WWA Info Exchange

For Woodworkers By Woodworkers
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:38 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 31 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 4:51 pm 
Offline
ModerDude/
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 4125
Location: London, England
Well, it has been a while. In 2002 when I joined this forum woodworking here in the UK was all the rage, Cable/satellite TV was in its early years and we were drip-fed new Yankee Workshop and This Old House. For several years everybody was woodworking. I had been following the traditional route of hand-tool woodworking and got swept along by the power-tool revolution. I became a moderator here and ran The Puzzler for a while. I wrote hundreds of magazine articles and a few books. I even became editor of our oldest monthly Magazine for a couple of years but then it all stopped. Just like someone had shut the door. Interest died and the publishers stopped paying decent money for articles and wanted to retain copyright on my material and use it at will without paying for the privilege.

This put the dampener on my enthusiasm and I hung up the tools, only venturing into the workshop when I needed to make or repair something. The magic had gone and I found myself not enjoying my woodworking. I even gave up posting here. I have popped back from time to time since then but apart from a bit of wood turning my woodworking has all but stopped. I have not built any furniture for years. Next month I will be 61 and at last, after 37 years we are going to move out of our London home and go and live by the coast. A new house and a new workshop may well kindle some enthusiasm to get the tools out again. For the past decade, Sue and I have been following our other life-long interest Meccano (Erector, to most of you on that side of the pond). Writing a blog and being generally active in the fraternity got us noticed by the new Canadian owners (Spin Master) and we have spent the past few years working with them and even designing sets that are now on the market. This is now coming to an end as the company have made Meccano a toy again which is exactly where it should be. Our involvement on the hobby side is becoming less and that is fine by us. Our Meccano blog can be found HERE.

Between all this, My brother and I decided to take up angling, which as far as I can gather we peruse in a very different way than you do over there. I have been writing a blog about that too. I seem to spend a lot of my time bashing keys these days! Needless to say, my brother is a casual participant in the pursuit and I have found it a great release to get me out of the house. My angling adventures are chronicalled HERE

We are determined to get ourselves out of here and start our new life, and who knows, that woodworking passion my come flooding back.

Happy New Year to all my old woodworking friends on the WWA.

Ralph :)

P.S. Yes, it is raining here!

_________________
...Did I mention it rains here?

our other interests:
http://ralphsworkshop.blogspot.com/
http://notinmyfridge.blogspot.co.uk
https://my-meccano.blogspot.co.uk


Last edited by Ralph Laughton on Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 5:52 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Sun Feb 21, 1999 1:01 am
Posts: 2777
Location: Rochester MN USA
RALPH LAUGHTON: It's good to see your post again. IF you are going to fish in the rain, wear a really wide brimmed hat :roll:

_________________
Everything was new once.
newtooth 311
Rochester, MN


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:54 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 1:01 am
Posts: 11360
Location: Hamilton, MS
Hi Ralph. Long time no hear. We're doing ok. Gettin older and slower ('72 last Nov), and don't do big projects anymore. Too hard on my back. Still make small stuff to sell or gift. Always something needs doing around the property and ain't nobody to do it but me, unless I hire it out and money is always short these days. So I stay reasonably occupied.

Stick around for awhile. :-D

_________________
I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:20 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 1:01 am
Posts: 4044
Location: Rolling Meadows, IL. USA
Does this mean that we might be able to soggy points again?

WELCOME BACK! :D

_________________
"It is not a mistake it is a learning experience"
Monte


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:16 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 12:01 am
Posts: 4950
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Hey Ralph,

Welcome back! It's good to hear from you, you've been missed.

Cheers,
Tom

_________________
"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:24 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:44 am
Posts: 3951
Location: Skagit Co WA
Nice to see (read) you again, Ralph.

I can remember the fantastic Erector Set I had as a 9-10 yr old. What a great toy. I see by the photos in your blog that it must still be made out of metal over there? The last time I saw a set in the big box toy store it was all plastic. Hope that was just an age specific set intended for a much younger crowd.

In any event, I don't know what happened to it over the years but it sure taught me a lot.

_________________
Nullum Gratuitum Prandium

Cheers - Dennis


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 10:53 am 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 1305
Location: Kerrville, Texas USA
Please stay a while, you have been missed.

Duan

_________________
Duan Packard
Kerrville, Texas

dum vivimus, vivamus


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 6:37 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Thu Apr 15, 1999 12:01 am
Posts: 1359
Location: Albuquerque NM
I still have my early 60's vintage Erector set - the rocket launcher set. Intermixed are parts from my uncles' Erector set from the 50s (unless it was from the 40s)


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 8:58 am 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2001 12:01 am
Posts: 12222
Location: La Plata, Maryland
Hey, Ralph!!!!! Great to hear from you again! Like you, I got out of woodworking for 5 years, but I'm slowly getting back into it again. I'm building a cherry dining room table for Liz now. I just started a new job this week delivering new cars for a Ford dealer(What other car would I deliver??) and I worked 12 hours yesterday, but I love it.

