Hi, I'm Jack, and I like old woodworking tools.  Oops, that is to say, I'm
Mike and I'm starting to learn how much I like old woodworking tools. 
Paddy's ticket puncher - er, admonishments not to lurk - have convinced me
to poke my head up out of the trench.

Actually, I've lurked for quite awhile because at this point I've only been
working wood for a couple of years with any degree of seriousness, and for
exactly the same amount of time we've had twin boys (yep, 2 boys, 2 years
old), in addition to our 5 year old daughter.  Not exactly the time to be
spendin' a whole lot of time in the shop, ya know?

My point, though, is that like many I started out as a die-hard Normite,
and I must admit this attitude isn't completely gone yet.  As time goes
along, I increasingly appreciate the results, as well as the quiet, of hand
tools (although not necessarily just OLD hand tools).  I only have one
Lie-Nielson plane so far (Low angle block), but it sure is hard to put
down.  Ever feel like just turnin' a whole board into shavings?  ("See what
I made, honey?")

So until I've been thoroughly cleansed, I'll just kind of sit over here on
the bottom step and keep learning from you guys, if you don't mind. 
Besides, those of you who discuss things like the details of the 43rd bench
you've built really shame those of us who work under a bare bulb, on an
as-yet-unused wide piece of ash laid across a pair of sawhorses!  FWIW, I'd
like to participate in the tradin' and all, but it just isn't an option for
me right now.

In the meantime, I gotta go get to work on this pile o' cherry I just
hauled home, that's going to turn into the darndest Barbie bunk beds you
ever saw...

Mike Fairleigh
mikef@s...
Freedom of the press does not mean freedom to lie and manipulate.

In his bio, Mike Fairleigh talks about the joys of using his LN low
angle block:

> Ever feel like just turnin' a whole board into shavings?

Tell me about it. Happened to me this evening, but not on purpose. I
had used my bowsaw to extract a blank out of a hunk of mesquite, to make
into a shave. Since I purposely cut it over sized, I chucked it up in
the vice, and started planing away. Man, I got into a groove, shavings
flying, listening to the radio, listening to the little voice inside my
head say, "This is too cool." Then the little voice inside my head sez,
"Yo, dude! Stop! I said STOP! You're standing in a pile of shavings;
don't you think you should stop and check your progress??" Soon as I
took the piece out of the vice I knew I was in trouble. Measured it,
and found out I had taken an extra 1/8" off. Oops. Time to start over,
I guess.

David