How old are you and are you passing on a woodworking legacy?

[Kevin Jenness]

35 years of custom cabinetmaking and architectural woodworking with a minor in furniture, easing into turning and boxmaking with cnc assist. Of my two sons, one is a traveler and the other has become a talented timber framer- not sure what he may have gained from me other than a love of building beautiful and useful things.Ireland barn raising 069.jpgIreland barn raising 016.jpg

[Russell Stanton]

I am 73 and have 3 sons and 6 grandchildren. Each one of the sons and grandchildren have turned a pen as a minimum. One son has gotten into turning after his son won a lathe at the Atlanta AAW symposium. Another son is in the process of building a dining room table from a natural edge slab, did all the flattening with hand planes and sanders.

[Jon Grider]

The quote actually goes "there are only two things that are guaranteed in life, death and taxes." My experience is that is absolutely true, "change" does happen but when you see the same things in a slightly different wrapper come around every decade or three and then predictably leave, actual durable change is not that common. If you said "death and fads," I would 100% agree with you. Otherwise, wouldn't we be simply getting our projects made by a Star Trek replicator or at the very least, using computer controlled laser beams instead of 1800s technology circular saw blades and motors to cut our wood?



Photography is really an art. Digital photography fortunately brought SLRs from unaffordable to buy and operate in the film days to a price point where someone who is interested can pretty easily get an okay enough camera and get into the field. A guy with an entry level crop sensor camera and a nifty fifty but some talent can easily take better looking pictures than a guy with a five figure medium format camera and many thousands of dollars in lenses but minimal artistic talent. I would say unlike woodworking, photography is *much more* popular today vs. back in the day. Woodworking requires some art but considerable skill and usually a considerable investment in equipment and shop space.

Photography is an art. Agreed. Digital photography opened up a new door with better pics than the old AE1's could provide. And overall, yes, because of digital, photography is growing. My statement above concerned film photography, which I still practice. I'd have to say though that there are probably very few film photographers left who have invested heavily in good equipment that are not artistically inclined. The nature of the craft dictates a measure of strong artistic awareness and the ability and knowledge to create the image they see through the viewfinder and translate that to film and then develop that into a print. I'm not talking about the family get together photos taken with an old Kodak Brownie, that is not what I would call art. Neither would I call art the images created by the lady with a basketball sized expensive Nikon digital camera on a recent Pictured Rocks boat tour. She had her camera set in machine gun mode and was infuriatingly popping up at the most inopportune moments for everyone else's viewing perspective and blasting off hundred's of images in bursts. No composition, no focus, no skill. That's not art either. Also, woodworking is such a varied and personal experience. Creating boxes for kitchen cabs may not be an art form, but I would absolutely call Krenov, Maloof, and many others "artists" in the truest sense of the word. I would not hesitate to call "art" the works of many here on SMC. We have some incredibly talented and creative turners, box makers, and furniture builders in our midst, and the work they do requires a very developed artistic ability to go along with the skills they have developed.

Sorry for the side show, I'll try to stay on topic. I'm finding it very interesting hearing about fellow Creekers.

[Al Launier]

Like Martin I also grew up as a "farm kid" and learned the benefits of "hard work", "making do", "fixing things". This led to becoming an all around handyman involving woodworking, plumbing, electrical, gardening (5 acres), raising various farm animals & 10,000 chickens (ugh). Fortunately I'm no longer into farming, a tough living. But, I never lost my desire to fix or make things, especially with wood.

This background evolved into hobbyist woodworking and at the age of almost 75 (10/1st) I enjoy making unique projects for my wife, daughter, relatives & friends. Unfortunately, or not, my woodworking interests were not enjoyed by others, so my only legacy will be the things I made & gave as memorabilia.

