I grew up building stuff. My favorite toys were Lincoln Logs followed soon by Erector Sets. My Dad was, and still is, my role model as a man who could do almost anything. I spent a lot of time with him on various job sites, machine shops, and working on the farm. I started building with scrap wood by first grade, one of my first projects was a recipe book holder for my Grandmother that she used for the rest of her life. By the time I was in 6th grade, I was brazing with oxy acetylene and doing basic metal castings with copper and lead.
In high school, I discovered the (then) new world of computers. This coupled with my dislike of the shop class instructor kept me out of the shop for the next several years.
In my early 20's, I worked doing various construction jobs and also spent about a year and a half as an electrician before finally settling down in in the IT field where I have worked in various capacities since 1987. When I got married in 2006, I started getting interested in woodworking and general DIY type projects. Since then I have built up a decent shop and a good collection of tools. I enjoy building things, but it is stricly a hobby. I build things for myself, family, friends, and as donations for either my church or a local non-profit I volunteer with.
My Dad taught that if you take care of your tools, they will take care of you. While he didn't care much for 'junk' tools, which back then was anything made in Japan, he did take good care of all his stuff. He generally bought quality stuff, a tradition I have tried to carry on. I tend to spent a lot of time researching prior to making a purchase. I participate in forums on garagejournal.com for general tool and project information, sawmillcreek.com for woodworking specific stuff, and weldingweb.com for welding specific topics. All of these are quality, well moderated forums.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me.Regards,
Lee