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Thread: Introduction of an alien

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Germany, Gross-Bieberau, a small town in a rural area south of Frankfurt
    Posts
    59

    Introduction of an alien

    Seems to me, I´m the very latest newby to the forum! Additionally one from overseas!

    Read several threads througout the last 2 weeks or so and it was pretty interesting. So I decided to join in.

    Let me introduce myself:
    53 years old male from Germany, married, no kids.
    Electronics Engineer and currently Technical Mgr. of a companys Medical Intruments branch.
    Woodworking started for me last year, triggered by books from David Day (England?). Short before we had moved to a new (35 years old) home that provides enough space for woodworking and there were several small projects to improve that home. You see, I´m still a beginner. Now I´m on the Workbench´s Book frm Lon Schleining. Want to create my own bench this year.

    I like both, handtools and powertools and I like quality. Chisels from Kirschen (Double Cherry), planes from Stanley (I know, there are even better ones), power tools from Festool.

    Other hobbies: Geology, my old Italian car (Lancia), steam powered railroad equipment, photography, travelling the Amercan southwest, good food. Crime Stories from Hammett or Chandler.

    Think, thats enough for now. Hope I didn`t bore you!

    Rolf
    Last edited by Rolf Safferthal; 06-23-2005 at 8:48 AM.

  2. #2
    Rolf,

    Welcome to the Creek! We are glad to have you as a member! Be sure to post some pictures of your work, when you have time. It always amazes me the fast reaches of this forum. We have members from many many contries.

    Once again, welcome! I hope you enjoy your stay!
    Jeff Sudmeier

    "It's not the quality of the tool being used, it's the skills of the craftsman using the tool that really matter. Unfortunately, I don't have high quality in either"

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    3,789
    Welcome to Saw Mill Creek Rolf. I have learned a lot here and I am sure that you will too.

    And it is good to see additional members from Europe. I, for one, really value the different perpective that European members bring to this forum.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM USA
    Posts
    518
    Welcome Rolf! You've found an excellent place to spend some online time. Next time you're planning a trip to the southwest let us know. There are quite a few of us out here.

    Pete
    "Last year we couldn't win at home. This year we can't win on the road.
    My failure as a coach is that I can't think of any other place to play."
    - Harry Neale, Vancouver Canucks

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
    Posts
    28,504
    Welcome to the Creek Rolf! Neat place to trade information!
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Welcome, Rolf. Always a pleasure to have another community member...and if you're a woodworker, you're no alien!!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Conway, Arkansas
    Posts
    13,181
    Welcome to SMC Rolf..!!!!! Germany hugh? I've been in your part of the world before and loved every minute of it. Took the Cog Train up the mountain to snow ski on the Zugspitze in Garmisch, Munich, and Frankfurt. Very pretty country.

    Well, enough rambling on about my enjoyment of Germany. WELCOME ROLF!!!!
    Thanks & Happy Wood Chips,
    Dennis -
    Get the Benefits of Being an SMC Contributor..!
    ....DEBT is nothing more than yesterday's spending taken from tomorrow's income.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Defiance, OH
    Posts
    102
    Welcome Rolf

    I'm impressed already. You can write in English. All I can say is Dumculf (dumb) and su de tour ( shut the door) I know I didn't spell them correctly.
    I'm only familiar because I helped my daughter in her German class at school. Obviously I didn't help enough. She went on as an exchange student in Dresden.

    My family moved to America from Germany in about the year 1870 so she was just going back her roots. Great country that Germany.

    So welcome to SMC your not among strangers


    Mark

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Indianapolis
    Posts
    1,430
    Welcome to the Creek Rolf! You will get and give good information and meet good people.
    ________
    Ron

    "Individual commitment to a group effort--that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."
    Vince Lombardi

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    1,578
    Welcome to the creek. Some of my fondest memories are from Germany circa 1960-62 in and around Kitzengen and Wurzburg. We returned to Kitzengen in 1990 and found the growth and people delightful and as friendly as I remembered. If you're ever around the Houston, Texas area be sure to get in touch.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Germany, Gross-Bieberau, a small town in a rural area south of Frankfurt
    Posts
    59
    Many thanks for the warm welcome!

    Yes, I can write in English but be prepared for being patient with me! There are still enough language pitfalls to avoid. On the other hand - this is an additional opportunity not only to learn about woodworking. Foreign language experience will add up too.

    As far as I see now, the woodworking community in the United States seems to be much larger than the German one, even if one takes differences in population in account. One reason might be that Americans are more accustomed to use wood - at least as a construction material for buildings.

    How many percent of - for example - houses are more or less made of wood in the United States? In Germany you`ll find only few new wooden buildings, even if the number has increased over the years. Mostly, only prefabricated houses are more or less made from wood. Conventional houses only have a wooden truss, even if the beautiful frame buildings are part of our heritage.

    In Germany furniture making is partly a lost art of the past. We can build cars! I might not have the full picture, but it seems to me that there are only few people practising cabinet making. No Sam Maloofs or James Krenovs! Sometime you get the feeling, only aficinoados are keeping the craft alive. Might be a much too pessimistic view - I don´t know! But I see too much cheap furnituere glued together from paticle boards with plastic coated surface. You know about Ikea?

    My project for the near future is a home made workbench build exactly to my needs. The double screw Veritas end vise is already ordered.

    Rolf
    Last edited by Rolf Safferthal; 06-23-2005 at 11:44 AM.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Sterling CT
    Posts
    2,473
    welcome to the creek

    I build 18th century american furniture for fun, and some of my most favorite "american" pieces are of German origin. Your country has a great heritage of excellent furniture design. best wishes with your bench.

    click on this link to see the bench that I built and one from your country that I really like

    http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=18204

    kind regards

    lou

  13. #13
    Welcome to SMC, lots of friendly people here willing to share their thoughts and knowledge of woodworking. I happen to live in Arizona in the Phoenix area so if you are ever in the area let me know. I would be happy to show you around.
    I can pay retail anywhere, so how's your service?
    Grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory one project at a time
    Maker of precision cut firewood


  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    La Plata, Maryland
    Posts
    199
    Hey, Rolf! I see we have a lot in common. I spent 3 years at Hahn Air Base from '66 to '69. I am also a railroad lover, I had a model railroad business for 6 years, and I had a 17 by 22 ft. H.O. scale model railroad in the basement of the old house with over 300 ft. of track.


    I'm new here, also, so I'm sure we'll learn a lot together.

    Larry

  15. #15
    Hello Rolf. Welcome to the Creek. Hey..this is great...You'd like to work on your English and I need a German translator!!! But the wood projects are much more important...They are a language all their own.
    ~john
    "There's nothing wrong with Quiet" ` Jeremiah Johnson

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