Since signing up for the Galllotaclaus gift exchance, I thought it
might be a good to take Jim's suggestion and update my bio.  I posted
it just over 4 years ago and have managed to get pretty far down the
slope since then.  When I posted that, I was just working on my
*first* bench and was in full-bore acquisition mode with only a
minimum number of hand tools.

My younger son, David, asked me to build him a desk about the time I
posted that last bio.  I finally got my skills up to the point where I
thought I could tackle this and started on the project last Christmas.
 It took about 8 months to build and I documented it with an article
that Wiktor was kind enough to host on his website:

http://www.wkfinetools.com/tUsing/tsDesk/tsDesk1.asp

Along the way, I built a lot of boxes for gifts and tool storage, a
couple of small tables, blanket chests, step stools, etc...  Of
course, I had to make sure that I had all the proper tools to complete
these projects, so I filled up the space I was allotted in the garage.
 LOML took pity on me last year and agreed to let me take over the
guest room as a shop.  Now I don't cook in the summer and freeze in
the winter, and I got more space for tools.  Of course, I have filled
this space now too.

My shop is purely hand tools.  I really don't have the space for
anything else.  I have used one of those new-fangle drills when
working metal, but that's about it.  I made a frame saw for resawing
and get a lot of use from my scrub planes and rip saws.  Speed is not
one of my hallmarks; it will take me most of a day to make a drawer,
but that's how I enjoy doing it.  I read about some people on other
websites emphasizing a need for speed in their woodworking, but that's
not for me.

My latest project is to build a pair of dressers for my older son,
Will.  I've just started dimensioning the wood for the drawers, which
I had from a previously aborted project.  Still need to buy the wood
for the carcase.  He should graduate from college in another 2 1/2
years, about the time I get them done.  LOML has a list that should
keep me busy for at least 10 years after that.

I've met a few Galoots who have visited my home or I have visited
theirs in my travels.  These are some of my best memories of recent
years.  If anyone is coming to the Denver area, please let me know.
I've still got a good 10 years to go before retirement, so I should be
here for that long at least.

Best Regards,
Ted
------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Ted makes a funny joke:

Speed is not
> one of my hallmarks; it will take me most of a day to make a drawer,
> but that's how I enjoy doing it. 

Sounds like warp-speed to me!

Steve O.
Appleton, WI
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The reason I said this is that there are some who say that a drawer
should take no more than an hour to make.  I think I would have a
heart attack if I tried to get one done that fast.  It takes me 6-8
hours to prepare the stock, dimension it, plow the grooves for the
bottom, glue up the bottom, taper the edges of the bottom, cut the
dovetails, and assemble the drawer.  I can do it without feeling
rushed in this amount of time.

When I wrote my first bio, four years ago, it probably would have
taken me a week.  Now I have more space, the shop is better organized
(!?!),  I have two workbenches to spread out on, and I know my tools
better.  I can now pick up a tool and use it without puzzling over it
and fiddling with it for an hour or two before applying it to the
project.

Best Regards,
Ted

On 11/2/06, Steve Opacich <sopacich@n...> wrote:
>  Ted makes a funny joke:
>
> Speed is not
> > one of my hallmarks; it will take me most of a day to make a drawer,
> > but that's how I enjoy doing it.
>
> Sounds like warp-speed to me!
>
> Steve O.
> Appleton, WI
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------

<snip>

The reason I said this is that there are some who say that a drawer
should take no more than an hour to make. I think I would have a
heart attack if I tried to get one done that fast. It takes me 6-8
hours to prepare the stock, dimension it, plow the grooves for the
bottom, glue up the bottom, taper the edges of the bottom, cut the
dovetails, and assemble the drawer. I can do it without feeling
rushed in this amount of time.

<snip>

yes, but is that because you are enjoying it too much?

Danny Kaye Course Leader Multimedia 0115 848 2231 07968 113686

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