Galoots all,
Some once said - Time waits for no man. What he forgot to add is that 
time speeds up as one ages.

Posters of updated bios have prompted me to re-read my own, discovering 
that indeed it does require updating. So here goes:

Old: I love wood and things mechanical, and I like technology.
Updated: Nothing changed here.

Old: I am not a consumate wood worker by a long chalk, having
only recently attempted my first hand cut dovetails.
Updated: Well, the dovetails (cut with some-one else's saw), have stood 
the test of at least a coupla years. And there would be more dovetails, 
'ceptin' I just cannot find a nice gentleman's or dovetail saw to call 
my own. Oh, I could probably save for any new one I like, even a 
Wenzloff & Sons, but I'm hoping to score an 'Old Tool'.

Old: My workshop (shed) is not!  I have a 19' x 12' garage the inside of 
which no car has seen for 25 years, blah blah.....
SWMBO (the missus) and I are building a new home that will have
a workshop under the main roof along with a double garage to house the 
junk.
Updated: New house is built. Junk is cosy and dry in the garage and the 
cars are outside in the rain.

Old: I got the feeling that all rust is salvageable, which engendered a 
collecting challenge I cannot resist!
Updated: Nothing changed here.

Old: I have been on my own in the Personal Computer business since
around '82 and am looking forward to the day when I can totally
forget about Bill Gates.
Updated: Yay! Bill gates is now a distant memory. Even my friends cannot 
believe the passion with which I avoid every facet of PC's other than 
using my own. Chucked out all the PC related hardware, software, disks, 
books, Cds, cabling and connectors. Even the massive container of 
screws, mounting posts, and blanking plates. All Gone!

Old: My backstop hobby, whilst glue is drying, is my '65 BSA 500 twin,
specially built by the Brits for the American market. Complete with
"Oklahoma 1977" Rego and "Tinker" USAF stickers of authenticity.
Updated: Nothing changed here.

Old: My sense of humour is somewhat erratic (yes with an "a"), and my
sense of fairplay will always please some. Etikette is a word I find
difficult to spell, but am trying hard to learn.
Updated: Nothing changed here.

Updated: The vegie garden's in, the paving is finished and the retic., 
is working just fine. I'm retired now, or am I just tired again.

For your viewing pleasure there's a pictorial of events to be seen here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/ausiewood

PeterH in Perth
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And, John, if I recall correctly, you and I are very distant cousins from
back a few generations ago in the northeast.

Joe

Joseph Sullivan

 
-----Original Message-----
From: oldtools-bounces@r...
[mailto:oldtools-bounces@r...] On Behalf Of
Sgt42RHR@a...
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 7:07 PM
To: oldtools@r...
Subject: [OldTools] Bio Update

I posted my bio last in 2006, since then...

I'm still married to my  first wife of 38 years.  My 36 year old son has 
moved to Chicago where he  is a chef instructor at the Butcher Block, my 29
year 
old daughter (a  nurse) in Asheville, NC has announced she is pregnant with
boy 
and girl  twins (our first grandchildren!), and my 25 year old daughter has 
moved from  Baltimore to Columbia and works as an Occupational Therapist.

We have  (mostly) completed redoing the interior of our 1972 ranch on slab 
house  (unchanged since 1984 when we moved in) including hardwood floors in
all 
rooms  but the bedrooms, ceramic kitchen floor, all new kitchen cabinets (I 
still need  to install the wall cabinets), new bathroom vanities and
fixtures 
(will install  the MBR vanity and countertop tomorrow), and painting all 
ceilings, walls and  woodwork throughout the house.  While the results are
wonderful, 
it's been  like moving--for 5-6 weeks!

My use of old tools has been limited recently  to what I need to do the 
redecorating work (thank God for Galootaclaus 2006 and  2007!!) required for
many 
jobs.  Before the home improvement started in  October, I  got most of the
hard 
work done on making my 18th century  folding four-post camp bed (that is,
the 
8 knuckle joints are cut and fully  operational).

I made a great cherry ramped shooting board and restored  and commissioned a

Type 9 Stanley No. 6C as the dedicated plane for it.  It  works quite well, 
even on 2" square walnut posts.

I've acquired a few  more books (I'm particularly interested in books about 
early tools, their use,  and 18th century material culture related to 
woodworking tools and  products).

I still work at the Director of Assessment for the College of  Education at 
the local university (and just this past April completed a  smashingly 
successful accreditation effort), and am looking forward to  retirement in 4
- 5 years 
(I'm 61 at present).

This past spring, summer,  and fall have been full of wonderful 18th century

living history events in which  I've participated as a 1770's Loyalist 
landowner in PA/VA, or a French &  Indian War period French Marine, and have
included 
lots of wonderful music (I  play mandolin--mostly 18th-early 19th century 
Celtic and American/British folk  music).

My primary focus in using tools at this point is in building the  camp 
equipage I need for my 18th century impression and building cabinets,
drawers and 
shelves to contain the tools for the shop.

Cheers,
John
 

John M. Johnston
Late Captn. 42d Grenr. Compy.
"There is a fine  line between hobby and mental illness." Dave Barry
 
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