In the mid 70's, I decided I was going to cut some pretty good walnut logs out of my woods and see what I could get for them. I had a good job with DuPont and was also doing some farming, raising grain, but no live stock. I cut a few logs and put them on a wagon and called an acquaintance that dealt in logs to see if he would buy them. He came and offered me good money, at least at that time and I was surprised as to what they were worth. When he got finished explaining to me how nice they were, I got to thinking, perhaps this would be a mistake to get rid of such nice logs. Why not saw them into boards and make some projects of my own. That got me to looking around some more and I decided to cut some oak and poplar as well. For the next year or so, I stocked up on a few thousand feet of lumber, taking logs to a friend that owned a band mill and storing the boards on sticks to be air dried. I would rotate the lumber, after I dried for over a year and put the dried lumber up the barn loft, which was no longer being used for hay, and cut some more lumber to be put on sticks. I stopped sawing logs and stock pilling a good while ago because I realize now, coming up on 72 years old, I'll never use anywhere near what I have laying around. The last logs I sawed were mostly for lumber to build a shop out of. Sawed out enough poplar 2 X 6's to make all my studing and almost enough 2 X 12's to make my floor joist. Had to go buy 5 more boards for the joist. Since I had more poplar than I needed, I made my flooring out of some of those boards. I have a lot of work in this 30' X 70' shop, but not a lot of money. Sorry I got off on another subject there and lost track of my main objective.
One of my first projects, was a Dulcimer. I had a good friend that built several of them and he assisted me in the process. I can't do a whole lot with music, but I did learn to play it when nobody is around. Self entertainment.
I have learned to build things like cabinets and things around the house, and I did decide to build a Grandfathers Clock.
With all that lumber, I had to buy machines to utilize it. Almost all of it is old and easy for me to maintain, although again, it is a lot of work. I have an American 24" planer, 16" jointer, 8" jointer, old mortiser, 36" and 14" bandsaws, 5 hp shaper with 30" square table and modern 37" wide belt sander. Down at the end where I do my machining, I have a 13" SB lathe and a Clausing 10" lathe. Down in my implement shed, I also have a 10" Atlas lathe that I started out with about 50 years ago, learning to rebuild starters and generators and under cutting mica and such.
This is probably more than you care to know, so I'll attach a couple of pictures and get to work.
Jim Dunn
Harrington, Delaware
One of my first projects, was a Dulcimer. I had a good friend that built several of them and he assisted me in the process. I can't do a whole lot with music, but I did learn to play it when nobody is around. Self entertainment.
I have learned to build things like cabinets and things around the house, and I did decide to build a Grandfathers Clock.
With all that lumber, I had to buy machines to utilize it. Almost all of it is old and easy for me to maintain, although again, it is a lot of work. I have an American 24" planer, 16" jointer, 8" jointer, old mortiser, 36" and 14" bandsaws, 5 hp shaper with 30" square table and modern 37" wide belt sander. Down at the end where I do my machining, I have a 13" SB lathe and a Clausing 10" lathe. Down in my implement shed, I also have a 10" Atlas lathe that I started out with about 50 years ago, learning to rebuild starters and generators and under cutting mica and such.
This is probably more than you care to know, so I'll attach a couple of pictures and get to work.
Jim Dunn
Harrington, Delaware
