Hi my name is Ted, and I deny that I am a collector. (She who
must be
obeyed will disagree ;)
By day I'm a mild mannered software engineer. No, I really am mild
mannered! Dammit
those guys are fibbin.
At night I run a one man furniture shop. Except that right now my tools are
in storage
because I lost my lease on the barn I was working from. I go over there
about once
a week and pat the crates, look at the wood pile spray another coat of WD40
on the
norm tools, er, apprentices, yeah that's the ticket, apprentices!
Which really leads into my philosophy. I use the old tools where they
count. I'm not
really trying to be a collector, but I want to know enough not to use that
minty
Nicholson etc. I am indebted to all the fine galoots both from here and
the dark ages
of rec.norm. I still read it, but it has really lost something. In order
to give some
back, I am starting a terminology or jargon list that I will post
sporadically in rec.norm.
I got my love for wood by living in a 3rd growth forest from the ages of 10
to 16. Lots
of locust some walnut some apple that was left overs from the orchard
planted there
once upon a time (shut down in 1930). BTW, Apple is a lovely timber, try
it sometime.
(for you Jeff) Few maples, but most of the N.A species were represented.
That land
was on the Monongehela river in SW Pa. (about 50 miles SE of 'Picksberg'
)
Coal and steel country, where if you'ns want, they still put things in
pokes and stuff
like 'at 'err. The family goes way back there to the French & Indian war (
7 years war?)
which is upsetting because I'm sure they had tools, but didn't hand them
down.
Not wanting to mine coal for a living, I was a high school hacker in
'trons.
Mostly hardware. From there I went into the canoe club (USN) spent time on
a survey ship and a nuke sub, and got a beltway bandit type job when I left
evaluating naval 'trons. Realized that any piece of digital hardware can
be emulated with a ROM, and learned to write code.
I currently live in Middletown Md. and am the sole proprietor of Hootin
Holler Joinery.
(I might even put up a web page someday) I lost about 3500 last year (the
first) and if
I can get my daggone shop built I hope to be in the black this year.
Anyone for a
shop rasin' ? ;-) I have a small number of customers for archetectural
pieces,
but I plan my niche to be home office furniture.
I spent 6 months living in JOE (Jolly Old England) (Outwood in Surrey
county, near
Redhill, Jeff) and I was sad that it took 5 months to learn how to live
there. I return
at least each quarter, and sometimes can catch David Stanley's or Tony
Murland's
auction. Haven't been to Crane's yet. I highly recommend attending large
high
quality auctions as the fondling opportunities are tremendous, and the
parking lot
fleas (car park boot sales, Jeff) are tremendous.
Next up on the old tool front is to assemble a set of molding profiles that
are good
users. The next skill to be exposed to is carving. The next project
(after the shop)
is to finish the proper joiner's bench ( about 1/4 done now). Then there
is the play
equipment, (did I mention kids? Oh, I have 3: 6F, 3M and 3M.) Landscaping
timbers
etc. and then other things SWMBO wants.
Well, I hope that's enough for GM to not get me, hoist a Newcastle Brown
for me Jeff!
-Ted
aka ted@o...
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