OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

184615 Paul R Morin <cantos@s...> 2008‑11‑13 Bio Update

Guess it's been about 3 years since I last updated my Bio - some things 
have changed, and some have not.....

I still lurk mostly, as having a 4 year old does not yet lend itself to 
a lot of extra time.  Also, having worked in ITS for over 14 years now, 
I have a tendency to shun the computer when possible after leaving 
work.  I stepped down from middle management about a year ago, and it 
was one of the best decisions I've ever made.  I am starting to get 
better at saying no to things, thereby making better use of my time and 
hopefully lowering my blood pressure.  My background was originally 
photography, but that has devolved into a very occasional hobby.

Lately I find in an effort to remove myself from technology when it's 
not 'required' I've stepped back and started writing correspondence by 
hand.  This led to an interest in fountain pens.  The slope in this 
direction seems to include wax seal stamps, and has started to further 
extend to desktop accessories.  Nothing serious so far, but I have 
managed to pick up a few historical items (British Victorian seal, 2 
WWII related seals, Art Deco inkwell) and is as slippery as and diverse 
as tools.

Most of the time I have these days in the shop I spend turning.  (Does a 
3 pole lathe count?)  Pens and spinning tops are currently most of the 
items that get done - something fun and that can be finished in a 
relatively short amount of time.  I've also fit in a few Lee Valley 
seminars as I am lucky enough to have a store in the city.  Or unlucky - 
at least for the wallet.  One of the projects on the list to do is a 
sander (as seen in Stephen Shepherd's Full Chisel Blog entry concerning 
Writing Accessories).

The best I can say about my skill and ability is that I manage to putter 
and occasionally make things.  I still have a number of unfinished 
projects taking up space.  I think a year between rough dimensioning and 
final dimensioning is probably longer than required to ensure stability, 
but things like that occur occasionally.  I still hold an interest in 
boxes, although I have not had the time I was hoping to get into making 
some although I was hoping to by now.  Gifts occasionally give me a 
spurt of inspiration and the required time to work on the project.  The 
latest being my first carving attempt. 

Tools oddly haven't been too bad over the years.  I've managed to put a 
decent set of users together for most standard items.  Although wooden 
planes (moulding, rebate, &tc.) seem to only be common at Ye Olde 
Antique Maul where they are damaged, missing most pieces, and 
overpriced.  I am coming to a realization that I likely have the 
majority of what I need, and possibly more than I actually require - 
especially with the amount I currently produce.  Having said that, there 
are currently no plans on thinning the herd at the moment.

Thanks everyone for the stories, the sharing, the knowledge, and the fun.


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Recent Bios FAQ