Very Interesting. Then I suppose a garage sale in your town won't net mu=
ch
in the way of old hand tools?=0D
=0D
Regards,=0D
Col. Huck=0D
 =0D
-------Original Message-------=0D
 =0D
From: Kevin Tan=0D
Date: Monday, June 23, 2003 1:45:32 AM=0D
To: oldtools=0D
Subject: [oldtools] Bios from Singapore=0D
 =0D
Hello all,=0D
 =0D
I'm Kevin Tan and I first saw daylight exactly 42 years ago (Today being=0D
my birthday), and grew up here in Singapore, an island situated in=0D
South-East Asia with a paltry landmass of 250 square miles, but filled to=
=0D
the brim with about 4 million people.=0D
 =0D
My current day job is film/video directing & producing, and I've been=0D
married for about 2 years, and have been involved with woodworking for=0D
about 6 - 7 years.=0D
 =0D
When I was a kid in junior high, I had a couple of years fooling around=0D
the wood shop, but most of my wood working skills was picked up during my=
=0D
2 1/2 years miltary conscription service which is compulsory for all male=
=0D
citizen of Singapore between the age of 18 to 21. A knee injury took me=0D
out of active training and my CO gave me a choice of being the company=0D
clerk or to take charge of the camp wood shop, and I chose the latter for=
=0D
the simple reason of staying out of the brass' sight!=0D
 =0D
I'm not sure if I'm a galoot in the true sense of the word, as not all of=
=0D
the 150 odd pieces of handtools in my collection are of vintage origin.=0D
Within this lot, about 50 pieces are hand planes with the rest being=0D
chisels, saws, bit braces, drills and lay-out/marking tools. As mentioned=
,=0D
this was collected over the past 5 years or so, some locally, some from=0D
e-Bay, aome from familiar names like Patrick Leach, Bob Kaune, Martin=0D
Donnelly, Tom Bruce, etc. The non-vintage tools comes from Lie-Nielsen,=0D
Veritas, ECE and others.=0D
 =0D
Before all this came to be, I'd started out as a DIY enthusiast with a=0D
whole bunch of tailed tools, which I hardly use today, preferring the=0D
relative silence and peace of non corded hand tools, and the obvious=0D
pleasure of their usage.=0D
 =0D
Being a wood-worker bent on working with hand tools in Singapore is=0D
summed-up in one word; Lonely! To date, I've not met another tool=0D
enthusiast here in Singapore who can be bothered with using fine hand=0D
tools and absolutely nobody I can show-off my prized Stanley #85 scraper=0D
or anyone who can appreciate my favorite pre-war Norris smoother. I read=0D
with envy about handplane competition and meetings for tools auctions...=0D
 =0D
Recently, I met Steve Reynold on the internet and he was intrigued that I=
=0D
might just be the sole Singaporean who'd qualify as a galoot and he urged=
=0D
me to join the porch, so here I am.=0D
 =0D
It would be my pleasure to hear from anyone hanging round the porch who=0D
would like to know about practicing woodworking in Singapore.=0D
 =0D
Warmly,=0D
Kevin Tan, Singapore=0D
June 23rd 2003.=0D
 =0D

Hello all,

I'm Kevin Tan and I first saw daylight exactly 42 years ago (Today being
my birthday), and grew up here in Singapore, an island situated in
South-East Asia with a paltry landmass of 250 square miles, but filled to
the brim with about 4 million people.

My current day job is film/video directing & producing, and I've been
married for about 2 years, and have been involved with woodworking for
about 6 - 7 years.

When I was a kid in junior high, I had a couple of years fooling around
the wood shop, but most of my wood working skills was picked up during my
2 1/2 years miltary conscription service which is compulsory for all male
citizen of Singapore between the age of 18 to 21. A knee injury took me
out of active training and my CO gave me a choice of being the company
clerk or to take charge of the camp wood shop, and I chose the latter for
the simple reason of staying out of the brass' sight!

I'm not sure if I'm a galoot in the true sense of the word, as not all of
the 150 odd pieces of handtools in my collection are of vintage origin.
Within this lot, about 50 pieces are hand planes with the rest being
chisels, saws, bit braces, drills and lay-out/marking tools. As mentioned,
this was collected over the past 5 years or so, some locally, some from
e-Bay, aome from familiar names like Patrick Leach, Bob Kaune, Martin
Donnelly, Tom Bruce, etc. The non-vintage tools comes from Lie-Nielsen,
Veritas, ECE and others.

