Neanderthalia

[Tom Watson]

Since the new (desk) job has been going well for the last three months, and the knees are still as bad as they ever were - I don't figger on ever going back into the shop again as a pro.

I've got a bunch of furniture projects to do for my own place and I've decided to go after them with Galootish techniques, rather than Normite.

I'm keeping the Unisaw and the thickness planer, as I don't feature doing basic stock prep with a handsaw and a plane - but the other stuff is pretty much going down the road.

That means the TURT (Delta Cabinet Shop Shaper and its appurtenances) will be gone. The Delta 14" bandsaw goes (might have to bid on LJ's bow saw). The jointer goes. The extra SCMS will be sold, along with the mortiser, spindle borer, Grizz Dust Collector, half the routers, the Portaplane, the Paslode guns, all of the spray equipment, etc., etc., etc.

There's going to be quite a list and I'll post the stuff here on the Wreck before I Ebay the rest.

I had fun being a cabinetmaker and I had fun being a carpenter before that. I'm looking forward to having even more fun in practicing my "quiet tool" techniques during the coming years - and putting the "rec" back into my rec.norm.

Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker (ret) Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet Website:

[Bill Rittner]

I too am looking forward to retiring from the coil winding business. Last several years I have been dealing in old tools. This is what I will do for a retirement business. Funny, the more I deal them the more I lean towards using them and disposing of the noisy machines.

Please keep us posted on your moves in this direction.

Enjoy that desk job!

-- Bill Rittner R & B ENTERPRISES Manchester, CT

[e-mail]

"Don't take this life too seriously.......nobody gets out alive" (Unknown)

[Kim Whitmyre]

I've been hanging a lot of doors lately, using the el cheapo PC electric plane: I've gotten pretty good with it as a matter of fact. But let me know the price you have in mind for that portaplane. . . ;~)

Kim

[Tom Watson]

That helical cutter works like a champ. I'll be pricing this stuff up over the next week or so. If you want to make an offer prior to that, that's fine too.

I'd rather see the good stuff go to the Wreckers.

Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker (ret) Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet Website:

[David F. Eisan]

Dear Tom,

What exactly is it that you are doing now?

David.

[Larry Jaques]

On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 16:52:17 -0400, Tom Watson brought forth from the murky depths:

Too bad about the knees. Mine's back to about 90% (and that was just one too many bumps on the ligamentum patella) but I'm not going to be jumping off cliff or playing bassetball any more. (Wait, did I ever play bassetball?)

Cool. I'm about half and half now...when I get out there. A new guitar stand started taking shape today, and I'm torn betwixt filing a scraper blade for the beading on the old mantle or breaking out the trusty old routah for the job.

Wow, you're seriously giving up Normitism, aren't you?

Oy, vay. That's twice today someone mentioned "that old thing". Glad to be of service to your senses of humor.

So are you going to overprice the crap out of it like I always do, or are you considering it paid for and just scrapping it out? (Bottomfeeders want to know. DAMHIKT)

Mo powah to yas, Tawm. Happy Easter.

P.S: Have you picked up any/all of Lord Roy's "Woodwright's Shop" books yet? You can find often them on

$4 or less.

----------------------------------------------- I'll apologize for offending someone...right after they apologize for being easily offended.

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[Tom Watson]

I'm a project manager for a company that makes store fixtures.

Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker (ret) Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet Website:

[Pop Rivet]

...

...

P Here's to all you guys making the vertical and horizontal movements into your work shops, sometimes against your best preferences. Whether you're now sitting at a desk, gathering together all those honey-do lists and round tuits, I just wanted to say that such banishment, errr, I mean, retirement or semi-retirement, however you want to look at it, can be a pretty danged good thing. I'm "retired", for "health reasons" and have to take my time with everything, b ut you know what? Life's as good as one makes it, and I've found that my retirement is a blessing in disguise, long's we can keep food on the table, oil in the tank, and wood in the shop! I'm a "galooter" too and much as I'd like all that equipment being offered, I'll stick to my little shop and keep on enjoying it; got a lifetime of round tuits in front of me. I can do most any project I want, in one way or another, and that's OK. It's not like I have to meet someone else's deadline or marketing schedule anymore at least!

