Greetings Galoots,

I've been lurking for some time now, and finally decided it was time to
subscribe.  Mail thread was too slow.

My name is Bruce Zenge (provounced like tangy with a Z), I'm 51 years
young, married to a lovely lady for 29 years now, and have 2 grown
children.  I grew up in the family woodworking and "blacksmith shop" and
eventually owned the place.  Fortunes changed, and I tried working for
others (let them have the headaches).  About a year ago, I undertook a
lifelong dream and opened a custom furniture business.  The first year has
been tough, but is beginning to improve.  Though the hours are long, the
joy of turning out beautiful furniture that will long outlast me is very
rewarding.  

I confess to being something between a Normie and a Neandarthal.  Don't
know that it's a bad place to be.  Actually, I get the best of both worlds,
even though economics usually dictate which method gets used.  The peculiar
part is that even though I grew up in woodworking, I rarely used hand
tools.  Never could get the blasted things to work right.  A few months
ago, I read an article on tuning a plane in one of my magazines.  Tried out
the method on an old Craftsman I had, and lo and behold, the thing
worked!!!  Well, I bought a couple more for users....I guess it got out of
hand.  Bought a few # 4's, #5's, a couple of #3, a couple of Millers Falls,
and a few spokeshaves,  but you get the idea.  I really don't have a
problem admitting to being a collector, although I really am more of an
accumulator.  Collectors, in my book, tend to purchase a narrow range of
items and usually only the best.  I do confess to being a "bottom feeder"
interested only in the useful, and usually the cheap.  Of course, I'm not
averse to the occassional bargain at auction, etc., either. Who would pass
up a $ 4 in teriffic shape for $5.  (Is that a gloat?)  

I suppose that is enough about me.  I've really enjoyed "lurking", and look
forward to being of use on some very limited topics.  I've already found
it's hard to get in the first lick on questions.  Somebody, Usually Tom H.,
gets the question answered before I can get the keyboard warmed up.  Guess
that's the price you pay for not knowing a whole lot.

BTW, one of the best user planes I have is a #5 size Craftsman with
corrugated sole.  I believe it was made by Millers Falls, definitely has a
MF blade, which would explain why it works so well.    

Thanks for allowing me to be a part of the group.  I'll try to be worthy.

Bruce

At 1:14 PM -0600 12/6/97, Bruce Zenge wrote:
		[huge snip of bio and return to the cave/porch]
>I've already found
>it's hard to get in the first lick on questions.  Somebody, Usually Tom H.,
>gets the question answered before I can get the keyboard warmed up.

	Which may be the best segue I can get into a farewell to the porch,
at least for the next month and a little more.  The end-of-semester crunch
at the Big U. is crunching me pretty pretty tight, with my departure for
the left coast looming.  I'll be Visiting at what Don Stern and pals call
Berzerkley during Spring '98, and look forward to running into some other
Bay Area galoots while there.  A field trip to Ron Hock's plane blade
workshop and linguica emporium up in Fort Bragg would be good, too, even
though Paddy has raided most available globs of rust in that territory.
	I'll be unplugged from the list but still getting email until Dec.
20 or so, then completely unhooked until about Jan. 20, '98, at which time
I expect to climb back on the porch, if there's a corner available, using
my same Cornell address at long distance.  I hope.
	Yours in tooling,
		Tom Holloway