Hi all.
In my wanderings on the net, I found oldtools. It is excellent to have a
direct connection with others who feel as I do about tools and wood and
tools and tools. I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough for all
of your knowledge, experience and polite attitudes. I especially like the
opportunity to read what other think, who are older than me, (I'm 36). I
feel it is my responsibility to learn as much as I can from people, who
will be gone someday, so there will be a record of what they knew and
stood for as craftsmen. Enough gushing.
I have been reading the oldtools daily emails since May of 2001. But I
have never written anything, so I will introduce myself...
My name is Michael Egbert. I have been woodworking since March of 2001.
My first tool was a LN 102 block plane. My second tool, much more
influencial IMHO, was a book called 'Understanding Wood' by R. Bruce
Hoadley. Then I read 'The Complete Guide to Sharpening' by Leonard Lee.
And I kept on reading and buying hand tools. I didn't do anything but
read books about woodworking and cut, plane and chisel wood for a year.
My first project was a 9 in. by 9 in. by 12 in. doug fir tool box. I
ripped the 2x4s by hand. I'm into the hand tool thing.
Then I started building things for the shop, tables, shelves, boxes. And
I began to have so many tools just laying around on tables because I
didn't have any tool storage. So I looked for a big toolbox to base a
design on, and I realized that I didn't have the money for materials or
the skill necessary to even start. That's when I decided to have all my
tools each have thier own tool box. I built a chisel cabinet, and I love
it. My next cabinet is going to be a plane cabinet. I'm still working on
the design, so it will be a while before it's ready to start building.
Here is my question: What are some of the ways that you all use to store
tools? I think it's excellent when you see a well organized set of tools
and I would really like to hear if anyone has any good ideas. I know it
will depend on shop size and condition and personal preferences, but I'd
still like to hear about them.
I wanted to tell you all something that I think you will appriciate. I
live outside of Seattle in the country. There are lots of farms and
large tracts of land that people use for country type things. There is a
guy named Roger that owns a medieval village called Camlann just down the
road from my house. Everything is done with methods and technology of
medieval times. So, one day I wet. When you walk in the gate, with
everybody dressed and talking like a Monty Python movie, there is this 20
ft. by 40 ft. timber-framed cottage being build in medieval ways.
I start talking to the guy that was building it and he turns out to be a
cabinet maker doing this as a volunteer. So I asked if I could help the
next weekend and he said I should talk to Roger, the owner. Roger told me
I could help, but the tools must be of the times. He chopped the date off
a 1550. So I looked at the type of construction they were using, (big
massive mortise and tenons), and bought a mortising ax and a 2 in. socket
slick from Henry Taylor. We worked all day and the weekends to come and
we managed to cut and fit 10 rafters, and a large crossbeam (8x8). Very
hard work, but the morticing ax was the tool to use. We only had bow
saws, so the sawing was pretty rough. If I had had a ryoba or a good
Disston, it would have been much easier. The only tool that I couldn't
find, that would have been right on the money regarding the timesframe,
was the tweebil. They are not made and the only ones that I know of that
exist are artifacts in museums. Anybody know anything about tweebils?
Anyway, it was a great time and I thought about the list while I was
working.
I recently finished my first fine cabinet. It's a Single Malt Scotch
cabinet. If you would like to see some pictures, they are posted at:
http://michaelegbert.net/Woodworking/WoodworkingHome.htm
I will use my page as my bio and send links when it is updated.
Thanks,
Michael
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