An older electrical engineer who seldom touched metal except in the model shop:

Pop Rivet

[Patrick Olguin]

Tom Watson wrote

This tool is not known as "The Neanderbuddy," for nothing. You think they'll let me have it as a carry-on?

O'Deen

[Leon]

Good luck with the new job Tom, Change is normally always good. I did the opposite. I started behind the desk so to speak and retired at 40. Now my woodworking hobby of 21 years has been bringing in for the last 8 years.

[Rob Stokes]

....and I'm doing my darndest to figure out how to get OUT of the office and into a "real" job :)

Good luck Tom....I'll be watching the "sale" with interest and (I'm sure) wishing I lived closer.

Rob

[Tom Watson]

Which one?

I figger they'd letya carry on the bandsaur - but the bowsaur looks too dangerous.

Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker (ret) Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet Website:

[Tom Watson]

I've got a couple of Roy's books around here somewheres. I tend to like fancier stuff than what Roy normally (did I just say Roy NORMally?) does.

I'm more attracted to Mike Dunbar's stuff and the thinkings of Brother Krenov (although I have grown tired of the repetition of Krenov's style - and am mostly still attracted to his thinking).

The first book that ever attracted me to working wood was Eric Sloane's, "A Reverence For Wood". I know that's more towards the Roydish than the Krenovian - but that book had a tremendous impact on me.

The other book that was most formative, although it is not strictly a neanderbubbabible - is Ernest Joyce's, "The Encyclopedia Of Furnituremaking", which has been so thoroughly pondered and pummeled as to be worthy of being purchased anew.

[Larry Jaques]

On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 19:36:28 -0400, Tom Watson brought forth from the murky depths:

Yes, he thinks well and I can appreciate it.

I got a copy at the Valley Forge State Park in Pennsyltucky back in '98 and ended up reading half a dozen more of his books.

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Dynamic Website Programming

[Wood Butcher]

It happens. Twas better than saying "what Norm ROYally ..."

Art

[Mike Hide]

I have been thinking the same as you Tom only I am considering giving up all my tools . For the last two years I have been training squirrels to do most of my wood working chores with the exception of using termites to do basic carving . Those suckers are so dumb I don't think they will ever learn ,not that the squirrels are that bright either .

Needless to say the squirrels do take a very long time to even learn the basics they are basically thick as boards .Three have passed on before they mastered straightlining, in that case I have gone on to a more intelligent critter namely a red squirrel, in the meantime I have used chipmunks for the short pieces.

So I wish you all the best in your endeavors, just be careful of all the loot you make on the sales, don't let the old lady pull you into some jewelry store and spend it all on some fine twinkler and then six months later ask you for a box to put it in. Boy is she going to be pissed when you tell her it will be ready in a couple of years .....mjh

[Greg Millen]

Lol, great post Mike! I hear the chipmunks are better at crosscutting 'wild' grain.

As for the squirrels, the red ones are faster - or so they say.

Tell me though, can the squirrel's pass the coin test when chewing?

[Charlie Self]

Wonderful!

Charlie Self "If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin." Charles Darwin

[Norman D. Crow]

Thanks Mike, I needed that chuckle!

Just one question - - Seems Davey Eisan showed some pictures of what he thought were *rats* a year or two back. You sure those are chipmunks you're using, or some of Davey's trained "woodrats"?

[Mike Hide]

Well Greg how observant you are ,chipmunks are much better at crosscutting than most critters .Research over the years indicates the tthe chipmunks tooth configuration is primarily responsible for the chip free cuts. The chipmunk has a triple cut tooth arrange ment very similar to the Forrest best crosscut blade which most people on this group covet so much.

Initially as far a the carving training program I used carpenter bees, with some success I might add .They, the carpenter bees that is , despite their threatening behavior [buzzing around close to ones head] turned out to be relatively easy to train ,a couple of seasons at most and turned out great carvings particularly the precise internal cuts that are so desirable . However two problems arose, one, carving with them is purely seasonal immediately they realized they were not building a nest they quit.Even modifying the environment to fool them into thinking it was eternally spring was only partially successful. A far bigger problem is their mobility. Every time we finished a carved piece and it was delivered I will be dammed if they didn't commence the next season by finding its location and recarving the whole dam thing. So basically I gave up using the bees and in the end used termites ,they might be slower and more slobbery but at least they stay more or less in the same place ......mjh