Hi,
My name is Joe Macak and I currently live & work (as a DBA for a large,
respectable company) in Pittsburgh, PA.
I have been woodworking for about 10-12 years now, using only handtools.
I developed a fear of these machines in high school woodshop. It is
much more relaxing to be able to listen to music and not have to wear
all kinds of safety equipment while working on a project.
My projects are usually created based upon pictures or drawings from
wood magazines and tend to use only American hardwoods (oak, cherry,
etc). I made my workbench (2' x 7' x 30") from somewhat green white
oak, with a top made of full size 2x6's glued & bolted on the long
faces. My projects have ranged from a footstool, through tables, a tall
clock case, and a Morris chair.
As for tools, I am what you all might consider to be a bottom feeder. I
don't really have any collectibles and try to get what I need at the
lowest prices. The only new tool that I use is a Japanese saw that I
use for making joints. Most of my other tools are older Stanley planes
and stuff and Disston saws. Of course, I treat my old tools with the
utmost respect and have never resorted to painting or refinishing or
flattening the bottoms of the planes to plus or minus .00001 inches (I
still haven't been convinced that a plane bottom needs to be that flat.)
I would like to join the group because I feel that I can probably learn
a lot from everyone out there. (Just about all of my woodworking skills
thus far have been self learned.) From my lurking, it looks like the
group is a really good-hearted bunch of folks. I only hope that one
time or another, I can be of help to someone.
Woodworking is a respectable pastime and I would hate to see it fall by
the wayside because the younguns think that it will cost too much; that
they need to get a shop like Norm's before they can do any real
woodworking.
Cheers
Joe
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