Huh, I thought I had sent my bio a while back, but I guess not. My apologies for
my tardiness in followin' da rules of dis list. Anyway....

I am a life-long resident of Northern Michigan, other than for a twelve-year
period when I got lost in the Detroit area and couldn't find my way out. I
started on a technical path at a very early age, having been born into a family
of mechanics and craftsmen. I was a woodworker at age 7, a mechanic at 10, a
gunsmith at 14, a machinist at 19, and an engineer at 24. After a couple of
decades of working in industry, I'm back at my Alma Mater, Michigan
Technological University, where I support faculty research and help to teach
young engineers how to design and build things. I oversee the safe operation of
nearly 100 research and teaching labs, including two machine shops and a
woodworking shop. While there are plenty of power tools and machines, I take
every opportunity to teach the value of using hand tools. So many people are
under the impression that parts are made by pushing the Big Green Button. I show
them what is actually behind the curtain. It is highly satisfying to convince a
20-year-old that sometimes the "old ways" are the best and quickest way to
achieve their goal.

My obsession with antique tools began with a $1 hand plane found at a yard sale.
After cleaning the body and sharpening the iron, I discovered how well vintage
tools actually work. I bought another plane and then two more. It was about that
time that I found an old Disston hand saw hanging in a garage. Oh brother! That
was the real start of a hobby that quickly grew much larger. My small shop is
bursting at the seams with planes, saws, chisels, hammers, and the tools used to
restore them. Initially, it was only for myself. However, a close friend finally
convinced me to restore a plane for him. One became ten and that first
“customer” became fifty.

It was through the encouragement of that friend and first customer that I
finally hung out the Loon Lake Tool Works shingle, offering new and vintage
tools, as well as saw sharpening and tool restoration services. I have many
ideas in the works and in various stages of prototyping. With lots of luck and a
little hard work, I plan to add more new tools to my offerings on a regular
basis.

In addition, I am quite active in the tool groups on several social media
platforms. I am one of the administrators of the "Saws, using, collecting,
cleaning and restoring" on Facebook and have seen it grow from 2000 members to
almost 11,000 in just a few years. The members of this group share photos and
historical information on vintage saws. Their interest and encouragement has
also launched the saw making endeavors of at least four persons, one of which
who quit his day job to make saws full-time. It is really neat to see this
community grow.

While I'm not quite old enough to retire from my job at the university, the day
will come when I will no longer work for someone else. When the work is for me,
I can easily put in 12-15 hour days and be eager to get up in the morning and
get at it again. Well, after a cup or three of coffee anyway.

Thanks for listening!

Bob Page
In da U.P. of Michigan

Wow Bob, nice bio.  Seems like I haven’t read a new Bio in a while and it’s
always nice to learn more about the denizens of this cozy corner of the
internet.  You’ve got quite an enviable skill set and a very likable
website to boot.  It gladdens my heart to see more people offering hand saw
sharpening services.  I think it took me 11 years to post a bio so I’m not
sure you are the most delinquent galoot in that regard.  But welcome, even
though you may have been in lurk mode for a while.

Paul, in SF

On Fri, Nov 11, 2022 at 10:26 Bob Page via groups.io  wrote:

Welcome to the Porch, Bob. Always happy to have another Michigander in the
group, especially someone from the Great White North.

Dennis Heyza, who hasn't escaped the Detroit area

-----Original Message-----
From: oldtools@g...  On Behalf Of Bob Page via groups.io
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2022 1:25 PM
To: OldTools Group 
Subject: [oldtools] BIO: Bob Page

Huh, I thought I had sent my bio a while back, but I guess not. My apologies for
my tardiness in followin' da rules of dis list. Anyway....

I am a life-long resident of Northern Michigan, other than for a twelve-year
period when I got lost in the Detroit area and couldn't find my way out. I
started on a technical path at a very early age, having been born into a family
of mechanics and craftsmen. I was a woodworker at age 7, a mechanic at 10, a
gunsmith at 14, a machinist at 19, and an engineer at 24. After a couple of
decades of working in industry, I'm back at my Alma Mater, Michigan
Technological University, where I support faculty research and help to teach
young engineers how to design and build things. I oversee the safe operation of
nearly 100 research and teaching labs, including two machine shops and a
woodworking shop. While there are plenty of power tools and machines, I take
every opportunity to teach the value of using hand tools. So many people are
under the impression that parts are made by pushing the Big Green Button. I show
them what is actually behind the curtain. It is highly satisfying to convince a
20-year-old that sometimes the "old ways" are the best and quickest way to
achieve their goal.

