In response to Cougarjack's comments about Ted Benson's shop containing
every power tool imaginable.  I took a 1 week class at Benson's shop several
years ago and he's right.  Not only do they own the stuff mentioned, a power
hole-putter-inner??? ( I'm about ready for one of those), but Ted also
found, rescued and restored or rebuilt either a massive old two sided planer
or a four bladed tenon cutter.  He has both.  Probably the planer, I think
they had the tennoner built for them.

But, in addition to the power everything, all the guys who cut frames there
carry framing chisels, often in a sheath hanging from their belt (how cool
is that).  Immediately, after the class I had a leather guy in New Hope, PA
(no shortage of them) make a sheath made for my 1 ½" L&IJ White framing
chisel.  But the chisel is long and I'm not, and the thing almost hung below
my knee so it wasn't too cool to wear, especially at Jack Sobon's class,
which I took the following year.  In any case, Ted's guys are just fine with
a chisel.  Some of them had Japanese slicks.  Can't get much sexier than
that.

A funny story, at least I thought so, from Jack's class.  Jack is the Galoot
poster boy, in my mind.  I'd guess that anybody who has met him would
concur.  Anyway, Jack's class was relocating and rebuilding a barn outside
Pittsfield MA.  The site had no power save for a generator used by the
concrete contractors.  All our work was done sans power, normal for Jack.
On the last day, during a break at the raising, we encourage Jack to tell
some stories.  He's a great storyteller and has a lot of material.  The
philosophical differences between Jack and Ted are apparent.  I doubt Ted
cuts much wood anymore, although I'd love to be able to afford a frame from
his company.  During the stories, a couple of helicopters fly across the
valley overlooked by the building site.  The copters are in formation.  Jack
says, there goes Ted and the Beam Team to their next raising.

He also had a recollection of a meeting with Roy Underhill at some
woodworking show, and came away unimpressed with Roy's care for his tools, a
broadax, in this case.

On a side note,  I have been frequently entertained and educated by
Cougarjack's posts to the list.  His knowledge and ability to describe
things clearly and in detail is unsurpassed.  But who is this guy?  I can't
find his bio.

Michael Stieglitz
Mstieglitz@n...