Minor Book Gloat

[J T]

Today has been a good day. Made the trek to Raleigh today, and picked up a number of automobile repair manuals I had been given. Probably 'bout $40-50 if I'd had to buy them. Hehehe

Then proceeded to my usual used bookstore, and traded in a few of them, for store credit. Then started checking what they had.

I've been told in the past, that as soon as they see me coming, they hide all the books on small steamboats, so didn't score there.

However, they did have a number of early Fine Woodworking magazines. Wound up with two of those, and one early The Woodworker's Journal, for one buck each. Hehehehe They still had about six Fine Woodworkings when I left.

Went thru the woodworking books, and they had a number of quite interesting books at very reasonable prices, but nothing I was interested in getting. Well worth checking at least weekly, as they have a pretty good turnover on them. They did have one as-new book, by someone with an obviously made up author name, Charles R. Self. I'm pretty sure it was by Norm Abram writing with a pen name, because none of the pictures showed a face, just arms and flannel shirts.

Did score on a really neat book, 600 Things to Make For The Farm And Home Vol III, for $4.95. This one is full of fascinating stuff, a lot of which I've never seen the like, and a lot I have. Sheds, dairy desk, masonry, tractor powered posthole digger, hay lift, brush beater, seed harvester, cutlery drawer, milk cart, several homemade lawn mowers, etc., etc. Absolutely fascinating, nicely done drawings for everything. I may never make any of the stuff in it, but it's a fascinating read anyway. It'll be a keeper. Printed in 1952, so they're taking it for granted the reader doesn't have a lot of fancy tools, and probably not a lot of money.

Got a few sci-fi books too. With the trade-ins, only paid $10 out of pocket. Well, gas money, of course. All in all, it's been a pretty good day.

Oh, yeah, it's the Reader's Corner, on Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC. I've been buying books from them since about 1980. If you go, mention, and they'll probably charge you more. LMAO

JOAT "106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses." - Elwood

"Hit it." - Joliet Jake

[Tom Watson]

Yeah, it's a well known fact that Normie has been writing under the norm de plume, Charles R. Self, for years. I think LRod has a whole section about this on his website.

"Set the controls for the heart of the sun." - Pink Floyd.

Regards, Tom.

Thomas J.Watson - Cabinetmaker (ret.) tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

[Wolf Lahti]

I'm almost afraid to ask...

What's a dairy desk?

[J T]

Thu, May 27, 2004, 5:19pm (EDT-3) [e-mail] (Wolf=A0Lahti) trembles and whimpers: I'm almost afraid to ask... What's a dairy desk?

Hehehehe Actually, it looks about like a lap desk. I would think, from the name it was kept in the barn. I would imagine used for keeping records regarding the milk cows, milk production, whatever. Probably kept on a shelf somewhere, and stand to use it. At least that's the way I'd probably do it. I never was around a dairy barn that much, so can't say for sure. I'd never heard of one either.

There's plans for a milking stool in there too, but it's a LOT fancier then any milking stool I've ever seen. Rectangular, raised seat, and apparently a shelf in front, to hold the bucket. I figure that whoever designed it never used it, or no more than once, at the most. I think it'd be way too unhandy to back off from, the first time a cow kicked.

JOAT "106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses." - Elwood

"Hit it." - Joliet Jake

[Brian L]

Charles R. Self is Norm??

I just did a quick search and found some 32 books authored by Charles R. Self. While most have a woodworking twist to them, some are way off like one on autobody repair, another called "Western Horsemanship", and one called "Underground Plant Life: The Amazing World Beneath Your Garden". These sure don't sound like our Norm.

Norm must have some energy level to host NYW, star on TOH, contribute to TOH Magazine, author several NYW books, and manage to write 32 books under a pen name.

I have to say it's kinda hard to believe.

Brian

[J T]

Sat, May 29, 2004, 12:58am [e-mail] (Brian=A0L) is amazed: Charles R. Self is Norm?? I have to say it's kinda hard to believe.

ROTFLMAO

JOAT "106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses." - Elwood

"Hit it." - Joliet Jake

[Robert Bonomi]

Well, you see, some of the books go through the NYW publisher.

The other tomes are Self-published.