Charlie Brown … dad’s shadow

Very heart warming story. Good luck and welcome to LJ.

-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"

Great story. Anything that connects us to loved ones who’ve passed on is a good thing in my book!

-- "Give me your poor tools, your tired steel, your huddled masses of rust." Yep, I ripped off the Statue of Liberty. That's how I roll!

Great story!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Yes, a great story. It’s quite a tribute when a parent has that kind of influence. Welcome to LumberJocks.

-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.

Thanks…that is the type of story that mades woodworking more than just making sawdust.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Teri,

I can really relate to your story. Although my Dad was a body and fender man. He too taught me about working with my hands and how to appreciate the crafts. I lost my Dad on Dec. 20th of 2007 and I know that when I am in my shop he is there also…..still helping and showing me the right way….

What a great story, thank you so much for sharing….

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

So, everyone, what/who influenced you to take up woodworking?

-- Teri, Kokomo, IN

Great story and welcome!

-- North Texas

Heart felt story Teri,,,,,,,Welcome to Ljs

-- Les, Wichita, Ks. (I'd rather be covered in saw dust!)

That’s a dandy tale.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Welcome Teri to LJ’s….looking forward to seeing your projects….
go here where I talk about my influence to spend my time doing woodworking.

-- Splinters - Living and Loving life in the Rockies - http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

First let me welcome you to LJ like everyone else.

My influence came from my great uncle who got me started when I was 7 years old. My dad passed away when I was 5 and my uncle became my father figure. I can remember the first ptoject I ever worked on was an oak kitchen hutch for my grandmother. Over the years it has been passed down thru the generations and it now resides in my dining room. It is not perfect but i would not trade it for anything in the world. To this day it still has our signatures on the back panel and is dated August 10, 1971.

-- Grant...."GO BUCKEYES"

My father was quite adept at the handyman’s side of the woodworking. He had few tools but the one’s he had were substantial and kept sharp. I like to think that he would be proud of what I’ve done to he and mom’s house. I got the house after mother passed and kept cars in the garage for years. What was I thinking?

I started working wood after picking up a copy of Fine Woodworking magazine. After that, it was checking out Norm on Saturday afternoons. I also became enamored with the tools used in working wood by hand. I haunted flea markets and swap meets looking for anything old, sound and rehab ready.

I’m a lifelong student so digging into a subject was easy via Fine Tool Journal, books by Percy Blandford, James Krenov, Aldren Watson, Franklin Gottshall and Tage Frid. After that, I was toast. As such, I am totally self trained. My father taught me valuable lessons on working smart; proper stance, keep things sharp, maintain the tool and it will perform as designed. These lessons have served me well on this self guided tour into arte du bois.

Amazing how much of life you have time to enjoy after the progeny becomes self amusing. I have friends that waited till middle age to have a family… crazy. So welcome, Charlie Brown, come on in, the water’s fine.

always,
J.C.

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

Teri, (Charlie Brown) Welcome to the LJ’s Family. Your dad, is proud, I’m sure. Now, let’s see you build something!
God bless

-- Gene, a Christian in Virginia

Teri, Great story. My dad was a farmer. He repaired or made everything himself. I think that was from being raised during the depression. I learned woodworking,blackingsmithing, auto/tractor repair from him. Wish I had retained half of the thing he taught me. He was my best friend. I have a whole heart full of memories of times spent with him in the shop. Thank you for making me think of them.

It’s always great to hear a story like. I know, for me, that my dad was the major influence in my interest in woodworking. I think I could ramble on & on about that. Your story brought it all back to me again, and for that I thank you. -SST

-- Accuracy is not in your power tool, it's in you

Nice story, Teri. Many of us share a similar path with our woodworking journey so we can empathize with your story.

Thanks for sharing.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Welcome to Lumberjocks Teri and a great story. I guess my dad also got me started. We never had many tools when I was young, just the basic stuff. You know a drill ,circular saw and a jig saw. He was a lifer in the military, but nonetheless, a pretty good handyman also. I guess my first project was a pinewood derby car whilst in the cub scouts. I also built two soapbox derby cars while he was overseas in Vietnam and Korea. While he wasn’t there to help me, he had already instilled in me some woodworking skills and while I never won a single heat, I did pretty good building the cars by myself.

-- Carl Rast, Pelion, SC

My grandfather was a carpenter, and although I didn’t spend a lot of time with him (he lived 500 miles away),
the little bit of time spent watching him in his workshop and doing small chores for him inspired me to look into
woodworking later in life. My father had a small woodshop as I was growing up, but was a teenager then and had different priorities.

My youngest son (12) is interested in building things with me, so hopefully I can pass on something good to him in the process.

-- Still learning everything

I too am of the group that feel their Father’s influence while they work in the shop. My Dad has been gone for 24 years, but many of the hand tools and fixtures in my shop where his or his dad’s. I hope I do them proud, and still wish I could pick his brain about a thousand things.

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

Thank you for sharing!

-- Check out my new website! http://www.theeasellife.com

WOW ! Thank you Charlie.

-- Odie, Confucius say, "He who laughs at one's self is BUTT of joke".

Welcome to Lumberjocks Teri. Sounds like your dad was a great bloke. Thanks for sharing.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Teri: A great story. I was at my fathers side as he did his work in the shop also. It was a great time. He used to be a farmer so his woodworking was building and fixing things. he was never a furniture maker.

Later in life I started to make some small craft type items and my father started to do that also and made a little money on the side after he was retired.

We were great friends.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Teri,

I just read your posting about your dad and it brings some tears to my eyes. I wrote one about my dad about a month and posted it here. We miss them, don’t we? I have fond memories just like you’ve written and sometimes I have to stop in my shop and let a bittersweet moment pass – something in what I’m doing or some tool I pick up remember that he held this tool or made that chisel. I think back about how hard his life was and how fortunate I was to have him in my life. Like your dad, he taught me a lot. And I would cling to him just like you. I don’t know you but I know there is a bond there between those of us that have been down this road and have to go on without them. Glad to call you a woodworking sister!!

-- Sam

Hi Teri; welcome to LJs. Great intro. Lookin’ forward to seeing your work.

Hi Teri

Thank you for sharing your story about you and your dad. I never worked with my dad but I do remember hunting with him and my brother. It’s nice having our memories when we spent time with our dads!

Tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

Teri,

That made me tear up! What wonderful memories to share with us. Thank you!

Kiersten

-- Kiersten, Los Angeles, www.modmomfurniture.com

What a great story Teri. How lucky you are to have had such a great dad. I’m looking forward to hearing more stories and seeing some of your projects.

-- Steve, New Zealand, www.steveracz.com

Great story Teri. Like you my dad was my biggest influence. Growing up we always “played” the same hobbies. He always loved airplanes and woodworkig. When he built R/C planes I was always in his workshop with him and when I was a teenager I built my own. When his attentions turned to the plastic model airplanes, I also tried my hand on it. From there when we moved and had a bigger shop area, he started purchasing wood working equipment because that happened to be his lost passion. I tried my hand at it a few times before I left home, but never actually made anything besides sticks and sawdust. A few years later I tried my hand at wood working again and was actually able to produce a table. Now with much encouragement (and constructive criticism) from my wife I am hooked. A never ending project list from her helps a lot too…:)

IT is nice story TERI
allso I see my dad is great man !

-- Suliman , Syria, jablah ,