Santa's Lap - The Line Starts Here

[Arlin Eastman]

I would be most honored to have you stop ANY time.

Arlin

[T.J.]

My Secret Santa will see that my tool cabinet appears full and might think I'm hard to pin down for a gift. I'll toss out a few ideas which may not be obvious from my posts.

-- I'd love a good general purpose wood rasp for shaping.
-- Any hand tool made by the gifter would be appreciated and take an honored place in my kit.

NOTE: If anyone starts a secondary gift collection for needy or down-on-their-luck woodworker(s), I have dupes to pull from and I need to slim down a tad. Contact me and we can get a kit or two together to make someone(s) a Merry Christmas.

[Anak]

I have no doubt I pose a challenge to someone. What time I spend in handtools is usually spent listening.

The most important driving force in my handtool use is The Varmints (my name for my three boys). I feel much better about handing them a hand powered tool rather than an electron powered tool. Sure they can cut themselves, but they are going to do that anyways. Instant removal of body parts is in another league entirely. Sharp hand tools are a great way to learn to exercise caution so that when the day comes they pick up a Skil-saw they end the day with as many digits as they started.

And boys like building things.

One of the things I am finding myself needing to build is a shave horse. A project I have on deck is three legged stools. I have gotten the hardware from Lee Valley. I am thinking of sourcing the wood from the dying oak trees from the ranch where I grew up. The idea is that we will go cut the wood and take it from tree to finished product. I have yet to go questing for plans, but if someone has plans for a shave horse that would be a great gift. Even better if it can be built from 2x4s.

Or, if someone happens to live where osage orange is a weed and wouldn't mind spending more money on shipping than on the item itself being shipped, I would love to get ahold of some pieces of osage long enough to become bows or staffs. All I can get out here are short turning blanks and there is no way I can join those together and have the continuous grain that is what makes a good bow or staff.

Beyond that, shop made tools are always loved. Nice pieces of wood are appreciated too. Or creative ideas for projects for The Varmints.

I hope that helps.

[DaveParkis]

I suspect I might pose a problem for the unfortunate soul that got me. I will try to post some ideas to make his/her life a little easier. I'm also hoping that my recipient will do the same

[Dave Diaman]

I would like a million dollars in small unmarked bills but the age old adage you can wish in one hand and s$!t in the other and see which fills up first comes to mind. Oh well it never hurts to dream.

[geek2me]

Hi Santa, your elf (or is it elfis?) is pretty cute

Oh, you meant want TOOLS do I want. Sorry, my bad ;-)

I have a good basic set of hand tools - several bench planes, sharpening stones, basic chisels. I'm curious about Japanese style hand tools, have not really used them but interested to try. I have a spokeshave or two, but less common hand tools - spokeshaves, chisels, specialty planes, etc. are certainly useful. I'd love to have something you made, but I know santa is very busy.

Hope that helps a little ;-)

[Arlin Eastman]

Someone can get a few old Monopoly game to give you that much.

But then you might have to go to Jail directly to jail and not card to get you out for free.

Arlin

[DonSlaughter]

Well I'm sure my SS is having a fit because I don't post much....as I'm a listener. My SS giftee has everything so I'll just have to pull something out of the hat for him! Last year I was building chairs and my SS saved my bacon but I felt guilty because the gifts weren't cheap! My guilt drove me to GIVE my Stanley 150 miter box to a fellow woodnetter/creeker who was just moving into new digs and needed help getting his new shop started. Left a hole in my shop but I'm looking at a good homemade bench hook box to replace it.
Truth is....I can't imagine not being thrilled with just getting a homemade Christmas decoration for the tree. Just being a part of this great thing is rewarding in and of itself!
Thanks Ken....for all that you folks do!!

[JustinTyson]

Hmmm...Not a single post in the last year from my recipient, either. This could be tough. I didn't post much in the last year, either, but I intend to be around a good bit now

[tirebob]

First thing... I don't care how much or how little a person has to spend on Secret Santa! It is just fun and heart warming to see everybody get together on an event like this and do their best to put a smile on the face of a fellow woodworker... It isn't about coming out ahead in the value department in the least!!

So that said, I used to post a lot more but these days I tend to be a bit of a lurker so I might be a bit tough to narrow down. I am pretty much set in the handtool department, but everyone one of us likes to play with new (to us) toys. I always cherish handmade items and old things! If I had to say something that I would find useful as opposed to simply loving something, I have lately been getting into learning how to make pocket knives and I have been accumulating the tools and things to make them. I would absolutely love small pieces of weird and crazy figured woods that could be used for handles/scales. Any tool steel stock for blades would be fantastic. For any tools, files would never go amiss...

Other than that, I am a voracious reader and love anything woodworking/tool/historical related, non-fiction and fiction alike. In n the grand scheme, I am an open book and will be pleased with anything so you do not have to think too hard about it. Whatever makes you happy to give will make me happy to receive!