OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

13553 Peter Polt <peterplt@S...> 1997‑02‑13 Overdue bio (strechhhhed)
GG's

Ok, ok, here is my long overdue bio. I have been lurking around here for a long 
time, as only Paddy knows. My name is Peter Polt and I am an old tools user. The
re I said it.   I work in Emeryville, just across the bay from San Francisco, fo
r the database company, Sybase.   I used to work for Schlumberger, and for those
 who know, like Stan Faullin, I have traveled far and wide and lived all over No
rth America before settling down here in Hahaforinia. I am a transplanted Canadi
an, eh, so I have some emphathy for all you snowbound Galoots. BTW it's sunny an
d 
70 here today.

I started out wood wacking, in Vancouver, B.C., under the wing of my Dad. Being 
a mechanic, and metalworker, his use for wood in Canada was mostly limited to co
ld winter mornings. As a galoot puppy, I loved to play with my Grandfathers' sho
emaking tools, which he brought over from Europe. They were in the coolest toolb
ox, completed with strange looking hammers and anvils. Unfortunately, I don't ha
ve any idea where that toolbox is now.

I discovered wreck.the.wood about a year ago and followed Paddy's lead over to t
he oldtools listserv, after tiring of the 'yes it is, no it isn't' cr*p. 
On my 13th wedding anniversary,last summer, I found myself with my
SWMBO, in San Diego, checking out the Unicorn Antique Mall. With a little SWMBO 
moral support, I walked out with a 608C (monster jointer, Jeff), and and a soope
r cripsy 604C (corrugated sole smoother, Jeff), from Rod Gallister. (gloat, shil
l).

On the same trip I managed to sneak into Andy's, in Santa Monica. I'm not sure w
hat you Galoots have back East, but this is rust heaven. Andy has every imaginab
le chunk of iron I'd ever dreamed of. The USGS has even mapped large magnetic an
omalies around Andy's. The total damage was was limited since I now had started 
to run up my debit of SWMBO favours.   The take included a spiffy Record 3-in-1 
shoulder plane, a vise for my yet to be completed bench, several dusty old tools
 tomes, and a mismatched set of calipers. (shill, gloatus max.)

I managed to convince my SWMBO, Denise, that I needed to coll^H^H aquire this ma
ss of iron to make *stuff*. In between work, kids, soccer, repairing cars, schoo
l activites, rollerblading, skiing, biking, I did manage to finish a maple daybe
d with laminated top and side rails, and several bowls. Next up is a kitchen noo
k and table, cutting boards and more bowls. And Snick, I found those vikings rea
lly useful to increase the structural integrity of the day bed enough to resist 
incessant yard ape attacks.

But the way, two goloots in training like to make shavings   with me in the gara
ge.   Monika (7) loves to make smooooth wood with my 604C, so I need a pint size
d, cheep, (2, 3, 9 1/2?) so I can have my smoother back. (hint, hint). Nathan (1
1), chisels away on most any piece of wood around, and used hand tools to built 
a spiffy bookrest for SWMBO at Christmas.

Since these old tools that fell into my lap are just loaned to me while I exist 
here, I'll do my best to keep them from further decay, and insure that they look
 no worse when I get to pass them along to the next generation. I often wonder a
t the turns this ribon of cast iron took as it streches back into the past. I ca
n only hope that the future will get the same amount of enjoyment out of these t
ools as I do now.

Ok, List Moms, I've run out of allotment of gloats, but

Just Say (tm) 630 words to announce that I'll be the one in the polished   Galoo
t lid at Andy's this Sat. 

Peter Polt



Recent Bios FAQ