Tom Horton
05-01-2006, 9:43 PM
First, a HUGE THANKYOU to Vaughn McMillan:cool: for the tutorial on how to resize pics for posting.
Second, and not any less important..... THE GLOAT!!:D
Last year, I was told by the LOML that she wanted a big bash for her BIG B-day... you know, the one that gets us into the 2nd half of the century... And, I was making plans to do just that. And, her son and daughter-in-law asked her what she wanted for a present.... she hemmed and hawed for a bit, and couldn't really come up with a good response.
"Well,..." says the daughter-in-law, "we have just the perfect gift for you, and it'll be ready right around your birthday!"
Now, I thought, being the "genius" that I am;) , that they either had something that they were going to have made by someone, or they were going to get together with me later, and plan something.....:confused: My wife, on the other hand, being a TRUE genius, KNEW right away!! She looked at them and they all started squealing with delight, and hugging, and all that stuff.... Meanwhile, I'm sitting there thinking that they were just plain nuts. Acting like maroons, in a crowded restaurant, no less!! Then I realized that I was going to be a "granddad"!
So, of course, being the wood worker that I am, and having been in the building industry for almost 30 yrs, I made the grand announcement that "no grand child of mine would be sleeping in a cheap, imitation wood, store bought piece of junk!" (I believe those were my exact words...:o )
Now, I must tell you, I have been buying tools for years, and have been making cabinets, built-ins, bench seats, window seats, deck furniture, decks, and I have even made toy chests, and the like. But none for me, or for my family. Only recently, since my kids are mostly out of the house, have I been able to actually pull out the range hood over the stove, and install a microwave/hood in it's place. It just hasn't been in the cards for me to spend time in the shop that I built in 1992, and has been mostly used for storage, and as a minor income producer. (I usually build the stuff on site).
So, I thought I'd build me one of them thar fancy schmancy "Heirloom Cribs" that I see advertised all the time in "Rockler Woodworking and Hardware" catalog. I even got a guy to buy me a Dewalt bench planer as a deposit on a job I did for him. I ordered the plans, and bought some ash wood from the local "exotic lumber" dealer. This was in December of last year. Since then, I have spent at least 3 nights a week, with the propane heat going, and the lights blazing, in my shop, working on the crib, sometimes getting to do it for hours, sometimes, only enough time to run half a dozen pieces through the planer, or the router, or drill a hole here, and there.
But today, after all the time, and energy, dancing around my shop, tripping over the cords, and stuff, listening to a vast array of music, I have something to post, and it's my first real piece of "family furniture". I've heard you guys gloat over the stuff you've made, and I've marvelled at the work myself, all the while thinking, "one day.... one day....."
This is that day! And I hope my grandson enjoys it half as much as I did making it! :D
Tom
37712 37713
Second, and not any less important..... THE GLOAT!!:D
Last year, I was told by the LOML that she wanted a big bash for her BIG B-day... you know, the one that gets us into the 2nd half of the century... And, I was making plans to do just that. And, her son and daughter-in-law asked her what she wanted for a present.... she hemmed and hawed for a bit, and couldn't really come up with a good response.
"Well,..." says the daughter-in-law, "we have just the perfect gift for you, and it'll be ready right around your birthday!"
Now, I thought, being the "genius" that I am;) , that they either had something that they were going to have made by someone, or they were going to get together with me later, and plan something.....:confused: My wife, on the other hand, being a TRUE genius, KNEW right away!! She looked at them and they all started squealing with delight, and hugging, and all that stuff.... Meanwhile, I'm sitting there thinking that they were just plain nuts. Acting like maroons, in a crowded restaurant, no less!! Then I realized that I was going to be a "granddad"!
So, of course, being the wood worker that I am, and having been in the building industry for almost 30 yrs, I made the grand announcement that "no grand child of mine would be sleeping in a cheap, imitation wood, store bought piece of junk!" (I believe those were my exact words...:o )
Now, I must tell you, I have been buying tools for years, and have been making cabinets, built-ins, bench seats, window seats, deck furniture, decks, and I have even made toy chests, and the like. But none for me, or for my family. Only recently, since my kids are mostly out of the house, have I been able to actually pull out the range hood over the stove, and install a microwave/hood in it's place. It just hasn't been in the cards for me to spend time in the shop that I built in 1992, and has been mostly used for storage, and as a minor income producer. (I usually build the stuff on site).
So, I thought I'd build me one of them thar fancy schmancy "Heirloom Cribs" that I see advertised all the time in "Rockler Woodworking and Hardware" catalog. I even got a guy to buy me a Dewalt bench planer as a deposit on a job I did for him. I ordered the plans, and bought some ash wood from the local "exotic lumber" dealer. This was in December of last year. Since then, I have spent at least 3 nights a week, with the propane heat going, and the lights blazing, in my shop, working on the crib, sometimes getting to do it for hours, sometimes, only enough time to run half a dozen pieces through the planer, or the router, or drill a hole here, and there.
But today, after all the time, and energy, dancing around my shop, tripping over the cords, and stuff, listening to a vast array of music, I have something to post, and it's my first real piece of "family furniture". I've heard you guys gloat over the stuff you've made, and I've marvelled at the work myself, all the while thinking, "one day.... one day....."
This is that day! And I hope my grandson enjoys it half as much as I did making it! :D
Tom
37712 37713