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Recent Bios FAQ

125351 "John J Black" <jjblack@w...> 2003‑12‑05 BIO Update for John J Black
December 6, 2003

Time for an update as a lot has changed since my last bio in 1997:

My name is John J Black I live the St. Clair Shores Michigan area with my
new bride of 2 years.   A journeyman toolmaker by trade, turned graduate
industrial engineer, adjunct instructor, entrepreneur consultant today.
Also teach and consult a little in the areas of process management, lean
manufacturing, quality systems and simulation analysis for various groups.
I'm going to be teaching my first basic plane class this spring.

I got remarried to a wonderful woman a couple of years ago (I traded up
) to Patricia who is a RN and certified psychiatric nurse.  So she
can fix me up when I cut/damage myself (I'm prone to do that) and mend the
broken heart when I make a mistake.  I also gained a (now) 19-year-old son
who hasn't quite joined in the slippery slope yet, but I'm being patient.
Pat tells everyone that the tools are really hers now and only lets me use
them.  So I guess I can never get divorced again  .

I have always liked to build things, in fact I come from a very artistic
family, Dad was a commercial artist who taught me carving and the p*w*r
t**ls side of woodworking.   I even had a leather business in Colorado
during the 70's; specialized in carving wildlife scenery making tourist
trinkets and parts for fix-um up jobs on the local ranches.

I have built a wide variety of furniture and kids toys.  I'd like to say I'm
a purist and only use hand tools, but that would be a fib, as I typically
choose the best tool I have for the job no matter what it is.  Although in
defense of the purists side I have to say I prefer to work without the heavy
safety glasses, dust mask and sound dampening devices so it is much more
enjoyable to use the Galoot methods for me.  My skills are so-so but I'm
always trying to improve them.

Since moving into the new house, I've been spending a lot of time on
Honey %Do's, fixing up the house, creating the shop, and building some new
house furniture.  I've taken over the basement for my new shop, it is highly
under construction, but useable. One of these days I'll get a new web site,
but my current site is http://jjblack.net.

I've pretty much learned the basics of hand woodworking tools, but am always
learning (I figure it is a life long endeavor.  I have most of the
woodworking tools I want, including the basic Stanley planes #'s 3, 4, 5, 5
1/2, 5 1/4, 6, 7, 9 ½, 10, 12, 18, 40, 45, 46, 48, 49, 55, 60, 62, 65, 70,
71 ½, 72, 75, 78, 80, 92, 100, 101 ½, 101, 102, 112, 113, 140, 248, some
bedrocks and a bunch more I can't remember. Add in the Records, Cliftons,
other makers, and spokeshaves and there is a lot of metal.  On the wood side
I've managed to acquire a full set both even and odd's H&R and maybe 100
more wood molding planes.  About one of each brace size and lots of bits, I
just love them weird special bits ...LOL.  Lots of handsaws, Yankee
screwdrivers, you get the picture, I guess I have really slipped down the
slope205 .

I have most all the Leather tools you might want to do leather working with,
except for some missing stamp numbers.  This includes an old Singer heavy
stitching machine and a treadle powered Singer patcher.  Add in some metal
working tools including a bench-top milling machine and a small Craftsman
lathe and most of my old toolmaking tools.  I just started down the road of
blacksmithing tools with the acquisition of a small portable forge, which I
plan to rebuild this winter.

I have this dream that I want a fully functional woodworking, leather
working, machine and blacksmith shop for a retirement business.  I'd like to
some day offer classes and have a place where people could come and rent
time to use my tools, and share experiences.  I haven't figured it all out
yet but each year the dream is getting closer.

And the rest is history to be made...



Best Regards,
John

John J Black (A Machigaloot)


Recent Bios FAQ