Nice Visit to Dad's Place

[John Morris]

Yesterday my family and I went up to our local mountains about 45 minutes away to visit my pops, and grandpa to my kids.  He lives in an old refurbished trailer built in the early 60's, with an old room addition.  The newer building off to the side is the shop my dad and I built back in 2005. I thought you all would like to see how our side of the family lives here in So Cal, the pioneer spirit is alive and well in the mountains of Riverside County. My dad doesn't like depending on folks nor the government for anything really. His electricity goes out in the snow often and he resorts to his wood burning stove to heat soup on, his appliances are electric, so the power goes out, no stove but the wood burning stove. He never asks for much but to be left alone. Of course his family is excluded from that request!  I grew up with my dad doing with little, and making the best of life, and what fun we always had. Thanks dad for being you.

And thank you all for looking in advance.


The old trailer, my pops has really put a lot of work in this to make it livable. He and I bought the place back in 2004 for a song and a dance. What sold us was the beautiful views. Someday, we will put a cabin up there.

His bird house he made, this is taken from the top of slope off his front yard looking toward his shop.

This from the lower level of our property looking up at the back of the shop and the back of his home.

Same, but looking down the home to the left more, that ol green room is the old addition, the roof needs a ton of work, so does the deck off to the side to the left, but you can't see it in this shot.

Standing at the front of his shop looking across his front yard.

The front road in front of his home, I love small country roads.

End of trailer, where his kitchen is, he built that wind screen with the pickets and the bench.

Driveway up to his shop from the front road, his home is off to the right.

The shop, with the ol man.

Standing inside the shop looking out, cool view while making sawdust huh!

Now on to my dads quiver of tools, a bench top Delta DP

His Rockwell Delta with a Beismeyer

Dewalt 10" Home Shop, and no, he doesn't use the guard, I know, I know, I have tried to talk to him about this!

Dewalt Planer

This is how he keeps warm in the winter, forced air Diesel heater, and when he goes in his home, he takes it with him to use in the trailer when he runs out of firewood.

Table Saw Motor

His secondary TS a small Craftsman

Rockwell Delta Scroll Saw, I bought this and refurbished it and put a new paint job on it and gave it to pops.

Top of TS

Those scraps in the foreground are the old shed he tore down, and now he is going to build a new one from those exact same scraps, nothing goes to waste around his place. I thought of Steve Newman when I saw my pops build his new shed from reclaimed lumber.

Another shot of his new shed.

Well that's the tour of The American Woodworkers Dad's place, as you can see the seed don't drop to far from the tree. Woodworking is in our veins.

[John Moody]

What an awesome place. I would have a hard time getting anything done just looking out the windows. Your dad sounds like a special person and you have a wonderful relationship. It is great to be able to share a hobby and passion for woodworking. That is a very nicely setup shop. I had a table saw just like the spare one that I started with. I used it to build all of the bedroom set I have. That little saw did a great job, you just had to take you time and make sure your setups were correct. Of course the 24" capacity was a huge drawback. I gave mine away.

Thanks for sharing with us.

[John Morris]

Hey Gene, we are about 20 miles across the valley from the SB mountain range, but your really close with your geography!! Have you been in our area before?

Gene Howe said:

Thanks for the tour. My kinda guy! And, you are right, that's beautiful country.
Judging from the clothing, it's already a bit nippy, there. Is the place in the SB mtns?

I hope your dad has plenty of ventilation when using that torpedo heater in the house.

[John Morris]

Thanks Josh, yep, independent folks are just like that, let me alone, don't get in my way. I figured you as such Joshua, independent, leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone unless you need my help. But at the same time, give the shirt off our backs to help our fellow human beings out in a pinch, that about sum it all up?

Joshua D. Rollins said:

Very nice, if I had to live in CA that looks like it would be the place for me. And the line about he never asks much from people but to be left alone, that sounds like my wife and I, while we're at home we're on our time and just want to be left alone. Of course that shop and tools don't hurt matters in making it a nice place I'm glad that you and your Father have that in common. I'm sure your Dad's a heck of a man, he's about got to be, he's got a pretty good son to show for it.

[John Morris]

Thanks John, yeah he's got it pretty good up there. hockey sticks he can even fart when he wants to and no one there to tell him to go outside! Now that's living! That little saw is a pretty good lil work horse, it come in real handy at times when he has two setups going. Ripping on the big one and cutting 45's on the lil one.

John Moody said:

What an awesome place. I would have a hard time getting anything done just looking out the windows. Your dad sounds like a special person and you have a wonderful relationship. It is great to be able to share a hobby and passion for woodworking. That is a very nicely setup shop. I had a table saw just like the spare one that I started with. I used it to build all of the bedroom set I have. That little saw did a great job, you just had to take you time and make sure your setups were correct. Of course the 24" capacity was a huge drawback. I gave mine away.

Thanks for sharing with us.

[Ron Altier]

I had to chuckle when you said your dad don't need much or want much. I was wondering "What more could you want? He has a piece of paradise, complete with a great wood shop and a great place to live. Looks like a great place to retire and just do what ever you want.

I'm happy for him.

[John Morris]

Now that I see your reasoning, I got a chuckle out of that too! Heck, he has a lot for a guy that don't want much!

Ron Altier said:

I had to chuckle when you said your dad don't need much or want much. I was wondering "What more could you want? He has a piece of paradise, complete with a great wood shop and a great place to live. Looks like a great place to retire and just do what ever you want.

I'm happy for him.