DOC Shop Crawl: So, who is on this Crawl?

[froglips]

Well, I'm glad I asked!

We are very excited at the wide range of Shops and Woodworkers who inhabit them.

So, starting tomorrow, I'll be posting a write up from one of the Shop Hosts.

For this post, I'm going to sweeten the pot, as it were, with a special treat at the Pre-Crawl Breakfast Social. I'll be brewing up a few pots of my semi-infamous home roasted coffee! I've roasted my own beans for nigh on 8 years totaling a little over 1300 pounds.

So, if you like a good cup of joe with a hint of sawdust, the Pre-Crawl event will be the place to be!

If you would like to attend the Crawl, please fill out this form: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/misc.php?do=form&fid=13

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Gotcha6]

Wow, Jim! Home roasted coffee? You're upping the ante on me aren't ya? Looks like you're turning out to be more than just a pretty face, there. :gar-Bi
You might even go into the class of being a Renaissance Metro Jethro!
Looking forward to it.

 

[froglips]

So, you've had a nifty breakfast, sipped some finely roasted coffee from bone china cups and knawed on some biscuits, suddenly, the lights dime, the music starts, and the door goes up on the first shop!

Let me introduce the one, the only, the turners turner, its.......

My name is Bob Mascarella (woodArtz). Originally from Louisiana, but love our new home here in North Carolina. I've been woodworking for about 10 years. My garage shop has a decent variety of power tools, but my favorite is the Powermatic lathe. I love to turn and would do it full time if I could. I do sell a few items here and there to offset the price of new tools, but mostly I turn for the pure joy of it. I'm in the shop most weekends, so pop on over if you're in the area.

I share the shop with my wife, Jackie, who is a professional designer. We have worked on many projects together and she regularly supports new tool purchases :icon_thum . It's great to have a partner in the shop!

I look forward to the upcoming shop crawl. I hope to give a quick demo of my deep hollowing rig on the lathe, if anyone is interested. Otherwise, the shop is open, the coffee is hot, and the lathe is turning!

 

[froglips]

As a great comedic troupe once (or twice) said..... and now for something completely different!

Dan is going to give us a fun challenge to help design his shop!

Looking forward to having you all visit my corner of the world. I have a 2 car garage that is pretty much dedicated to anything shop related I want (within approved budgetary restrictions, of course). The challenge I have is trying to figure out how to organize it so it most useful for the tools I have, keeping mind potential future acquisitions.

So, my challenge becomes your challenge. Welcome to the DESIGN A SHOP portion of the shop crawl! You'll have an opportunity to share your ideas, no matter how crazy, with everyone and hopefully a consensus will emerge. I promise I won't make you actually rearrange the shop (unless you really feel ambitious. So come one, come all, and be opinionated (like thats ever a problem on this forum)! Looking forward to seeing you!

Dan Snyder

Thanks,
Jim

 

[froglips]

Now that we've left Dan with a bazillion ideas for his shop, on to the third shop.

We are going to visit the infamous homemade bowl lathe, aka the "Monster Lathe", in my fathers shop.

Back a few years ago, I got my father interested in turning using the gateway drug of turning, the Midi Lathe.

He moved to bowls quickly. So a few years down the road, I designed and built a massive bowl lathe and tool stand for him.

In theory, this lathe has an 40" swing. With its 2" shaft and about 2 tons of mass, its possible

So, we'll get to see this beast, and for those who care to take a turn, it'll be ready to roll.

As a bonus, you are invited into the house! To see the wall-o-mirrors and the bowl shrine in the living room. He's been busy

Next time..... WHATS FOR LUNCH?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[froglips]

Filled up on some hearty food, ready to work some of that lunch off? Well, our fourth shop is for you!

02blues (aka John) is known around hear for some amazing tools and projects using Neanderthal techniques. One (er two) of the tools he's built are foot powered lathes!

Here is a little bit about John, in his own words no less

John Feole MD
Chapel Hill

I am a radiologist and amateur woodworker. I have converted my (garage) shop to "powerless" hand tools only. After experiencing a kick back injury I realized that I was missing out on the beauty that a peaceful, quite shop can bring. For me it is a much more relaxed environment, one which enables me to hear the "panting wheeze of the saw or the pleasant purring of the plane" as stated in the classic American novel "My Antonia". I am amazed with the skill that must have been required to make "everything" that is seen in places like Williamsburg. I love the history of the tools, the odd names and our clever forefathers who understood how to work with a woods strength. I have had no formal training but feel as though I am putting myself through an apprenticeship "making my bones" to quote the Godfather by making my tools first: a saw bench and Roubo workbench ( both per Chris Schwarz) followed by two spring pole lathes. My main interests are in the art of woodworking and carving. My goals are to produce as many heirloom pieces as possible for my children and family.

Most prized project: Double helix mahogany candle sticks and my Roubo bench.

Current project: Mahogany bed with 7 foot barley twist posts.

Member: Society of American Period Furniture Makers (new member).

Heros: Roy Underhill, Chris Shwarz, Eric Sloane.

Dream projects: A timber frame work shop and a grandfather clock.

Years of woodworking: 3

Quote: "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" Proverbs 27:17

 

[Gotcha6]

John Feole MD
Chapel Hill

I am a radiologist and amateur woodworker.

(Blonde voice on)
A radiologist, huh? AM, FM, or CB? :gar-La;
(Blonde voice off)
Looking forward to seeing your shop.

 

[froglips]

Groan. <budump bump>

So, back to the topic at hand, the next shop! From the 18th Century, we speed forward to the 21st Century and beyond!

My name is David, I have been woodworking for about 25 years. I design and build contemporary furniture for my own use and if lucky, commissioned pieces.

I was member of the "Guild of Master Craftsmen" in the UK, and a founding member of a national woodworking club. I came across to the US in 1999 to New Hampshire and moved to North Carolina in 2004. I am an electronics Engineer by trade and work in the Automation industry.

I have a small, detached shop 20 x 20 so space in the shop may be tight! I have nothing too special to show you in the shop other than the fact that I have no BIG tools! What you may be interested in is that I design all my furniture in a contemporary style, using SolidWorks 3D CAD. I have many pieces in the house that you can have a crawl round and discuss design features or construction methods. So this may actually become a "House Crawl" please bring slippers for the bedroom :rotflm:

Don't forget to fill out the Crawler Form if you'd like to attend. We need to know who wants to go so we can get out the info packets and plan for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner! http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/misc.php?do=form&fid=13

Thanks,
Jim

 

[froglips]

As they say, last but not least..... its off to the shop of furniture maker (and tool addict) extraordinaire, Amy Dowden!

I began woodworking in 1998 when I took a class at NCSU for my Tech Ed minor. I made furniture as a hobby for the next eight years. In 2006 when my youngest daughter started preschool, I started a business to try to pay for my tool obsession. I am not getting rich, but my tools have improved considerably over the last few years. I also built a workshop in 2007 to house all those tools.

Amy

The Crawl is on Nov 14th! To join us be sure to sign up by filling out this form: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/misc.php?do=form&fid=13

 

[AAAndrew]

Boy, I go away being busy for a few months and come back to this. And it just so happens to be on a day when I have my house and shop, as well as my time, to myself.

And, I've just, for the most part, finished my Roubo. Now I want to see John's, I'm sure, much better Roubo bench. My shop is no where as big or interesting as others, so I won't bother offering it for this year, but maybe my next year's annual Fall Shop Crawl (did I just invent a tradition?) It will be worth visiting. I have some ideas for tool holding solutions that hopefully I'll be able to put into place by then.

AAAndrew