MonteCristo

I do woodworking mostly because I find a lot of beauty in wooden objects and I like making things and working with tools. I wouldn't mind being a professional woodworker if more people responded to quality work the way people on this forum do. I have built a few things on commission but have found most people are so conditioned by the Walmart mentality that they expect to get it for next to nothing. I like to say "the people with money have no taste and the people with taste have no money". Not always the case but it is true way too often. I give away a lot of stuff rather than suffer the (often unintended) insult of a Walmart price. When I do get paid, my price is based on how muich the client appears to value one-off pieces and their ability to pay. So far, getting rich at this seems a long way off (not that I am too worried about it, but, as many here must also feel, it is nice to be recognized if a piece turns out well).

I like dark woods and use mostly Claro and American Black Walnut in furniture pieces. I also turn local woods like big leaf maple, alder, western red cedar, yellow cedar and anything else that looks like it would make a nice bowl.

I use a combination of hand and power tools. I admire the skill developed by those who practice traditional methods but confess that expediency often results in my using a power tool. I am slowly trying to develop better hand tool skills.

-- Dwight - "Free legal advice available - contact Dewey, Cheetam & Howe""