OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

26 Braadbaart@a... 1996‑02‑02 Biographical suicide (not quick)
Please forgive any typographical errors; they are solely due to my inability
to observe screen nor keyboard while humbly submitting, on my knees with head
bowed in cowering submission, the following worthless details regarding
myself and my attempts to disfigure the few pieces of wood which have been
unfortunate enough to cross my path, lately.

For the social researchers out there, I'm 32, married, with two kids, cats,
and dogs. Professionally, I pretend to be an awkward cross between an
industrial engineer, electrical engineer, researcher, and student-by-night.
 Actually, I'm on the lifetime program towards a
Pretentious hole Digger degree (fud).

I realized the true extent of my interest in old tools while old house
hunting two years ago.  There are many fantastic old homes available here, in
St.Louis.  Whenever we went to another open house, I learned to quickly find
the basement access and disappear downstairs.  Unfailingly, I would find some
little treasure or another, such as the time I found a box of old planes in
an old coal cellar.  Too bad, they were no longer in use, but also not for
sale.  Next time you see an "Open House" sign in front of an older house,
pull over and look inside.  If you're lucky, you'll see photos of four
generations of the owner's off-spring, dressed up, dolled up, or otherwise
decorated, staring out at you in the entryway.  If so, quickly head
downstairs, after grumbling something about
high-maintenance-oil-burning-furnaces to the real estate agent, and dig in.
(This may be the only worthwhile advice you'll ever get from me.)

Then, as luck would have it, the house we ended up buying came replete with a
so-so bench which does have a very nice, big, solid, smoothly operating knee
vice attached to it.  (And my ignorance quickly becomes apparent here, as I
am not even sure that is what such a vice is called).  So now I have a little
shop set up.  Over the last five years I have come to realize that the best
way to obtain information on how to get decent results in working on
different projects involving wood is by figuring out what tool to use and how
and why.  Since the tool is the link between the person using it (tool use)
and the workpiece itself (tool application), it is typically the
best place to start answering questions which can then lead you into either
direction.  In addition, whenever carrying out research, I have found it
typically pays to go back to first principles.  And many of the first
principles in woodworking are embedded in the designs of the tools.  Et
voila, here I is.

Incidently, I was referred to this group after posting another rather lengthy
description of my intentions involving the reconditioning of a used, $15 jack
plane in the ww.rec group.  It resulted in some
interesting, although sometimes contradictory replies.

But really, to tell you the truth, hand tools are just cool: the essence of
engineering and art combined....Even if I don't know how to use them.

Marijn Braadbaart



Recent Bios FAQ