Creeker visit last nite

[Dave Anderson NH]

Last evening I had the pleasure of meeting Mark Stutz from Kansas City who was in the area delivering his son to my old alma mater Tufts University. We met at 5 PM at a local plaza in the next town and had a nice Chinese buffet and then he followed me back to my house. We spent the next several hours talking about a variety of things, though naturally most of the time was spent discussing general woodworking and Neanderthal stuff in particular. I got to show off my shop and tools and Mark got the chance to make fluffy shavings with a variety of different smoothers. Mark, knowing my reputation as the Creek wino, was nice enough to bring me a gift of two bottles of a local St. Souis made wine. I'm just not sure how they'll look in the wine rack along with the Ripple, Boone's Farm, and the Thunderbird. :D :eek:

The evening passed all too quickly for us and eventually I had to throw Mark out into the cold dark night.;) :D It was truly enjoyable and like almost all of these things the major disappointment was having to call it quits so Mark could drive back to Massachusetts to his hotel. Since he'll be traveling this way occasionally over the next four years, I expect to have the opportunity for more of these visits. The door is always open to fellow Creekers at the Chester Toolworks so let me know if you're in the area.

Sorry there's only one picture, but we we're too busy BSing and enjoying ourselves to shoot any more.:p

[Roy Wall]

Great story and friendship---part of what makes woodworking so enjoyable; it breeds wonderful life attributes........

Mark, as a fellow KC WW, I'd like to meet you......maybe @ next KCWW guild meeting or something - send me a PM when you have time.

Dave,

My wife frequently flies to Vermont (Burlington)for business - Mapquest shows about a 3 hr drive (175 miles) to your little town. Evidently, Boston is much closer - you're only about 45 miles NW of Beantown????

[Chris Padilla]

Uh-oh, Dave, another opportunity to "freshen-up" the avatar to something, uh, more realistic??? :D :p ;)

You, too, Mark! :)

[James Carmichael]

Uh-oh, Dave, another opportunity to "freshen-up" the avatar to something, uh, more realistic??? :D :p ;)

You, too, Mark! :)

Chris,

Guess you're the "Avatar Czar" ex-officio. Now we need a new one of you in Kaiser helment and Charley Chaplan mustache. "Vee haff veys of discovering your true appearance" ;)

[Mark Singer]

Dave,
Your fortunate...all I get are snakes rabbits and goats...A great looking organized shop, as I thought it would be!

[Chris Padilla]

Chris,

Guess you're the "Avatar Czar" ex-officio. Now we need a new one of you in Kaiser helment and Charley Chaplan mustache. "Vee haff veys of discovering your true appearance" ;)
At least I update mine to more realistic, NOW pictures than ones of 5-10 years ago and 10-20 lbs. ago!!! :D :D :D

:eek:

I want to get one of me and my daughter in our new SMC hats.

[Tim Sproul]

Ask Chris if he's set the hoops...or even honed...nevemind even USED his new, but now "old" chisels.... :p . he's had them for a few months...and I'm guessin' they still have the shipping plastic bags around them!

[Jim Becker]

It was nice you got to meet with Mark, Dave...I had hoped to do so to at the "Saws 'N Dust" shop, but my business travel schedule (read: plane ride home tomorrow) interfered with that. Of course, I'll try to make up for it in a few hours when I drop in on Mr. Jenkins here in Dallas...

Thanks for posting the picture of you and Mark in the shop!

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

At first glance at the picture, I thought to myself......"Self, where IS the Wine, anyway"? Dave, you managed to sneak it by everyone but me. ;) Nice stealth move putting the Wine in the squirt bottles in front of Mark and yourself! You neader guys are a sneaky bunch! :p

Glad you fellers had a nice visit! :)

[Jon Olson]

Dave,
Being relatively new to this forum, That is one organized shop. WOW!!! Something to look forward as I age and collect tools. I love the vertical storage, well laid out and a place for eveything. Any more shop pics??

