I apologize for the delay here I thought I had posted when I signed up and was approved. So a bit about me, I've been woodworking on and off since Jr High School but had a break for a few years, about 15 actually, due to being bone on bone with both knees and the inability of being able to stand for any real length of time. Now that those have been replaced back about 6 years ago I'm back to getting a shop set up again in my unfinished basement. I partitioned off about 1/2 of the basement and ran electrical for the various machines and LED lighting. It's a work in progress and the past 18 or so months I've been building the necessary cabinets, outfeed table, workbench, miter station, and so on. A few projects yet but getting there. I've recently become interested in making this a hybrid shop augmenting with some hand tools I'm not that familiar with. For instance I've come to appreciate the finish a hand plane can give if properly tuned and sharpened. This started with my acquiring some chisels, most notably the Narex bench chisels as well as a set of mortise chisels. The first task as I had read was flattening the backs and then to sharpen the bevels. I had acquired some DMT Diamond DuoSharp plates coarse/fine and fine/extra fine earlier with the intent of sharpening these chisels and a few old hand planes. I quickly found I needed an extra-extra -coarse as well. So there's that experience which is still unfolding. The bench chisels are done but the mortise are not. With having had a shoulder replaced mid December I need to limit my activities a bit for now but manage some shop time regardless. The only working plane I have at this point is a Stanley #62 low angle Jack plane which even though new seems respectable maybe up to the point I try a really good plane such as a Veritas or Lie-Nielsen or an old vintage Stanley. Ignorance can be bliss. I'll be in Vancouver early May on our way back to Alaska and hope to pop into the Veritas store there or in Victoria. That may prove to be a mistake but the ability to have hands on before buying something is far better than just pictures on a website. How does it feel, weigh, look. Nothing worse than paying good money for a tool that sits on a shelf because it's uncomfortable or hard to use. 

 

My other inexpensive hobby is imaging the night skies. I have a 12.5" OGS RC on an Astro-Physics mount and the system sits in the observatory we built when building the house. The camera used is a dedicated CCD camera (SBIG STL-11002) with an 8 position filter wheel. The system is automated using a Davis weather station, cloud sensor that reads ir temperature of the sky, software (ACP Expert/TheSkyX, FocusMax, MaxImDl Pro, and a few others) that runs the systems based on my parameters. I sleep at night collecting data on clear nights and process when I get to it. I run a friends similar system at SRO in California. Unfortunately I have a ton of data that needs attention but I only have so many hours and right now I'm focused on the shop. 

 

Aside from that I'm a retired HVAC tech that specialized in design build systems as well as computerized zoning systems for home and commercial operations. I have been a avid fisherman, hope to do some while in Alaska (Salmon and Halibut) and enjoy taking the travel trailer on trips with my wife and dog(s). I have a son that lives in Roanoke and runs his own new appliance repair business and a daughter-in-law as well as 3 great granddaughters. Life is good. 

 

I hope to learn from this great group of individuals that Stick has told me about as well as offer any knowledge I have were appropriate. Thanks for letting me in out of the cold.

Welcome!! It's good to have another "basement dweller" here!

Welcome from another basement shop owner.

welcome Steve...

glad ya made it...

since yur into fishing we won't mention the donuts or pie and ice cream...

Thanks Guys,

 

As a youngster, way back when, and before I was probably 6-7, the basement was the last place I wanted to go. The house I spent most my youth in had, well not exactly sure had to put this, what seemed like a person or maybe a few people that just didn't seem to move on. By thirteen I got past all that and built a darkroom, door and all. How square it was I can't say but it was light tight. Wiring was a leaning experience. While outlets were no issue the concept of a switch was just not making a connection. Who knew one wire went straight through. Cost be a box of Buss 15 amp fuses but lesson learned. 

 

Now I can spend time that seems to fly in my basement shop. Mistrakes are still made but the lessons keep coming. Problem is remembering them sometimes and age is only a small part of that. Always had a horrible memory except for where Mama hide the cake...That seemed to stick. But the shop is a refuge where I can play and work and it's all the same. I enjoy what I'm doing and learning from guys like yourselves that are so gracious in sharing your skill and knowledge. For now I'm working on hand planes, evaluating them, restoring them for use, not show and stepping my work process up to a higher level. Most of what's been done are cabinets for the shop, the miter station, the router table (just installed the Pow-R-Tek from JessEm this afternoon), rolling cabinet for the Kreg Foreman, outfeed table, rolling stand for the 13" planner, and a few I'm sure I've missed. 

 

Looking forward to exploring this site and getting to know the group.

 

Steve

 

website https://www.astral-imaging.com I need to post a public link for the shop but for now https://www.astral-imaging.com/woodworking_shop.htm

 

Actually just edited the index page and added the shop link. The images are linked to large if need, just mouse click and it will load a 1600 pixel image. The site needs work but so does the shop...guess which wins?

 

 

Welcome Steve. Thanks for the great introduction thread. Great to have you here among us.

 

So you don't dwell on it feeling confused, you did provide an Intro, but it's in your Profile page. Posting a thread here gets you a more formal welcome by all. The detail on the profile page is great down the road when this thread has rolled on. Appreciate you doing both.

 

Looking forward to your participation.

