# I'm Curious......



## Ms. Rdnkmedic (Dec 2, 2013)

I really enjoy WoodBarter. I enjoy the people, the fellowship, the knowledge, the love and kindness....AND the sarcasm. Most of you have been apart of WB and given your introductions long before I came along. 

I am curious how you started in woodworking whether you do flatwork or turn....who was your inspiration and how did you gather most of your knowledge?

I am eager to learn more about each of you....

Sincerely,

Mel

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## Mike1950 (Dec 2, 2013)

Well I will be first- Gramps was a little gypo logger so I got a love for wood from him- got a D in wood shop in the 7th grade- long story!! worked construction and played with wood but went into biz in 80's no time for hobbies- fast forward 2000- I got sick and Kathie insisted we build shop- And that is where hobby- obsession took hold- it was a good stress reliever- herding 30 plasterers-lathers-clients- contractors-money and work- oh there were the 5 teenagers in our combined family that consumed a bit of time and nerves.
Learned by reading and looking at pieces of furniture- but then again I started with gramps- just took a hiatus for a few years. Inspiration- I was married for 20 years to a wonderful women- That ended- then by the grace of god I found the love of my life and 3 kids that needed me and I had 2 that needed her- She -the kids-the grandkids- the strays that we drug along are my inspiration......................

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## ripjack13 (Dec 2, 2013)

Howdy Mel!

I started working with wood when I was kid. It started with Lincoln logs. I wanted to make my own logs. I had all sorts of sticks from outside gathered on my table and I would whittle them down to look kinda like logs. I went through a few blades doing that. I found out a sharp blade works smoother than a dull one. So I watched my dad sharpen em a few times and then started doing it myself. He let me use his jig. Which I still have today. Then I started whittling lots of stuff. Submarines, boats, the old playskool people. Weeble wobbles. You name it I tried to copy it.
Then came high school. I went to a tech school. Carpentry and drafting as my choice of class. (Welding was next if I couldn't get in the Carpenter shop)
Then from there after graduation I took every kind of construction job I could find. I wanted to learn em all. My main influence in woodworking was my uncle Bob. He made clocks out of slabs (cookies) of every kind of wood. He even showed me how to finish em. Sand ,sand, sand,....
I learned a lot about finishing. But there's always new info on finishing so I read every book or magazine I could at the library. I bought a few subscriptions too. I had em sent to my school. They paid for em and never asked why they came. :)

Now I make pistol grips. If I have a set I can copy it. So I try to gather as many free sets as I can for patterns.
I have never used a lathe. Don't know why though...I'm sure I will one day. I like flat work and whittling and making small stuff. 

Ok...that's it for now....I'm sure I'll remember more later. ;)

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## DKMD (Dec 2, 2013)

Interesting topic, Mel...

I started in flatwork when my wife was pregnant with our oldest. She was shopping for cribs, and I was about to stroke out at the prices for shoddy furniture. I said something stupid like, 'Hell, I can make that!' She called my bluff, I bought a table saw, and I started into woodworking. I built the crib and a matching side table, and a sofa table soon followed. 

At that time, my shop had no heat or insulation, and I was about to go crazy during the winter. One day we were strolling through Woodcraft in Oklahoma City, and my wife suggested I get a small lathe to put in our back room. A few hundred pens and stoppers later, I signed up for a bowl turning class at the store where I got the lathe. Fast forward a few years... The tablesaw was traded for shop cabinets, the lathe has been upgraded, and I haven't made anything other than round stuff in several years.

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## Sprung (Dec 2, 2013)

I pretty much grew up in my dad's garage/workshop. I am the oldest of 5 children - and the only male child in my family (and the only male grandchild on both sides of my family.) So, with 4 younger sisters, I was always looking for an excuse to get out of the house, and hanging out with dad in the garage was where I could often be found.

Even before I could really read and write, dad was teaching me about tools and how they worked. For example, if he was under the car fixing something and needed a tool, he'd ask me to get it for him. If I didn't know what the tool was, he'd crawl out from under the vehicle, get it, show it to me, and explain how it worked. When I was little I would also use massive amounts of his wood glue and glue scrap pieces of wood together. In dad's garage I learned a little bit of everything - auto repair and maintenance, woodworking, boat building, home remodeling, even a little bit about electronics. (The electronics was partly self-taught. In 7th and 8th grade, I was reading dad's books on electronics and tinkering around and dad would help me with the things I didn't understand, and was even a willing participant to hold wires as I soldered things - and burned his fingers more times than either of us could probably ever count.)

Also, I apparently dabbled in a bit of auto body repair when I was still in diapers. Dad was wet-sanding a car he was painting with something like 600 or 1000 grit. I picked up a piece of 36 grit from the garage floor and decided to "help" him!

