Hello!
I've been lurking here (via the egroups.com archive) for a couple of
months, and I've finally decided to join the fray in earnest. Or at
least to let you all know that I'm listening in. The discussions on
benches make me want to pipe up!
I've been interested in building things out of wood since I was a
kid. My dad dabbled in both construction (building a sizeable
addition to our house) and furniture (building several pine hutches
and cupboards.) I joined in, when allowed, and put together my own
collection of kid contraptions. In fact, my first bench, standing
about 28 inches high and built by my paternal grandfather, still sits
next to my dad's in his basement.
More recently, I've done my own fair share of carpentry and a small
amount of cabinetry. The carpentry has all been in the form of
renovation. Since purchasing our 1922 American foursquare home
nearly 10 years ago I've become quite comfortable with demolition,
wall framing, dry walling, and practical plumbing and wiring. It's
also given me the chance to build a few cabinets and book cases and
the like.
This past summer, we began shopping for beds for our two girls, with
our eye toward twin beds that could be stacked as bunks. What we
could afford, we didn't care for aesthetically, and what we liked the
looks of, we couldn't (or didn't want to) afford. So I offered to
build the beds. After fumbling in my shop with the few woodworking
projects that I've done (I know the WorkMate shuffle well), I knew
I'd need a "real" bench first. And a few tools. :-)
After looking at bench related web sites, I found myself lingering
most at Bob Key's. Bob's "first bench" would be the one I'd build.
And build it I did (see
http://www.cwru.edu/UL/pershomepages/wpc/bench.html to see the
results.) Through web surfing, and Bob's page, I also found myself
slipping very quickly down the well-greased slope of Neanderthal
ways. I currently work with the assistance of several Tailed
Apprentices, but find myself wincing each time I hear the
ear-splitting scream of their electron-powered motors and see the
clouds of dust being spewed hither and yon. One recent purchase is a
Stanley #48- no longer need I hear the whine when I need to make
tongue and grooves.
But quite honestly, I think building this bench was the best time
investment that I have made. Between having the bench (and
subsequent arrangement of my shop) and having Scary Sharp tools,
working wood has suddenly become more of a pleasurable experience
than I could have imagined. And in the process, I learned oodles
about some basic techniques that I'd never used before.
Since finishing the bench, work is progressing steadily on the beds.
Each foot board and head board will have 11 flat spindles, each of
which is mortised into the rails on the head/foot board. That makes
22 mortises and 22 tenons, times four head/foot boards, plus another
22 for the guard rail for the little one's bed, makes for a whopping
110 mortises and tenons! My new Sorby mortising chisel and
shop-built mallet will be getting a workout!
When I'm not working wood, I: am father of two SWMBO'ettes; punch
the clock as a reference librarian at Case Western Reserve
University; dream of mountain hikes, backcountry cross country
skiing, and catching wild trout on a size 16 Adams fly.
This has gotten long enough. I have some questions to post to the
list, but thought it proper to first introduce myself and send a
short bio.
Cheers!
Bill
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