Before all this came to be, I'd started out as a DIY enthusiast with a
whole bunch of tailed tools, which I hardly use today, preferring the
relative silence and peace of non corded hand tools, and the obvious
pleasure of their usage.

Being a wood-worker bent on working with hand tools in Singapore is
summed-up in one word; Lonely! To date, I've not met another tool
enthusiast here in Singapore who can be bothered with using fine hand
tools and absolutely nobody I can show-off my prized Stanley #85 scraper
or anyone who can appreciate my favorite pre-war Norris smoother. I read
with envy about handplane competition and meetings for tools auctions...

Recently, I met Steve Reynold on the internet and he was intrigued that I
might just be the sole Singaporean who'd qualify as a galoot and he urged
me to join the porch, so here I am.

It would be my pleasure to hear from anyone hanging round the porch who
would like to know about practicing woodworking in Singapore.

Warmly,
Kevin Tan, Singapore
June 23rd 2003. 

I'll add my warm welcome. I was in Singapore way back
in '88 and it was a beautiful country. 

I do have two questions:
1. What kind of wood do you have access to, is most
common there?
2. Where in the heck do you find space to work? I seem
to remember that space is a at a bit of a premium and
most people don't have much room in their homes. 

Also, since I'm being nosy, just like a new neighbor,
what kind of video/film?

Andrew

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!
http://sbc.yahoo.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kevin Tan" 

> I'm Kevin Tan and I first saw daylight exactly 42 years ago (Today being
> my birthday), 

Happy Birthday, Kevin!

> 
> I'm not sure if I'm a galoot in the true sense of the word, as not all of
> the 150 odd pieces of handtools in my collection are of vintage origin.

Neanderthal maths:
handtools user (closet collector) ==> galoot
so, you're one of us.  ;)

> summed-up in one word; Lonely! To date, I've not met another tool
> enthusiast here in Singapore who can be bothered with using fine hand
> tools and absolutely nobody I can show-off my prized Stanley #85 scraper
> or anyone who can appreciate my favorite pre-war Norris smoother. I read
> with envy about handplane competition and meetings for tools auctions...

and that around here is called a 
"drive-by gloat".  
You'll fit in to perfection.  Welcome!

PS: You're supposed to end a phrase
like that with the expression 
"neener-neener-neener!", or 
"meep-meep-vrooom" or other similar 
sound fx!   :D

> 
> It would be my pleasure to hear from anyone hanging round the porch who
> would like to know about practicing woodworking in Singapore.

You kidding?  Pictures! Lots of them!  Where?
Also, what sort of woods do you work with
and what for?

BTW: you're most welcome.

Cheers
Nuno Souto
dbvision@o...

Kevin Tan wrote:
[snip bio]
> Being a wood-worker bent on working with hand tools in Singapore is
> summed-up in one word; Lonely! To date, I've not met another tool
> enthusiast here in Singapore who can be bothered with using fine hand
> tools and absolutely nobody I can show-off my prized Stanley #85
> scraper or anyone who can appreciate my favorite pre-war Norris
> smoother. I read with envy about handplane competition and meetings
> for tools auctions...

Kevin, I'll join the others in saying Welcome!

I can understand that good old hand tools might be hard to get in
Singapore, but what about wood? Singapore is a major sea port not far
from the (rapidly disappearing) tropical rainforests of Kalimantan and
Sumatra -- so, do you see such timber on the market in Singapore?

Peter Marquis-Kyle
Brisbane, Australia

Hello Kevin,

Greetings from a fellow galoot in Perth - not too far from you (4 1/2
hours, which is nothing from this most isolated of cities). I have spent
quite a lot of my working life around south east Asia, including
Singapore,  and understand your feeling of the loneliness of the long
distance woodbutcher.

Your message coincided with a connection I have just made here. Last week
I responded to another Perth Oldtools member who has adapted a #4 plane to
an infill - beautifully. We plan to meet soon and swap stories, check out
each other's activities and workshops, maybe check out each other's
planes!

I come across a lot of collectors of old tools, but few who are committed
to using them. Those of us who are regular users of hand tools may have
smaller output than the others(but hey!, how many pieces of furniture can
a house accommodate?) (or how many women who are desirous of jewelery
boxes do we have in our lives?) but we understand one of the fundaments of
life - that the journey is more important than the destination.

I have just discovered the qualities of one of the woods from your region
- kapur. Beautiful to work and can almost emulate European walnut. And you
get better access to teak, which is almost unaffordable here.

Happy Birthday!

Peter Byrne
Perth, Western Australia