G'day from South Oz

[ch!ppy]

howdy folks,

been reading this forum for a little while now, its been very enjoyable, some nice sounding people and some are fine writers too that get their message across in an expert way that i think they could write books! (thats certainly not me haha)

I'm a Carpenter and Joiner by trade (I dont think they combine those two trades anymore) and then of course a builder, also ran a furniture making business for years. built many thousands of homes with my own hands (as they say), usually with the assistance of apprentices that i indentured and trained up over the years, theres been quite a few of them, thats actually something that gives me a certain amount of pride, even more so than the homes we built, words cant quite express how good it is to see your old apprentices out working for themselves and training their own guys, though they are quick to tell me they cant get them to work anywhere near as hard or quick or as long a hours as they used to working for me, but they buy me a beer and we have a good laugh reminiscing about old times


now days things are quiet for me gone is all the big factory machinery, gone is pretty much all the smaller machinery, and i am looking forward again to getting back to the beginnings using those old rusty joinery skills that some poor bugger took the time to teach me and working with hand tools again. we'll see how long that lasts eh! so lately i have been pulling out the hand tools giving them a bit of tender love (much needed the poor old things), spit and polish and most of all a sharp edge they are starting to look pretty good, better every day, i can practically see them glowing with enthusiasm to start cutting into some timber...haha that sounds like their alive and they speak to me, well they kinda are and do as embarrassing as that sounds...now that i think of it i used to give them all names lol, there is plane Jane the #4 she was my first plane that is, Tom and Rip the handsaws, Beverly the bevel..haha i gonna have to go out and reintroduce my self to them all lol


so i hope you don't mind having a Carpenter (even though i have done some other things over the years the old saying is 'once a carpenter, always a carpenter) amongst the midst, that doesn't mean i know everything, far from it, i've picked up lot of interesting bits and pieces reading here...like my old boss used to tell me (i'm one of those blokes that always quotes what my old boss used to say LOL) and i always taught my apprentices, no matter how long you've been doing it (carpentry) you should try and learn something new every day


once a carpenter always a carpenter
chippy

[Crunchie]

Welcome Chippy. Always good to have more local members. I look forward to you sharing your knowledge.

[Christos]

Welcome to the forum. That's quite a story you told and just as you mention that others are able to explain things well. You have done exactly that as what I am reading this comes from the heart.

[JJF]

Welcome to the forum.

[China]

Welcome chippy well said, a true tradesman so they have split carpentry and joinery I hear they are tryng to split my trade as well (cabinetmaker) trying to change it it to furniture maker and cabinet maker for those who make kitchens etc. It's been ok for centuries but some bureaucrat who most likely wouldn't know a plane if it hit him on the head thinks he knows better. I fully understand how you feel about your tools, I still have my first no 4 I use it almost every day it was my Grand fathers and given to me the day I signed my indentures

[wheelinround]

Chippy if you have been reading the forum for a while it goes without saying we love

Tools, sheds, work produced, even just a nice photo of the weather in SA.

Sadly yes some dipsticks that forsee future trades split covers my trade also as Coach Builder/Motor Vehicle Builder changed because they no longer built Coaches (horse drawn type) they thought Motor Vehicles covered a wider variety. Then they split Fiberglassing from that, Restoration of Vintage & Veteran autos became a hobby course.

So welcome your not alone.

[ch!ppy]

many thanks for the kind words and warm welcome guys!


hmm, pics eh! i love pics too! well my big workshop is gone and my home workshop which was about 12mx6 has been converted to other living areas now and i dont think i can get away with reclaiming it! besides it was always covered in an inch of sawdust lol, not very photogenic. so, i am in the process of converting a new workspace which will only be about 20-30+ m/2 which i think should be fine for a hand tool workshop and i can still use my 12mx6m carport area for sharing space with the few machines i still have, timber storage, perhaps a sharpening bench and other bits and pieces.

down the track i might post some pics of a workbench i plan to make with some scrap old timber i have laying about, nothing too special, actually the idea is for it to be fairly cheap and simple so i have something to make my 'better' workshop bench on haha, which leads me to thinking i will have to make a bench for that bench to made on...and then a bench for that bench....dam one of these benches is gona have to be made on saw stools lol

of course if i break out the power tools from the work trailer or use bigger machines, then it, and all the other projects i have i mind to make will all be completed in few weeks, where's the fun in that nah i have have done all that before, filled my house house with furniture in short time, several times over ! (it used to get sold when i wasnt looking, so i'd turn around and build more) and whilst it still does bring a certain amount of satisfaction its not the same as when you make it with hand tools...

cheers to all
Chippy

[coffenup]

welcome aboard chippie
another south aussie yeah
Its good to hear you are still able to use hand tools I wish i could but was never taught & are afraid to waste money on things I can't use
regards Michael

[ch!ppy]

welcome aboard chippie
another south aussie yeah
Its good to hear you are still able to use hand tools I wish i could but was never taught & are afraid to waste money on things I can't use
regards Michael

thanks Michael

ya know, its almost a little sad to hear your reluctance to use hand tools based on a fear of sorts, even though handtools are more demanding there is a certain enjoyment and challenge to using handtools but once you have developed even small amount of skill (increased through practice) your rewarded with tremendous sense of satisfaction thats never quite equaled with using machines and power tools...

