New member bio

My name is Stephen Pierrel and I live in Houston, Texas.  I am 50 years
old, married and have a 9 year old daughter.  I teach at a medical
school and took up woodworking as an active hobby about 10 years ago
after a few false starts during my younger years.  I like to make
furniture for my home and family.  My SWMBO has accepted the idea that
we no longer have a garage as it is now my shop.  I have used each new
project as an opportunity to get a few more of those fine old tools,
using all the typical rationalizations.  I do think she is on to me
thought as I made the unpardonable mistake of lining up a bunch of
planes on a shelf.  I only recently read some of the FAQs and other tips
for galoots and found out that this should be avoided (and I had been
doing so well sneaking them in from the trunk of my car at odd hours).
Just as outlined, she did recognize they weren't in there when we used
to park our cars there.   I am learning as I go but will have to look to
you more experienced types for continuing guidance.

As to how I came to this point - I have fond memories of my grandfather
(born in 1885) and his back yard shop.  He was the local engineer for a
small town in Louisiana and built the area cotton gins and sugar cane
mills.  His shop had a wooden floored section with a small window.  He
had his saw vise just inside the one window and I can still see him in
my mind filing his handsaws.  The older part of the shop was dirt
floored.  It was powered by an old one-cylinder diesel engine
(affectionately referred to as the putt-putt engine) with a large
flywheel and a straight exhaust pipe out of the side of the shop.  This
engine powered a set of overhead pulleys and shafts via old leather
belts (he said they predated the civil war).  They ran a drill press,
metal-working lathe and grinding wheel.  I spent many a fun hour as a
kid in that shop.  His stuff was distributed to various family members
following his death and the sale of his old 1840's home.  I do have a
few of his tools including a treasured plow plane.  Tools for him were
definitely "users" and he freely modified them to suit his tastes and
needs.  My dad, one really handy guy, carries on some of this tradition
but never had a real shop of his own.

The idea of the virtual porch is very appealing to me.  This old house
of my grandparent's had full-length front and back porches (we called
them galleries).  I remember well sitting first on the steps as a boy
while the grown men sat in the rockers and talked guy stuff, usually
about building or fixing things.  As I got older I moved up to the porch
myself.

As I've picked up more handtools, my woodworking pleasure has increased.
As I use an old, well cared-for, tool I do feel like I am a part of a
history of use and it elevates my spirits.  I know that I am a temporary
custodian and that someone else will use this tool in the future if I
care for it properly.  OTOH, I'm not a purist and do have some tailed
apprentices around.  In the last few years I joined the SWTCA and
participate in the gatherings in Houston.  I have not been able to make
anything on a regional or national level but hope to in the next few
years.  I have lurked around this list for the past few weeks and want
to join.  The free exchange of info, ideas and tips is great.  I look
forward to October's FMM.

My thanks to the list founders for making this a possibility.

Stephen Pierrel
spierrel@b...

Phone:  (713) 798-7753
Fax:    (713) 798-1442

In a message dated 98-10-08 00:05:09 EDT, you write:

> Now she's
>  interested and even enjoys joining me for the hunt.  In fact,
>  she's often encouraged me to buy tools that I don't really need,
>  or that are over-priced or in bad shape.  I've been known to cave in to her
>  wishes on occassion.

No fair!  Unfair advantage - foul.  I just don't see how this can
be tolerated on the list.  While I'm trying to justify to my SWMBO
that I really really need some FS tool on the list, Phil's wife will
likely be buying it for him.

Bill Bohl

>I have also noticed myself ..., hours, days and weeks making
tools/jigs,
>supposedly to help me make other things.

Well put Jim,... I too find making the jigs far more appealing than
making the project.

Adulations for stirring such a long thread with your bio,... gues
there's more value than just letting us kick your tires. 

and about Ester's commentary,... ayup.

I know it sounds odd, but I'm glad SWIMBO won't bring me any
OLDTOOLS,.... as I wouldn't presume to buy her quilting materials, I
don't want her to take a shot in the dark on a tool that I likely won't
really want.  Spending 'quality time' in a learning session is
appreciated in it's own right, but one of the problems with this is that
I don't know what the hell I want anyway .  Of course, you must bear
in mind that I AM NOT A COLLECTOR!!! (really)  Besides, I suspect that
my swimbo is related to Dennis H's wife - - 'old stuff smells funny', so
I'd feel guilty knowing she had to go around a whole pile of old stuff
for my enjoyment.

I did explain to her that none of this applies to tools less than $5, or
with the word "Bedrock" on them.

Enough of this - - welcome to the porch Jim.

Bruce