OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

106821 "PAUL OLTMANNS" <oldtoolnut@m...> 2002‑05‑21 Bio - New, It's about time
Have received several e-mails asking for a bio, thought I had sent one 
several months ago, but didn't find it in the Bio-Section.

Hello, my name is Paul, and I'm a Nut, A.K.A Old Tool Nut.  In fact I can't 
walk into any local flea market without one of the vendors yelling "the old 
tool nut is here" and having every broken and second rate tool shoved into 
my face for a "bargain".

It took a while getting to this point, so here goes my less than short 
story.  I was raised by a former Vocational Agriculture teacher who also 
taught wood shop.  After my father's stint in teaching he became a County 
Agriculture Agent.  For more than 20 years he judged woodworking at County 
Fairs and for more than 15 years judged woodworking at the Kansas State 
Fair.  He also judged woodworking in other states.

I used my first hand plane when I was 8 or 9 years old, and I used it on 
Everything!  I just loved the way it made curls, my folks were not impressed 
and I spent several days repainting, sanding, staining and varnishing.  It 
is amazing how an hour of discovery can cause days of work!

I made my first piece of cabinetry when I was 12.  It was a plant stand! Not 
an ordinary one, but 3 feet high and 4 feet long with three different sized 
shelves, made of oak.  It took a couple of weeks in the basement shop and 
was a Mothers Day present.  Dad and I built a lot of things.  By the time I 
was out of High School I had a full set of Wood Working tools.

Straight out of High School I became a maintenance mechanic at a 
manufacturing company and when I was 19 I was tranferred from a Kansas town 
of 3500 to Los Angeles.  I did not work wood for the 5 years I was in LA.  
After moving back to Kansas, I got my tools from the folks place and started 
doing little restoration jobs here and there.  I wanted more hand tools so I 
started going to auctions, and going, and going.

A few years ago I started doing furniture restoration for the general 
public.  Then a few folks started bringing me "grandpa's" old tools to 
restore.  I rented the back half of an antique shop and started restoration 
more or less full time.  I also had a space for selling old hand tools and 
good used power tools.  The more work and customers I had, the less work I 
got done because I was always helping customers.  The runaround got old so I 
closed the shop last fall and brought everything home.  And filled a storage 
unit, and a basement.  I did not realize the large mass I had accumulated.  
Some of my Old Tools customers asked if I would send a list of tools out 
that I had for sale.  This was the beginning of The Old Tool Nut Journal. I 
still sell, repair and restore tools under the name Tool Classics.  I also 
have my personal collection of tools that I started about 10 years ago.  I 
spend the majority of my time with the Journal.   I still have folks drop by 
and enjoy the talks we have.  My 16 year old son is well practiced in 
woodworking and restoring old machinery.  He has his own Walker-Turner table 
saw that was bought for $2.00 and was totally rebuilt by him, but is now 
starting to appreciate hand tools.

I have a large family, SWMBO Tracey. Kids 19, 16, 15, 14, 11, 10, 8 and 
OOPS! 15 months.  (Yes, I know what causes it, and I'm now fixed!)  I'm 39 
years old and doing the tool, restoration and Journal thing full time.  I 
don't have much time to myself, but that's OK, I'm just another Old Tool 
Nut!

Paul Oltmanns
3411 SW 10th Street
Topeka, KS 66604
(785) 232-2457

Please Visit The Old Tool Nut Journal Web Site
http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/zaire/91/

Also Visit: The MSN Antique Tools Community
http://communities.msn.com/AntiqueTools

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Recent Bios FAQ