When I was 10 I helped dad mill cedar boards down into strips using his radial arm saw so he could build a cedar strip boat a friend had asked him to build. I helped him a lot on that build - from the beginning to the end, from milling the strips and assembling the strongback and frames to the epoxy and fiberglass work. Yes, when I was 10 and 11. By the time I was 12 I was able to use pretty much every tool in his shop unsupervised, even the radial arm saw, so long as I told him beforehand that I'd be using it. When I was 13 I used some of the gift money I had received for Confirmation that year and started building an 8' pram. I did most of the work myself, with dad helping me with the things I didn't know and with the things that required an extra set of hands. I also helped dad build many wood boats.

In college and grad school I didn't get to do a whole lot of working in any sort of shop - I was away from home, in the dorms, and didn't have any tools to call my own (save for a tool box full of tools that I could use to work on the car if need be.) During grad school I acquired a few tools, some as gifts, some bought on sale. When I graduated and moved to North Dakota and got settled in, I started to get back into woodworking, really liking to build furniture. However, as soon as the pieces I'm building (that are taking far too long for me to finish) are done, I'm going to try my hand at some smaller things - like boxes. I'm also in the process of putting a lathe together and am going to start doing some turning on occasion too. I do hope to eventually also build another boat or two someday.

I learned a LOT from dad, and he is probably by biggest inspiration. My parents are out to visit right now and when he saw some of the pieces I've recently finished or am in the middle of building, he commented that my skills and workmanship has greatly improved. It was awesome to hear that comment from him. (Dad and I are very close - he was the best man in my wedding when I got married a couple years ago.) I've also learned a lot from forums and websites, but my favorite person to learn new things from is dad.

My job does not have me working with my hands - and I'm ok with that. However, I do love working with my hands - building things, fixing things, etc - so woodworking provides a great outlet for that. It's also an outlet for creativity and stress relief. And I just love seeing something I built myself. My favorite person to build things for is my wife. I don't remember that last time I followed a plan when building something - probably the boat I built when I was 13 - and I enjoy sketching out and drawing up the things I build, then building them from my plans (and editing the plans along the way when things don't work out like I envisioned they would.)

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## HomeBody (Dec 3, 2013)

I turned 21 in '74. Bought my first handgun. Didn't like the grips so I tried to make a pair. They came out okay and friends asked for grips. Made several handgun grips then I decided to try a long gun and stocked an old Remington .22 rifle. I just kept going and bought the tools I needed over time. I cut a walnut tree in '85 and had it milled on a WoodMizer for gunstock slabs. I was hooked then. Within the past several years, I have acquired a nice CSM and am slabbing my own walnut. I send the blanks out to get turned (semi-finished) and then fit and finish them myself and also carve the stocks. I used to be proud to say I was self taught. Self taught is okay but I think working with someone that knew their stuff would save lots of time learning the best ways to do things. I'm happy with where I'm at now though. Gary

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## Ms. Rdnkmedic (Dec 3, 2013)

I'm just lovin' this! I love a man that can work with his hands. Sometimes I just stand back and watch Kevin think while he figures stuff out. 

I love learning about people, keep it coming. I'm sure I'm not the only one curious..... 

Thank you for playing along. 

Mel~

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## ripjack13 (Dec 3, 2013)

Is that a rooster in your avatar? I cant tell on my phone...


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## Ms. Rdnkmedic (Dec 3, 2013)

Yes Sir. His name is Sparky. He is my bantam rooster. This picture was taken after he was chased by our miniature Aussie. He ran to us and we rescued him by putting him on our "door bell." They are sweet chickens and the hens lay little bitty eggs.

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## woodtickgreg (Dec 3, 2013)

How did I get my start in wood working, well aside from building a tree house or 2. I guess I caught the bug in junior high. I took my first wood shop class, simple things out of pine in 7th grade. I took wood shop every year after that, then I took a class called stagecraft. We built the sets, erected the lights and ran the light board. And when we weren't doing that we built stuff for the school like new bookcases for the library out of mahogany and mahogany plywood. We had wood lockers at my school and we where constantly building and re building those. The school had a lot of portable class rooms and we built the stairs for those and the skirting too. Then continued the shop classes in high school, took metal shop and we had a forge and foundry, we could cast metal. They could not give me any more wood shop classes so they made me an aid, teacher took roll and then a friend of mine and myself taught the class to the new guys and we got to work on our stuff too. I bought my first table saw right out of high school when all my friends where buying cars, I still have it and use it. Then I kind of fell out of wood working when I got married and raised a son and ran a landscape business. I got divorced and raised my son and started to play with wood again and the fire was re kindled and I haven't looked back, why did I ever stop? I am a jack of all trades, I do a little of everything, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, metal work, mechanics, anything that I can do with my hands. Most everything was self taught as I grew up without a father in my life, we learn out of necessity sometimes. I don't consider myself an expert in anything, we never stop learning, I have to always try new things. I got lots of stuff on the bucket list. Now I'm getting old and really don't have anyone to share my passion of wood working with, I turn and do flat work, scroll saw a little too, and as most here know I chainsaw mill as well. I wish I had someone to mentor and pass my knowledge on to, but most of the kids today have no interest in the arts. So this tells a little about me and how I got to where I am today.

