OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

121572 "egbertmr" <egbertmr@m...> 2003‑09‑07 Introduction and Tool Storage philosophy question.
Hi all.

In my wanderings on the net, I found oldtools.  It is excellent to have a
direct connection with others who feel as I do about tools and wood and
tools and tools.  I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough for all
of your knowledge, experience and polite attitudes.  I especially like the
opportunity to read what other think, who are older than me, (I'm 36).  I
feel it is my responsibility to learn as much as I can from people, who
will be gone someday, so there will be a record of what they knew and
stood for as craftsmen.  Enough gushing.

I have been reading the oldtools daily emails since May of 2001.  But I
have never written anything, so I will introduce myself...

My name is Michael Egbert.  I have been woodworking since March of 2001. 
My first tool was a LN 102 block plane.  My second tool, much more
influencial IMHO, was a book called 'Understanding Wood' by R. Bruce
Hoadley.  Then I read 'The Complete Guide to Sharpening' by Leonard Lee. 
And I kept on reading and buying hand tools.  I didn't do anything but
read books about woodworking and cut, plane and chisel wood for a year. 
My first project was a 9 in. by 9 in. by 12 in. doug fir tool box.  I
ripped the 2x4s by hand.  I'm into the hand tool thing.

Then I started building things for the shop, tables, shelves, boxes.  And
I began to have so many tools just laying around on tables because I
didn't have any tool storage.  So I looked for a big toolbox to base a
design on, and I realized that I didn't have the money for materials or
the skill necessary to even start.  That's when I decided to have all my
tools each have thier own tool box.  I built a chisel cabinet, and I love
it.  My next cabinet is going to be a plane cabinet.  I'm still working on
the design, so it will be a while before it's ready to start building.

Here is my question:  What are some of the ways that you all use to store
tools?  I think it's excellent when you see a well organized set of tools
and I would really like to hear if anyone has any good ideas.  I know it
will depend on shop size and condition and personal preferences, but I'd
still like to hear about them.

I wanted to tell you all something that I think you will appriciate.  I
live outside of Seattle in the country.   There are lots of farms and
large tracts of land that people use for country type things.  There is a
guy named Roger that owns a medieval village called Camlann just down the
road from my house.  Everything is done with methods and technology of
medieval times.  So, one day I wet.  When you walk in the gate, with
everybody dressed and talking like a Monty Python movie, there is this 20
ft. by 40 ft. timber-framed cottage being build in medieval ways.

I start talking to the guy that was building it and he turns out to be a
cabinet maker doing this as a volunteer.  So I asked if I could help the
next weekend and he said I should talk to Roger, the owner.  Roger told me
I could help, but the tools must be of the times.  He chopped the date off
a 1550.  So I looked at the type of construction they were using, (big
massive mortise and tenons), and bought a mortising ax and a 2 in. socket
slick from Henry Taylor.  We worked all day and the weekends to come and
we managed to cut and fit 10 rafters, and a large crossbeam (8x8).  Very
hard work, but the morticing ax was the tool to use.  We only had bow
saws, so the sawing was pretty rough.  If I had had a ryoba or a good
Disston, it would have been much easier.  The only tool that I couldn't
find, that would have been right on the money regarding the timesframe,
was the tweebil.  They are not made and the only ones that I know of that
exist are artifacts in museums.  Anybody know anything about tweebils? 
Anyway, it was a great time and I thought about the list while I was
working.

I recently finished my first fine cabinet.  It's a Single Malt Scotch
cabinet.  If you would like to see some pictures, they are posted at:

http://michaelegbert.net/Woodworking/WoodworkingHome.htm

I will use my page as my bio and send links when it is updated.

Thanks,
Michael



Recent Bios FAQ