Coconut shredder in use and projects in Afghanistan

Lots of practical projects. Well done. The coconut shredder looks like it works great.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Great use of sheet goods! Excellent and practical projects.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

now thats woodsmanship. making such practical goods out of ply and grit. Limited tools, unlimited imagination. i am more impressed with this, than some fancy antique reproductions that are tenoned and stained and hand-rubbed and almost perfect. as for the coconut shredder. make mine a pina colada.

-- Dan

shredder. Fresh shredded coconut. That must be delicious. (I’ve eaten by chunks but never shredded it).

You must have been the national treasure there—- you sure were busy with all of those projects! And what lovely projects they were. Nice!!!

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Now we’re talk’in woodworking…......proof you don’t need a million shop to make stuff if you understand materials.

Excellent work Chamoruboy…........Neil

Cool working chamoruboy!

You did us very proud over there!

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

This is the truest form of wood working, filling the needs of your home and community with resources at hand. My hat’s off to you. Thanks for everything.

-- Ron, Twain Harte, Ca. Portable on site Sawmill Service http://westcoastlands.net/Sawmill.html http://westcoastlands.net/SawBucks2/phpBB3

amazing…i wont show my wife this post because it will defeat my argument for more tools—-lets all keep this one a secret…what we cannot keep secret is the amazing projects and the amazing work all of you do overseas for us everyday…glad you are home safe!

And the quote you have at the bottom of your photos is great…

-- Matt, Napa, CA...119 days to sanity...

Everyone – Thanks for the kind words. It was really my enjoyment and benefit to do those projects. Once word got out that I was making furniture I was mobbed. People were offering up their first born to get some furniture. But the only thing I required from them was to help during the process and to help with the clean-up. I figured that having them help would show them how easy and fun woodworking is and that you don’t have to be afraid of a “project” and mistakes can be easily fixed. Also that you only really need a few simple tools to get the job done. A few of them volunteered to help out with other people’s “requests” so that they can watch and learn a little.

-- Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and love.

Chamoru…

1st let me thank you for your service.

What an extraordinary job you did with limited resources. Thanks for sharing.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

Necessity is the mother of invention. Nice use of what was avaliable. I think the one thing all woodworkers share is a little Yankee Ingenuity. (that includes you Canadians.)

-- DocK, WV

Chamor,

Thank you. . . . . thank you . . . what you are doing means so much to me and my family.

As for the furniture . . . . you rock. Never pass up an opportunity to play with free lumber.

-- Making sawdust is what I do best

I’m a vet also, so first let me thank you for that. I never got that during Nam. Second you really left a gift to a lot of people like you said, by showing them how easy it was to make things and how much fun and use it can be. My hats off to you troop, Goo-Rah. jockmike

-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com

THANK YOU FOR SERVING! You have made some great projects with your limited access to tools and I’m sure your unit appreciated your talents in their time of need.

-- Jesus is Lord!

Great projects and glad you had time to make them.
Also as stated “thanks for serving.”

-- Larry ------------------------------------------------------- "Have you hugged your pet today?"

wow…I love the fact that as you served all of us…you also took the time to teach your your compatriots new skills and a new passion for wood working…as a teacher I say thank you…teaching takes a special patience and maybe that is a direction for you…great job…

-- Matt, Napa, CA...119 days to sanity...

I was wondering why plywood pricing has gone up! Looks like you were quite handy in Afganistan.

Some great ingenuity evidenced here. Way to go! Really puts me to shame for how few projects I seem to get done, even with lots of tools.

-- GregS, Snohomish, WA ~ Some of life's greatest lessons I learned at my mother's knee; the rest I learned at other joints.

Great use of limited resources.
I’m sure all those pieces were much appreciated.
A very positive thing to do.

-- John, Nova Scotia, www.windsorchair.ca

I don’t know if this was the case in the region you were in, but when we were in Kandahar, the wood had such a low moisture content that it was rediculous. Most of the wood we had to work with seemed almost brittle (sheet goods) it was so dry, and prone to splintering. I guess that may be why their building methods are quite a bit different than ours.

-- Gah, if I could remember half the stuff that I read... I would still forget the important half. - Chris Cook