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## Mike1950 (Dec 3, 2013)

woodtickgreg said:


> How did I get my start in wood working, well aside from building a tree house or 2. I guess I caught the bug in junior high. I took my first wood shop class, simple things out of pine in 7th grade. I took wood shop every year after that, then I took a class called stagecraft. We built the sets, erected the lights and ran the light board. And when we weren't doing that we built stuff for the school like new bookcases for the library out of mahogany and mahogany plywood. We had wood lockers at my school and we where constantly building and re building those. The school had a lot of portable class rooms and we built the stairs for those and the skirting too. Then continued the shop classes in high school, took metal shop and we had a forge and foundry, we could cast metal. They could not give me any more wood shop classes so they made me an aid, teacher took roll and then a friend of mine and myself taught the class to the new guys and we got to work on our stuff too. I bought my first table saw right out of high school when all my friends where buying cars, I still have it and use it. Then I kind of fell out of wood working when I got married and raised a son and ran a landscape business. I got divorced and raised my son and started to play with wood again and the fire was re kindled and I haven't looked back, why did I ever stop? I am a jack of all trades, I do a little of everything, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, metal work, mechanics, anything that I can do with my hands. Most everything was self taught as I grew up without a father in my life, we learn out of necessity sometimes. I don't consider myself an expert in anything, we never stop learning, I have to always try new things. I got lots of stuff on the bucket list. Now I'm getting old and really don't have anyone to share my passion of wood working with, I turn and do flat work, scroll saw a little too, and as most here know I chainsaw mill as well. I wish I had someone to mentor and pass my knowledge on to, but most of the kids today have no interest in the arts. So this tells a little about me and how I got to where I am today.




I disagree my friend- there are many youngsters here- well at least compared to me and you are passing one helluva lot of knowledge on to them, M

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## woodintyuuu (Dec 3, 2013)

i carved wood from my first jacknife on. After about a 10 yr stint starting in college and thereafter i just used any substance known to man to hide. when gods grace finally gave me a moment of clarity , i started on the road to recovery. My first sponsor asked me to build him a rocking horse, it was during that horse i realized that is what i was born to be a wood artist . I have been inventing things to further my passion for over 25 yrs now and have made my living this way . Meager one but one. What a blessing to do what you know , and enjoy the ride. PS: my buds are pretty jealous as i have a very pretty wife (bonus points) and i guide for steelhead in the spring and fall . thanks for asking cl

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## Mike1950 (Dec 3, 2013)

woodintyuuu said:


> i carved wood from my first jacknife on. After about a 10 yr stint starting in college and thereafter i just used any substance known to man to hide. when gods grace finally gave me a moment of clarity , i started on the road to recovery. My first sponsor asked me to build him a rocking horse, it was during that horse i realized that is what i was born to be a wood artist . I have been inventing things to further my passion for over 25 yrs now and have made my living this way . Meager one but one. What a blessing to do what you know , and enjoy the ride. PS: my buds are pretty jealous as i have a very pretty wife (bonus points) and i guide for steelhead in the spring and fall . thanks for asking cl




Congrats Cliff- findin your destiny is not always easy!!! Steelhead- Have you tried the Grande Rhonde or the Methow river in washington- Now they are steelhead rivers.............


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## SENC (Dec 3, 2013)

My dad was a woodworker hobbyist, but honestly I never had much time for it between school, sports, work, and chasing (rarely catching) the fairer sex. I'd watch and help periodically, but wasn't bit until my early 30s. I've always been fairly handy - taught myself basic electrical, plumbing, interior woodworking (casework, like door/window/floor/ceiling moldings and sills) in my 20s while restoring an 1865 house my wife and I bought as our 1st house (too poor to afford paying someone to help fix our fixer-upper) - but I can be such a perfectionist that I could spend an entire weekend recreating a period windowsill - so tried my own patience as much/more than I got joy out of the craft. We later moved to Mississippi where 2 things happened - I was reintroduced to a lifeling passion (duck hunting) and we bought a "new" house that didn't need fixing up. I had a pretty high stress job with little/no physical exertion (other than restraint, Doc), and started longing for a hands-on hobby... but one that I could manage in small bites if necessary. I read an article about making game calls - then a book about turning - then bought a lathe and some basic tools and just started. I've never really been taught how to turn properly, so probably do most things wrong, but haven't been in a place nor time where I could glean from others. I had to give up turning for a few years due to a few moves, but got set back up a year or so ago. I love it because I love the history of duck call making in the US, because I love having an outlet where I can create something with my hands and where I have to completely clear my mind of work/life matters, because I am creatings something that connects me to a passsion (duck hunting) for which I rarely have time, and because I just love the beauty God has given us in wood.

Sorry for the lack of sarcasm... just couldn't bring myself to a snyde response to such a genuine question. Perhaps my cold/fever are affecting my mental status.

