OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

84560 Stacey_Darrington@l... 2000‑10‑04 BIO


     Ok, so like a number of others, I feel like I need to finally introduce
myself. I have been here on the porch since a few weeks after it began, but have
often not had time to keep up with the list. After a move from the Ontario, to
BC (Canada), I now find that I am starting to have more time to relax.

     Like many, I grew up around tools, & equipment. In my case, it was on a
farm. We did not do anything fancy, just whatever was needed. This followed me
wherever I went, as I built whatever rough furnature I needed.

     After a few years, I just seemed to move towards finer work. At that time,
my shop was the balcony of our apartment. I could only work in nice weather,
since it was too cold during the winter.  My next step was after we bought our
first house, & I built a 18x20 shop. Since I grew up around mennonites, & have
worked with their barn building crews a couple times, I used post & beam
construction. In the end, the shop was better insulated, & set up than the
house...

     Seven years later, SWMBO decides she wants to move back west, to be closer
to her family. So here I am, havinj just finished my second year in Vancouver,
BC. I now have a 25x45 shed to work in, but it currently combines my
wooodworking, & car restoration. This weekend, I will be starting a 26x30
addition, that will house the auto stuff.

     Most of the tings I make now are decorative. I make a lot of turnings,
along with some furniture. Strangely enough, the biggest problem I have here is
getting good qualit wood, at reasonable prices. You'd think it would be easy
here, but all the good stuff gets shipped out of the country. The only source I
currently have is for Maple at $3/bf for plain, & $9/bf for figured.

     At the suggestion of the list, I joined the PNTC this year & attended the
Best of the West this summer. It was a great event, & I came home with a number
of very nice pieces.

     Lastly, does anyone on the west coast want to share any good tool haunts? I
can't seem to find much in the pawn shops, & antique stores round here...

     Thanks for listening
          Stacey Darrington
          Vancouver, BC

     P.S. anyone want to get together in this general area?




Recent Bios FAQ