OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

152238 cpmueller@c... (Pete & Christine Mueller) 2005‑11‑08 Re-Bio
GGs,

Seems the old bio is in need of some updating as I have changed a great
deal since hanging on and under the Porch. I'm no longer a newbie having
jumped into oldtools belly first. you lead with what ya got, right?

I got into Stanley bench planes, got some nice chisels, started a
non-profit safehouse dedicated to unloved and undhandled tang and
socket chisels, got some saws, a bunch of stuff I couldn't identify,
and made my bench.

In true galoot fashion, as I have learned on the Porch, you don't finish
projects quickly lest you get a bad name. So the bench is not done,
needing drawers and raised panels for the base cabinet.

I got into some of the more exotic (to me) Stanley species, like the 10
1/2, 140, #3 smoother, 5 1/2, 4 1/2, etc. Found out I really like the
"useless" #6. Duplicates started showing up in the shop requiring
additional hiding places where YKW (you know who) wouldn't be tempted
to venture. Found that hiding tools under sandpaper, jigs, and boxes
work a treat.

SWMBO likes my hobby since she always knows where I am, beats golfing,
and is relatively cheap so far. Tools are no threat to her and tool
shows don't have hotsie-totsie ladies present in swimsuits to catch my
eye. She knows what I'm doing, who I am with, and when I'll be home. It
works for us both.

Lately I have acquired some woodies, tuned them up, and begun using
them. There is a different feel to them and the irons munch through
woods I ususally dislike working. Like Sapele. Really gnarly grained
Sapele. Devil wood. Oops. Elm is devil wood, Sapele is plain old
nasty lumber.

Got some woodie bench planes, woodie moulders, but generally not enough
of them. Where's the wood plane contingent on the Porch?????

I'm also finding the inner collector in me. I find I cannot
resist Butcher firmers and Chuck Buck bench gouges. Dem gouges is
tough to find.

Anyhoo, one area of interest is really taking off and hitting the wall
with me. Living in the metro Detroit area, you would think with all of
the tool building that went on in the car biz for the last 100 years,
you would think to find some good tools beyond saws, normal bench
planes, and bench chisels. There was a patternmaking trade here so you
should see some of THOSE tools, eh? Especially stuff from the
Strelinger catalog.

And if the rising car biz wouldn't have tool merchant's wares heading
north on the next freight car, what about the huuuuge iron stove
business headquartered in Detroit? Or the carriage making business?

I think John Black and Jim Crammond, with help from other metro Detroit
galoots snarfed them all up in a buying binge years ago .

Oh well. This is who I have become.

Very Best Regards,

Pete Mueller

Bottom feeding, FOYBIPO wanna-be, FOYBEVO, square-dogger, powertool
non-snob, Fray loving, holdfast-less, Workmateless, Excelsior block
plane-loving sort of collector that swears he's mostly a user with a
rosewood and brass addiction.
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Recent Bios FAQ