Describe Yourself as a Woodworker

[peter halle]

pafekete ,

welcome to the forum.  please ask any questions and I am certain their will be others here eager to answer.

Peter

 

[gearup75]

I have to say....I love this forum.  It has become my new crack!  I need a forum fix several times a day.
Wood is a new medium for me, as I have worked with various metals my whole life.  I bought  the C12 screwdriver as my first festool purchase and haven't looked back yet. 
    My latest career is driving truck for a crane outfit.  During the slow winters, I needed something to fill the void instead of watching "Leave It to Beaver" reruns, so I thought wood. Within 3 weeks of the screwdriver purchase, I have 11 Festool boxes and built my first cabinet.  I find working with wood so much more enjoyable then working with metal.  And so far, I can do projects the way I want...not the way the customer wants.
Don't know at this point if I want to do work for others...been there...done that!  Owned a custom bodyshop for 16 years.
    The wife doesn't seem to mind my new hobby, it keeps me off the computer and out of chat rooms.  I told her the toolman was going out of business and I got a deal on the tools.  She asked if they were at least decent tools    Now she has plans for hardwood floors throughout...pantry....wall units in the den...etc.  I use this site as inspiration and guidance to see me through the Festool way
    Thanks all for your input,
                Another Festool junkie and wood newbie ;D

 

[JoeFowler]

Hi
My names Joe and I'm from Placentia  Ca and I'm a weekend warrior when it comes to woodwork, I got into Festool recently and never realized they had this kind of following, I happened on this place via google and looks like I have lots to read, I'll start with the latest posts....  Sorry if I have posted this in the wrong place as this place is pretty big, hope to get to know you all better but I'm more of a reader than a writer.

Joe

 

[peter halle]

Welcome aboard Joe.  Don't be afraid to ask questions as there are so many here willing to help.

Peter

 

[JoeFowler]

Thank you Peter and don't worry I will

 

[K.T.]

Male- Newbie - Hobby woodworker.

Ordered my first Festool (TS75) on March 1st and as you can see I am building my collection pretty quickly. I also have the T15+3 and MFT/3 arriving Wednesday.

 

[peter halle]

Kim,

I don't know if we officially welcomed you somewhere else, but  [welcome] to the FOG.

To say that you have been adding to your collection is an understatement.  Rock on!  But you need to open those rail boxes and use them  [eek].

Seriously, we are here to help you if we can.  Please don't ever be afraid to ask.

Peter

 

[K.T.]

Kim,

I don't know if we officially welcomed you somewhere else, but  [welcome] to the FOG.

To say that you have been adding to your collection is an understatement.  Rock on!  But you need to open those rail boxes and use them  [eek].

Seriously, we are here to help you if we can.  Please don't ever be afraid to ask.

Peter

I contemplated cutting the bands so I wouldn't be called out, lol. I have used one them. Maybe that box isn't in the pic. I have been occupied lately but everything is definitely going to be used soon.

[thanks] for the warm welcome

Kim

 

[peter halle]

We look forward to seeing you here!

 

[mark007]

male

millwork installation componey
hands on tools as much as possible , a lot

 

[JLB builders LLC]

Male ~Jamie

Professional Woodworker (main income from woodworking) General Contractor
Trim,Tile,Wood Flooring,Electric,Plumbing,Masonry,Rough Carpentry-not to rough, I have a fine blade on my Stihl chainsaw for trim [wink]
A lot of Home improvement.

 

[ccarrolladams]

I consider myself to be a professional cabinet maker and designer now that I have retired as a movie studio executive. However, in addition to my custom cabinet shop, I do own significant percentages of several other businesses.

Over the span from 1939 to today I have done my best with virtually all the tools used in furniture and cabinet making.

Some folks are surprised that despite a lot of CNC and conventional machines in my shop, I do not own any wood lathes, nor do I have a finishing department.

The poll was locked so I will share I am male and almost 80.

 

[jacko9]

Male, Semi-Professional woodworker for the past 40 years.  I primarily build hardwood furniture but, I have done kitchen cabinets, exterior doors, custom hardwood flooring, interior finish carpentry and some framing.  I haven't had a car in my two car "shop" for over 35 years and now that I'm retired from my "salary job", I can devote more time to fine furniture.  I'm going on 70 years old but, still going strong teaching a weight lifting class two mornings a week and playing golf three time a week.

My shop is equipped with a Powermatic 66 Table Saw with a sliding table, 20" Powermatic band Saw, 8" Poitras Jointer (with carbide knives), 12" Powermatic Planer (with a Byrd Tool Carbide head), 1/2" Delta Shaper, and a Drill Press.

I also have the Festool Domino 500 and 700XL machines, the Festool jig saw, RO 90 sander, ETS 150/3 Sander, 5" Bosch sander and 5 routers ranging from my Bosch 3 1/4 HP to my DeWalt trim router.