Jon

[Dave Anderson NH]

Maybe I'll update the avatar "soon". I somehow managed to acquire about 25 pounds this year and it's time to see if I can get rid of a bit of it. Believe it or not the avatar shown in my posts is only about a year and a half old.

As for shop organization, the pic was taken at that spot for a reason. Mark can testify that the rest of the place isn't "quite" as well organized and remains hidden for a reason. I badly need to add some more storage for stuff which is out of sight and there is an extreme shortage of roundtuits at my house. I keep swearing that I'm going to build a new bench, but it just keeps slipping further and further down the list. In any event, here are a coupla more pics of the tool wall.

[Tyler Howell]

Mark is that the same son who was going to school in Minnesota??? They do get around!

A lot of my money went to Tufts:eek: ...... Oh yah so did my Dr. Daughter!;)

That looks like Neander Heaven!:cool:

[Terry Quiram]

Dave

I know what you mean about things sliding on the list. I have got to build a saw till. I have some very nice Distons that need to be easier to get to. Can you tell me the differences between the 4 braces?

Terry

[Alan Turner]

DAve,
Beautiful wall of tools. Mine are packed in a lot closer.

Were that a pix of my shop, what you would see is the joist bays filled to the gills with jigs, clamps, a long grain shooting board, extra leg vise, etc. Are you missing some storage space there?
Alan

[Dave Anderson NH]

Terry- The braces are of different swing sizes. From left to right they are a 12" North Bros Yankee, a 10" Millers Falls, an 8" Craftsman by Stanley, and a 6" Milers Falls. The larger swings are great if you need extra power to drive either a large drill bit or a screwdriver bit with a honker sized screw.

Alan- I agonized about using over head space, but there's insulation between the studs and it is useful for keeping the noise down at night so I don't disturb Sue's sleep. Per my earlier reference to a perennial shortage of roundtuits, an accoustical tile drop ceiling has been on the list as a bench room project for a VERY long time. I actually have enough bench room space if I organize it carefully and do a bit of rearranging in addition to building a bit more storage. Again, it's that roundtuit problem.

[James Carmichael]

Were the tools a bit more primitive, it would look like a postcard from Colonial Williamsburg.

[Mark Stutz]

Well we made it back home safely after delivering number two son to Tufts last week. Tyler, number one is still in Minnesota and hopefully I'll get in a visit before he leaves.
Had a wonderful visit with Dave and Sue at his home and shop. The night went by so quickly, but I'm sure I'll be back on another trip. The Chester Tool Works is really great. Picked out a beautiful marking knife handle that will be shipped. Per the rules, PICS will be forthcoming on arrival.
I also managed to make a few shavings with a variety of planes. As a fledgling Neander it was nice to feel what a well fettled and sharpened plane can do.
Dave's shop is well organized and CLEAN, no matter what he says! Dave, thanks for a wonderful visit.
Mark

[Alan Turner]

Dave,
My bride is quite forgiving on the noise front. She has to be, since my primary shop hours during the week are at the very early end of the day. He comment is "Well, I guess Alan is whirring again." And she turns over and sleeps to 6:30 or so. Can't do much better than that in a wife.
Alan

[Steve Beadle]

Thanks for the inspiration, Dave. I love that tongue-and-groove knotty pine and would like to do the same in my garage shop. By the way, I saw in another thread that you referred to a Stanley 45 somewhere in your collection, but I don't see it on the plane till. Is it behind one of the slanted parts that flip up? By the way, I just started a thread asking for responses regarding a Stanley 45 I recently acquired.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Yes, the #45 Stanley in under the lid of the left lift up lid. There are a coupla othr planes there along with some spare blades and some other stuff. My other set of hollows and rounds is in my G-G-g Grandfathers toolbox. Some one of these days I'll get around to doing up a shop tour, but don't hold your breath.