OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

-534 c.nunemaker@w... 1970‑01‑01 2nd posting of my Bio
     Hello, my name is Charlie and I've been a lurker for about one year.  
I finally hit rock bottom and am now on the path to righteousness.  I owe a 
debt of thanks to my first mentor, Larry Poffenberger, who sold me my first 
tool on the net, a #604c.  He was kind enough and honorable enough to replace 
what I felt was a mahogany tote with a rosewood one.  Thanks Larry.  Then of 
course there is The MofA who continued my delight with the honesty and 
integrity of old toolers by supplying me with a few items as well as his
abundant knowledge.  All the guys I've bought from are great and I've even 
had good luck on Ebay.   Thanks also to Nathan Lindsey for electrolysis 
advice.  Nathan I still owe you a Bergman saw set.  SO who am I?
     My name is Charlie Nunemaker, 47 years old I live in Wilmette, Illinois 
(suburb of Chicago).  My dad was a medical administrator who hated doctors.  
So every night he came home and went down to the basement cursing about his 
crazy boss.  (The boss finally did kill himself)  Dad was a better than the 
average home shop guy with all the Normite tailed apprentices.  I remember 
his thrill when we got him that first Dewault radial arm.  But that gave me 
my appreciation for woodworking.  His specialty was making gavels with wood 
from trees that were cut down to make room for buildings at hospitals and 
medical schools.  Dad knew all the administrators and I think it was a neat 
idea as a keepsake for the big shots.  A lot of these men told me how fond 
they were of my father's gavels.  That instills pride in a young lad.  I now 
have his 50 year old Shopmaster 36" lathe and I cherish it deeply.  
     So Out of college, I went to Montana and became a carpenter.  Turned into 
a contractor and had fun building log cabins, houses and condos.  I was very 
good with a chain saw and large chisels.  I quickly surpassed my father's 
skills having made cabinets, windows, doors, spiral helix staircases all from 
scratch and of course lots of power tools.  
     I moved back to Chicago to find a wife and ended up marrying a girl from 
Montana many years later. (It figures)  I am now a computer geek who has 
gotten of course the bug to work with wood by using hand tools.  I don't 
forsake the power but do enjoy it by hand.  I have made some Windsors and 
boxes and bookcases and  such.
     I joined M-WTCA a couple of years ago at the prodding of Jim at the local 
Woodcraft store.  I've made a couple local meets  got a spiffy #8, #20, #91/2
that I needed.  I hit flea markets and garage sales bottom feeding for fun.
  


Recent Bios FAQ