Where are all the neanders?

Thoughts

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>Whenever the subject of Fine Woodworking mag comes up (yes, this is related), someone comments that s/he's getting bored with it, because it repeats the same article subjects over and over. Magazine fatigue, in other words. I think there may be some Internet fatigue at work.

I recall when Ellis first opened up the Island after Badger Pond dried up a comment from the first moderator to the effect that what we like to talk about here is the tools themselves, not what we make with them, more so than fora on other subjects (e.g, turning, carving). Only so much you can say about hand tools unless you get into the arcana of the collector's world - and, as a group, we tend to shy away from being called collectors. Occasional posts about what people have made and the techniques applied in the making would liven the place up.

Cold shop

jim reed @ tallahassee

>Cannot speak for others, but my shop is in an unheated garage and has been quite cold lately. On some days too cold to work and on others acceptable for only an hour or so. I will do more shopwork when it gets warmer and before the heat of summer.

Another possibility

Denis Ch�nard, Orl�ans, Ont.

>We are now using the tools and consequently are away from our PCs :-)

DC

Haven't been any rousing conflicts in a while? :)

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

must have been a fresh shipment of

vlparisian - Houston

>Round tuits arrived recently. Fewer of us have the time.

To say nothing of the ...

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>fact that no one seems foolish enough to post a full fledged review here anymore.

Pam

You mean you want to see pic of my work?

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Don't say I didn't warn you...

They'll probably scare people off!

We're all too busy...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Working on our newly aquired Millers Patent planes.

Sorry I had to sneak that in...;^)

How Sad...but true

John Todd

>As a relative newcomer without much to say, but oh so much to learn, I enjoyed the reviews and never thought anybody's enthusiasm for a product went over the line or imagined they were acting as agent for LV or LN. I feel bad about the lack of reviews, and felt a little sad when the reaction to some reviews and reviewers seemed to imply they had an improper interest in the reviewed plane. I miss the well written reviews. Liked to hear Rob Lee chime it too on a regular basis, though I haven't heard much from him either.

As a small niche market woodworkers are blessed with wonderful companies to deal with. No problem singing the prases of LV or LV or Joel or... Shouldn't appologize.

Been Reading

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>Dean,

I can say that I've been busy getting caught up on some book reading lately. I really love reading and partcipating in WC, but I also love to sometimes just sit and read a book, which in recent years I have done very little of.

Haven't been spending any time dorking about in the shop lately either in an attempt to let my wrist pain go away. I'd say "heal", but since this aggravation as been coming and going for the past 25 years (sic*) I'd say that heal is the wrong the word.

Also, as Jim says, what with the cooler weather in most parts of the U.S. here lately I'd imagine that there are many a vacant unheated shops right now.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh but have to fear Dean-O---Spring is a'coming! :~)

* I can hradly believe that it's been 25 years since I first injured this wrist. Seems like only yesterday!

Todd O.

speaking for myself...

Moses Yoder in White Pigeon, MI

>I am still probably posting more than I really should, but am in the middle of my Michigan winter. We had a cold snap that sucked the energy out of me a little bit, but the weather broke and I have more energy now. My interests will be spread pretty wide this summer. One, I am planning a trip to Isle Royale for a week; eta. June 18. I have never been backpacking for more than overnight before, so the preparations/education are a bit on the extreme side. I had to pick out all my gear, and it is all new because I have to rely on it for a pretty tough environ. I have all the big peices now, and the only thing remaining is to learn how to pack the bag and head out for a couple weekend trips to break in the new tools. 2) Our library had a book sale which Megan went to while I was at work. The night before she had asked if there was anything I was interested in and I replied "Anything by Hemingway." She ended up finding the book of Hemingway's letters (5 books for a dollar) , which I had checked out before but never really got into reading. I have this affliction where if I get into a good book I find it difficult to do anything except read. Hemingway's letters are really quite fascinating; they help me to understand the man behind the books like probably nothing else could; all 900 pages of them. 3) Today I recieved the copy of "The Soul of a Tree" I found on the classifieds here; so you probably will not be seeing much of me for several months yet ;) Must say I am having a blast; will have some good shop time tomorrow morning. I now have a timer set up for the heat on the shop, I can start it at 5 am and it will be comfortable by 6:30 or so; very handy not to have to get out to start the heat. I am busy enough and have spent enough money that I will not be joing the M-WTCA this year, regretfully, but am also finding that I am almost through my "collectors" stage. You can only have so much stuff laying around before it gets old I guess. (Was going to write "shit laying around" but then remembered I am a sunday school teacher and some people might be offended) Anyway, I have more stuff to do than I will ever be able to get done in this lifetime and hopefully will be able to keep it that way. Am also tying some flies, looking forward to the spring which is why I like living in MI; spring is the thing.

