OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

125458 JPark1812@a... 2003‑12‑08 Bio upgrade Jim Parker
Reread my old Bio and felt an up date was needed. With the help of the
list I have improved/fallen further in the old tools catagories. My old
bio gives 1989 as a start but in reality the earliest post I can find is
from June 1996.

Stll live in Alabama a long way from the fertile hunting grounds. Am an
administrator though I do get to still work with my archaeology and
history backgrounds.

Pieces & parts of the early days sitting in the shop / garage are red
hats and a Taran IT saw but the most important stuff over the years has
been meeting many folks. Cannot remember all but some high points are
the group at Cranes: The Texas two-some Paul & Mike, Patrick, Sandy,
Gunterman and more from others stops such as Tony, Bill, Leon,
Gustavson, Roger, Brian and so many others and I am lucky enough to see
folks at MWTCA and EAIA gatherings (Commercial will follow) .

I really am a sucker for wooden planes but have added some stanley types
for workers.

Instaed of running a bunch of historic sites & not getting to do much
hands on I am now directing a single site Ft Toulouse / Ft Jackson
Historic Site, where we do 18th & 19th cent reenacting etc. Have added a
great volunteer that does a lot of the woodworking while I be officious.
This stinks because I used to be able to do this fun stuff when somebody
else was in charge. The local forge council uses or shop for meetings
and we encourage as many traditional crafts as possible

We do events and have hosted Roy a few times before our budgets were cut
to the bone and the rock ran out of blood or was that the turnip ?

Make messes and have few completed projects. Planning a house in the
woods, already got the woods with creeks and water falls etc. And hope
to have the shop / house ( SWBO priorities the other way) built soon.

Currently I am a board member of EAIA and serve on the Education and
Outreach committee of MWTCA but do not get to as many meetings as I
should. The schedule of the park events, family and general employement
slows things down at times.

The two organizations are worth every cent and even a couple of national
and regional gatherings are great for finding "stuff". Tailgaiting is
such fun and the programs are nice. There is a new effort to get more
workers involved with MWTCA.

Enough

Jim Parker


Recent Bios FAQ