Hello to all from me!

[dovetailmap]

Hello all. My name is Mark, and I have been a "lurker" on here for years, but have never posted anything. So its about time I guess!!!! My name on here, "Dovetailmap", is a combination of my favorite wood join that I have yet to master, and my initials.

My home is a little mubbrick on an acre in Heathcote Junction in Victoria, which I am renovating with my wife, no children, 14 misc broken parrots, 3 cats and a perpetually hungry labrador!! (Is there another kind??? )

Survived the Black Saturday bushfires, - easily the worst day of my life so far. It was so bad that at one point we hugged and said goodbye to each other, only for the wind to change, and drive the fire toward Kinglake. We are still dealing with it...

I work as a Product Designer for a small plastic fabrication business in Thomastown, designing mostly shopfitting solutions for Coles, Myer, Australia Post, Aldi, among others. If you have been to any of these stores, you HAVE seen my work. The work is good and as a bonus, I have unlimited access to CNC Lasers, Routers, Milling Machines, Lathes, Welding gear, etc etc. Very handy for the budding woodworker like myself. (And others here of course....)

I enjoy surfing and hiking. I like to go rock climbing when I can. I love mucking around with Subarus'. And I really enjoy designing/making my own furniture and related items, hence my lurking here. I am in the process of fitting out my workshop with goodies!!! Working with wood is my first true love, and has been so since my uni studies, but could never find a well paid job designing with wood. But that still remains my ultimate goal down the track - to work for myself design and making commissions etc. I have done a few already, and found it an extremely rewarding experience, albeit, doesnt pay the bills....

Thats about it for now.

Thank you to all those who contribute to what is easily the best woodworking forum on the net. I have visited them all, and this one is streets ahead.

Mark

[Christos]

A very interesting read, welcome to the site.

[Woodwould]

Welcome mark! Funny, I was looking round Coles the other day and wondered who made all that stuff. All that machinery... hmmm.

[munruben]

Hi Mark and welcome to the forum.

[dovetailmap]

Woodwould.

We dont make ALL that stuff mate!!! Some of it. For example, all the dividers and shelf fronts on all the stock shelving, is us. The shelving itself, is not us. Many of the point of sale displays are my babies. Pretty much everything that is acrylic in a modern Australia Post store is also from my hand. But NOT everything!!! I dont want to mislead anyone!!!

Thanx for all the welcomes!!! I am amongst kindred spirits...

[Allan at Wallan]

Welcome Mark and nice to read of your interests
and woodworking activities.

We are really close neighbours as I am only a few
minutes away in nearby Wallan. My son and his family
live in Heathcote Junction and also had to flee the
Black Saturday fire. They, and their next door neighbours,
plus the family dogs had to stay with us for a couple of
days.

Pm me if you wish and we can meet up some time.

Allan

[dovetailmap]

Was a day straight from hell wasnt it Allan? Having survived relatively intact, I thought I could get over the event and move on. Nope. My wife suffers depression now, and I have trouble sleeping. And we are the lucky ones!!! We survived it. Two years on, I now know it will be a scar on us for the rest of our lives.

Thanx for the welcome. Maybe we will bump into each other at the Wallan market this Saturday? If weather permits. I have picked up quite a few good tools there over the years!

[Grommett]

Welcome to our little bit of the world. Any help you need, just ask.