jim mcnamara
Member
Started woodworking about 60 years ago when I was 12, in my grandfather's shop. The guys there were all from Europe and so took the Guild mentality with them. The shop made church fixtures - the British term for pews, prie dieu, stairs, windows, so on, and also smaller pieces like six-lobed rosettes.
Since I was more of a wart than a worker they started me in the wood yard. The owners went to the Brooklyn lumber auctions and purchased English oak (Q. robur), Beech, and Lime (Tilia spp. probably europaea).
We cut and air dried several mbf of each species every year, from oversized logs bucked to 20 feet. Quartersawn oak was standard.
Later on, they let me inside, once they were sure I wasn't a complete oaf. Learned to make and use my own tool set. An interesting guy from Ireland, who was on the lam according to the other guys, taught me finishing. This did not fit with the traditional guild setups, but he did not care. He actually thought I might be useful, I think.
Anyway, been woodworking for a long time, mostly on the side. Love it still.
Since I was more of a wart than a worker they started me in the wood yard. The owners went to the Brooklyn lumber auctions and purchased English oak (Q. robur), Beech, and Lime (Tilia spp. probably europaea).
We cut and air dried several mbf of each species every year, from oversized logs bucked to 20 feet. Quartersawn oak was standard.
Later on, they let me inside, once they were sure I wasn't a complete oaf. Learned to make and use my own tool set. An interesting guy from Ireland, who was on the lam according to the other guys, taught me finishing. This did not fit with the traditional guild setups, but he did not care. He actually thought I might be useful, I think.
Anyway, been woodworking for a long time, mostly on the side. Love it still.
