Charles Neil Used My Router!!!!!!!

Bruce — Mon, 04 May 2009 01:03:22 GMT

OK, here’s a cool story…to me anyways…about my trip, Saturday 5/2/09, to the Woodcraft Store in Parkersburg, WV. I also wanted to pick up some cedar lumber for a patio table like the one Shaun built, in nearby Athens, OH. I had been doing some research on routers because I want to build a router table extension to my Grizzly TS and get rid of the piece of junk router table I bought at the blue box store ten years ago, housing a Skill Router that is so weak it doesn’t even have a HP rating. I think it is about equal to a 75 watt light bulb. I finally decided I would go with a Triton 3 1/4 that I have read so much about. I guess I should mention I already have the PC 690 plunge kit I use for handheld stuff. Anyways, I called Woodcraft Saturday morning as I was about to drive the hour and a half there just to make sure they had one in stock. The guy (sorry, guy, I didn’t get your name) told me they DID NOT have any in stock but he could get me one by Monday. Then he telss me they are having an auction out back in the parking lot and there might be a couple of them out there. I asked him if he would go grab me one…lol. So, I got on the road, hauled ass, and got there as the auction was in full swing. I noticed my Triton sitting on a table behind the Auctioneer. I asked someone how you go about placing a bid. He told me that I should give the lady in the blue shirt 5 bucks to register and she would give me a bidder’s number and a free gift. The free gift turned out to be a metal detector that I was also planning to buy someday. (discount #1) So after I register I walk over to the table where my router is sitting to check it out. Looked pretty good and I asked another staff person when it was going to be auctioned. We both checket the handout book and it was only two or three from being NEXT! He told me the router was donated by Charles Neil. http://charlesneilwoodworking.com/ I says, “cool, I’ve seen him on the internet!” He says, “yeah, he’s right over there”! NO ! I wanted to talk to him but I didn’t wanna miss bidding on my router so I went out into the audience. The bidding started, and to my surprise, I won the bid at $65.00!!!!!!!!!!!! (discount #2) Go figure. Afterwards I did get to speak with Mr. Neil and he told me he demo’ed the router but didn’t say where. He was kind enough to show me how to work the height adjustment handle on “the beast”. I finally was able to pick up my router and head over to Ohio to get my lumber, planning on returning to get a base plate to install the router into my table. I got over to Athens, OH to a place called Cetide and picked up 9 – 2 X 8’s, 8’ feet long. I got “a little off” because some of it had bark on the edge. (discount #3) (I was on a roll). I loaded up my lumber and headed back to Parkersburg. After I got there I was speaking with the salesman who explained the auction was for an employee who contracted spinal cancer in 2008. I then felt kinda bad I got such a great discount on the router. And, since I did, I decided to go a little better on the plate, opting for the Pinnacle over the Rossou (sp). My thoughts and prayers go out to Tim Rinehart and his family. From the auction handbook…Tim was a Vietnam Vet and law enforcement officer. He worked for Woodcraft Supply for 19 years and currently serves as Senior Product Development Manager and is a third generation cabinet and stair builder. What a great day that was to get to meet so many great woodworkers and save some money to boot! Oh, yeah…Scott Phillips was there too.

SCRAPS! SCRAPS! and MORE SCRAPS!

Bruce — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 13:53:06 GMT

I am, however slowly it might be, coming to the realization that I make wood scraps. I know, you are probably thinking, “So what, we all do.” Well, that’s just my point. I make mostly wood scraps. Thinking of all the projects I’ve built there are more wood scraps than actual projects. I know I’ve disposed of 5 or 6 – 55 gal. trash cans full of wood scraps that I didn’t think I could possibly make anything out of. That’s a conservative estimate. There are 3 more overflowing, 55 gal. trash cans in my shop right now of stuff I THINK I can make something out of. I know a lot of you folks have disposed of, or may be harbouruing, aiding and abetting, your own share of scraps. So, I just wanted to clarify that I make wood scraps and, it seems as a by product, a project or two might grow out of the stuff I turn into scraps. It is not intentional that I make scraps. It is actually my intent to build the project. Just so I don’t get accused of being wasteful, I do try to get as much out of a piece of lumber as I can. This sometimes increases the time I spend on a project trying to figure out how to cut a board resulting in the least amount of waste. So maybe we, or at least I, should be called a scrapmaker instead of a woodworker. Maybe if I slide those trash cans around my workshop enough, the bottoms will wear through (being pastic) and I will be forced to dispose of them. Did I mention I have a woodburning fireplace? Oh, that reminds me, there are two large cardboard boxes full of “kindling” next to the fireplace. I guess I am writing this to force myself to think about what to do with the pieces I think I can make sopmething out of. Hmmmmm…....

General Woodworking at LumberJocks.com

Charles Neil Used My Router!!!!!!!

SCRAPS! SCRAPS! and MORE SCRAPS!