I've been a subscriber to the list for about a week and think it's time to
introduce myself. My name is John Eaton and like many of you I am also a
woodworker and old tool nut (I'm not sure if I qualify to full Galootness
yet). I recognize some other names as I'm on Woodnet, SMC, OWWM and a couple
of other forums. I've got a modest collection of hand-planes, shaves,
chisels and what-not. I've also got the original set of Sargent planes my
dad owned (and apparently hardly used), a couple of newer "beaters" that I
picked up many years ago working as a carpenter and general contractor, and
a bunch of user-planes. I'm less the collector and more the user -
attempting to tune my tools so they perform the best they can - I'm not as
concerned with the condition (other than I like them to be complete) but do
like to stop the rust. I've got a few images up on a flickr page here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnyapollo/sets/72157614019260817/ (I photos
are about a year old - I've expanded what you see by about double)

 

I've got a few braces with bits and have recently gotten into handsaws - I
hope to learn to sharpen them (and have put a call-out to members in my
woodworking club - the Gwinnet Woodworkers Association - and have a few
people bringing me their beaters to practice on. I intend to build a saw
vice after reading up a bit on them online. For chisels I prefer sockets but
have a mix. Recently I purchased a 50's era homemade tool box that belonged
to a carpenter down in Valdosta GA named Scott Freeman - I'm currently
cleaning those tools up (looks like the box sat in water at some time) -
I'll post some before and after shots. I recently built my first project
entirely using handtools - it's not much but was fun to try - it's a repeat
of something I built as a kid with my dad so it was both interesting and
nostalgic. Here's a post I did about it:
http://modernwoodworking.blogspot.com/

 

Anyway, I wanted to thank everyone here for sharing knowledge - I'm learning
a lot and getting "into the groove."

 

-- John

 

John Eaton

http://www.wildtoys.com

 

"OK, any time they're getting ready to light off seven-and-a-half million
pounds of thrust under you and you aren't a little bit anxious, you don't
understand what's going on." 

- John Young, 1981 

 

 

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