Keep us posted on how you're doing. You have been missed here. Tell Sue I said Hi!

_________________
Uncle Fester WWAMDAUX#3
La Plata, Maryland
Does Anyone Have A Comb?
Home Of A Beautiful DJ 20
I Say.... BUY DELTA!!
10,000 posts--Easter Sunday, 2008--7:43pm


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:42 am 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Tue Aug 31, 1999 12:01 am
Posts: 156
Location: Ashburn, VA USA
I still haven't figures out how / why my interests vary over time. There is a time and season for everything comes to mind. There are so many ways to find personal fulfillment, with one form not necessarily being better than another.

I am experiencing a renewed interest in woodworking at the moment and want to start exploring chair making on my own. Just went to another class and built a writing arm windsor... But I first need get new dining room table finished and re-organize & clean the shop...

All the best everyone.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 1:07 pm 
Offline
ModerDude/
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 4125
Location: London, England
The one thing I have discovered over the years is that I am pleased to have more than one interest. Sue and I never had any kids, in the end, so we have been able to follow our hobbies rather more than most. Interestingly we share several hobbies. Sue has a passing interest in woodworking and a passion to be a wood-turning. We have both collected stamps and have an interest in postal history world-wide although our real collecting has been confined to early GB (pre 1952). But stamp collecting is a casual thing these days and only represents a few hours a month, if that. As I said in my initial post Meccano has taken up a good deal of our time over recent years. But I suppose the biggest thing to happen to us, well Sue really, was to win a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2015 after getting silver in 2011 and 2012.

There is always some woodworking to do for Chelsea and that year was no exception, albeit MDF, I had to build a broken-down stone monastery window. The flower arrangements for Chelsea are huge and the window was cut and laminated from several sheets of MDF hand carved and shaped to look like stone, before being painted. I also made random 'stone' blocks to scatter around the base. Other 'gold' trinkets were made from wood or plastic and sprayed gold, then washed with thinned black paint to look aged. All good fun but time consuming.

Image

The picture gives you some idea of the scale of the arrangement. The title was 'The Dissolution of the Monasteries'

Most of my hobbies have involved being indoors. All my life I have been an indoor sort of person with no interest in sport of any kind. Then just over a couple of years ago I discovered angling. I was planning on sitting on the bank of a lake or river somewhere watching my brother fish. What actually happened was I got hooked (sorry for the pun) and it has been a big part of my life since then. I had never picked up a fishing rod, let alone handled a live fish until then but right now I can't get enough of it, although it is a bit cold just now! The surprising thing is I have lost weight, fishing is not about just sitting there watching a float. I can be casting every minute or so for eleven or twelve hours. I have never worked that part of my body so hard before and I have lost 35lb without trying, which can only be a good thing. I am slowly getting better at it and I caught my personal best carp a few months ago.

Image

There I am, in my Woodworking shirt, holding the biggest fish I had ever caught, tipping the scales at 16lb 2oz. Not huge for a mirror carp but for me it was a monster! I am now looking forward some some more happy days at the lakes. I must admit, I do enjoy it in the summer more than at this time of year when it is cold and wet.

Once we have moved house, I will get the tools out again and you never know, I might make something for our new home...

... In the meantime I have lots of old projects I did for articles that I could post some details of if you would like me to. I know you all like pictures. Some of you might have seen them before but there are some that I would not have published at the time as they were current.

Thank you for your warm welcome back, I will try not to stay away for too long this time.

Ralph :thumbup:

_________________
...Did I mention it rains here?

our other interests:
http://ralphsworkshop.blogspot.com/
http://notinmyfridge.blogspot.co.uk
https://my-meccano.blogspot.co.uk


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 2:44 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 1:01 am
Posts: 11360
Location: Hamilton, MS
Next thing you know, you'll be buying a boat and heading out into the Atlantic after Salmon. :wink:

_________________
I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 4:41 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 12:01 am
Posts: 4950
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Hey Ralph,

That is a big mirror carp. Did you take it home and eat it, or are you strictly a catch and release man?

Interestingly, the mirror carp was bred specifically to cater to kosher diets. For convenience, the glass carp was bred to have no scales. But apparently, kosher food laws specify that a fish must have scales to be kosher, so the mirror carp was developed to have one row of scales only.

Carp grown for aquaculture are generally harvested at a much smaller size than your trophy, usually in the single serving size (~ 2 lbs).
Personally, I've never cared much for it, give me a trout or a marine fish thank you. :-D

Cheers,
Tom

_________________
"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 5:44 pm 
Offline
ModerDude/
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 4125
Location: London, England
I am sorry, Mango, if this is going a bit off topic but I am doing my best to keep wood in it somewhere...

Tom,

Here in the UK it it illegal to take freshwater fish of any kind from the rivers and lakes for the table. This has caused all sorts of problems with European immigrants who just don't understand (or as some are saying don't want to understand) the law. Game fish such as salmon and trout can be taken for the table but the amount is usually controlled by the venue.