Re: Reading

Moses Yoder in White Pigeon, MI

>What are you reading? Anything good?

Time all taken up with children . . .

Angus Barclay, in New Zealand

>I used to spend a fiar bit of time on Badger Pond and then moved here to Wood Central. But when my woodworking interest started I didn't have children. Now, the baby girl is nearing 3 and the young lad has just turned 8, so I simply don't have as much time to post here anymore. Swimming lessons, hockey, model plane building, fishing off the wharf, swing-pushing, zoo visits, legos, tree huts and running races are higher on the priority list.

Leisure time for this busy Dad is better spent in the shop than behind a screen. I just finished storage shelves for the girl's toys but they don't warrant a photo or build description here as they're just painted MDF. The next project is a proper hand-tool cabinet for my shop. I just picked up the wood today and can't wait to start in to it. I'll definitely post pics of the finished item - loaded with tools of course.

regards

Angus Barclay

We're looking forward to the pics.

vlparisian - Houston

>

Re: Moses...

ThomD

>Get Ray Jardines Beyond Backpacking, if you haven't already OD on similar stuff.

Back aroud '77 I did a big chunk of the Bruce Trail with a pal. Took me and a bud 1 week to do this particular section. Following year we Kayaked it, and then decided to walk back for our car when the onshore waves came up. It took us the afternoon to cover the same ground we had covered the previous year in a week. Light gear (actually no gear that year) was the difference.

Tools packed up for 18 years

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>My tools were packed up for 18 years. First daughter was easy to look after, she even helped look after the second daughter. BUT when the third came along, my tools went into boxes for 18 years. No regrets, but I have been catching up ever since.

So where are the pictures

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>of that dang plane??? The bronze beauty that has become your latest time sink?

Packing them up was wise

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>because that means you've still got them.

On the other hand, my sons certainly learned a lot about tool use with my tools...

Re: Reading

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>Just finished a book this evening titled Tools Of The Trade by Jeff Taylor. It was an enjoyable read. Sort of a whimsical, reminesent look at old Handtools by a former carpenter.

The next book is called Here's England. Seems to a bit of a comical read about the adventures of two American tourists as they trounce about England. I'd think it should take only about two weeks to read, but will probably be more like a month as finding quiet reading time is almost impossible, and finding the will to just sit still and read for any length of Time is even harder still.

T.O.

Re: How Sad...but true

ThomD

>"I enjoyed the reviews and never thought anybody's enthusiasm for a product went over the line or imagined they were acting as agent"

This seems to be a constant tension (as i'm sure most know better than me). Think of what happened when the net first took off and all the original folks seemed to feel the neighbourhood went to heck. Same reaction, literally and figuratively when Second Life was "discovered". Same thing with U-Tube.

To me the commercial issue is just one part of it. Anytime someone who buys ink by the truckload enters a board it pretty much pushes a lot of other stuff out. That may well be the way it should be, maybe people really just want to discuss the lattest sales brochures. Nothing wrong with that.

Loved "Tools Of The Trade"

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>I read about it in a review, then found it remaindered at our local bookstore - bought two over a few weeks, one for me and one for my brother.

I wish that author would do another book on carpentry-related subjects - he's a delightful writer.

Re: How Sad...but true

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>I enjoyed the reviews and never thought anybody's enthusiasm for a product went over the line or imagined they were acting as agent">/i>

I feel the same as you Thom, never once did I feel that somebody was acting as an agent when doing a Review either, but I do have a theory or two on why somebody might, and unfortunately it is caused by the Internet itself.

My theory is that due to the overwhelming amount of BS that has been fed to us by unscrupulous types via the Internet--and snail mail-- has got everybody jaded to the point of not believing a damn thing, or at best very little of what they see on it. Bottom line is that TRUST is fast disappearing from Society and the Internet IMO is playing a very large role in this.

I can easily speak for myself on this issue. I used to be of the mindset that everybody was a friend until they gave me a reason not to be. Now I'm more inclined to go with NOBODY is a friend until they give me a reason that they should be. Why? Simple, my Trust is shot. Now, with that said, that dosen't hold true here on WC. I like to feel that this little Island is one place in this souless new world that I can come too and be lied to, cheated, or word tricked. I think it a pure shame that when a well established member of WC gives a Review--either Positive or Negative-- that s/he gets attacked and accused of maybe having some type of hidden agenda. Folks, that's sad, sad that we should attack one of OUR OWN.

Other signs of my MIStrust is all that junk I get in the snail mail, especially financial offers such as for credit cards, or mortage refinance dosen't even get opened anymore. It goes thru the shredder just fine in the envelopes. With the caller ID on my phone, if it dosen't display a name ot number that I know than I don't answer it. I'll let the answer machine get it, and take it from there. 99.999% of the time a message is not left, so surely it was some huckster.

Todd O.