OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

50748 au455@c... (Douglas S. Caprette) 1998‑09‑30 Bio -- Doug Caprette
  Hi there, my name is Doug and I'm a recovering nahrmite.

  I'm 42 years old, have a BS in Physics and work for one of the Beltway
bandits in suburban Maryland just outside of Washington DC.  But I grew
up in Geauga County Ohio.  Over the summers when I was in college I did
gardening and farm work, one summer we buit a sugar house on the farm.
Most seasons Ohio leads the country in maple sap production, by the way.

  The 'master carpenter' on that job was a fellow named Joe Chilson, a
native of Tennesee and jack of all trades as well as a master of more
than a few.  The sugar house was made of wood all obtained from the
trees on the farm, most of the siding and underlayment for the roof
was green sycamore. It shrank back nicely as it cured providing the
ventilation a sugar house needs. But the joists for the roof rafters
were made of oak.

  I remember we pre-cut them all and Joe started nailing them on from
one end while I started from the other.  This was my first experience
nailing through oak and I have to say that by the time I started on my
third joist Joe had finished most of the rest (maybe 12 or so).
Anyways, I tried to drive a 12 penny nail through a knot in the oak
joist and found that I couldn't get it through and couldn't pull it
back out with the claw hammer either.  So I asked Joe if he could hand
me the crowbar so I could pull the nail out.  Instead, he reached over
with the crowbar, pulled the nail himself, put a fresh nail in the
'pilot hole' I had made and drove it home with the crowbar, left handed.
Joe was right handed, BTW, My oldest hobby is building and using
telescopes.  After getting out of college I became the observatory
director of my local Astronomy Club, the Chagrin Valley Astronomical
Society.  I designed a 16' by 32' rolling roof observatory with the help
of an architect who was an old family friend.  The observatory is located
on top of a hill without any electricity, and the approach up the hill
is so steep that one can only drive up in the driest of weather.  All
of the cement, sand, gravel, cement blocks and water for the foundation
and pier (the pier is the big concrete footer and pedestal that supports
the telescope) were carried up the hill by hand.  I estimate the pier by
itself weighs about 6000 lbs.

  The first weekend we did carpentry we did have a generator and did use
powah sawrs, but after that it was hand tools all the way.  The
observatory has been in continuous use for almost 20 years now, the
first ten without electricity (a well balanced telescope is easily
pointed by hand).

  While I have always screwed around with building things woodworking
per se is a pretty recent hobby for me. I've always had an appreciation
for old tools, but have only recently aquired any knowledge therof.
Just about two years ago I made my first old tools purchase at a garage
sale.  The fellow was selling tools that had been his father and grand-
fathers.  He was fond of them, but realized that they were just rusting
away in his basement so he was happy to sell them to someone who might
use them.  I got:

1 H Diston Devil's head handled rip saw     -- $3.50

1 Stanley #80 scraper with original blade   -- $2.50

1 Stanley #80 scraper without any blade     -- $1.50

1 Stanley #60 double spokeshave
  (with a defective casting though)         -- $3.00

1 Stanley #4c in very good condition        -- $3.50

1 Stanley #78 without depth stop            -- $7.50

1 Stanley #607 with a cracked (round) cheek -- $4.50

1 incredibly rusted floor saw thrown in for free.

   I had never seen a corrogated plane before, never seen anything like
 the #78 before, and didn't know a bedrock from a Dunlop but otherwise
knew what I was buying, I just didn't know how good a deal I was
getting.  Haven't made a buy like that since.  Beginner's luck.

   The frog on the 607 was also a nearly solid mass of rust but
I was able to restore it to functionality.  When I tried to
use it the crack in the cheek immediately began to spread toward
the mouth so it's mothballed waiting for me to learn to silver
solder.

   I haven't typed the planes or determined the model of the saws, but
the totes on both the planes are nicely rounded rosewood and the knobs
high knobbers.

  For now, I'm concentrating on learning turning.  If anyone out there
wants a little practical advice on building telescopes or obervatories,
let me know.



Recent Bios FAQ