 

33 minutes ago, sreilly24590 said:

As a youngster, way back when, and before I was probably 6-7, the basement was the last place I wanted to go. The house I spent most my youth in had, well not exactly sure had to put this, what seemed like a person or maybe a few people that just didn't seem to move on. By thirteen I got past all that

...they moved on...probably should look under your bed or in the closet.

42 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

...they moved on...probably should look under your bed or in the closet.

Oh that's just great....you just couldn't leave that alone. Oh well. we'll see if they followed.

Welcome aboard.  Looks forward to seeing how your shop is coming along.  Lots of great advice, and tons of knowledge and experience here.

4 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

...they moved on...probably should look under your bed or in the closet.

4 hours ago, sreilly24590 said:

Oh well. we'll see if they followed.

make friends..

then you'll solve the all time mystery of - ''What was that'''...

Welcome aboard Steve.  I spent a bit of time on your website; I could spend a lot of time there - your photos are beautiful.  I will be sharing the link with my son who also has an interest in pics of the night sky.

And, I do not know why fishing should supplant donuts.  Or pie.  Or ice cream.  I'm good with most any of it, but partial to blueberries...

6 hours ago, Cal said:

Welcome aboard Steve.  I spent a bit of time on your website; I could spend a lot of time there - your photos are beautiful.  I will be sharing the link with my son who also has an interest in pics of the night sky.

And, I do not know why fishing should supplant donuts.  Or pie.  Or ice cream.  I'm good with most any of it, but partial to blueberries...

Thanks, it does need some work. And I never planted donuts. WHo started that rumor? Pie, ice cream, blueberry muffins/pancakes, or just fresh, work anytime. But that all leads to a build that needs some work too. Funny thing about that shoulder replacement, the hand to mouth was the first recovered action. The other moves not so much for a while but this boy wasn't going hungry. I admit the sling 24/7 for weeks does slow you down though.

6 hours ago, sreilly24590 said:

I admit the sling 24/7 for weeks does slow you down though.

I feel your pain.  I have pins in wrist and arm and the brace is a permanent fixture for me, it will never be like new or even close.  Really gets in the way some days.

Welcome to the forum Steve

Welcome to the party, Steve. We won't hold it against you that Stick invited you, most of the time he does OK.

 

As far as taking you in from the cold, shame on you. You, being a HVAC specialist, should be proud of being in the "Cold"! So, what do you have to say for yourself, Bucko!

16 minutes ago, schnewj said:

Welcome to the party, Steve. We won't hold it against you that Stick invited you, most of the time he does OK.

 

As far as taking you in from the cold, shame on you. You, being a HVAC specialist, should be proud of being in the "Cold"! So, what do you have to say for yourself, Bucko!

Well HVAC does stand for Heating, ventilation, air conditioning so.....you have a choice and sometimes to control humidity we use all three! Besides, what do you Floridians know about "Cold"? Anything under 80 is chilly and under 72 is downright uncomfortable unless you're a transplant from Chicago or other parts north of Dixie.  This coming from a NJ transplant......but that was in'61 and I was 7.

36 minutes ago, sreilly24590 said:

Well HVAC does stand for Heating, ventilation, air conditioning so.....you have a choice and sometimes to control humidity we use all three! Besides, what do you Floridians know about "Cold"? Anything under 80 is chilly and under 72 is downright uncomfortable unless you're a transplant from Chicago or other parts north of Dixie.  This coming from a NJ transplant......but that was in'61 and I was 7.

Ah, grasshopper, I grew up knowing what cold was. There were times that it warmed up to 0° and I thought it was a heat wave. Cold I like, snow I don't. We used to fight with some places in North Dakota for the coldest spot in the country during the winter.

 

Here, I run around in T-shirts while others are bundled up in jackets and hoodies. When it gets to the 90's I hibernate indoors.

So I did have you covered as you are a bit north of the Mason-Dixon Line. What I'll never understand is the reason or appeal of those oppressive, hot, and humid environments have to offer. Certainly not great for those with heart conditions. What little time I spent in Florida while my parents lived there was OK in that is was mostly fall/winter visits. Dad would explain that the grass was cut just before sunrise so the heat wasn't too bad. Screens for the garage doors. Bet then again I never understood those harsh cold environments either. But then if everyone thought like me we'd all be living somewhere in the middle and wouldn't that be crowded? Me, I'm a four seasons kind of guy.

19 hours ago, sreilly24590 said:

So I did have you covered as you are a bit north of the Mason-Dixon Line. What I'll never understand is the reason or appeal of those oppressive, hot, and humid environments have to offer. Certainly not great for those with heart conditions. What little time I spent in Florida while my parents lived there was OK in that is was mostly fall/winter visits. Dad would explain that the grass was cut just before sunrise so the heat wasn't too bad. Screens for the garage doors. Bet then again I never understood those harsh cold environments either. But then if everyone thought like me we'd all be living somewhere in the middle and wouldn't that be crowded? Me, I'm a four seasons kind of guy.

I think you mean South of the M-D line. I have no desire to EVER live North of the "line" again for various reasons. However, you're right, the middle of the country is real appealing. Hmmm, maybe somewhere in eastern Tennessee up in the mountains?