Hi Galoots!
Well its time to de-lurk. I've been lurking for about two months and I feel
like I've known you guys for years.
Anyways, my name is Dave Tobbe and I live in Grosse Pointe Farms Michigan,
literally two blocks outside Detroit. I'm 34 yrs old with a SWMBO but no
little ones yet. Gladly she sort of understands the need for more iron but
now she wants her "own" workbench.
I'm a licensed contractor but had to get a "real" job instead of pounding
nails all day. Somehow I've managed to end up as the regional sales manager
for a company that sells hydraulic arbors and chucks and gear inspection
tooling which all made in Germany. (I'm not an engineer, but I play one
every day) We also sell something called a sub-miniature transducer that is
capable of measuring in microns which is used by gage builders.
BTW, I loved the threads regarding "how flat is flat." Not wanting to
re-ignite the fires and for you engineering challenged kinds out there and to
put this in perspective a human hair is about 3 1/2 thou., 0.0035" or (0.0889
mm) thich, a "tenth" is 0.0001" or (0.00254 mm) and a micron is 0.000039" or
(0.001 mm). We're talking way smaller than a nat's a**. In fact one of my
customer's slogans is "accuracy in the millionths." I deal with these kinds
of tolerances all day long so when someone says their plane bottom is flat
within a thou (0.001') I have to smile.
Don't get me wrong this isn't some kind of snobbery - exactly the opposite,
I'll take the more "open" and forgiving tolerances of woodworking over gage
building any day!
I got into woodworking about 6 yrs ago when we bought our first house. We
bought a two family and re-habbed both units and now we are landlords. I
decided to make some storm windows for the basement windows. Well one thing
let to another and now there are 7 tongue and groove and rabbeted storm
windows sitting in the garage. (We put in glass block this summer). Enough
routering for me to last a lifetime!
Since then I've make bookcases, a stereo cabinet, and even a new kitchen
table. My current project is a new workbench with a top made out of old
bowling alley wood I scrounged for free.
My current "collection" consists of:
a #4 type 14 which I rescued from the junk shop missing just about everything
a spiffy late model #5 (at least its got wood handles)
a cracked through and welded #5 1/2
a cracked through and welded #6
a repainted #7C which I overpaid for because it was nice and clean
a brand new 9 1/2 the SWMBO got me for Christmas.
Of course I've got some of the requisite layout and marking tools except a
"good" straight edge and a nice marking gage.
Anyways, Its nice to be on the porch!
Dave
PS, anyone got a scanning coordinate measuring machine in their basement?
|