Well here we are, embarking upon our first Featured Member of the Month, and along with our member we'll have a featured tool of the month to talk about and go over!

It was unanimous, our three judge panel chose the following individual to be May's Featured Member of the Month for their steadfast support of The Patriot Woodworker Community by his high rate of activity on our forum. He has been a consistent contributor of discussions primarily in the Hand Tool Forum as he shows us how any average joe, can take a chunk of wood found on the job site and turn it into something useful for the home using primarily hand tools he seems to salvage from a certain demise as well!

Steven Newman has been with us since our inception and we thought there could be no better way to show our appreciation for his consistent presence then to award him the Featured Member of the Month status and the award to go along with it.

Steve is one of those woodworkers who just works, that's all. He keeps working on wood whenever and wherever he can. Nothing stops him. We have watched Steve during since he has been with us move from his first home to home to the home he is at now, and from shop to shop, and his shops are where ever he can find a corner and set up a couple saw horses and a rack for his hand tools, and away he goes. He's like the Ever Ready Bunny, he just keep going and going and going. Meanwhile, he posts about all his projects and all his hand tools he acquires. He does so without fanfare, and without recognition, and I doubt he wants any, he just likes posting his work and tools. Some of his posts go unanswered by the community, and he just keeps going and going and going.

His most recent move to a new home put him in a unique position where he had to make a corner of a basement his new shop. He and his family moved in, he went down stairs and set up a few planks, and off he went, creating anything he could when he could with hand tools he finds at used markets, and on ebay, and restored by him. Below is his latest family photo. Oh and don't get us wrong, he does have a real family too!

He often speaks fondly of his wife Mrs. Newman, and his kids, and his grand kids. I am sure his grands will have plenty to talk about Grandpa Steve and all the items he made for the family members.

For a better idea of how Steve works and his volume of posts he has contributed to our site please see his Discussion Link.

On top of his woodworking and wonderful participation on our site, Steve is a lifelong soldier. He served in Vietnam while in regular Army, and after his service in the jungle he joined the Guard and has been with them up until his retirement. He has seen the worst of our world, and he has seen the best of our men and women in uniform during his service. We have been fortunate to experience some of his stories about his service when he feels like opening up. It's rare, but when he does, it's great reading.

So with that, we'd like to congratulate Steven Newman as our first Featured Member of the Month, Steve will be featured throughout the month of May, along side his winning, a Woodriver Hand Plane donated by our sponsors from Woodcraft. Steve has a choice of the low angle block plane or the No. 4 Smoothing plane. For a break down of our line up of awards please see Featured Member of the Month Discussion.

Steve, please PM one of our site admins and leave us your address so we can get the plane of your choice off to you asap! And enjoy!

We will talk about the WoodRiver line up of Hand Planes throughout the month of May. So come on back as we discover more about Woodcraft's wonderful line up of Hand Planes.

And thank you Woodcraft for your support of The Patriot Woodworker!!!

 

 

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

Proud Supporter of Homes For Our Troops and Wounded Warriors Project

Congrats, Steve!!!!!!!!!!!

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Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

 WOW!  What else can I say??     WOW!   What an honor!     Thank you all !

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

Steve,

First off congratulations.

Second, don't get dissapointed when you open the box.

This one is already shiney, no clean up required.

 

Larry

Old Woodworking Machinery Forum Host

Steve - well deserved - congrats - like Larry said, no work required for this plane.

To all judges - right on, sires

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Fred
aka Pop's Shop
www.pops-shop.com
'Soooooo many patterns - sooooo little time'
Scroll Saw Forum Host

CONGRATS Steve!!!!

WAY TO GO, STEVE!

Well deserved. And, thank you for your past and continued service. Of course, your wonderfully informative and humorous posts are greatly appreciated, as well.

Again, congratulations. 

One question, can you actually make a NEW plane work?

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Every plane I get seems to be "new" to me.    Might have to watch Crosman  tune one up. 

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

Congrats Steve.  You deserve this award!

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Ron Dudelston
Site Administrator

Above and Beyond WoodWorks

Good choice!

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Harry Brink
Bulldog Woodworking
Montana

Steve, I just spoke with Moody and sends his regards and congratulations. 

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Ron Dudelston
Site Administrator

Above and Beyond WoodWorks

Good for you Steve!  I'm always shocked when I see a row of hand plains like yours. I only have one hand plain and I still can't see how you plug it in. Needless to say almost all the woodwork I do requires a cord.

Rob

Steve, the first one couldn't go to a more deserving member, congrats.

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Greg
Site host

http://www.thesawdustfactoryga.com/

Way to go Steve. This is awesome. Congrats!!!

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Michael and Matthew Agate (Newfoundland Canada)
Proud Supporter of The Patriot Woodworker and what this great site stands for!

congratulations Steve! you are a steadfast part of TPW and we appreciate you and your input.

thanks for being here!

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John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com