Rob Keeble
Member
- Messages
- 12,633
- Location
- GTA Ontario Canada
I came to woodworking from knocking about house with dad doing house projects. He passed on what he knew but it was mostly improvised.
It’s in my genes though as Great Grandfather built and maintained water driven mills in Bury St Edmund in UK back in the day.
But he was a bit of an inventor too.
Then I got lucky (I say lucky because I think the saddest day that society is going to rue in the long run is when they canned shop class at school, we called it Industrial Arts, consisted of formal draughting, metal work and woodwork) and shop clad was still around for me. I did 5 years of it and was very fortunate to have shop teachers that passed on some lessons and we worked with good hardwood.
Made many great projects from hand cut dovetails on a telephone table and draw through to turning a lamp.
Dad had a decent workshop at home with a all in one Austrian import hobby machine called Emco star.
He let me loose on that with zero instruction. I shudder today when I think I could have lost all my digits.
But I also believe that’s when you learn and take responsibility something I think we rob kids of today in the name of keeping them safe.
In SA even though I had my own business and a good career machines like we can buy here from Grizzly etc were very expensive so I never really continued after leaving home.
One of the bonuses of coming to Canada was being able to setup a workshop and kit it out at a reasonable price.
Like Bill I have had comments about all my tools. It was upsetting in the beginning (I don’t think I have come near 3 seasons of golf costs in total in my shop, that a friend of mine incurs each year forever more.
But it’s my place of sanity and like Darren I like to tinker with more than just wood, which is why I added a welder and now cnc and 3D printing.
Sadly I don’t think my sons (even though both experienced shop class in Canada for several years) will follow in my footsteps. But they still young. I do see a great many young people doing the maker thing now which is encouraging to me. But how many do it for You Tube versus the quality of work guys here put out, well I think the battle is the instant gratification thing.
I still marvel at being able to buy the basic hardwoods like oak, maple , cherry etc. Walnut is like gold to me.
I am not a big fan of exotic woods I worry too much demand for it has too big an environmental damage effect taking place in countries without much forest management. So I am more than happy to get by on the local hardwoods and even 2x4’s
I have done my travelling so in retirement I have to work given cost of moving countries and my shop will be my place of peace.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It’s in my genes though as Great Grandfather built and maintained water driven mills in Bury St Edmund in UK back in the day.
But he was a bit of an inventor too.
Then I got lucky (I say lucky because I think the saddest day that society is going to rue in the long run is when they canned shop class at school, we called it Industrial Arts, consisted of formal draughting, metal work and woodwork) and shop clad was still around for me. I did 5 years of it and was very fortunate to have shop teachers that passed on some lessons and we worked with good hardwood.
Made many great projects from hand cut dovetails on a telephone table and draw through to turning a lamp.
Dad had a decent workshop at home with a all in one Austrian import hobby machine called Emco star.
He let me loose on that with zero instruction. I shudder today when I think I could have lost all my digits.
But I also believe that’s when you learn and take responsibility something I think we rob kids of today in the name of keeping them safe.
In SA even though I had my own business and a good career machines like we can buy here from Grizzly etc were very expensive so I never really continued after leaving home.
One of the bonuses of coming to Canada was being able to setup a workshop and kit it out at a reasonable price.
Like Bill I have had comments about all my tools. It was upsetting in the beginning (I don’t think I have come near 3 seasons of golf costs in total in my shop, that a friend of mine incurs each year forever more.
But it’s my place of sanity and like Darren I like to tinker with more than just wood, which is why I added a welder and now cnc and 3D printing.
Sadly I don’t think my sons (even though both experienced shop class in Canada for several years) will follow in my footsteps. But they still young. I do see a great many young people doing the maker thing now which is encouraging to me. But how many do it for You Tube versus the quality of work guys here put out, well I think the battle is the instant gratification thing.
I still marvel at being able to buy the basic hardwoods like oak, maple , cherry etc. Walnut is like gold to me.
I am not a big fan of exotic woods I worry too much demand for it has too big an environmental damage effect taking place in countries without much forest management. So I am more than happy to get by on the local hardwoods and even 2x4’s
I have done my travelling so in retirement I have to work given cost of moving countries and my shop will be my place of peace.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk