Woodworking Video Magazine-- First Impression

[John Grossbohlin]

Larry,

I may suck, but I think your Gandhi quote pretty much defines how I look at things... you have to make it happen! ;~) Sure location helps a bit but getting out there and doing it is what really counts. I originally met Underhill while working at Colonial Williamsburg, VA but that job only happened because I took a three month solo bicycle trip all over the state of FL and then north to NY. While visiting CW during that trip I went and talked to the master gunsmith and a journeyman gunsmith after a presentation they did. Out of that discussion I ended up getting a job at CW. I met Norm Abram by going to Old Sturbridge Village as the result of one of the parents in our home schooling circle mentioning her seeing a notice he would be there. The list of other prominent woodworkers I've encountered has grown through my association with the Northeastern Woodworkers Association. The association with NWA happened because I showed up at a meeting after hearing about the group from a guy in my sportsmen's club... I was blown away by turned items I saw during Show & Tell (though I'm pretty much a flat boarder at this point) and joined immediately. This same kind of thing has happened for me with other interests because I act on the information I obtain...

I've found that gaining entry to interesting circles is often a matter of showing up and asking! Fortunately, woodworkers in general seem to be pretty open about sharing their Arts and Mysteries, and exchanging ideas with others... Though if you become a pesky leach who never brings anything to the table (even if it's as simple as picking up cookies for the meeting refreshments) you may find yourself somewhat marginalized from the really interesting stuff. ;~) Getting involved may take some effort but I've been well rewarded with wonderful experiences and friends for my efforts. I don't discount this group here either as the thousands of people who have come and gone through here over the years bring ideas and information to my attention... which is how I found out about Woodworking in Action which started this whole thing! ;~)

John

[Larry Jaques]

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 23:40:14 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "John Grossbohlin" quickly quoth:

Tres cool. Do you do any metalworking, and did they cover that?

I'd very much like to meet Nahm, but I don't worship him like some do.

Yeah, flat boarder. I can sometimes appreciate a turned object, but most turning doesn't, um...turn me on.

Ayup! It's amazing how much people will share with you, both in the way of knowledge and in material goods, if you merely ask.

Yes, I met Frank Klausz when he came to the SDFWA meeting to give a weekend seminar. He's the source of my Hungarian paper towel sig. I volunteered to help the demonstrators at the Ontario and San Diego, CA Woodworking Shows for a couple years, too. I got to work with/sit in on Frank again, and with (shoot, forgot his name ) on the sharpening seminar twice.

Yeah, it's a great and changing group. I just wish the SNR would settle down a bit lately. Oy vay!

Great, thanks.

[John Grossbohlin]

That is what I mostly did at CW... making wood screws out of steel with files, wielding the madrel or flatters while welding barrels (welding at the forge), forging patch box springs, reaming barrels with a hand turned reaming machine, etc. I don't do much metal work these days--don't want to make a mess in my woodworking shop! ;~)

I haven't seen him on the OSV schedule again... but if he shows up on the schudule I'd go again. It was a great day of presentations and one-on-one encounters. I did notice that OSV is offering woodworking workshops.

I spoke with Frank Kausz at the Edison, NJ show also. He was doing demos at the Hammer/Felder booth... pretty intense guy when it came to the details of woodworking! Kelly Mehler was there too but I missed his demos in deference to seeing Marks's presentations.

RE sharpening, are you talking about the Tormek guy Jeff Farris? He was at Edison also... I recognised him from his appearance on NYW.

I'm not sure who NWA has coming to Showcase the weekend of March 25-26 in Saratoga Springs, NY. However, in the past I've seen Ernie Conover, Garrett Hack, Bonnie Klein (turner), Teri Masaschi (finishing), Jere Osgood, Michael Puryear and others there... As I mentioned previously, Roy Underhill is coming in March also for a three day program--just checked the dates March

9-11.

NWA brings in a lot of talent and has a lot of local talent. For example, last night's presentation at the Kaatskill Woodturners Association was on vacuum chucks. Carl Ford gave a highly detailed presentation on how to build up a system and make various chucks and fittings. He clearly spent a lot of time on preparation as evidenced by the handout and myriad examples he built for the demo. Again, a serious effort with so much information that one could duplicate his equipment by following the handout.

take it that you are on the left coast... too bad. I think the real action is in the Northeast. ;~)

John

[Larry Jaques]

On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 04:26:39 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "John Grossbohlin" quickly quoth:

Yeah, fire and smoke are like that. Wood's too adaptive to flame.

Yes, Frank takes woodworking very seriously. I think it was his apprenticeship which instilled that into him. He started from the ground up and did everything by hand for years and years.

No, and I still can't remember his name. Tall, lanky, sandy-haired fella. His name's on the tip o' my tongue but won't come out. He wrote a book on an entirely different subject, though still WW. Paul sumpin'?

I'm one country over from you, in the Pacific Northwest. ;)

True, but you can have your unbridled population, NYC, water pollution, + all the acid rain a guy could ever want, thanks. My new town, Grants Pass, OR is too big for me at 23,000. ;)

[Bob Schmall]

(delurking) Larry, what the f...er, heck, is your email addy? Ping me please.

Bob

The fool tries to change the world to fit himself. The wise man adapts himself to the world. All progress is due to the fools.

[John Grossbohlin]

Paul?? Cannot think of anyone named Paul I've encountered doing something on sharpening at a show. Garret Hack does presentations on it...

I'm in the Catskill Mtn. region... up until 9/11 it was tolerable. Post 9/11 it's like the rats ran up here from a burning ship! Real estate prices have gone nuts, traffic is unbelievable at times. I've all but given up on riding my bicycle on the road as a result. After about 23 years of mountain biking I find the trails are too damned busy too--they are black topping some of them! The first 10 years or so it was RARE to encounter anyone else in the woods on foot or bicycle outside of hunting season. I recall hiking mountains in the Catskills 20-30 years ago and maybe encountering one or two people. My last trip up Wittenberg Mtn in September 2005 was like walking in Times Square--accents and all. ;~)

While on the trails now the city escapee crunchies yell at you for scaring them (as they walk in the middle of the trail with their personal stereo plugged into their head), or for defending yourself from their unrestrained dogs (dogs that just crapped on the trail) or riding "too fast." The worst though are the entrepreneurs taking neophytes horseback riding on the trails (the neophytes cannot control the horses and there is horse crap all over the place) who yell at you like they own the trails. Last summer a guy's unrestrained dog (I'm not sure what it was... probably a bull dog but possibly a pit bull) pulled my kid off his bicycle by his pants leg. My son was scared but uninjured at that point. However, every time he moved the dog moved in on him again. I told the owner to control the dog or I would--with my "velo pistol." I didn't tell him how I'd control the dog but I made it clear I would and he understood I would... The guy finally tackled his dog to the ground so we could make our exit.

I keep thinking about moving to a more rural area but then I don't want to do to someone else what the city refugees have done to us. And of course, if I went to a more rural area then I'd have the proximity to woodworking talent problem you have. ;~)

John

[Larry Jaques]

On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 20:31:47 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "John Grossbohlin" quickly quoth:

Paul Anthony. One of his router seminars was here and you can find a picture of him at the link of his name

for forgetting your name, Paul.)

Hey, I just moved out of LoCal. Tell me about those. Your dog encounters only remind me that people shouldn't own slaves. That's how most animals are treated most of the time and it ought to be illegal (since morality and ethics don't do it.)