OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

56771 Doug Bailey <dougb@m...> 1999‑01‑30 Bio: Doug Bailey
G'day all,

I've actually been a member of OLDTOOLS since shortly after it formed out of th
e
primordal bitsoup of rec.ww, and I had posted a bio way back when, but since
I've
unsubscribed and rejoined from a different ISP, I figured I might as well
resubmit.

My interest in woodworking came from a desire to work with my hands.  With a
day job
as a software jock, working on the base-level software for a multi-million line
project, it was rather difficult to point my finger at something concrete and
say
"look!  I made that work!".  So, I decided to give woodworking a try.

There had always been a workshop around our house when I was growing up, and Da
d
built the odd thing occasionally, but I never really took advantage of that
opportunity.  Shop class in high school was taken more as an opportunity to goo
f
off than anything else.  What I'm saying here is that while the notions of
woodworking
weren't alien to me, I was more-or-less starting from the start.

I started off on a normite binge, as many of us did.  I think it was the
creation of
this listserv that started me on the neander path.  I started reading about
the basic
skills, and it didn't take too long before I was hooked.  Probably the one most
significant thing I've learned (from here, and from L.Lee's book, and from
various
other sources) that helped convince me there really is something to be said for
neander woodworking, was how to sharpen things.

Recently, oldtools have been something to read about more than to use.  For a
few years
now I've been at the point where I don't need anything else, and it's hard to
justify
the cost of the things I want if I don't actually need them, so acquisitions
have been
happening slowly, maybe half-a-dozen tools in the last year.  And, for the
last 6
months or so, I just haven't spent a lot of time in the shop.  But I tend to
be that
way -- my interest in things goes in cycles.

When I am working in my shop, I use both power and hand tools.  I fall in the
middle
ground between working for the process and working for the product.

On the oldtools path, what comes next?  For me, I think I need to learn how to
sharpen
saws.  I've got a few saws I've acquired from Pete Taran over the years
(including an
IT dovetail saw).  Since they came sharpened, I've never felt the need to
learn.  But
I've got an old rip saw that I picked up at the flea market a few years ago
that is
begging to be put back into use.  One of these days I'll give electrolysis a
go and
then I've got to figure out how to sharpen the thing.  I'll have to practise
on a
junker of some variety, of course.

Anyway, here I sit in Ottawa, Ontario, GWN, spending more time reading about
woodworking
than actually doing it.  But I've got a few weeks off between jobs and a small
bookshelf
that needs making, so I should get back at it.

Doug Bailey
dougb@m...



Recent Bios FAQ