I've posted a couple of times here, attended Galootapalooza 2000, and even
made an OT transaction, so I think it's time I decloaked and put in my
utterly unimpressive bio.

By day, I'm a department manager in product development for a telecom
company (high tech electronics stuff is what I spend my days with). I've
been joined to SWMBO for twelve years, and have two kids (girl 6 and boy 3).
No one in my family has ever really been much of a woodworker, so I guess
I'm the first termite mutation in the immediate family tree.

By nights and weekends, I spend some time in my smallish basement shop/lair
attempting to work wood. My daughter likes to spend time puttering around
down there with me, and loves the hand tools because she can actually use
them (she calls the braces and eggbeater drill the "kid's drills", and likes
to make nice little plane shavings too). I was going to buy her the cheapest
#1 I could find (L-N) for her birthday, but she decreed it too small, and
uses my #2.

I'm not a full neanderthal in my woodworking, and probably never will be,
but I've found that for many things I enjoy the quiet serenity of working
with hand tools, especially hand planes. You will not catch me contributing
any "ripping" stories any time soon, though.

I try not to collect tools, but I have amassed a good arsenal of user
planes:

#2 (paid $10 for it, then added $30 for missing cutter adjuster knob and $35
for LN iron, beepbeep)
#3, qty 2.
#4
#4 1/2, qty 2.
#5, qty 2.
#5 1/4
#5 1/2
#6
#7
#8 (Type 10, with Hock blade, no tuning, works spectactularly)
#9 1/2
#60 1/2
#78 (don't like this one much)
#93
L-N Large Scraper

I also have some woodies from Steve Knight and some 19th century woodies
that my mother found while garage saling. This weekend I'm going to try to
buy a #5 1/2 (old 2 1/4" wide, gotta have that) and a #65 off of one of
SWMBO's relatives.

My immediate project is a pair of solid cherry bookcases for my den (closely
following a plan from Woodsmith, adjusted for permanent corner
installation), and then a matching computer desk of my own design. Finish is
garnet paddylac rubbed out to rottenstone and waxed. The parts I've finished
so far look and feel great.

Mike

P.S. to the List Moms, I've run mailing lists before (700 members and 500
members in size), and I know how much time it can take (think at least three
hours per week of donated personal time, folks), so my thanks go to you for
all your efforts.