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5485 attel@w... (Victor Kan) 1996‑09‑08 Bio: Victor Kan
As sincerely implored by the new subscribers message, I'm making
myself known.

I've joined this list before, but unsubscribed quickly since I
realized I had done so from the "wrong" e-mail address, and then tried
to re-subscribe from the "right" one.  That never worked for some
reason, so I just forgot about it until now.

I forget whether I posted a bio back then, probably not.

Bio:

Stats:

Generation-X, married (to an understanding wife), software engineer,
Morrisville, NC, USA (a small town-turned bedroom community wedged
between Raleigh and Durham)

Wood Origins:

Despite the fact that I was in the "college prep. track" since before
starting school, I (and my older brother) always took shop classes in
school, including metal shop, leather shop, lapidary and aviation
(kites, model rocketry and some model plane stuff).  I also took wood
shop (perhaps one of the few/only class where I didn't get an 'A'
during 8th/9th grade--very devastating :-).

I made three things that still exist today:

	- a sperm whale profile carved of a not-as-soft-as-SPF, light
	  colored wood, mounted on a plaque, stained light brown and
	  waxed (holding up well)

	- a walnut and pine (strange, I know) cutting board.  The
	  walnut has held up great, but the pine is all cut up.
	  Thanks a lot, Mr. teacher-whose-real-name-I-can't-remember.
	  I remember referring to him as Spittin' Bill though.  At least
	  he gave us water-resistant glue to use.

	- an "(American) Indian"-style leather wallet decorated with a
	  fishing scene with two guys in a boat who just hooked a big
	  bass

Some notable crud that no longer survives is a "computer" desk made of
cheap particle board and pine (used in college for about a year), with
what turned out to be built-up mortise-and-tenon joinery (badly fitted
though).  After two semesters of woodshop classes, they never taught
us anything other than edge and face butt joints so I didn't really
know anything else.  In fact, they taught us so little, I even tried
to stain the particle board in the desk to match the stained pine.
Sad.

Woodworking tools I used in those days, mostly in school:

	SurForm (tm) shavers/planes, rasps, files, a coping saw, a crosscut
	handsaw, a hand brace, an electric hand drill, a nail setter and
	a hammer.  I might have even used a #4 plane, but it probably
	wasn't sharp, and they never taught us how to adjust and use
	it beyond setting the depth.

Wood Today:

After a 10+ year hiatus, I picked it up again after watching N*rm and
reading Fine Woodwoorking in the library for a while.

I started out with a circular saw and router (as you'd expect from
watching N*rm), but I quickly came to fear the 20,000rpm monster
called a PC 690.  I haven't used that puppy in over a year.

In the mean time, I've gotten other power tools, but I don't enjoy
using them nearly as much as the hand tools I've picked up since March
1995 when I restarted the hobby.

Undoubtedly, the "best" woodworking tool I have is an old Stanley #8C
that I bought from a co-worker's wife (it was her grandfather's) for
$60 (I think).  It's in good condition and works like a charm (the
cutter didn't even need sharpening when I first got it).  It can make
tight curls every time.  But I still have to work on my edge jointing
technique on narrow stock to avoid ending up with beveled edges
though.

I had the opportunity to buy a *really* old #71 (pre-arched-mouth)
from them, but turned it down because it was really rusty, and they
wanted a bit too much.

I ended up buying a more modern #71 from Patrick Leach, along with a
#5.  The #71 is in great condition, but I haven't used it much yet.
The #5 is a bit beat up, but in great working condition.  It often
sends a fluid stream of wood shaving flying out of the plane, landing
on the floor in front of the work.

The rest of my planes are new.  Some work pretty well, others are
flaky.

	- Great Neck #4 (my first new plane)

		It's surprisingly useable (when the cap iron screw doesn't
		come off min-stroke), although it's very light weight
		(especially the frog which you'd think was plastic,
		except that it makes a metallic sound when you tap it)
		and the cap iron arches above the cutter rather than
		sitting on it.

		The bottom is surprisingly flat.

	- Stanley #271 router

		works great when the cutter isn't slipping loose

	- Buck Brothers small palm plane

		works great, but not very adjustable, mouth is a bit
		wide (in both directions)

	- Record Nuovo #4

		as expected, it's very roughly finished, although the
		bottom is fairly smooth (though in need of
		flattening).

		I got it on close out from Lowe's for $18.

	- Stanley malleable iron spokeshaves (flat and round bottom)
		The bed for the cutter is *horrible* on both specimens.
		They're not just not flat, they're downright bumpy.
		Chatter city.

		It's taken a lot of work to file the flat-bottomed
		spoke shave to useable condition.  The other one isn't
		there yet.  I probably should have bought an older
		specimen from Patrick :-(.

I don't have any vintage chisels, just some Blue Chips from Home Depot
($18 for a set of four), some Stanley Goldenbergs from William Alden
(ash handle came off on the mortise chisel :-( ), and a set of skews
from Lee Valley.

I've got a long list of furniture projects to make, but have come to
enjoy doing small things too after making a music box for my mother.
But I'll never try to use a coping saw to hog out waste in a 8/4 hunk
of cherry again.

I prefer the relative "simplicity" in Shaker (although some of it
looks really uncomfortable) and Arts&Crafts styles to more ornate
stuff like Queen Anne.



Recent Bios FAQ