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## Ms. Rdnkmedic (Dec 3, 2013)

This is SO cool! :)

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## Gdurfey (Dec 4, 2013)

I feel so inadequate. My interest, and only lately a passion, started way before me when dad bought a shop smith, set it up in the living room and made furniture for the family. Yes, long time ago, early 50's, way before me. However, my brother still has the trundle bed and bookcase ( as well as the shop smith), and I have the secretary he built. Fast forward a bunch of years, dad gets to retire and finally build his dream shop. I was the only kid at home by then but on the verge of heading off into life. The next 24 years of my life dad got to play. He wood carved, turned, made boxes, chip carved, got serious about golf, fishing, fly fishing, fly tying, and much more. While I hopscotched around the country with civil service and military, shop was not practical. I did take up fly fishing and tying. The only credit I will give my last wife is that she rekindled my desire in wood. Glad she is gone, but a cousin showed me the basics of pen turning just over a year ago. Even though I had a blow out, I was instantly hooked. With the loan of a grizzly lathe from my brother in law, and my usual bad habit of jumping into the deep end without knowing how to swim, I am having the time of my life and am putting smiles on friends faces. And this site is beyond great. One of my good friends is also hooked. He provided the ironwood for a few projects, did those for him, he came over, I threw tools at him, and well, we have another WB convert! He is headed home this weekend getting more wood for both of us! Thanks for asking. Oh, to really see my personality, I found a shop smith at a pawn shop and did the impulse buy. It had the band saw, so that is paying the big dividends. But, bought a chuck the other day and started my first big turn! First year has been great, can't wait for what is next.

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## Kevin (Dec 4, 2013)

I just now saw this thread. Great question Mel. I will spill my beans too but not tonight. I actually got in 4 hours of logging earlier today and my old tired body is feeling it right now. Fortunatley for you, when I do answer, I have a predilection for typing way too much. Unfortunately for everyone else I have a predilection for typing way too much. Great question it's always a popular one on every woodworking forum cannot believe it's never been asked here until now.

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## SENC (Dec 4, 2013)

Uh-oh... better buy more storage and bandwidth!



Kevin said:


> I just now saw this thread. Great question Mel. I will spill my beans too but not tonight. I actually got in 4 hours of logging earlier today and my old tired body is feeling it right now. Fortunatley for you, when I do answer, I have a predilection for typing way too much. Unfortunately for everyone else I have a predilection for typing way too much. Great question it's always a popular one on every woodworking forum cannot believe it's never been asked here until now.

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## Mike1950 (Dec 4, 2013)

SENC said:


> Uh-oh... better buy more storage and bandwidth!




henry you beat me too it!!!!!!

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## SENC (Dec 4, 2013)

Great minds think alike, even separated by 1000s of miles. We all know how Irishmen like to tell stories (hint, Mel, believe less than 1/2 of whatever he writes).

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## Tclem (Dec 4, 2013)

I took a shop class in 8th grade and used a lathe. Then as the years passed I was around house building an that was about it. Everybody around my church are flat wood workers and good at it so after all these years of wanting a lathe and wanting to fool with wood( electrician/ AT&T repairman) a coworker gave me a mini penn state lathe. I made pens for a month starting last December since all the wood I had was some store bought pen blanks and now a year later I have 3 lathes and 2 loggers supplying me wood. God has blessed me.with the supplies to enjoy turning. Hopefully I will learn some flat work ( since it so much easier than turning ) as soon as I can get the hang of turning. 
Last but not least by any means. Of all the hobbies, sports, and coworkers. Woodworkers are the most giving kind folks in the world. 
Thanks to everyone for all the info. 
Tony

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## Kevin (Dec 4, 2013)

SENC said:


> .... hint, Mel, believe less than 1/2 of whatever he writes...


 Could you spot me 3/5 instead? (three fifths would work well right now....)

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## Ms. Rdnkmedic (Dec 4, 2013)

Kevin said:


> I just now saw this thread. Great question Mel. I will spill my beans too but not tonight. I actually got in 4 hours of logging earlier today and my old tired body is feeling it right now. Fortunatley for you, when I do answer, I have a predilection for typing way too much. Unfortunately for everyone else I have a predilection for typing way too much. Great question it's always a popular one on every woodworking forum cannot believe it's never been asked here until now.


Waiting patiently.....

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## Ms. Rdnkmedic (Dec 4, 2013)

SENC said:


> Great minds think alike, even separated by 1000s of miles. We all know how Irishmen like to tell stories (hint, Mel, believe less than 1/2 of whatever he writes).


Y'all are funny.

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## SENC (Dec 4, 2013)

An Irishman with three fifths? Wow, this could be a VERY long response... but probably a humorous one!



Kevin said:


> Could you spot me 3/5 instead? (three fifths would work well right now....)

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## rdnkmedic (Dec 4, 2013)

I too took a shop class in junior high, not long, half the school year I think. Kids don't have this opportunity as much today. I liked it, but nowhere to go with it. My Dad wasn't a woodworker or anything close. Worked a couple construction jobs in high school during the summer. While I was trying to go to college I managed to work for a furniture repair and refinishing guy for about 18 months. Finally figured out that I needed a better job and moved on.

