While a drunken lumberjack at heart, I’ve spent my last 15 years as a software engineer. Prior to that I served in the navy for four years out of Mayport, FL primarily as a deck seaman… that’s right, I said deck seaman. After the Navy I bartended while getting my B. S. in Computer Science. Currently, I’m a casualty of the layoff epidemic.
You can reach me at: woodzealot @ gmail . com and address me as Charles, Charles Davis, Woodzealot, Zealot, Idiot, Moron, Sexy Bastard, etc…
So many men to-day, doing work that is far removed from the making of things, the many professional workers, office workers, salesmen, factory workers – whose work may seem to be making but whose sole contribution is constant repetitive action in one infinitesimal part – lack contact with that real world in which a man can exercise his creative gifts.
They barely realise that such a world exists.
Theirs is the world of hard bargaining, of nimble wits or the routine job, which leave a great part of their natural human instincts unsatisfied, even though in all probability they do not know the reason for their perennial feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration.
— The Woodworker, January 1954
Yo! Love your blog … Don’t remember how I got here but it’s a good one. Very nice with the humor … Ok, I do remember. I got here from the woodwhisperer’s shop of the week thing. You said you loved to see shops … Here are some little pictures of mine http://www.dorsetcustomfurniture.com/Items.aspx?mId=47&cId=77&pcId=
Just so you don’t have to wonder … I’ve got five employees and I do this woodworking thing every day for the last 28 and a half years. I’m new to the blogging thing but yours is the most entertaining I’ve found yet. Are you related to Carl Hiiasen? If not, you better watch him … he’s copying your style …. Check my blog to see my shop in action … dan
PS I actually was once a drunken lumberjack in 1974 for six months before I really became a carpenter. In the woods at 5:30 .. in the beer store at 2:15 for a six pack .. Off to build my first house a nail at a time…. back to the woods . there’s much hope for you …
Dan, much thanks for the kind and inspirational words. I read your comments last night actually and was going to thank you right then, but I stopped myself as I didn’t want to seem so desperate for praise (which I of course am)… so, I waited the 24 hours to avoid that embarrassing situation.
When I realized that I wanted to write a woodworking blog I took stock of the situation and realized that the greatest challenge would center around the fact that I didn’t know anything about woodworking. So, the simple solution was to inject some humor to hopefully compensate for my complete ignorance of the subject matter. I guess it’s pretty much my M.O. in life.
I checked out your site (and strongly recommend that others do as well) … WOW, you guys do some amazing stuff. Definitely the kind of unique and detailed work I aspire to… I’m just getting started but I’ve jumped in the deep end and am loving it more each day.
My first thought when I saw your picture was that I can well remember the time when I would have given $10.00 for your start on the suds. But, I’m 74 now and have cut back quite a bit (not entirely, though, much to my wife’s consternation. She thinks I ought to quit entirely, but a man has to have some essential priorities, dontcha, know.)
Charles, Charles Davis, Woodzealot, Zealot, Idiot, Moron, Sexy Bastard, etc…
and here are some pics with my workshop in the background.
http://radebrechender.blogspot.com/search/label/Projekt%20Werkstatt
I like the new audio feature. How about a section for the handicapped, e.g., how to work your wood from a wheelchair, avoiding amputation by table saw for the blind, etc. At the risk of sounding like everyone else, though – great site!