Fellow Galoots,
Bruce Haugen threatened to send one of his "blue norther blizzards"
my way if I didn't "delurk" shortly after my recent visit to a
famous ski resort in North Dakota. Sooooo. with permission I'll
introduce myself. I'm Bob Davis, from Lubbock, Texas (referred to
as Tool Desert South, TDS). Lubbock, TX ? (Check your Rand McNally)
Home of Texas Tech University. Birthplace of Buddy Holly and Mac
Davis. Retired USAF jet jock (Korea & Vietnam) and retired
radiation health physicist from the Texas Tech Med School. I've
always been a lover of wood and woodworking, but couldn't afford to
have the tonnage of woodworking tools added to my household goods
as Uncle Sugar moved me hither & yon, protecting the
constitutional, conservative, capitalistic American way of life.
When my nomadic existence ended I started getting serious about
woodworking as a avocation. A few years ago I saw an article in FWW
about using a Stanley No. 55. The idea of acquiring and using old
handtools in my shop has gone from idea to obsessions in about 8
years. The transition from l*ctr*c p*w*r to hand power has taken a
long time because this part of the country is a tool desert and
there aren't any P*w*r Tool Anonymous support groups around here to
help a fellow get straight and stay straight. I acquire and use
mostly Stanley and Record tools. My accumulation of hand tools is
divided into three (3) categories. 1). Shed tools - hunks of rust
that I plan to restore/refurbish 2). Shop tools - users that are
gainfully employed on a daily basis. 3). House tools - well
preserved examples of the old metal tool makers art that have user
brothers in the shop or are so d*mn hard to use they only go to
work in extremis (I agree with Leach, the 45 and 55 are inventions
of some diabolical wood worker evil spirit). Aren't oldtools fun?
To use them well, you should know and understand why they were made
along with the proper care and feeding that allows them to do their
work for you. What a partnership! Permission requested to "delurk"
and come aboard the Porch.
Regards, Bob Davis TDS
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