OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

140243 Michael Miller <millerm@p...> 2005‑01‑02 Bio - Michael Miller
Grand and Gracious Galoots,

I've been happily lurking here for quite some time, listening to the
talk on the Porch through the open window in the front parlor. However,
as I spent a few hours at the emergency room on New Year's Eve, waiting
for a few stitches to close a self-inflicted chisel wound, I decided now
would be the time to introduce myself while trying to avoid getting
blood on you all.

I live in Santa Clara, California, and work for a (surprise!) software
company. Moving out of a condo and into a house started me on home
repair projects; having a couple of children started me looking at old
tools and methods in search of safer, quieter, and potentially more
social ways of doing things.

My 2.5 year old is definitely a GIT (and like many 2-year olds, can be a
git as well, but a wonderful, intelligent, cute, and charming git, like
his old man), and I'd like to be able to work with and around him. He's
still pretty interested in the corded daemons, however, and is one of
the few 2-year-olds I've encountered who can distinguish, say, a Senco
nailer from a Porter-Cable. But a pox on me for mentioning such
unmentionables in this refined company.

It was a nice Christmas for woodworking: SWMBO contributed a (new)
backsaw, and my mother made a nice woodworking apron. A brother-in-law
got me Michael Dunbar's old tool restoration book, and I got a few other
goodies. I've been building cabinetry - a bathroom vanity from ash, some
cantilevered shelving from oak, and that type of thing. I'm enjoying
tinkering on small projects as well, -- lamps, stepstools, etc. --
especially with SWCIAATBO[1] having arrived in December. An unsettled
sleep schedule makes it hard for me to keep momentum on a larger
project. I can't even, apparently, be trusted to keep my finger out of
the path of a chisel. At least I didn't staunch the bleeding with the
prized linens.

I'll spare you all an exhaustive list of tools, and just mention one I
don't use: a Stanley #85 (tilting-tote-and-knob scraper plane, Jeff, and
while I'm at it, thanks for the great web site) my grandfather used.
Some of the furniture he built is still in use at my parent's house, and
back when I was still playing the violin, I played one he built. It's a
nice tool, but I've got a long way to go before I would feel comfortable
using it. I like having it around, though.

And the truth is that I don't have a large stable of tools, and I'm not
really interested in collecting them. But I like using them, and
thinking about using them, and showing my son how to use them. And I've
really enjoyed following the conversations here, so, uh, "Hi."

-Michael in Santa Clara

[1] She who cries in an attempt to be obeyed



Recent Bios FAQ