Career, family, kids, life and everything else got in the way. Melanie and I got together about 3 years ago and things have been awesome. The money is better and life is better and I finally had the ability to start doing a little something. We bought a 12x24 building and the addiction started. Started off piddling with bird houses and such. Nothing major. Built my first table out of scraps from the local sawmill garbage pile. Actually bought the turned legs to go on it. What a racket that is. Figured I could turn my own legs and Melanie bought me a Harbor Freight lathe. Made a couple more tables and turned my own legs. Still intending to do flat work. The lathe is addictive though.

Seems like every project I start involves buying a new tool. Nothing wrong with that but my shop is kind of small. I have built a few more tables. Bedside tables for mother in law. A desk that didn't completely work out. The desk works, I just made I too big for the planned area in our house. (Remember guys, measure twice, cut once.) mother in law has the desk too. She likes it. The next big project will be a dining room table for us. Mel wants a "farm table" and I have already bought the lumber for it. I enjoy turning and I enjoy the flatwork. Turning is almost instant gratification and I think that contributes to our problem. I plan on posting the farm table as I build it. Probably will need some guidance and prayers.

Melanie is very supportive of what I like to do. She will spend hours in the shop watching, helping, cleaning and lately turning. We enjoy our time together out there. I am mostly self taught and probably do lots of things the wrong way or the hard way. But I manage to get things nailed together. It's my quiet place, my quiet time. I enjoy it.

So I guess I have actually been woodworking only about three years not counting the little bit of experience I had when I was young. Wood Barter is a great place to live and learn. There are many expert craftsmen here. I try to soak up all I can.

Well, that's my story. Who's next?

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## ButchC (Dec 4, 2013)

What a great topic, and a bunch of great back stories!

My story also started with my Dad. He did built-ins for the house out of necessity and lack of funds, and built the teeter-totter on which I lost my two front teeth at 7. I was always in the shop with him, and continued to fiddle around with wood through my high school years, building series 7 acoustic speaker boxes for my friends' cars, cabinets, etc until apparently I became too cool for hobbies in high school.

I joined the military and bounce around for 15 years, occasionally building picture frames for my pictures, helping friends with framing, etc and trying to learn a bit of woodworking when I felt the urge.

I exited the Navy in 2003 and was stunned when my former Master Chief asked me to build his shadow box. I had never built anything like that before, and I was terrified it would disappoint. I spent hours at the Woodcraft store there, asking anyone that I could how to do things. Finally, one of them offered to let me use some of his shop equipment, and help me with the skills I didn't have. The shadow box turned out beautiful, and I have never looked back.

Fast forward to 2009, and moved to Denver. I found out that Red Rocks community college, 1/2 mile from my office, had a woodworking program, and that I could use my VA benefits to learn woodworking!!! I attended 5 semesters at Red Rocks School of Fine Woodworking, and loved every minute of it. I began turning in class, and got hooked. I guess that's why I don't really fall into the flatwormer or turner category, as I just look at it all as woodworking.

I now have a pretty decent main shop, auxiliary shop/finish room, and a real wood shed that has wood in it!! I found WB this year, and really enjoy visiting the site and learning things like "spalted" wood is good, and burl can be really expensive.

Cant wait to read more stories from members. Hope you enjoyed mine.

Butch

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## khobson (Dec 4, 2013)

The short answer is they quit making the pen that I like so I decided I would make my own! However, I think my love affair with wood really started in a 7th grade shop class. The last couple of months were consumed by a project that involved designing a product, collecting orders, then making said products. Our class made bread boxes starting with red oak lumber and ending up with 75 bread boxes. The one my grandmother bought is now in my own pantry and used every day! I remember spending a great amount of time looking at all the variations in the raw lumber and savoring the process of creating a functional product. Ever since I have always enjoyed woodworking, but have always been relegated to honey dos and home repairs. Fast forward to 2 years ago when I discovered my favorite pen was no longer being produced and the thought occurred to me that I could make my own while also bringing what had previously been a simmering love of wood to a full boil. I grabbed a used lathe and some basic tools off of Craigslist, watched a few YouTube videos and dove in head first. I have concentrated on pens to date, but would like to start branching out to larger items and boxes. I keep saying I am going to sign up for a class but haven't quite made it to one yet.......

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## Mike1950 (Dec 4, 2013)

rdnkmedic said:


> I too took a shop class in junior high, not long, half the school year I think. Kids don't have this opportunity as much today. I liked it, but nowhere to go with it. My Dad wasn't a woodworker or anything close. Worked a couple construction jobs in high school during the summer. While I was trying to go to college I managed to work for a furniture repair and refinishing guy for about 18 months. Finally figured out that I needed a better job and moved on.
> 
> Career, family, kids, life and everything else got in the way. Melanie and I got together about 3 years ago and things have been awesome. The money is better and life is better and I finally had the ability to start doing a little something. We bought a 12x24 building and the addiction started. Started off piddling with bird houses and such. Nothing major. Built my first table out of scraps from the local sawmill garbage pile. Actually bought the turned legs to go on it. What a racket that is. Figured I could turn my own legs and Melanie bought me a Harbor Freight lathe. Made a couple more tables and turned my own legs. Still intending to do flat work. The lathe is addictive though.
> 
> ...




new tools are nice but they will not make your work better- YOU will...... Buy wood- the tools will come to you- especially when you lose that fixation on the round crap and get real with the flat stuff- total unbiased flat workers opinion.

