Describe Yourself as a Woodworker
- Thread starter Matthew Schenker
- Start date
Brice Burrell
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- Mar 13, 2007
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- 7,385
Andrew, welcome aboard!
I'm a retired exam prof and computer type who enjoys woodwork as a hobby. I've come from "all thumbs" to where with the Domino, a 150 sander and the CT22e plus a few other tools (table saw, band saw, jointer and planner), I have been able to make a few decent looking bookcases and a mantel for our house (and still have all thumbs and fingers too). A couple years ago I picked up a used Conover lathe and built a mount for it from a laminated beam. I have fun in my shop and am now able to spend more time there. I especially like to build toys-simple ones like small cars and doll cradles. My biggest challenge there was an eight car train modeled from "Toys That Teach."
I have had the pleasure of being invited to setup two woodworking shops in central Africa (Daystar University in Kenya and one in Goma, Congo. The latter was after a major 2002 eruption resulted in a lava flow 8' high that went through the city (450,000 population) and destroyed about 75% of it and 25% of the homes outside. Over 75 schools were destroyed. The Goma shop has 10+ full time workers and is still running today. They make a lot of student desks for the new schools. There isn't another shop in Goma that can compete with them
I appreciate a well run message board like this one. My CT22e quit a couple weeks ago. I put up a message here and "bingo" I had several answers from sources even beyond the US. Festool took great care of the problem. Replaced the Electronic module and I am back in business building bookshelves for all my old math books. It's about time I did these as the plan for them started over 10 ago years ago when I retired from my last job, working as a consultant. But then there are other things to do too!
One of the things that is still under construction for my shop (third garage separated from the others by a wall) is a cyclone dust collector. I am really keen on getting the dust collected at the source. That's one of the main reasons that I have begun to acquire Festool equipment.
Sorry to run on so long, it comes with age.
I have had the pleasure of being invited to setup two woodworking shops in central Africa (Daystar University in Kenya and one in Goma, Congo. The latter was after a major 2002 eruption resulted in a lava flow 8' high that went through the city (450,000 population) and destroyed about 75% of it and 25% of the homes outside. Over 75 schools were destroyed. The Goma shop has 10+ full time workers and is still running today. They make a lot of student desks for the new schools. There isn't another shop in Goma that can compete with them
I appreciate a well run message board like this one. My CT22e quit a couple weeks ago. I put up a message here and "bingo" I had several answers from sources even beyond the US. Festool took great care of the problem. Replaced the Electronic module and I am back in business building bookshelves for all my old math books. It's about time I did these as the plan for them started over 10 ago years ago when I retired from my last job, working as a consultant. But then there are other things to do too!
One of the things that is still under construction for my shop (third garage separated from the others by a wall) is a cyclone dust collector. I am really keen on getting the dust collected at the source. That's one of the main reasons that I have begun to acquire Festool equipment.
Sorry to run on so long, it comes with age.
Since I do furniture restoration as a business, I hesitated to list myself as a full-time woodworker. Most of my woodworking involves repairs (nearly always challenging) and refinishing furniture rather than building pieces.
Thanks,
Travis
Minnesota
Thanks,
Travis
Minnesota
Mirko said:What is the significance of chosing, Male or female??
I mean you can only choose one, why are these there?
This remindes me of a boy that lived down the street from me in my home town.. this would always crack us up.
If You ask the kid... "what do you want to be when you grows up"
His answer would always be... "A Man" ???
As far back, that I can remember, I always said I would be a chef when I grow up. ??? I guess I liked food, oh well.
Becoming a cabinet maker had its ups and downs, I contemplated leaving the trade when my apprenticeship was over.
I learned pretty quikly that, "Journeyman" did not mean much, if you stay at the shop you apprenticed at.
Those old guy's do'nt just start respecting you over night!
The "journey" has been good so far, it seems I will never know all there is to woodworking, but i'm fine with that.
If this Trade was easy, I would'nt have put up with it for this long.
People know that i'm a JourneyMan Cabinet maker, I just do'nt know that i'm a man yet
I want to be a man when I grow up...
Mirko
Mirko,
You are a wise woodwacker & I admire you brother. Dead on!
