Andrew and GGs. Welcome Andrew---to the Porch.  Now, I spend a lot of  
time under the Porch, but didn't know there was a basement down  
here.  Now, I gotta go lookin' fer it! Sounds to me like you come  
here like a lot of other folks, fulfilling dreams and leadings into  
the world of old handtools.  You got the right address I think and  
you'll not find a more congenial group. They are a bit uncouth in  
that they still use spittoons, but I was just thinking that you could  
probably find a blacksmith/whitesmith here to hammer one into a  
collection plate! Welcome to our home away from home.  Paul in Normal

On Mar 5, 2007, at 2:01 PM, Andrew Stonina wrote:

> Dear Galoots,
>
> If you will allow me to come up out of the basement and to the porch,
> I will tell you a little bit about myself.
>
> My name is Andrew Stonina and I live in Minneapolis, MN, for now.   I
> am graduating in May from North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago,
> IL (long story) with a Master of Divinity degree.  I am currently in
> the hunt to get a church to pastor.  I do not have a SWMBO or a GIT,
> unless you count the nephews!
>
> I have been involved in woodworking, for a long time.  I began with my
> dad teaching me when I was in 4-H back in the 80's and 90's.  I won a
> red ribbon at the MN State Fair with a woodworking project.  I then
> left woodworking, for a few years until I got into shop class in
> middle school and high school.  I really enjoyed shop class.  It was
> the best part of the day, for me.  It was with a middle school shop
> project that I won that red ribbon for a folding camp stool.  I was
> bit by the woodturning bug in high school and turned my first pen, I
> got that bug too.  When I went to college I did not have the option of
> shop class or woodworking unless I was on break at home.  In seminary
> I needed something to do, so I started a small shop in the garage of
> where I was living (campus property) and did a lot of my work there
> until I moved home in 2005 when I could use our shop.  Unfortunately a
> lot of tools ended up being stored.
>
> I enjoy making toys for my nephews, turning, and furniture making.  I
> really enjoy learning new techniques and skill in woodworking and that
> brings me to this board.
>
> While I learned some hand tool techniques in high school not really
> enough to sustain me, so I became a normite and have several tailed
> tools, but I think that there is a place for the tailed and untailed.
> Last fall I took a class at the local Woodcraft store with Tom Caspar
> who is an editor at American Woodworker magazine on handtools.  I
> learned to do a lot of things and how to properly tune and use them.
> I had started to build a collection of hand tools, all bought off the
> 'bay.  I have some older ones as well that have come in their boxes
> with instructions.  I suppose the collectors will be mad at me, but
> yes I have tuned them and use them.  While I am not a purist, I enjoy
> working with handtools and feel great satisfaction in using them.
>
> I am here to continue to learn about handtools and their history as
> well as to learn how to make some of my own handtools.  I think that
> there would be nothing more satisfying then making your own tools.
>
> Thanks, for your listening year, now back to the basement!
>
> Andrew Stonina
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> --
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>
> To read the FAQ:
> http://people.iarc.uaf.edu/~cswingle/archive/faq.html
>
> OldTools archive: http://people.iarc.uaf.edu/~cswingle/archive/
>
> OldTools@r...
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools

------------------------------------------------------------------------