I joined in January and visit the forum occasionally but never introduced myself and have yet to post. I am from Charlotte, have had a lifelong interest in woodworking and as I approach retirement in a few years (from finance/banking) I am being deliberate about learning more, setting up a shop and accumulating some power and hand tools.
I have jump-started the learning process by attending a couple classes at Roy Underhill's Woodwright School in Pittsboro and as a result now have nice bench (thanks, Will Meyers; teacher) and feel more comfortable with hand joinery (thanks, Bill Anderson; teacher). Later this month I am looking forward to a week-long turning class at John C Campbell near Murphy, NC. This forum should keep me on the learning path. Prior to these classes I picked up my limited skills as they were handed-down through the generations from a great-grandfather who was finish craftsman for the KC-Southern Railroad. He finished his lifelong wood-craftsman career finishing railroad car interiors. As one would expect, especially in these modern times those skills have diminished with each generation and now I'd like to reverse that arc.
I am also restoring vintage, light-medium duty woodworking machinery (not suggested by aforementioned hand-joinery crowd) to help with dimensioning and other tasks. The OWWM site has been very helpful and to date I have restored '30-'50's era table saws, band saws, drill presses, jointers, and a sander, shaper, scroll saw and lathe. (mostly Delta, Buffalo, Atlas, Parks-type names). Presently I have my most complicated restoration... a planer, stacked in parts. I didn't see this tool-restoration interest and enjoyment coming and have spent the last two years pretty much focused on that and perusing Craigslist for quality vintage equipment. I'm a lot better now at removing rust, replacing bearings, re-wiring electric motors and turning various types of nuts and bolts. I do still have a couple open spaces in my small, cramped shop and will continue to keep my eye out to upgrade here and there but its time for me to pivot to more woodworking. Almost forgot... I now have a chainsaw and am beginning to source my own turning wood from my wooded neighborhood.
In the interest of a broader introduction I am 61 years old; married with 3 grown children; grew up in Houston, Texas; lived my early adulthood in DFW and am a Texas Aggie.
All that and I forgot to say... I'm glad to be here.
I have jump-started the learning process by attending a couple classes at Roy Underhill's Woodwright School in Pittsboro and as a result now have nice bench (thanks, Will Meyers; teacher) and feel more comfortable with hand joinery (thanks, Bill Anderson; teacher). Later this month I am looking forward to a week-long turning class at John C Campbell near Murphy, NC. This forum should keep me on the learning path. Prior to these classes I picked up my limited skills as they were handed-down through the generations from a great-grandfather who was finish craftsman for the KC-Southern Railroad. He finished his lifelong wood-craftsman career finishing railroad car interiors. As one would expect, especially in these modern times those skills have diminished with each generation and now I'd like to reverse that arc.
I am also restoring vintage, light-medium duty woodworking machinery (not suggested by aforementioned hand-joinery crowd) to help with dimensioning and other tasks. The OWWM site has been very helpful and to date I have restored '30-'50's era table saws, band saws, drill presses, jointers, and a sander, shaper, scroll saw and lathe. (mostly Delta, Buffalo, Atlas, Parks-type names). Presently I have my most complicated restoration... a planer, stacked in parts. I didn't see this tool-restoration interest and enjoyment coming and have spent the last two years pretty much focused on that and perusing Craigslist for quality vintage equipment. I'm a lot better now at removing rust, replacing bearings, re-wiring electric motors and turning various types of nuts and bolts. I do still have a couple open spaces in my small, cramped shop and will continue to keep my eye out to upgrade here and there but its time for me to pivot to more woodworking. Almost forgot... I now have a chainsaw and am beginning to source my own turning wood from my wooded neighborhood.
In the interest of a broader introduction I am 61 years old; married with 3 grown children; grew up in Houston, Texas; lived my early adulthood in DFW and am a Texas Aggie.
All that and I forgot to say... I'm glad to be here.
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