At 10:15 PM 10/3/97 -0500, Michael D. Sullivan wrote:
>On Fri, 03 Oct 1997 14:52:57 -0400, Patrick Leach wrote:
>
>>So, when did it dawn on you that you were given to fits of
>>handtool fundamentalism?
>>
Well I was long time in the Scouts growing up, so makings things has been a
part of my life, carving, leatherwork, etc.  My father had few power tools
(the primary one was an old 50's vintage Craftsman 8" table saw), so I
learned to use a brace and a bit, handsaw, and the odd chisel as needed.
(I was pretty proficient with a sander, though).

I dabbled over the years, carved a smoking pipe from a briar block, make
walnut grips out of some scrap for my Ruger target pistol, worked on a few
guitars (electric), etc.

Well along comes Wife, kids, and home ownership.  We were living down in
the York PA area at the time (late 80's) and I could see the light at the
end of the tunnel as far as home maintainance and repairs went.  I wanted
to get into furniture making and started, like I always do, by reading.  At
a woodworkers show in Harrisburg, I was looking around for books and came
across the Taunton Press "Bench Tools".  Read it, and something clicked.  I
had watched Roy Underhill on PBS (he used to start off the "Home Repair
Saturday" at 5:00, but never paid a whole of attention.  Well, now I did.
Went out and bought all his books, (one every couple of weeks so as not to
upset the "cosmic" balance of Wife and Peace).  I was hooked.

Started buying planes, my first molding place was a Casey & Kitchell (not
that it meant anything to me at the time) 1/4 bead.  Still have it, still
use it.  Bought a couple more here and there (gee at one point thought it
was pretty cool to have 10 molding planes........).  Bought the Barlow book
and digested it a couple of hundred times.  (Now some people pooh-pooh the
Barlow book, name escapes me at present), but even though the prices aren't
current, it gives you an idea of the ballpark and other than Salaman, it is
a very complete reference to old tools in general.) 

Started scouring the fleas and auctions.  My "big" break came, when a long
time tool dealer from the Allentown area passed on, and they started
auctioning his stuff.  Imagine walking into the stall area of a big old
barn and seeing molding planes, three shelves deep around the back and side
walls.  I was in "old tool" shock.  (Took a total of 6 days over 3 months
to auction everything, plus a cleanup load at the auction house). 

I came home after the first night, and said, "Dear", I think I'm going to
start selling tools...............

And dat's da truth.   

Tony (still reading and still learning)

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      Parental Woodworking 101---
       Look, you nailed 3 boards together and only used........50 nails!
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