My obsession with antique tools began with a $1 hand plane found at a yard sale.
After cleaning the body and sharpening the iron, I discovered how well vintage
tools actually work. I bought another plane and then two more. It was about that
time that I found an old Disston hand saw hanging in a garage. Oh brother! That
was the real start of a hobby that quickly grew much larger. My small shop is
bursting at the seams with planes, saws, chisels, hammers, and the tools used to
restore them. Initially, it was only for myself. However, a close friend finally
convinced me to restore a plane for him. One became ten and that first
“customer” became fifty.

It was through the encouragement of that friend and first customer that I
finally hung out the Loon Lake Tool Works shingle, offering new and vintage
tools, as well as saw sharpening and tool restoration services. I have many
ideas in the works and in various stages of prototyping. With lots of luck and a
little hard work, I plan to add more new tools to my offerings on a regular
basis.

In addition, I am quite active in the tool groups on several social media
platforms. I am one of the administrators of the "Saws, using, collecting,
cleaning and restoring" on Facebook and have seen it grow from 2000 members to
almost 11,000 in just a few years. The members of this group share photos and
historical information on vintage saws. Their interest and encouragement has
also launched the saw making endeavors of at least four persons, one of which
who quit his day job to make saws full-time. It is really neat to see this
community grow.

While I'm not quite old enough to retire from my job at the university, the day
will come when I will no longer work for someone else. When the work is for me,
I can easily put in 12-15 hour days and be eager to get up in the morning and
get at it again. Well, after a cup or three of coffee anyway.

Thanks for listening!

Bob Page
In da U.P. of Michigan

Hey Bob,

Nice to have a fellow Yooper on the list! I think the closest Galoots 
live in the next time zone.

Jim

On 11/13/2022 11:55 AM, Dennis Heyza wrote:
> Welcome to the Porch, Bob. Always happy to have another Michigander in the
group, especially someone from the Great White North.
>
> Dennis Heyza, who hasn't escaped the Detroit area
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: oldtools@g...  On Behalf Of Bob Page via groups.io
> Sent: Friday, November 11, 2022 1:25 PM
> To: OldTools Group 
> Subject: [oldtools] BIO: Bob Page
>
> Huh, I thought I had sent my bio a while back, but I guess not. My apologies
for my tardiness in followin' da rules of dis list. Anyway....
>
> I am a life-long resident of Northern Michigan, other than for a twelve-year
period when I got lost in the Detroit area and couldn't find my way out. I
started on a technical path at a very early age, having been born into a family
of mechanics and craftsmen. I was a woodworker at age 7, a mechanic at 10, a
gunsmith at 14, a machinist at 19, and an engineer at 24. After a couple of
decades of working in industry, I'm back at my Alma Mater, Michigan
Technological University, where I support faculty research and help to teach
young engineers how to design and build things. I oversee the safe operation of
nearly 100 research and teaching labs, including two machine shops and a
woodworking shop. While there are plenty of power tools and machines, I take
every opportunity to teach the value of using hand tools. So many people are
under the impression that parts are made by pushing the Big Green Button. I show
them what is actually behind the curtain. It is highly satisfying to convince a
20-year-old that sometimes the "old ways" are the best and quickest way to
achieve their goal.
>
> My obsession with antique tools began with a $1 hand plane found at a yard
sale. After cleaning the body and sharpening the iron, I discovered how well
vintage tools actually work. I bought another plane and then two more. It was
about that time that I found an old Disston hand saw hanging in a garage. Oh
brother! That was the real start of a hobby that quickly grew much larger. My
small shop is bursting at the seams with planes, saws, chisels, hammers, and the
tools used to restore them. Initially, it was only for myself. However, a close
friend finally convinced me to restore a plane for him. One became ten and that
first “customer” became fifty.
>
> It was through the encouragement of that friend and first customer that I
finally hung out the Loon Lake Tool Works shingle, offering new and vintage
tools, as well as saw sharpening and tool restoration services. I have many
ideas in the works and in various stages of prototyping. With lots of luck and a
little hard work, I plan to add more new tools to my offerings on a regular
basis.
>
> In addition, I am quite active in the tool groups on several social media
platforms. I am one of the administrators of the "Saws, using, collecting,
cleaning and restoring" on Facebook and have seen it grow from 2000 members to
almost 11,000 in just a few years. The members of this group share photos and
historical information on vintage saws. Their interest and encouragement has
also launched the saw making endeavors of at least four persons, one of which
who quit his day job to make saws full-time. It is really neat to see this
community grow.
>
> While I'm not quite old enough to retire from my job at the university, the
day will come when I will no longer work for someone else. When the work is for
me, I can easily put in 12-15 hour days and be eager to get up in the morning
and get at it again. Well, after a cup or three of coffee anyway.
>
> Thanks for listening!
>
> Bob Page
> In da U.P. of Michigan
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 
>
>



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