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104616 "Leland Sudlow" <Sudlowle@e...> 2002‑03‑15 Bio update - Lee Sudlow
Ah gentle ones

I know there is still a small corner in the back of the porch waiting. 
I have been away dealing with issues related to a new job.  In the last
3 years, I had been working first in research at the University of
Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), then at a small liberal arts college in
west central Illinois (Knox College) as a temporary faculty member.  I
put my family, my books (academics live and die by their reprint
collections), and of course my tools into a trcuk and moved to Kansas. 
I now teach (tenure-track at last) at Emporia State University, Emporia
KS now.  I do get a few minutes now and then to follow the traffic on
Oldtools and it is nice to see some of the familiar names from before
still participating.

I am in the process of building a scaled-down version of the Shaker
workbench (only 104 in long).  The frame members (4x4 posts and full
2"x4" rails) started as "barn wood", i.e. oak that had metal in it.  I
found the metal early on and had so spend considerable time taking the
divots out of the cutting edge of my No. 8 Stanley blade. Part of the
top is being built out of "barn wood" beams (3"x9"x107") that were
flattened and smoothed by hand.  The mortices and tenons have been cut
for the framework.  I am trying to locate a sawmill within striking
distance of Emporia to acquire the carcass 4/4 oak pieces with which to
stuff the framework and build the drawers.  

I snagged an Emmert this last Fall at an auction.  The plan is to build
a high bench to do up-close work.  The Shaker bench would require back
strain (or kneeling - something I don't enjoy after couple of knee
reconstructions) in order to do detailed cutting and paring - so a
higher bench especially for dovetailing seemed like a *wonderful* idea.

At long last, I have access to a digital camera so I can post pictures
of my St. James Bay smoother.  This was THE first galoot group project
(and that was from the mid 1990's - time flies).  The castings were
rough, right from the foundry (minus the sprue).  I smoothed the casting
with little more than a mill bastard file (14 in single cut) and an
awful lot of elbow-grease.  A drill press was used to help open the
mouth and drill the holes through the casting for the pins.  The casting
was then stuffed with honduran rosewood and a blade from the Rev. Hock 
was installed.  I still have the thumb plane to do, but electrons will
have to die to prep that casting!

It may be time to emulate Brother Ralph Brendler and begin a Kansas
chapter of the Galootapalooza - a wonderful chance for galoots to play
show-n-tell and meet-n-greet.  The Galootapalooza in Chicago was always
something to look forward to each year.  The downside is that there
doesn't seem to the a Kane Co.-like flea market of MWTCA meet in the
neighborhood, yet.  

I'll go back to my corner for a while and listen in.

Lee Sudlow



Recent Bios FAQ