i assume you use power tools which indicates to me you overcome the biggest fear of all, being seriously injured, losing and appendage of some sort or even your life! power tools are that dangerous! (stating the obvious i know but we become accustomed to it) its the first thing i teach someone with a power tool, when using a power saw i usually tell them the story of the carpenter that was cutting out a roof when the PS kicked back (as they do) and the blade gouged into his groin (femoral artery), 2 minutes later he was dead on site and never got home to his family. i make it as graphic as possible so the message gets through and they listen to safety measures, such as never stand directly behind the saw and watch the blade gaurd etc..all power tools or machines have similar stories of some tragic incident, even nail guns and i've seen my fair share of incidents when peoples attention wanes just enough (sometimes just an unavoidable accident) to shoot a 3 or 4 inch nail into their hand or foot...heck one day i saw this lad who did the stupidest thing and shot a 3 inch nail into his own forearm, what a drongo! still one of the most amazing pieces of stupidity i have seen...short story version, i buy this nice new nail gun the night before, everyone is unpacking the tools for the days work, hes fondling the shiny new tool, he plugs it into the air compressors hose pipe, you can hear and feel the compressed air load up the gun with juice (he was standing right next to the compressor), he then proceeds to think (and says out loud is how we know what he was thinking) how easy is it to press against something and fire, he then pushes it onto his forearm and pulls the friggin trigger!!! i couldn't believe it, if i didnt see it with my own eyes i wouldn't have believed it...even though i was tempted to pull the nail out with pliers lol i thought better of it, a trip to the hospital for him and another strike against him for smoking dope the night before (he didnt last working for me), ha, after hours of discussion in the hospital they ended pulling it out with pliers lol

dont get me wrong powers tools are great, for making money in todays world they are practically mandatory, they have three main advantages, they save time and labour they require less skill to operate (so their skill or talent savers as well), with a great many machines such as say a jointer or thicknesser, apart from some safety lessons all you need to know is how to operate the on/off switch

anyways , each to thier own, no harm no fowl, but i reckon if you brave enough to risk serious injury then you could probably risk a few dollars on some second hand tools, you couldn't go far wrong, if purchased second hand from the right sources you could always sell them again for similar money, you probably wouldn't because you would get the satisfaction of completing a project by hand or at least partly to start with..like i say each to own, lots of people get enjoyment from making things with power tools (not usually from the power tools as such but the completed product), i am just flying the (get back to basics) flag a bit

cheers
chippy

[coffenup]

hey mate I would love to learn how to use hand tools but due to health issues and that I don't know anyone that uses them here.s I am self taught I do have a few hand tools in the shed but they just sit there rusting. I can read how to use them but cant convert it as I am a eyes on person if I can see in the flesh so to say & ask questions I can then do it
I like my power tools to but want to learn more
regards Michael

[ch!ppy]

hey mate I would love to learn how to use hand tools but due to health issues and that I don't know anyone that uses them here.s I am self taught I do have a few hand tools in the shed but they just sit there rusting. I can read how to use them but cant convert it as I am a eyes on person if I can see in the flesh so to say & ask questions I can then do it
I like my power tools to but want to learn more
regards Michael

well, maybe we should get together sometime if you feel like it, perhaps i can manage to pass on a few tips, enough to get you familiar with a few tools and your confidence up and a bit

[coffenup]

will do soon

[johnredl]

Hi Chippy

Welcome to WWF. I have 2 young kiddies, so I am finding that I can work by hand when they are sleeping (not to mention enjoyable, quiet, makes less noise, more sense of acheivement, less chance of cutting your femoral artery...I'll stop here!)

There's probably a few of us around here in SA...given your experience, have you thought of advertising a morning and having a few of us around? Just a thought

[cookie48]

Chippy
Welcome to a great site. I am left handed and my old woodworking teacher kept kicking my but for being so. He rekoned that left handers should never be let near a piece of timber except for fire wood. Hence I would not know a plane from a saw (as a saying that is). Still I get things done after a fashion.
Anyway. once again welcome and looking forward to some pics of your work.
Cookie.
P.S. another croweater on site. Yipee

[ch!ppy]

Hi Chippy

Welcome to WWF. I have 2 young kiddies, so I am finding that I can work by hand when they are sleeping (not to mention enjoyable, quiet, makes less noise, more sense of acheivement, less chance of cutting your femoral artery...I'll stop here!)

There's probably a few of us around here in SA...given your experience, have you thought of advertising a morning and having a few of us around? Just a thought

I hadn't thought of that, it wasnt my intention to put myself forward as an expert or anything (frankly i am sure everyone has something worthwhile to contribute just the same as me), i guess i was just trying to relay my long term relationship or even passion working in the trade with timber (or wood as most people call it) and that even though it can wane somewhat over the years from time to time (usually due to other aspects of running a business and really, a great love for power tools never really develops, sure you might love the big sander that cost mega thousands because it makes life easy and makes you money, even a few hand power tools get to be old friends after a while but you dont quite get that intimate thing you get with your favourite set of chisels, handsaw, planes or other hand tools......i dont mind the socialising aspect of a get together though over a coffee, red wine or beer in the workshop though, i'd rather have my new workshop area put together a little more yet though, so it might be a some months down the track

true about the noise aspect, i am sure my neighbours didnt really appreciate the noise too much when i had my other home workshop (i am sure they were glad when i had the warehouse/factory shop, though they said that didnt bother them as much as smelling the fumes from the paint booth lol (cant blame em!), i ended up with an elaborate filter system after a while to combat that

cheers
chippy