[Adam Herman]

30, no kids. My wife and I enjoy remodeling our homes and hopefully someday our kids will learn to work in the shop. My Grandfather and my Dad owned a midsize? door and trim business that I worked in during middle and high school. I learned a lot from them. The biggest thing I learned, is that there is a way to do or fix anything, you just have to work at it till you figure out that way. we worked on cars, restored a Century Coronado, built cabinets, built most of the machines in the door factory and repaired all manner of things.

I want to learn more on the furniture side, as I have done mostly home stuff.

[Bill McNiel]

I'm 68 and have been making "stuff" all my life. I got my Journeyman's card in Carpentry at 19 and worked my way through Architectural School at USC as a carpenter. My maternal grandfather was a carpenter. My wife had her own woodshop when I met her. As a "side project" I have been renovating the 100 yr old barn we live, play and work in for 36 years.

My 40 yr old daughter is a nationally renowned tattoo artist and does amazing watercolors as well (I don't have a drop of ink on me). I always maintained that Architecture is the most expensive art form so she had to one up me by pursuing art that requires others to offer up their skin as your canvas.

My 39 yr old son has always has a deep commitment to creating and building stuff. I taught him how to use a Skil Saw with the guard wired up when he was 12. He now earns a very nice living in Hawaii in the building trades. He will inherit my shop and $10K to relocate it when I pass or can longer play with the toys.

A close childhood friend of my kids recently started coming by the shop one day a week with the expressed desire to learn more about woodworking. He has now rehabbed two Stanley planes, purchased his first set of chisels and is currently building his first workbench (the top is a glulam beam gifted to him by Bob Wise, a member here at SMC). Jimmie has also joined the Creek and is creating some very interesting art using electrical currents to burn in semi random patterns in wood.

[Martin Wasner]

All of my grandkids slept in cribs that I made. Lost a finger while making one.

The crib, or making the kid that made the grand kid?

[Larry Edgerton]

The crib, or making the kid that made the grand kid?

With three ex wives, each one getting a new house that I built, that is a sad story that requires a couple of shots.

Maybe some day over a beer, its just funny stories now..........

[Bruce Page]

I’m 66. I was introduced to making things when I was 8 helping my dad build a sailboat (chief gopher) None of my children have ever had any interest in woodworking. One daughter does some craft work and calligraphy. I am nurturing my 10 year old grandson making bird houses, derby cars, etc. He has a strong interest in my CNC router. I don’t know if that’s good or bad..

[Osvaldo Cristo]

55 years old here. My both kids have not demonstrated interest for woodworking.

[Phillip Gregory]

All of my grandkids slept in cribs that I made. Lost a finger while making one.

I made the crib for our two kids, it was the second "big" project I did on my own after a hiatus for college. I started out doing woodworking with my Dad when I was about 8-9 years old so I had been at it a while.

I have all 10 fingers though.

[paul cottingham]

55 and one daughter, 11. She has shown some interest in the shop, and is very tall (5'10", I was6'2"when I was her age) so she is physically capable.

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[Thomas Canfield]

At 75 I hate to reply with all the young folks. My 50 son has some interest but still has too many other things with girls still at home. My 4 grandsons are out in CA and might have some interest but little contact. I have noticed the older generation in my local turning club and problem attracting younger members. My woodworking interest came from working with my grandfather as a pre teenager but got interrupted for about 50 years with school, college, raising kids, work, ..... I am always glad to share my woodworking with beginners. I hate to think about what will happen to my shop and all the material stashed for the next project.

[David Helm]

74 and all my grandkids live thousands of miles away. Only get to see them a couple times a year. I think the oldest one is interested but he only spends a few days here per year.

[Ron Kellison]

I'm approaching 70. My kids were always exposed to me working in the shop, usually fixing things that they had broken. Of the 3 kids, 2 definitely like working with wood. One son is an industrial designer and one daughter is a licensed carpenter is Quebec. The photo is a table my daughter just built. My son has LED lights with 5' wooden arms installed on every foyer/common area throughout the new World Trade Centre. They are already talking about which tools they want when I check out!


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