to look at. I like to use them. On occasion I do make some tools mostly
edge tools. I look forward to sitting on the porch and possibly getting
into a discussion or two. It is also much more comfortable for an old
fellar in a rockin' chair than on the damp ground under the porch. I
hope I got this message sent OK after wearing out my thumbs! Sent from
my BlackBerry=C2=AE wireless device from U.S. Cellular
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