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139278 "David Charters" <mandatefun@y...> 2004‑12‑06 Bio!
It all started in a erie town (Erie, PA) in 1972. I was born that is.
Everything was quite normal until I was 18 and bought a 1976 Volkswagen
camper van. I didn’t know how to fix cars, I didn’t have any tools, I
was happy but unfulfilled. Then my van broke down, the local garage
said it was such a piece of crap that they wouldn’t put a wrench to it.
My friend’s dad fixed cars, and said we could park it in his driveway
and use his tools, and so we tore in, took the engine clean out and
actually fixed the dern thing. TOOLS! Amazing! I bought a nice set of
wrenches, and I was off. I love tools, and every time my car broke down
it would always seem to require a new tool. I was introduced to
woodworking tools through the Craftsman catalog. I was into woodworking
long before I suspected it. I bought a router, used my dad’s scroll saw
and made my Mom a few tables and finished her laundry room. For a long
time I learned woodworking by thinking about what I wanted to make and
looking at the Craftsman catalog wondering what I could use to do it
(and how to justify a new tool). Slowly Craftsman tools let me down,
and I realized that there were better tools out there. Then something
changed everything. Fine Woodworking Magazine! I learned that the wheel
had already been invented, and a whole lot more. I bought a band saw
and a planer (getting the jointer soon) and started getting hand tools
and learning how to sharpen. Learned about old tools on ebay. This past
year has been a gluttonous vintage tool buying orgy. I bought a brace,
egg beater drill, auger bits, hand grinder, vernier calipers, two hand
saws, a keyhole saw, a saw set, a saw vise, a marking gauge, a try
square, a spoke shave, and a few Stanley planes: SW#3, SW#4, 2 #5’s,
#6, #7, SW#18, #220, SW#75, SW#78, and a SW#80 scraper. I found I’ve
got a soft spot for sweethearts. I just bought a dovetail and pair of
tennon saws from Vlad Spehar that I am hoping will be waiting for me
when I get home. And that’s it! The slope ends here! I am not buying
any more tools in 2005 (I keep telling myself). I have a brand new
niece and made a cedar lined chest for her. The most complicated
project yet. It is going to be a shop shot on woodcentral soon, I hope
you will take a look. http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot655.shtml My
shop is a 12’x12’ shed in which I have a band saw, radial drill press,
20” scroll saw, planer, miter saw, work bench, and soon to be a
jointer. It is tight but at least it’s home. I love woodworking! My
girlfriend is making me a 1800’s woodworking outfit that I want just
for the fun of it (what will me neighbors think?). So that’s me, thanks
for saving me a spot on the porch!


Recent Bios FAQ