I've spent the last year reading books, aquiring tools, and 
learning how to tune and use them. I plan to take my first 
woodworking class in January of 2004 at the local YWCA and 
would like to learn how to make furniture.

My shop is pretty much set-up now, and I've slowly taken over 
half of the basement in our house on Long Island, which is 
near Sag Harbour. I share with the family furnace, so it 
stays comfortably warm in the Winter months. Swmbo has been 
pretty cool about the tools, but would like to see some 
reports of actual tool usage.

Besides building my shop workbenches, tables, and cabinets, 
my only projects to date have been a new closet interior for 
myself, which was precipitated by swmbo kicking me out of the 
last drawer in our dresser, and a built-in bookcase for my 
daughters room (she's almost six years old) in our apartment 
in NYC. I'm also happy to announce the birth of my son who is 
now 7 weeks old and is all boy.

I live and work in NYC on the weekdays, where I am partnered 
in my own construction business (www.mcgoco.com) and have 
rarely ever seen the use of old tools on the job. We just 
moved to a new apartment in March overlooking the Hudson 
River and we enjoy watching the big ships come in, and 
sunsets. The old gantry outside our living room window is a 
nice connection with the past, and is an "Old Tool".

For the last two months, I've enjoyed reading all of your 
posts, and hope to be able to contribute some day; But until 
then, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions and 
the sharing of your accumulated knowlege:->

Best Regards
Jonathan Peck
New York, N.Y.