Welcome to our wondermous side of the slope.....

--- On Tue, 8/10/10, Jim Campbell  wrote:

> From: Jim Campbell 
> Subject: [OldTools] Bio: Jim Campbell
> To: oldtools@r...
> Date: Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 1:32 PM
> When I was 10 years old, PBS aired a
> brand-new show called the Woodwright
> Shop. I was mesmerized by this show, and Roy's workshop was
> everything I
> wanted in a play house. I couldn't imagine a better place
> to be able to go and
> spend my time. Roy did these amazing things with mysterious
> and wonderful
> tools. I wanted to make those things, and Roy made it seem
> like I could do it
> even as a boy. I realize now that one of the hallmarks of a
> true craftsman
> is his ability to make the difficult seem effortless. This
> was my favorite
> show for years and years.
> 
> As a teenager I discovered computers and started
> programming them. I really
> enjoyed being able to get the computers to do exactly what
> I wanted them to do.
> 
> I eventually studied mechanical engineering at the
> University of Minnesota,
> specializing in computer simulation of structures and
> mechanisms. I thought
> that engineering was going to be the work of inventing
> amazing machines to
> solve the complex problems of humanity. I imagined
> something like Edison's
> shop, only with powerful simulaton tools. I was very lucky
> to meet an old Apollo
> engineer who became my mentor. He had a shop like Roy's,
> only it was a high-
> precision machine shop and optics laboratory. Like many of
> you, my mentor
> Bill would scrounge for old tools, metalworking machine
> tools in his case,
> and restore them to as good as new. Bill showed me how
> these 100+ year old
> tools were better made and usually higher precision than
> what was being made
> today. He made absolutely beautiful things with "his
> paintbrushes", as he
> called them.
> 
> I soon learned that 99% of engineering is actually more
> like accounting than
> anything that Thomas Edison, Roy Underhill or my mentor
> Bill did. After an
> initial learning curve, it looked like my career was going
> to be an endless
> repetition of fussy drudgery. I moved into the computer
> software industry,
> working for one of the companies who developed engineering
> software I had used.
> I'm now working for a large enterprise software company in
> sales, helping
> organizations with their product development processes.
> It's a good living,
> but it hasn't gotten me closer to making beautiful
> things...
> 
> I've always been drawn to the old ways of doing things,
> when people appreciated
> craftsmanship, and I love the feel of using quality tools.
> I shave with
> an old-fashioned straight razor (something I recommend to
> everyone on this
> group).
> 
> A few months ago, my Tivo got me a new(!) episode of the
> Woodwright Shop. I
> couldn't believe Roy was still doing the show, and it had
> the same affect on me.
> I'm 40 years old now, and after losing some people close to
> me, I realized that
> if I'm ever going to do some of these things, I'd better
> get on with it. We
> only go around once!
> 
> I'm starting completely from scratch, and I'm really
> excited about it. My first
> order of business is to get the books and tools I need to
> get started, and make
> myself some kind of bench to work on. I have a large
> basement area to use as
> a workshop. I was so pleased to find this group, and while
> I appreciate the
> craftsmanship of the old ways, I also appreciate the
> tremendous opportunities
> that technology gives us to connect with each other.
> 
> My longer-term goals for woodworking are to make some
> bedroom furniture in the
> arts & crafts style. I'd also like to make some a
> library table and a couple
> of dining chairs.
> 
> I'm in the Minneapolis area and would love to hear how to
> get connected with
> local old tools people, swap meets, gatherings, classes and
> other resources.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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