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## rdnkmedic (Dec 4, 2013)

Mike1950 said:


> new tools are nice but they will not make your work better- YOU will...... Buy wood- the tools will come to you- especially when you lose that fixation on the round crap and get real with the flat stuff- total unbiased flat workers opinion. [/quot
> 
> 
> Yes Sir.

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## ripjack13 (Dec 4, 2013)

SENC said:


> An Irishman with three fifths? Wow, this could be a VERY long response... but probably a humorous one!


Yeah but...are we going to be able to read it after three fifths! Ha!

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## kweinert (Dec 5, 2013)

I've done a little of the 'home woodworking' over the years, but nothing really serious. About 3 years ago my life circumstances changed and I was out on my own, went to a local woodworking show.

I knew I couldn't afford the WoodMizer but the local turning club was there and it looked interesting. I bought a workbench from HF, put it on wheels, mounted a Jet 10x14 lathe on it. I'd wheel it from the bedroom out on the the back 'patio' of the apartment. When it started getting colder I talked the landlady into letting me enclose it as long as I restored it when I moved out and turned that 9x9 patio into my workshop.

Started turning pens and bottle stoppers, joined the turners club (of which I'm now the Treasurer, web guy, and newsletter editor - although I suspect that I'm going to lose at least one of those jobs as we just had elections last month), and experimented with making square things round.

I've since met someone and now I have about 1 1/2 bays in the garage, recovered some of my other tools and got my future son-in-law interested in making duck calls - so we bought him a small lathe so I don't lose access to mine :) Since then I've made a cradle for Sandi's granddaughter, a queen sized headboard that we sold on Etsy (another in the works), sold several things like ice cream scoops, clocks, etc. I have a pepper mill, ice cream scoop, and bottle opener done for Christmas gifts and a few things for other people as well.

I've turned a few bowls, rolled a few across the shop, done a couple of small hollow forms, turned a bit of segmented work, just the normal jack of all trades, master of none while I try to sort out what I really like turning. I've stabilized a couple of things, learned that stabilizing isn't quite the same as casting (the stabilized cattail isn't really quite firm enough to make a pen from - just in case you wanted to know.)

I look at all the stuff the experienced folks do and think I'll never be able to do that - and then see hints of it in something I've turned and know there's hope yet.

Just the typical learning a new skill stuff.

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## bluedot (Dec 5, 2013)

I took shop class instead of study hall in High School. The addiction was born. The need was dormant until I got married and my wife encouraged me to make things. Her only coplaint was that she got the prototypes and her sister got the good stuff. When I retired and moved to the lake fishing and hunting put the woodworking on the back burner. One day while looking for a turkey box call I thought "I can make one of those" and we are off again. I have always had a soft spot for turning and pot calls are my passion but I am open to anything. I discovered this web site and looking at all the projects has inspired me to expand my crafting.

Dan

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## Kevin (Dec 5, 2013)

Okay, it all started June the 10th, 1959 . . . . I need to take a break that was a lot of typing with my blood alcohol level at zero.

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## Ms. Rdnkmedic (Dec 7, 2013)

Mr. Kevin, I am wondering when you are going to share. You have me sitting on the edge of my seat. Do I need to send you a bottle or two of something to help you get started? And I am sure I'm not the only one. 
I have my popcorn waiting too.

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## SENC (Dec 7, 2013)

Don't you remember the sign from the zoo, "Please don't feed the animals."?

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## HomeBody (Dec 8, 2013)

Kevin said:


> Okay, it all started June the 10th, 1959 .



Is that when you started high school shop class? Gary

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## Brink (Dec 8, 2013)

SENC said:


> Don't you remember the sign from the zoo, "Please don't feed the animals."?



Yes

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## Dennis Ford (Dec 8, 2013)

This thread has been fun to read, I will join in.
I got hooked on building things when my parents added on to the house; I was 6 years old and not able to do much but really tried to help. I have been learning and building stuff since. I mostly do turning now but also dabble in flat work and making tooling (building a sawmill now).

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## woodtickgreg (Dec 8, 2013)

Dennis Ford said:


> This thread has been fun to read, I will join in.
> I got hooked on building things when my parents added on to the house; I was 6 years old and not able to do much but really tried to help. I have been learning and building stuff since. I mostly do turning now but also dabble in flat work and making tooling (building a sawmill now).


Building a sawmill! Now your talking!


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## ripjack13 (Dec 8, 2013)

Kevin said:


> Okay, it all started June the 10th, 1959 . . . . I need to take a break that was a lot of typing with my blood alcohol level at zero.





June the 10th, 1959
My Misplaced Memories.​It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, a shot rang out! A door slammed. The maid screamed. She strutted into my office wearing a dress that clung to her like Saran Wrap to a sloppily butchered pork knuckle, bone and sinew jutting and lurching asymmetrically beneath its folds, the tightness exaggerating the granularity of the suet and causing what little palatable meat there was to sweat, its transparency the thief of imagination. 
Suddenly, a pirate ship appeared on the horizon! While millions of people were starving, the king lived in luxury. Meanwhile, back at the ranch in Texas, a boy was growing up.

