A Tribute to the Man who taught me...

Beautiful Glider!!

What a grand tribute to your grandfather, he must be very proud of you.

Great looking glider.

-- If at first you don't succeed...Don't try skydiving

Love the glider. I always treasure the time I have with my Grandfather.

-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI

Great story, Derrek. I hope you’re able to continue his legacy and pass that love on to your grandchildren one day.

-- Premium firewood created daily.

Attaboy Derrek. It’s a handsome piece and your time with your Grandfather is a precious commodity I’m glad you shared with us. I’m hoping to rope my grandson in early, and keep him coming back. I will probably have to wait until he can form sentences (He’s two in August), but being patient is a Grandpa’s stock-in-trade!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Cherish the memories and the skills he has past on to you…......he has your best interest at heart.

-- I will just keep doing it till I get it right.

a real tribute , i’m sure he’s proud , and hope he’s well too !

-- david ,new mexico ,allheart

GReat story, I hope he find confort in the fact that you’re picking up on his work. that is a beautiful glider. sounds like a lot of heart went into making this one.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Gentlemen,

Thank you for the encouragement. Since my grandfather’s stroke I have been out to his shop twice and I try to soak up all that I can. As he says ” I’ll drink and talk, you work.”

My son is two and half, and we have a little girl on tha way. My son is named after him, and I pray that one day I can be to thier children what my grandfather was to me.

Thanks again.

-- Derrek L.

Beautiful glider, love to see pics of the finished project!

And as for the tribute … I think your grandfather probably cherished the time you spent / spend with him more than you know. I didn’t grow up with a grandfather, and my father and I weren’t as close as most, however, the interesting thing was that my Dad and I both took up woodworking at almost the same time (of course, at different stages in our lives) so we actually used WW as a connection, something to talk about.

Now I live about 9 hours from my Dad, so I don’t get to “visit” with him nor do I get any Shop time together, but I envy you for that.

Spend as much time as you can with him, you’ll both appreciate it more than you think!

-- "The German is like a willow. No matter which way you bend him, he will always take root again." - Alexander Solzhenitsyn -

Many years from now if the glider becomes unusable, save a small piece of the wood, your grandfather will always be there…

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings

My father died when I was in the third grade. My grandfather lived one block away and stepped right into the void that was left. Even though he died nineteen years ago, I still miss being able to chat with him and enjoy his companionship and quiet humor. He was a typical Kansas dust bowl era farmer who could tackle just about any project, just using common sense and patience to get through it. He was without question the finest man I’ve ever known.

-- CutNRun - So much wood, so many trails, so little time

A nice looking piece well done>Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

Hey Derrak
That’s a wonderful story , we sometimes take family for granite, A well built nice looking glider.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com

It’s a beautiful tribute to that man, the bench is gorgeous and I think your grandfather desire to leave you his craftsmanship skills has been fulfilled. Thanks for sharing this precious moment in your life.

-- Francisco Luna, San Francisco Bay Area.

Thank you Derek for your post. The glider looks really beautiful! A lot of love went into that project.

My grandfather was there for me and my brother growing up, as dad was away lot. He would take us fishing and make stuff in his workshop. He pretty much made everything by hand, no power tools in his shop! It’s been 12 years since he passed and I still miss him.

-- Rich

Derek,
Beautiful glider…and a WONDERFUL story…...I am very sorry to hear about your grandfather, cherish the time you have left with him, He sounds like a one in a million kind of guy !!!!!

-- Don S.E. OK

your story hits home. i was about 9 when my parents divorced. i then began to stay everyday after school with my grandparents til mom got off work. one day Pop came in and asked me to come out. we then began to refinish an old pair of boat paddles. he gave me a butter knife you could shave with and taught me how to use it to scrape the old finish off. were it not for him, i wouldnt know how to hold, much less use, a rake, a tiller, or a hand made scraper. Pop passed almost 3 yrs ago. since then i have greatly increased my woodworking and not a day, literally, goes by that i dont want to ask him something. he always listened carefully to whatever i asked. i can just see him sitting there, hands in his lap saying, after a pause of silence, “well, lets see…” thx for jogging the memories derek

-- wm, brandon,ms