OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

178583 "Waylan Limberg" <waylan@g...> 2008‑03‑26 Bio: Waylan Limberg
I joined back in January and have been following along with a couple
short responses along the way, but figured it's time to post my bio.
What I've seen in the last few months has been great, and I'd like to
stick around for awhile. Maybe, someday, I'll even have something to
give back.

My first real exposer to old tools was my grandfather's shop. He ran a
shall boat repair business on Chautauqua Lake (Jamestown) in
Southwestern New York State. I remember shelves of old wooden block
planes in various shapes and sizes, among other things that anyone
here would be sure to drool over. He also had is fair share of
electron killers as they're often caller here. From my father's
comments, I gather he mixed the use of both in his daily work.

Unfortunately, he retired when I was 12-13 years old. He was 79! The
city forced him to sell the shop for next to nothing because they
wanted the property for new highway department buildings (the next
year the newly elected mayor threw out that plan and the lot now sits
empty), so he contacted an auctioneer. The auctioneer got him to sign
a contract on the spot and immediately advertised the auction. By the
time my father found out it was to late and the auctioneer only pulled
one major item from the sale that wasn't specifically listed in the
ads. So we didn't get anything except an old electric planer (hm, it's
just sitting in my father's shed - maybe I'll try restoring it
someday). Everything else went in the auction. My dad tried bidding on
a few things, but the prices went too high.

Fast forward almost 20 years and I'm working a desk job because of a
physical limitation that makes it painful to be on my feet all day.
Not to complain, but I do get the urge to make/do things with my
hands. My father recently wanted to make some more room in his shop
and let me go through a bunch of old tools that came from my
grandfather's basement (thus saved from the auction) and I found a few
nice treasures my Dad didn't even know were in there. Sorry Dad, I'm
keeping them. I've also started to gather my own collection er...
arsenal of old tools. Not only are they more enjoyable to use, but I
live in an apartment and can't be disturbing the neighbors with
whirring motors and all that.

Old tools are hardly the only thing I'm fascinated by. Old furniture,
old architecture and old bicycles get their fair share of my mind and
time. Currently most of the furniture in our apartment is old stuff
from my wifes grandmother and it all needs refinishing or more.

Speaking of which, we have an old desk in the shape of a quarter
circle with a leather pad inlayed in the top. It's a beautiful old
desk, but the finish (I'm guessing varnish) is chipped in high use
areas and I'm not sure how to approach the leather top. I don't want
to have to replace the leather or the gold leafing border on it. It
appears there is some kind of finish over the leather, but I don't
know what - maybe the same at the wood or maybe just a wax or
something. Any suggestions on how to refinish the desk without ruining
the leather?

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Waylan Limberg
waylan@g...
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Recent Bios FAQ