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## NCWoodArt (Dec 8, 2013)

Seems like I am a lot like most others, my start into woodworking was in Junior high shop class. I made a paper towel holder or something of the like for my Mom. I also learned the basics of how to make things without a drawing. Shop teacher was very down to earth guy & spent a lot of time explaining how stuff worked. I later took metal shop class in high school which was also a great learning experience. By the time I was leaving high school I was more interested in having a good time and I will say chasing after the girls but was more likely them running away from me. My father helped me build my first car a 1968 mustang. It was more him letting me build my first car as he was not around much during the build but he was there to bail me out when I tried to do something my way. This was the start of my love of American muscle cars. Ever since I have always had at least 1 "hot rodish" type car. Like some out of necessity I had to take care of all the home repairs as we were to poor to ask for help so hiring someone was never an option. Owning a home that was a fixer upper is what got me on the path to doing my own woodworking. 

Flash forward 2o years- mid 40's (still look at the world through 21 year old eyes as i do not feel 45 until I get out of bed in the morning) father of 3 ages 13 boy, 17 boy, 21 girl. Happily married 23 years (Nov 1oth). From owning the home in Va I already had a lot of flat work tools, I found a deal one day on a small Delta Midi lathe & told the wife this would be a great tool for making pens for family gifts as everyone in our family is hoarders & have everything they need already. SO made that purchase about 6 years ago. I know have 1 side of my 2 car garage with nothing but woodworking items in it. I have 2 lathes, 2 table saws, 2 bandsaws, 2 router tables, floor drill press, 15" planer, 26" thickness sander thousands of pen blanks, 1,000 pounds or more of burls, whole & halfs & quarters. I have hundreds of different type turning kits, over 100 bowl blanks most are all different woods and sizes. 

In just a few years I have learned so much. I blame Woodbarter for my wood hoard as before I joined here all I had was pen blanks. Now I have 1/2 my garage with wood & a pile of wood in the backyard that is ever growing. If I see someone giving away wood from fresh cut tree I always try to get a bunch for future use.

For me I love the making something & gifting it. The look on someone's face when you give them that custom hand crated item & tell them you made it "Is priceless". Most everything I make for family & friends is from trees on my property which has an added Value. I only started to offer my wood & turnings for sale to continue to fund my obsession about 1.5- 2 years ago.

I spend 40-50 hours per week at full time job, work 20-30 hours per week on woodworking & I run a Hydroponics company from my home that can take a lot of time. I am fortunate enough to have a wife who either supports what I do- or enjoys having the tv & bedroom to herself.

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## NCWoodArt (Dec 8, 2013)

bluedot said:


> I took shop class instead of study hall in High School. The addiction was born. The need was dormant until I got married and my wife encouraged me to make things. Her only coplaint was that she got the prototypes and her sister got the good stuff. When I retired and moved to the lake fishing and hunting put the woodworking on the back burner. One day while looking for a turkey box call I thought "I can make one of those" and we are off again. I have always had a soft spot for turning and pot calls are my passion but I am open to anything. I discovered this web site and looking at all the projects has inspired me to expand my crafting.
> 
> Dan




Sounds like the sister knew how to butta the bread... J/K

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## Kevin (Dec 8, 2013)

I guess since I am iced in I have time to pound my story out too. Like many young boys from my generation I was exposed to light woodworking by my dad. He was a navy man and was always doing something around the house to improve our standard of living. But what exposed me to woodworking the most was his moonlighting to bring in extra bacon. His moonlighting was mostly commercial fishing and shrimping. He started out buying boats that needed a lot of sweat equity put into them so that's where I got my first real woodworking exposure. Replacing a transom and fiberglassing it. Replacing rotten decking, planking, knees, stringers, ribs, stanchions, or any combination, just whatever was needed. He got good enough at it that he flipped them for a while, so I got to do a lot of the work. It's probably why I hate sanding so much today. I sanded a LOT of wood and especially fiberglass. It was not woodworking per se, but it was giving me experience.

By the time I was old enough to give up my decoder ring I had my own boat. I'd worked on it all summer. I think it was the summer of '72, maybe '73. There wasn't many wooden parts to that particular boat it was mostly fiberglass, but there was some "woodworking" involved. Mostly a lot of fiberglassing and a LOT of sanding. Have I mentioned I hate sanding? It was handwork though and using power tools so another step along the way.

