Tall, dark and handsome guy,  likes walking on the beach at
sunset-WHOOPS! wrong Bio.
         I have been following the antics of this mailing list for just about a
year when I got into a discussion with a friend about the necessity of
flattening bottoms on metallic planes. It has been my belief for quite
some time, that the average antique bench plane that is in good
condition probably doesn't need to be flattened as much as  prevailing
legend has it. My friend is a pretty intense guy, and he insists that it
is necessary in order to get the thinnist shaving. I thought this would
be a good opportunity to jump in the ring, and wrassle around with
youall. 
        When I offered the topic of tuning planes up for discussion, I
actually knew what most of the answers would be. I've been around this
field for over twenty years, and remember quite well the time it (the
subject) started in FWWand the paths(threads) that it took. Being a
voacious reader,
I read every one of those arguements over the years, and being a sponge
for trivial information and a reference librarian at heart, I remember
everyone of those arguements.
        While reading about woodworking, I attempted to make a living as a
carpenter, then a trim carpenter, and started building a series of
shops, mostly with salvaged materials and flea market finds. I sought
out and found some very interesting and challenging (spelled l-o-w
p-a-y-i-n-g)work during this period, historic restoration carpentry
exercised my resourcefulness skills, and building circular staircases
showed me how much geometry I forgot since Mr.Chipman tried to drill it
into my head in 1962.
         For several years, I hung out at an art school with some woodworkers
who are kinda famous and I fancied myself so, but I don't really have
that drive to make the design foremost in my work. In 1987, I wandered
into a Shopsmith Store and sweetalked my way into a teaching job. For
those of you who weren't around then, Shopsmith was starting to expand
in the retail arena, but about 1/3 of the space in each of their stores
was seperate from the retail area. In this Woodworking Academy, I gave
three day classes in "Funamentals of Woodworking", "Cabinetmaking",
"Lathe Turning", and so on. I was also expected to sell tools, both in
the retail store and the classroom. Every Thursday evening, I gave a
free 90 minute seminar/demonstration of dozens of topics. Did I mention
that it was free? You never saw so many galoots!  Both teaching and the
Shopsmith approach to woodworking made me a better woodworker. You had
to be pretty organized to do all of those changeovers.  
        When I left Shopsmith, I started working at Whole Earth Access here in
Berkeley, a retail store with a tool department that was  among the best
in the country. I also started teaching adult school woodworking-retail
and teaching, once again. When you practice your trade in the public
arena like this, you pretty much have all the discussions that are going
on in these OLDTOOL pages over and over again. Especially here in
Berkeley, where there are PHDs pounding nails. You can get four people
into engineering discussions about installing a doorknob! 
        In 1995, thinking a regular paycheck an unnecessary luxury, I decided
to open a secondhand tool store. I now work six days a week, often more
than ten hours a day, reaping big wads of dough selling used Craftsman
wrenches for $1.70, discussing the merits of a $10 hacksaw over a $12
hacksaw, and telling four people a day that I'm out of bandsaws.
        About a year ago, I renewed an interest in antique tools and this has
been a growing portion of my business. Without a doubt, it is the most
fun. I have reconnected with the reading and resources that I love so
much, and it's kind of a niche market. I even had my 15 minutes of fame
when The San Francisco Chronicle Ran an article about me (no luck
involved, I wrote them a publicity letter longer than the one you are
reading right now.). I'm a shameless opportunist, promoting my store at
very chance, although I have no intention of using this forum to insult
your galoothood by trying to sell you tools.
               When my friend suggested that I invest in a surface grinder in
order to flatten plane soles, I had deja vu all over again about those
early FWW years. I thought this would be a good question to throw out to
these OLDTOOL guys. The dialougue has been lively, and like great art,
it has spurred ideas far beyond the original question. I am greatful for
this, since I was making an attempt to answer each comment that was
still quoting me. 
         My own outlook is that woodworking, like life, is equal parts Albert
Einstein, Sherlock Holmes, and Groucho Marx. And I throw in a cupful of
Louis Armstrong, because once you have made that first cut, it's all
jazz- I make it up as I go along. 
               Thru woodworking, I discovered that I was a human being,
and no matter how much booklearnin I had, I still had to teach my body
and my tools to work together. This was why I asked you what your senses
are telling you about your planes.
                I have as much fun making shelves with poodle shaped ends for my
daughter to put her beanie babies on, as any thing else I ever did. And
I learned something new doing it.

ps. I made up the part about  tall and handsome. 


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