So, all my fishing is catch and release. The fish in my picture would be far too expensive to eat anyway. A fish of that size will cos about £20 per pound to replace, plus 20% VAT (Tax) making that fish worth getting on for £400! The lake I was fishing holds fish twice that size and other lakes on the complex hold them even bigger. One of the lakes gave up an 85lb+ catfish last year. Most of the fish I catch are usually just a pound or two with the odd one a bit bigger.

Here is a picture of some wood, just to keep it vaguely on topic...

Image

Ralph :-D

_________________
...Did I mention it rains here?

our other interests:
http://ralphsworkshop.blogspot.com/
http://notinmyfridge.blogspot.co.uk
https://my-meccano.blogspot.co.uk


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 6:24 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:48 pm
Posts: 1146
Location: Cypress, TX
Ralph,
Here is a 21 lb. carp I caught by accident while catfishing.
I also let it go.
Zulu

Image

Image

_________________
Zulu's website
http://www.jmelledge.com


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 6:37 pm 
Offline
ModerDude/
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 4125
Location: London, England
Wow, that is a nice looking fish. Could you have kept it for the table? a fish of that size here would cost a lot of money to replace. Did you catch your cat?

Incidentally, that knotted net landing net would be illegal here too...

We seem to have a lot more restrictions as to what we can and cannot do. I have been chatting with the lads on the Ohio Game Fishing forum - they have a section for out of state fishing - I figured I qualified for that :D - and they let me join. It is fascinating talking to those guys as it is all so different to what we do here.

Here's some more wood, just so remember what we should be talking about...

Image

A few offcuts being unloaded from the back of my van.

Ralph :OT: (almost!)

_________________
...Did I mention it rains here?

our other interests:
http://ralphsworkshop.blogspot.com/
http://notinmyfridge.blogspot.co.uk
https://my-meccano.blogspot.co.uk


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 6:44 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 12:01 am
Posts: 4950
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Hey Zulu,

That looks, to me, to be a common carp. Common carp get quite large. I once saw a small Vietnamese gentleman walking home with his catch from Lake Washington. He couldn't have been much more than 4' tall, and the carp was slung over his back, the tail was touching his heels. Here in Washington, common carp are generally considered trash fish. No license is required and there is no bag or daily limit. They are not only caught via hook and line, but also via bow fishing.

When common carp spawn in the Spring, they roll and root around like hogs and make a muddy mess of their spawning grounds. Ducks and other waterfowl have a feast on the huge clusters of eggs expressed. It ends up being quite a show.

Cheers,
Tom

_________________
"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 7:04 pm 
Offline
ModerDude/
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 4125
Location: London, England
The first and second fish I ever caught was a common carp within minutes of each other. It was that, that got me hooked on this fishing game.

Image

The fish in my hands is the third fish I caught. Click on the picture to see the first fish and find out what happened to the second fish I ever caught.

Ralph :-D

_________________
...Did I mention it rains here?

our other interests:
http://ralphsworkshop.blogspot.com/
http://notinmyfridge.blogspot.co.uk
https://my-meccano.blogspot.co.uk


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 2:03 am 
Offline
AdminDude
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2000 12:01 am
Posts: 15387
Location: Maui,Hawaii
Ralph Laughton wrote:
Wow, that is a nice looking fish. Could you have kept it for the table? a fish of that size here would cost a lot of money to replace. Did you catch your cat?

Incidentally, that knotted net landing net would be illegal here too...

We seem to have a lot more restrictions as to what we can and cannot do. I have been chatting with the lads on the Ohio Game Fishing forum - they have a section for out of state fishing - I figured I qualified for that :D - and they let me join. It is fascinating talking to those guys as it is all so different to what we do here.

Here's some more wood, just so remember what we should be talking about... And don't forget that! :D

Image

A few offcuts being unloaded from the back of my van.

Ralph :OT: (almost!)

_________________
Mango
The land some where in the middle
20 47 00N -156 26 00W
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Jan 21, 2017 12:45 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:55 pm
Posts: 2371
Location: ridley park, PA
Interesting read Ralph.

I have had a passion for both woodworking and fishing all of my life. For the last 4 years my 20' boat has been sitting on the lawn at my Delaware Bay cottage. Between time and energy constraints, I made the decision to wait till retirement to get back into my hard core fishing. The time and cost it takes just to keep my boat in the water became more than I could justify for occasional use. I think this will change when I retire, possibly in June.

For the past four years I have done some trout fishing and surf fishing, but on a limited basis.

I have had some health issues and have come to the conclusion that I will likely do both in retirement, I think it will be equal emphasis on both at first, but trending toward more woodworking as time goes on.

The trend in Salt Water Fishing here has been toward more restrictions here and unfortunately, declining fish stocks to pursue.

"A family and a full time job has ruined many a goood fisherman!" lol

Good to hear your thoughts Ralph, thanks for sharing.

ron

_________________
"To all those who work come moments of beauty unseen by the rest of the world." Norman Maclean


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 31 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 44 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group