Acrobat
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- Jun 30, 2008
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- 471
Hi Matthew, great forum.Matthew Schenker said:
Your list has a multi-choice and asks to choose from either "on-site" or "In-shop"? In my neck of the woods (New Zealand), when one says In-shop, its at a Professionals place of business. e.g A mechanics shop or similar. I assume therefore you may mean at ones home? - in the "Shed" is how we would term it, or Garage or Home Workshop even.? Or am I misunderstanding this? One other wee small thing, the list of 1st 2nd or 3rd purchases asks for how much one spent, but in what countries $? Is it US $. I'd have to get the calc out and do some currency conversions to do that........and at the rate it is now it aint happy reading I can tell you! You'd be shocked to find what we end up paying way down here!!! You guys got it good
cheers
Matthew Schenker
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- Jan 15, 2007
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- 2,619
Acrobat said:Hi Matthew, great forum.Matthew Schenker said:
Your list has a multi-choice and asks to choose from either "on-site" or "In-shop"? In my neck of the woods (New Zealand), when one says In-shop, its at a Professionals place of business. e.g A mechanics shop or similar. I assume therefore you may mean at ones home? - in the "Shed" is how we would term it, or Garage or Home Workshop even.? Or am I misunderstanding this? One other wee small thing, the list of 1st 2nd or 3rd purchases asks for how much one spent, but in what countries $? Is it US $. I'd have to get the calc out and do some currency conversions to do that........and at the rate it is now it aint happy reading I can tell you! You'd be shocked to find what we end up paying way down here!!! You guys got it good
cheers
Welcome to the forum, and thanks for responding! Yes, "In shop" means at home. But you can translate it as needed!
On the expenditures, I know what you mean. This forum is international, and I considered having different polls for different currencies, but that just made it look like a mess. So, I'm sorry, but could you do a quick currency conversion to $USD when responding to those polls?
Thanks,
Matthew
Frank Pellow
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- Jan 16, 2007
- Messages
- 2,743
Welcome to FOG Acrobat!Acrobat said:Hi Matthew, great forum.Matthew Schenker said:
Your list has a multi-choice and asks to choose from either "on-site" or "In-shop"? In my neck of the woods (New Zealand), when one says In-shop, its at a Professionals place of business. e.g A mechanics shop or similar. I assume therefore you may mean at ones home? - in the "Shed" is how we would term it, or Garage or Home Workshop even.? Or am I misunderstanding this? One other wee small thing, the list of 1st 2nd or 3rd purchases asks for how much one spent, but in what countries $? Is it US $. I'd have to get the calc out and do some currency conversions to do that........and at the rate it is now it aint happy reading I can tell you! You'd be shocked to find what we end up paying way down here!!! You guys got it good
cheers
Many folks in Canada use the term "shed" rather than "shop". For instance here is a photo with a picture of the sign over the door on my wooodworking shed:
[attachimg=#1]
By the way, I carved the sign.
Acrobat
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- Joined
- Jun 30, 2008
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- 471
That's a great pic Frank, I'll have to take one of my little shed soon and post it up. You'll laugh.poto said:
Thank you too Poto. I am in Auckland's North Shore, if you know where that is. This is such a good site and with all the enthusiasm here, I will need to curb my desire to buy more festools!.
cheers
Acrobat
Well you've come to the wrong place for that. We're the equivalent of neighborhood crack dealers. You'll end up buying tools you never knew you needed, just because everybody makes them seem so indispensible to general woodworking.
Belated happy winter solstice to you!
Belated happy winter solstice to you!
Woodworking in my case is a bit of a loose term. Wood butcher probably descibes me better.
My woodworking at work consists of making up bed bases for camper trailers from formply as required.
In my own time I do general property maintenance. As in repair work repairs to timber structures ie, verandahs etc... Most of the time its on weatherboard houses, so there is always stuff to do.
I have a fairly good variety of tools, nuthin too specialised tho in the woodworking department.
When I'm not doing that I'm helping out mates do bigger projects. Like reno jobs and a bit of work on new houses. Found its a good way to get more experience/confidence to tackle larger projects myself.
My next one is relocating a weatherboard house & rebuilding the skillion part on the back. Got a good secondhand kitchen stored away ready. My biggest project yet, so it will be good challenge for me.
My woodworking at work consists of making up bed bases for camper trailers from formply as required.
In my own time I do general property maintenance. As in repair work repairs to timber structures ie, verandahs etc... Most of the time its on weatherboard houses, so there is always stuff to do.
I have a fairly good variety of tools, nuthin too specialised tho in the woodworking department.
When I'm not doing that I'm helping out mates do bigger projects. Like reno jobs and a bit of work on new houses. Found its a good way to get more experience/confidence to tackle larger projects myself.
My next one is relocating a weatherboard house & rebuilding the skillion part on the back. Got a good secondhand kitchen stored away ready. My biggest project yet, so it will be good challenge for me.
Fathers Woodcraft
Member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2008
- Messages
- 5
I founded my company in Hollywood, FL in 1984 as a one man "do Anything I could get to pay the rent" Sole proprietorship. Today, I run an average of 10 crews and we travel world wide installing some of the highest end and most expensive cabinetry Architectural Millwork and casework manufactured in England and Germany.
We currently have crews working in 3 states in the USA and will be traveling to Moscow, Russia once we are finished with our current 7 month (6 man crew) project near Las Vegas. After that, its on to Jupiter Island to contribute to the majesty of what will be Celine Dion's new Florida Palace.