I have purchased an assortment of German spokeshaves and Record hand planes.  I also have an extensive collection of Japanese wooden planes, spokeshaves and scrapers.  I have some English and German chisels but, the bulk of my chisels are Japanese.  I use an assortment of hand saws from my Stanley rip saw, my Bow Saw, some German hand saws and five Japanese saws.

Since starting this woodworking, I have been purchasing wood in quantities that get me a reasonable price and at any given time I have 1000bf in my rack of assorted woods.

Early on I had a custom furniture business and I became so busy, I had to choose between my "day job" and becoming a full time furniture maker.  I have to say that family health care, a pension and a good secure salary won over.  The engineering job I had started with 5 weeks of vacation every year and that allowed me to continue woodworking over the years until retirement.  I spend more time in my shop now that ever and I have more respect and appreciation for this craft every year.

JackO

 

[peter halle]

Jack,

Rock on Dude!  Don't stand still and don't stop.

I love to read your posts!

Peter

 

[jacko9]

Jack,

Rock on Dude!  Don't stand still and don't stop.

I love to read your posts!

Peter

Thanks Peter, that's what I get from my mothers cousin who is a very successful artist in Hollywood and he's going strong at 90 [wink]

 

[andvari]

Male
Hobby woodworker (little or no income from woodworking)
Furniture Making

Basically a homeowner who has made some simple furniture. I'm nearing retirement so I'm spending more time woodworking with an eye towards all those deferred projects that will hopefully give me something enjoyable to do after I retire. Finding Festool has made it more fun because the tools are much less frustrating to work with at my modest skill level.

 

[RC]

Male, nearing my 40's, M.Sc.EE by schooling, running internal audit & compliace as a day job. I do woodworking mainly as a unwinding activity over the weekends, mainly during the late spring - early autumn timeframe.

I've built all sorts of stuff out of wood since I was a kid with my carpenter grandad starting from toys, go carts to play houses to wooden gifts and ending with remodelling my current house mostly by myself. I did take all available courses in wood and metalworking in school, but that is very limited educationwise.

Since discovering Festools a couple of years back I've been heavily replacing my old powertools with Festoys. Primary reasoning for the transition has been the mobility of Festool because of my lack of a permanent shop space as well as the system interoperability aspect of them.

Next on the list of projects is a bunch of backyard furniture as well as some inside furniture. Maybe one day down the line I'll find the inner artist in myself and get into scroll sawing. Also I'm slowly going to find things to tinker with my teenage daughter who has lately expressed a want to learn woodworking as well as figuring out what todo with my 5yo son.

 

[sancho57]

Male,
Semi-pro hobbyiest.

Been woking with my hands since I got out of the military 1975. I went through a apprenticeship as a MArine Machinery Mech. Did that work for 14 years or so, then I became a QA inspector.

I got into woodworking/ home remodeling 18 years  ago when I got married and bought my first home. Since then then I ve done a number of small jobs and kitchens etc.

I started buying festools roughly 2 years ago after seeing a Utube video of a internet buddy friend of mine (the late joseph fusco, RIP) using the system to break down sheet goods and cutting pieces for cabinets ( He did a utube series on the subj.)

Thats when I bought my first festool TS55 and guide rails. Ive been building my collection ever since.

Im getting to the point of retireing from my FT job and wanting to do something else, maybe full time wood working, furniture repair, closet organizers  and the occasional bigger jobs such as kitchens etc.

Anyway, thats my story and Im sticking to it.

 

[TinyTiger]

Hi!  I'm Russ.  I live about 90 miles Southwest of Chicago in North Central IL.  I've been a woodworker for about 10 years, I'm self-taught, and I have A LOT to learn.  The longer you go, the more you realize how much you don't know, right?  I'm really looking forward to learning from everyone here at the owner's group.

I do woodworking for fun. By day I'm a leader in a chemical plant, which I say is just a support system for my woodworking hobby.  I have a very understanding wife with a long list of projects for me.  We bought our current house because it has a stand-alone outbuilding I turned into a shop.  If I take too long "messing around" after dinner, she tells me to hurry up and go out to the shop because I need to get busy and build her stuff.  And stuff for our daughter, grandaughter, grandson, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, etc., etc.

As far as tools go, I have a pretty well-equipped shop.  I'm not into turning and don't have a lathe, but the rest of the world is pretty much open to me.  Most of my projects are cabinets and furniture with the occasional cutting board or knife block thrown in.  I caught the Festool bug (obsession!) last year.  My current Festools are a Domino, Domino Assortment, ETS 125 Sander, CT 26 Vac, and CXS Drill.  My next tools will be an OF 1400 Router, RO 90 Sander, new version of the TS 55 Saw, and an MFT.  When my miter saw needs replacement, I'm thinking a Kapex would fit in that spot pretty nicely.  ;D

Feel free to message me anytime.  I'm really looking forward to hearing from you and learning from your experiences.  Take care and work safely.  Talk to you later!

 

[Alan m]

welcome tiger,
your wife is really making you work for her understanding.