OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

73742 "Charles Ehrenpreis" <charles@t...> 2000‑01‑21 Bio
Well, I've been lurking for several years, so it's about time for a bio.

It all started with a sort of part-time apprenticeship to a cabinet-maker
when I was 16. I spent Saturdays in Harry's shop and helped in any way I
could. Harry's main work was utility cabinets built out of plywood, painted,
and built mainly with powertools. But, several friends of Harry's, old
craftsmen themselves, would stop by the shop on Saturdays and do a little
work of their own. The only old tool I learned to use from them was a hand
scraper, but I did learn to sharpen and burnish them and even use them. I
considered this a somewhat magical tool!

Over the years, I've built a lot of 'quick and dirty' furniture for myself
and my family. Most of these were built with hand powertools and an
occasional radial arm saw;-) I've built chests of drawers, desks, and I
suppose the most elaborate thing I built was a watchmakers bench, complete
with lots of tiny drawers.

Also, over the years, I've just happened to pick up a number of old tools,
with the intention of 'someday' tuning them up and using them, and I did buy
new a number of what are now 'old-tools'. Nevertheless, I didn't have any
strong loyalty to 'old tools' and continued to use my various electric
portable power tools. Indeed, though I had a Record 405 in the original box
with all cutters and some extra ones, all bought new at Woodcraft over 30
years ago, my experiences trying to tune and use it were so negative that I
decided to sell it 3 years ago by doing an FS on rec.nahm. I did sell it and
I bought a Ryobi Table Saw which I thought I would love to use. Well, that
is about when I discovered the Old Tool List! And, I discovered that Patrick
Leach lived about a half hour drive from me! So, I visited him and bought a
few more planes (and I'm still buying planes from him on an occasional
basis) and learning from his advice and tips. And I discovered that Crane's
was nearby also. I learned about Scary Sharp on the Old Tools list, and even
took a Scary Sharp class from Dave Wachnicki at Mike Dunbar's Windsor
Institute...and then a 'Make a Shave with Dave', class held the following
day, and my planes are beginning to work the way they should, and I'm
slipping and sliding down the slope!! ;-)

Then, I saw a FS on Old Tools just a few months ago from the fellow I sold
the Record to, a regular member of the list, and lo and behold, he was
selling it again at an excellent price, merely compensating for inflation,
and I was tempted to sell the Ryobi Table Saw (which I've never used) and
buy it back....but I didn't! I think I'll have my hands full setting up my
workshop, cleaning, sharpening and tuning my growing collection of tools.
Isn't that how apprentices are supposed to start?

Thanks to all the galoots on the porch for all that they've taught me while
I lurked!

Charles Ehrenpreis      603-673-9789 Voice/Fax
Executec, Inc.
195 Federal Hill Road
Milford, NH 03055-3519

                                   VCard

   Charles Ehrenpreis 

   President
   Executec, Inc.
   195 Federal Hill Road
   Milford
   NH
   03055-3519
   Work: (603) 673-9789
   Work:
   Home: (603) 673-9045
   Cell: (603) 494-1013
   (603) 494-9328
   Fax: (603) 673-9789
   Home:
   - - - - - - - - - - -

         Replies Author             Date
   63158 Bio     Mark Keenum        Fri  3/24/2000
   63159 Re: Bio Shannon Salb       Fri  3/24/2000
   63164 Re: Bio Mark Keenum        Fri  3/24/2000
   65827 Bio     Opiejuan6816@a...  Mon  6/5/2000
   65852 Re: Bio William K. Taggart Mon  6/5/2000
   65855 Re: Bio Tom Johnson        Mon  6/5/2000
   65892 Bio     CHARLES BROWN      Tue  6/6/2000
   67038 Re: Bio Alan N. Graham     Sun  7/2/2000
   69987 Bio     Steve Harding      Wed  9/13/2000



Recent Bios FAQ