Rob Drown

I have been dabbling with woodworking for 30+ years but I really decided to concentrate on woodworking as a serious hobby about 7 years ago. About two years ago I started to learning about hand tools. The local junior college has several courses that teach the use power tools and basic cabinetry. I have taken classes on sharpening and hand cutting dovetail joints. I am assembling a nice set of power and hand tools. When I get it cleaned up I’ll put a slide show together.

Spring 07, while taking a furniture making class, I had a serious accident on a table saw. Severed my left index finger from the palm of my hand and cut the nerves and tendons from the middle finger. I am a lefty. Praise God for the surgeons, I’m doing well. My wife could not deal with me working around my table saw in the garage, alone. Neither could I for a couple of months. She really encouraged me to get the SawStop Table Saw or take up fishing. The SawStop is an incredible machine. I highly recommend it. It costs less than a thirtieth of what the medical care cost for my hand. I also lost over two months work and 6 month of woodworking.

I am working on several projects for my shop but mostly I work on projects for the house, my kids and grandkids and my wife’s scrapbooking studio.

I am a member of the local woodworking club, Sacramento Area Woodworkers, SAW (http://www.sacramentoareawoodworkers.com/). They have lots of skill building classes, good short meetings and make toys (almost 2000 toys a year) for the Salvation Army. This year, I am helping a little, next year I am looking for a niche that I can fill in the toy making. It is a really great bunch of guys and a few very special ladies.

-- Sharp tools and thin whispy shavings make woodworking a joy.