I've been given to understand that a bio is in order, as I've
been popping up with the occasional question from time to
time. Well, OK...
When I was born, I was very young, but as time went by
I grew older.
--Hold it, this isn't going to work. Let me try this again.--
I was born and raised in a small town of 800 people in central
New Jersey. (Farm and horse country for those of you whose
experience of NJ is the urban part.) I now live in New York
City and have had my own computer consulting business for
about 15 years.
I got badly bitten by the woodworking bug about six months ago.
I have always been handy, but had never tried to do anything
beyond shelving, countertops and the like. But I was putting
together some shelves and started thinking about perhaps doing
something else besides butt joints. Then I started musing on
finishes and wood grain and before I knew it I was mooning over
tool catalogs and trying frantically to figure out what I needed to
know to do the things I was thinking of.
I live in Manhattan, in a two bedroom apartment; medium-sized by NYC
standards, small by all rational standards. Now there are people who
say that a small apartment in not the most suitable place to practice
woodworking. Those people are absolutely right.
However, in my case, a small apartment turned out to be a very
lucky choice for starting woodworking. I quickly realized that
the way that everybody I knew practiced woodworking, i.e. with
power tools, was impossible for me. So I started reading about
and playing with hand tools and discovered how much more
satisfying they were to work with.
I'm still working on those shelves. They are almost done, and I
will be sort of sorry when they are. They have taught me a lot
about planing, chiseling, sharpening, finishing and a host of
other skills.
Meanwhile, my estimable SWMBO has turned over a small (8' x 9')
anteroom in our apartment for my exclusive use. As this is no
small percentage of our total floor space this was a large
sacrifice on her part. I finally have a real workbench. (For a
pleasant picture, imagine me chasing a board on a Black & Decker
Workmate around the room with a #4 :)) I think I'll be working
on mostly small pieces for awhile.
My biggest problem to date is that I've had to learn this stuff
by reading and experimentation. I haven't had anybody to talk
to who knows anything about how to joint a board, for example.
I have also not had the chance to see anybody else work, which
has been hugely frustrating. But recently I found a wood-
working course in Manhattan which I am starting in a few weeks.
I am looking forward not only to the course, but to finding
other like minded souls.
Meanwhile, the OldTools list has been a wonderful resource. I am
just starting to go to various old tools haunts and auctions
and am looking forward to meeting some of you in person.
-Ezra Herman
(BTW, I am definitely a user, not a collector. I have a
very supportive SWMBO, but collecting is probably pushing it. :))
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ezraherman@w...
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