OldTools Archive
Recent | Bios | FAQ |
10836 | J. Kaufman <kauf@e...> | 1996‑12‑14 | Josh's Bio |
Greetings to the folks up on the porch. My name is Josh Kaufman and for several weeks I have been quitely absorbing the large quantites of information that are generated each day by this lists contributors (lurking has such ugly connotations) . At any rate here is yet another bio from a thirty something ex-Norm emulating weekend wood-mangler. Week Days I am a biochemist at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda Maryland . I spend my days at work making oldfashioned handcrafted recombinant proteins. Of course I have the requisite SWMBO and two children in sizes small and extra small. Having a real job and a young family means that my time spent woodworking is often measured in minutes and not hours. I began woodworking about eleven years ago when I discovered that the furniture I could afford was absolute junk and that well crafted furniture of real wood was beyond my means. I also concluded that the unadorned modern designs I liked are not dificult to make with a few tools and limited experience. Unfortunately I fell into the mindset popularized by most woodworking mags and the (in)famous TV woodworker. So now I have shop equipped with Taiwanese cast iron junk and plenty of hand power tools. But I would not be posting this if events had not conspired to turn me from the dark side of the force. I recently needed to smooth some very rough resawn cherry boards and my somewhat tuned Record # 4 1/2 did a marvelous job! The surface was so smooth and clear that It did not require any other prep before finishing . This event coincided with my reading Krenov's "Fine Art of Cabinetmaking" . His philosophy of hand shaping and finishing really struck a chord when I discovered that my hand planes really can do fine work. My objective now is to aquire and learn to use all sorts of woodworking handtools. Unforntunately SWMBO insists on having a house and paying for the kids college up front so this will be a slow and methodical process. I have been following the threads from this list for only a few weeks but they have contributed to the projects that I am currently working on. Surfaces are being planed and scraped while the power sanders gather dust. I have been working on scary sharpening plane irons and chisels but so far I have only achieved a worrisome degree of sharpness ( must spend more time on the backs). My shop also has become more inviting and quiet place. Lately my daughter has taken to sitting on the floor making "masks" with a brace and auger bit while I quietly make shavings. Regards. Josh Kaufman |
|||
10842 | Tom Holloway <thh1@c...> | 1996‑12‑14 | Re: Josh's Bio |
At 10:25 PM -0500 12/13/96, J. Kaufman wrote: >Greetings to the folks up on the porch. Josh-- Welcome to the porch. I'm sure the various merchants among us will be glad to help you move beyond your Record 4 1/2, as you have already taken yourself, apparently. The real question: How's your BENCH coming along. I (and I think many other galoots) soon found, after or along with the *conversion experience* that a real wooden-top bench of some sort, with face and end (OK, and/or shoulder and tail) vises, dogs, tray becomes the center of the shop. Heck, for Darren in Kearney it's a life! ;-) I'm trying to remember who told the saga of the 8-year bench project. Only in such a place as Whittier, HaHalifornia, does any galoot admit to putting cast iron and sharp steel to wood *secured* in a Sears Workmutt. But he's a real special galoot, and we love him anyhow. ;-) Tom Holloway, who just chopped off a pin when he should have been taking out waste, thus setting back a dovetailed box Xmas present by just that much. I hate it when that happens. *Think before chopping* has now become my watchword. |
|||
10864 | J. Kaufman <kauf@e...> | 1996‑12‑15 | Re: Josh's Bio |
Tom Holloway wrote: > The real question: How's your BENCH coming along? Well.. I have to admit that I thought they were finished. Two 3 by 4 foot tables with casters and adjustable feet, one has a MASSIVE(NOT!) record 7" vise and dog holes in a row of laminated 2X4s. they work great as infeed and out feed tables but the melamine tops can't be flattened enough to provide a useful reference face. I think I see the begining of a long term project. The first step is to get Scott Landis' book and do some serious drooling. Josh |
|||
Recent | Bios | FAQ |