New bloke to forum

[woody4249]

My name is Michael Richardson, but mi mates call me Woody.
I wonder why?
A new bloke here to the forum as I joined today.
I am a professional woodworker having started as an apprentice carpenter at the tender age 16 in Leicester, England way back in 1966 when we used hand tools on biulding sites.
Yes.... I have been in this business for 43 years. I was transpIanted to Jacksonville Florida in 1984 where I now own a commercial cabinetmaking business. You can check out our website at www.rhdesigninc.com It may be the other end of the scale for some here, but none the less, if you want to know if anybody else has messed up doing something.......you can probably guess that I have.......... and more than likely have a fix for it that I can share.
Hobbys are [riding and] restoring motorcycles, houses, furniture.

I enjoy plumbing, electrical, brickwork, trim work..........but dislike
painting, carpeting, painting, formwork, painting and painting.

What is most enjoyable is having a good beer after a hard days achievements and helping others perpetuate this fine craft.

I never stop learning.

Woody

[drcollins804]

Woody
Great to have you. If there is anything we all seem to do well it is mess up so Your experience will surely be a welcome sight to most if not all of us at one time or another. We will try not to ask too many questions about your favorite activity of painting.
David

[mi77915]

Welcome to the forum Woody!!!

Tom

[The Everyman Show]

Welcome to the forum Woody. My dad always refered to painting not as a trade but a disease.
So, working on building site in your teens you must have been sent on plenty of errands - like going to ask somebody for a 'Long Stand' and not realizing until 45-minutes later that you had been standing long enough when the plasterer told you to go back to your boss. I know I did and I'm glad about it in a strange nostalgic kind of way.
The Electric Hammer trick was tried on me but, I'm proud to say it failed. For those of you wishing to have fun at the expense of a novice - simply drill a 1/4" nole in the end of a wooden shafted hammer and take an electrical cable from an old tool or appliance, with the plug still attached, and stuff the cut end of the cable up inside the handle of the hammer. Then watch the novice plug it in and try to get it to work. Please don't try this with a metal shafted hammer!

[woody4249]

Thanks for the welcome.........browsing the posts I see a varied bunch of personalities.
Responding to Johns post above, yes..........I was treated to a bunch of pranks also. I worked first as an apprentice in an elevator company, where I knew a few people from my niebourhood. I was sent for a "long weight" that like John's "long stand", was an hour wait. A trip to the parts dept for a "frustrated screw" had them laughing. The parts bloke had me searching the bins for 20 minutes or so and I think took pitty. He would find deformed or defective screws in the bins and throw them into a box. He pulled out 20 or so without slots in the head and said for me to take these back to the journeyman. Yes ............they were surprised when I returned with their "frustrated screw" order filled. Most of the time it was fun and we had to endure the pranks to be accepted into the community of the workforce. Maybe I'll start a thread about this.......... :o)

[firehawkmph]

Welcome Woody,
Nice to have you here. The pranks sound a lot like what we used to do to rookies on the fire department. Lotsa fun. I too enjoy vintage motorcycles. All the bikes I own are off road, but I like the old street bikes too.
Mike Hawkins

[rrbrown]

Welcome Woody, glad to have you here.

[red]

Welcome to the forum.

Red