Welcome Sam,
You have started the slide so HOLD ON!  The Support Group from Hell is at
your disposal.  They have alway generously helped me and you can count on
great advice, much of it deliciously contradictory.  You are welcome to sit
on the steps but don't get between the porch and the spitoon or those of us
who dwell under the porch may have to pull ya under.  It's gettin more and
more crowded down here but one more won't hurt...well, not much.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-oldtools@l...
[mailto:owner-oldtools@l...]On Behalf Of Sam Gibbs
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2002 11:46 AM
To: OLDTOOLS@w...
Subject: Bio for Sam Gibbs

Greetings Gallots,

I've been watching the goings on of your Porch from the road and thought
I'd come closer and introduce myself. My name is Sam Gibbs, I'm 24, married
and live in Northeast Mississippi. I manage data networks for a large health
care system.

I've been around woodworking all my life. My dad and grandfather have
woodworking shops, but they're centered around the table saw and other
electric devices. I have many, many wonderful memories of working with
my dad in the shop, but they are all tempered by the roar of his
ShopSmith. I remember cringing and plugging my ears whenever he fired
that thing up.

Now it's time for me to setup my own shop.  I don't have much room,
(half of storage  a storage shed) or much money, (just married) so
things looked pretty dismal.  I priced all the electrics I'd need to
get started and things looked even worse.  I had resigned to wait on
woodworking until I could afford it. One day I was searching the web
for information on wood and came across www.shavings.net.  I read
everything on that page, and was fascinated by the things that could
be done with hand tools. I kept seeing the words, "galoot, neanderthal,
#5, scary sharp" being tossed around.  I did a search on galoot,
found the Galoot's Progress, read the Oldtools FAQ, and started
browsing the list archives to learn more.  I discovered I could start now,
with some simple hand tools and minimal space. I decided this was
the way for me, simple and inexpensive.  My dad donated a bench
that he wasn't using, my wife got me a marking gauge, try square,
and bevel gauge for Christmas, and I've bought some clamps and
chisels. I've been searching through the local antiques stores for
some planes and saws, but all I've found is a rusted plane sole,
and a worm eaten wooden plane, both ridiculously priced. There's
a monthly flea market nearby, so I'm going to try there next.

I went ahead and subscribed to the list, so I could get the messages
firsthand.  I've been lurking for a while now and the discussions have
been fascinating.  Ya'll are my kind of people, witty, crafty, do it better
yourself kinda folks, mind if I just sit here on the steps and listen?

Thanks for reading,
Sam Gibbs