We own a tremendous amount of Festool product but still want to see the Belt Sander, Lunch box cooler built into the SYS-4, and the large rolling cart (built kind like what many flight Attendants use) come to the US ASAP!
We currently have crews working in 3 states in the USA and will be traveling to Moscow, Russia once we are finished with our current 7 month (6 man crew) project near Las Vegas. After that, its on to Jupiter Island to contribute to the majesty of what will be Celine Dion's new Florida Palace.
We own a tremendous amount of Festool product but still want to see the Belt Sander, Lunch box cooler built into the SYS-4, and the large rolling cart (built kind like what many flight Attendants use) come to the US ASAP!
Hi,
I'm a female woodworker. I got into it 5 years ago when I got laid off from a banking job and wanted to remodel my bathrooms and kitchen. I made a bathroom vanity with lumber from Lowe's and the kreg pocket hole joinery method. My husband was so impressed he sent me to a three month course in furniture building at The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport Maine (in the winter). It was an unbelievable experience and at the end I knew what tools to use and how to use them to build case goods (any box, drawer or door). I came home and bought a Delta table saw (unisaw), joiner, planer and bandsaw. I gutted my kitchen down to the studs and built a new one. So I have also become a remoldeler as well as woodworker (just for myself). I made the mistake of buying 8/4 red oak for the kitchen, resawing and planing all my 1/4" (door panels and some drawer bottoms), 1/2" (drawer sides and rest of drawer bottoms) and 3/4" (everything else). I would post a picture but I have not figured out how to optimize a jpeg down to 125 KB. I say mistake because of all the work involved and did not know red oak is not the easiest to work. Live and learn. Now I buy nothing larger than 4/4. I saw a demo of the festool sanders at a new lumber yard I found and can only say if I had not seen it myself I would have not believed the incredible mirror finish from a sander. My only problem now is what sanders to buy and figuring out the system for different applications. (more on that later in the review forum? or do I ask my questions somewhere else?) Thank you Matthew for the great review on the Rotex150.
One problem I have is when gluing up boards (with Bessy clamps) if the boards are over 3 ft long I have trouble in the middle. I've tried routing grooves with various jigs but very difficult to register the exact same place on 2 ends. So I have been sanding problem areas but this leaves dips in wood (not great for table top but console myself with the "old" look). So I am very excited about the Domino tool. I think both systems can bring my woodworking to the next level.
Anyway, I was taught to build furniture from rough lumber with regular woodshop tools but now that I have seen the festool sanding system with dust extraction and the domino I'm hooked.
Can't wait to write my own review. It's just hard to do all the research into exactly which tools to get. So this forum is great to help with that.
pafekete
I'm a female woodworker. I got into it 5 years ago when I got laid off from a banking job and wanted to remodel my bathrooms and kitchen. I made a bathroom vanity with lumber from Lowe's and the kreg pocket hole joinery method. My husband was so impressed he sent me to a three month course in furniture building at The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport Maine (in the winter). It was an unbelievable experience and at the end I knew what tools to use and how to use them to build case goods (any box, drawer or door). I came home and bought a Delta table saw (unisaw), joiner, planer and bandsaw. I gutted my kitchen down to the studs and built a new one. So I have also become a remoldeler as well as woodworker (just for myself). I made the mistake of buying 8/4 red oak for the kitchen, resawing and planing all my 1/4" (door panels and some drawer bottoms), 1/2" (drawer sides and rest of drawer bottoms) and 3/4" (everything else). I would post a picture but I have not figured out how to optimize a jpeg down to 125 KB. I say mistake because of all the work involved and did not know red oak is not the easiest to work. Live and learn. Now I buy nothing larger than 4/4. I saw a demo of the festool sanders at a new lumber yard I found and can only say if I had not seen it myself I would have not believed the incredible mirror finish from a sander. My only problem now is what sanders to buy and figuring out the system for different applications. (more on that later in the review forum? or do I ask my questions somewhere else?) Thank you Matthew for the great review on the Rotex150.
One problem I have is when gluing up boards (with Bessy clamps) if the boards are over 3 ft long I have trouble in the middle. I've tried routing grooves with various jigs but very difficult to register the exact same place on 2 ends. So I have been sanding problem areas but this leaves dips in wood (not great for table top but console myself with the "old" look). So I am very excited about the Domino tool. I think both systems can bring my woodworking to the next level.
Anyway, I was taught to build furniture from rough lumber with regular woodshop tools but now that I have seen the festool sanding system with dust extraction and the domino I'm hooked.
Can't wait to write my own review. It's just hard to do all the research into exactly which tools to get. So this forum is great to help with that.
pafekete
