Dear GG’s,

Having spent the last year or so lurking under the porch, soaking up the 
fascinating
and valuable information that gets discussed, I thought that it was time 
that I emerged
and introduced myself.  My name is John MacDonald (or Mac to my friends) and 
I
am yet another TSG (Thirty Something Galoot, Tm Mac).  By day I am a 
chartered
engineer working for a large telecommunications company based in Ipswich, 
Suffolk,
UK (that’s about 30 miles away from Tony Murlands emporium in Needham 
Market)
but I seem to spend the majority of my spare time researching and reading 
about how
to restore and use old tools (especially planes – I love ‘em).  I have 
always been of the
hands-on persuasion and am fortunate that in this digital age, the work I 
get paid to do
still involves me getting my hands dirty in a practical environment.

One of my earliest memories is “helping” my grandfather saw large logs in 
his
workshop.  He obviously recognised me as a GIT and kept a special box of 
tools
(okay some old spanners, screwdrivers, hammers and a saw but as a 5 year old 
kid
they were very special to me) with my name painted on it for when I visited. 
  As none
of my other cousins were interested in tools, this was a special bond that I 
shared with
him.  This obviously had a fairly major impact on me and I believe that my
grandfather was responsible for developing my Galootish tendancies from an 
early
age.  I still regularly use some of his tools that I inherited when he died. 
  My father
has also played his part over the years, encouraging me when I was young to 
assist
him in his shed.  He also taught me that a) if you are going to buy tools, 
buy the best
you can afford  b) there is a correct tool for every job and c) you can 
never have
enough tools.

Until I stumbled on the Porch I was beginning to think that I had a problem 
– all the
guys that I know that are into woodworking buy and use “tailed apprentices”, 
but I am
more interested in REAL tools !!  Having listened to what you guys (and 
girls, Alf)
have been saying, I realise now that I am in fact (relatively) normal.  To 
me there is a
great sense of satisfaction to be had from taking a lump of “rust” and 
restoring it back
to a state that it can once again be used to do the job that it was 
originally designed
for.

Having bored you all with my bio I have a serious questions to ask - Can 
anyone
recommend suitable tool stores/dealers for me to visit when I’m across in 
San
Francisco in early March ??  I am particularly interested in tracking down 
bookshops
that may stock old woodworking books.

Thanks to all of you regular Porch residents for taking time and patience to 
enlighten
the unenlightened.  Keep those postings coming !!

Best Regards,

Mac
The Scottish Galoot

_________________________________________________________________
Stay in touch with absent friends - get MSN Messenger 
http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger

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http://www.calast.com/personal/ken/BAGsFAQ.htm

Best place to start is with the BAGs FAQ, as maintained by Mr. Ken
Greenberg. I don't know about old books, and the PAST meet is in late
March, I'm sure we could get you in as a guest if you stay that long.

Also, the PAST page may help, but occasionally seems out of date.

http://www.tooltalk.org/

And any reference to Tools3x or Toolsx3 is old, they've been gone for a
year or two.

Mac wrote:

>
> Having bored you all with my bio I have a serious questions to ask
> - Can anyone recommend suitable tool stores/dealers for me to visit
> when I’m across in San Francisco in early March ?? I am
> particularly interested in tracking down bookshops that may stock
> old woodworking books.
>

--
Kirk Eppler in Half Moon Bay, CA Global Mfg Science and Technology
Eppler.Kirk@g...