Fellow galoots,

I can barely work up the courage to crawl up on the porch steps and
beg your forgiveness.  I could have sworn that I at one time posted my
bio, but tonight's browse of the Bios list proved I was mistaken.  I
am so sorry.  I have poked my head out from under the porch so many
times and even chimed in to many a discussion.  I think I've even
helped myself to the sweet tea.

I was born in 1960 in Delaware, Ohio, just north of Columbus.  Lived
there until September 2005.  I have seven (yes, 7) boys and a
wonderful wife.

Grew up watching my Dad work in his basement shop that flooded out
about once a year.  Constant mold and rust.

He later quit his full-time factory job and became a self-employed
handyman when I was a young lad.  (He eventually built a real shop.)
I helped him on many jobs.  I learned most of what I know about
woodworking from my Dad.  He was a power tool user and didn't use many
hand tools except for the occasional chisel or block plane to hang
doors.

Then about 1997 or so, he shows up at our house for Christmas with a
paper bag.  A heavy paper bag.  He says, "Here.  You can have these."
A Stanley 78 rabbet plane and a Stanley 4-1/2 smoother.  I was
ecstatic.  I knew nothing about planes, but went full steam ahead
researching and learning how to restore them.  When I took my first
whisper-thin shavings with that 4-1/2, I was almost literally in
tears.  "This is woodworking," I thought.  I was permanently hooked.

Thus here I am.  Somewhere, sometime, somebody pointed me to The
Porch.  I have been sneaking around the side of the house and hiding
under the porch for quite some time.

I used to be a computer geek and had my own consulting business since
1989.  In September 2005, I moved to Des Moines, Iowa to become one of
the editors for Woodsmith and ShopNotes magazines.  Kinda' like a
dream job, I guess you could say.  Having the time of my life.

Now I hope y'all don't mind if I pull up a chair.

-- Randy
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Randall Maxey wrote:
> Fellow galoots,
>Most of his bio planed away per the fascinating faq (really a good read!)
> 
> I used to be a computer geek and had my own consulting business since
> 1989.  In September 2005, I moved to Des Moines, Iowa to become one of
> the editors for Woodsmith and ShopNotes magazines.  Kinda' like a
> dream job, I guess you could say.  Having the time of my life.
> 
> Now I hope y'all don't mind if I pull up a chair.
> 
Windsor, Morris, Chippendale, or other??

Welcome!

Anyone think we are making a splash, we have a second ww magazine with
an editor on the porch?  Although with all due respect to Randy his
looks rather more Norm-centric.

Any particular slope you would like a good look at?  we are all here to
help ;-)  ;-)

Or any types of articles you are looking for one of the assembled
multitude to write??

Esther

-- 
Esther Heller
bench built Windsor chairs
www.estherheller.com

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Esther,

"Although with all due respect to Randy his [magazines] looks rather
more Norm-centric."

Shhhhh!!!!  I'm undercover!  Trying hard to get more hand tool
coverage, though it's a fight.  You should have noticed at least a
little shift in the last year.  A couple of us editors are hand tool
guys, so we try to sneak something in every so often.

"Any particular slope you would like a good look at?  we are all here to help"

No worries, there.  I've been slipping down the hand plane slope for
quite some time now.

"Or any types of articles you are looking for one of the assembled
multitude to write??"

We don't use free-lance writers, but if the assembled galootdom
doesn't mind, I might solicit opinions or guidance or knowledge once
in a while.  As I did with my post about the upcoming seminar I'm
giving to a bunch of Normites on hand planes in the shop.

And I'm now working on an article about Yankee-style screwdrivers for
ShopNotes.  Never been done.  I'm so giddy about it, I can't stand it.
 While we're on that topic, I may start another thread about how y'all
use your Yankees.

Glad to be here.

--Randy
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