In 1987 I bought my first house - a fixer-upper. 2000 sq feet of fixing upping. That's where the foundation for my woodworking was laid. As I taught myself finish work, I began to buy remodeling mags to get ideas for the house. It wasn't long before I discovered they even had magazines for woodworking. Woodworking. I heard that there were guys who did that sort of thing so I bought a mag. Then another. And another. I started building beds, chests, and snagged a commission for a big book case for a law office. I never used plans. Sometimes it backfired like in the case of the book case. I didn't build it modular I built it all in one, long, big, tall, monstrosity. It was impressive alright, but it was like painting yourself in the corner. As I began to finish it over that last week it dawned on me - _"How the heck am I going to get it into the building? Heck how am I going to get it out of the shop?"_I was so excited to get the job I hadn't even thought about actually delivering it. I ended up borrowing a boom truck to load it and unload it on a flat bed trailer and rented a bunch of strong backs. By hook and by crook and by small crane and short sections of 2" pipes we got it in. The Egyptians didn't have anything on us. It was pretty impressive though that something that big didn't wreck itself apart - it was well built. I had a boat builder's mindset. The thing had to be seaworthy! But lesson learned . . . plan ahead next time.

Along about 1989 the cigar smoking craze was in full swing. At least that's when I discovered it, or it discovered me. A local cigar man that heard I was a woodworker (I didn't really think I was yet but evidently someone had started a rumor) asked me if I could make him a humidor. I cheerfully replied _"Sure. What's a h.... what did you call it?"_ He described to me a humidor and what its purpose was. I said yeah sure I can build a little box for cigars. IOW I stepped right off in it. I had built some fairly precise projects with nice tight corners, like kitchen drawers lol, but mostly it had been big stuff. Beds. Dressers. Chests. I beat my head against the wall for a couple of weeks before I REALLY learned how to tune my machinery and make something that would pass my muster. My family and friends kept saying I was being too anal about the corners. I kept saying that's where it's at man. If the miters are not tight it looks like scata. I finally got that first one built and from there I just started building them on spec. I sold them as fast as I could build them. 

Over those following years I went through phases where I would spend a lot of time woodworking and a lot of time not. I got into buying old soft drink machines about the same time my woodworking began in the late 80s through early 90s and spent a lot of time cruising around rural areas and small communities picking. Before picking was a TV series. My marriage ended in 1999 and although by then my woodworking had pretty much come to a stop, I lost all my equipment in the mess that ensued. I had started a remodeling business on the side in 1993 and after the divorce I went at that full time, finally quitting that in 2004. That year I cast my eye toward logging and sawmills, and in 2005 I bought my first mill.

I have built a few small pieces over recent years but for the most part my woodworking has been dormant far too long. I do miss being able to start and finish a piece - all in the same year.

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## Kevin (Dec 8, 2013)

HomeBody said:


> Is that when you started high school shop class? Gary



Hehe. You know what's funny though is I never took shop class. It never came up on my radar. I think because I drummed all throughout HS it was never part of my curriculum.

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## BrentWin (Dec 8, 2013)

I never took shop class either. I grew up with a dad that had the attitude that he wasn't going to pay somebody to do something that he could figure out how to do on his own. He built a couple of A frame cabins and an addition on to our house. I can still remember him getting bids for the fireplace in the addition. The lowest bid came in at the princely sum of about $900 (this was the mid 70's). So dad went to the library and checked out a couple of books on brick laying and we built the fireplace. Well, he built the fireplace, I learned the job of hod carrier.

He eventually built a work shop in our basement and started making coffee tables, gun cases and that type of thing. I would watch and pick up a little bit here and here until I could do most any basic project or home repair. But, I realized that I never really liked doing flat work. I am physically and/or mentally incapable of cutting two boards the same length. That is probably why, to this day, I still don't like taking measurements unless they are absolutely necessary.

Fast forward about 30 years. I got into predator hunting and was a regular over at the Predator Masters web sight. I saw predator calls made by Kerry Carver and our own Bearmanric and they looked so much better that the plastic calls that I was using. So, I found a pile of deer antlers that I had in the garage, a dremel tool and went to work making predator calls. Then I started getting raw cow horns and sanding and polishing them into coyote howlers.

I then made the plunge and bought a lathe and started making wood predator calls. Well, at first, I mostly made sawdust and firewood, but eventually I got the hang of it. I then branched out into goose, duck, deer and turkey calls. I have learned a lot from this and other web sights and I still have a lot to learn but, that's the fun of it.

I would like to thank all of you for sharing what you know.

Brent

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## SENC (Dec 8, 2013)

You gave up your decoder ring?!?!?!?

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## Ms. Rdnkmedic (Dec 9, 2013)

This is awesome guys... Thank you for sharing you!

All of you have shared something personal about this road you have traveled in life. I don't take that lightly. You know, we can't go back in time and change a thing. All we can do is embrace what good things we have in our lives and move forward. Remember, the choices we make today make us who we will be tomorrow.
My life hasn't been so easy or perfect. But I wouldn't change a thing if it brought me right back to where I am today, to the love of my life, Kevin. And just think, we all would't have ended up on WB together and have this great new family. God is good.

There are still a few people (EVERYBODY ELSE!!!) I am waiting to share their story. You know who you are....

Sincerely,

Mel~

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## NCWoodArt (Dec 9, 2013)

All the Time! to the God is Good post above. Southern baptist raised had to reply.

BIll

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## Ms. Rdnkmedic (Dec 9, 2013)

Yep!


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