Ten years on LJ today and my workshops during time.
Ten years on LJ today
and my workshops during time.
Hi LJ's,
Yes it's my 10 years anniversary on LJ's today, my ohhh, sooo much has happened since I put up my first post here.
A jewel clamp for holding small objects, I still use it and it has saved my fingers by the disc sander often, now where I do a little silversmithing as well as blacksmithing, it makes even more sense to use it.
I wrote in the welcome page back then:
Hi guys,
Thank you for the warm welcome.
I want to set up a good workshop now, make me some jigs, and start to grab the wood more as I have wished for many years.
I'm not all good in my health after an operation (that was not all success), so I can't works so much, but since I love the smell of saw dust, and to see wood come to life, I will spend the time possible in my little toolshop.
Little did I know, that I should stay for ten years, get a lot of friends, visits from all over the planet in my little Copenhagen workshop , travel to friends in other counties and even get friend that I see in private on a regular basis. (Ohhh and a brother, but more of that later).
When I joined LJ, I was kind of in a life crisis, I had retired due to a neck operation at the age of 40, after a too short carrier as an architect, that had been my dream since childhood. I stood in a dark hole, fighting depression, anxiety and economical disaster. I were desperately looking for something to occupy my mind and remembered that I had a childhood dream of becoming a furniture maker, working with wood and the smell of fresh shavings. So before I would fall apart I started up the wood working as a serious hobby and new travel of learning, that I needed to stay relatively sain. Smiles.
My story short: https://www.lumberjocks.com/topics/20999
LJ interview Nov 2011: http://lumberjocks.com/MsDebbieP/blog/26514
Today I will make on a small tour of my workshops during the years, also before joining LJ, just as a fun reminder, that woodworking don't need a big fancy workshop, with all the tools, a knife is basically what you need to get started and from there the road never stops, if you get the woodworking bug, or shall we say it gets you, like it got me. Smiles.
It kind of started here…
Me as a small boy, app 44 years ago - loving to build stuff and understand how things were made.
Saw, hammer and nails were my favourites and no, I had no idea how to make a straight cut, but I build plenty of rafts, playhouses and much more anyway, as I remember the thing I'm building on the photo is a doll theatre.
After my grandfather died, I build this stand to hold his tool box, as a memory of him and for me to give something back to his summerhouse, where I spend many summers, I was in my twenties there as I remember.
Raw force was needed since I did not know how to sharpen the chisels yet, but I had the basic principals learned.
Same age, at the building constructing architects workshop, where we learned the basics of all the building trades, here in carpentry, where we just finished building a small house, to learn the different ways of putting wood together. It was a wonderful time, where we also did bricklaying, concrete work, plumbing, blacksmithing, drawing and much more.
(Me on the left).
Ten years later I had my first real workshop, this was is the basement of my first house, that I bought with my daughter Mathildes mother. I did not have much time to play in that shop, since I were working as an architect, had my own office on the side and were fixing the house, that was a total renovation project I bought. But yes I was proud and happy as can be, my first workshop
Build my daughter a bed there.
But good things ends and I got divorced, moved to a new place, where I after a while started constructing a mini workshop in the garden.
I was in this period having constant pain, stress and my serious deroute started, so I needed a place to go and meditate, to empty my mind.
And so this tiny knife making workshop came to life, it was truly wonderful, even I could not stand up, but to get a break from life and the growing neck pains, were just what I needed.
Next I bought me a summerhouse on an island in Denmark, a fine old house, that had a small side house, I converted into a simple and practical workshop. Again I had little time for joy there, since I once more had bought my self a house that needed serious renovation… But it made me realize, that I could raise again after a fall and so I learned that woodworking and workshops, would be a part of my life from here.
Once again I had to sell my houses, I were 40 now and had to retire after a neck operation, that left me with chronic pain and a PTSD that dates back to my childhood had come to life, so I had to throw in the towel on what we call a normal life. I had to stop working and so I had to sell all I owned including a good part of my tools, to survive.
But I met a French woman and in Paris I build my self a small toolbox from wood found in the street.
So I were back into woodworking, in a Paris apartment now.
Never give up!
Got my self a small apartment and this was where I started thinking about taking up woodworking as a serious hobby.
It started in my living room with a tiny fold down workbench behind a door in the living room of my two room apartment.
But quite fast I converted my basement room into a small workshop and it was here it really took off and my early blogging on LJ began.
It was so small, that I had to step outside to change my mind, but I loved it and learned most of my woodworking skills there.
The living room, were used for Japanese woodworking.
Again there came a change, I meet a woman (there has been a few since Mathildes mother), we packed up my apartment and my workshop… and yes I were without a workshop for a period, but constantly looking for a place I could pay.
Then my lovely workshop finally showed up.
In a street in the centre of Copenhagen, fair size and wonderful location.
My ohhhh that was one of the happiest days in my life.
One of the first days back in 2012, seven years ago.
It quickly grew into the workshop I have today.
And the wall that I love to see every day when I open the door, brings me smiles and remind me how lucky I was to discover this world of woodworking, that brought me through depression and gave me a new meaning, a project, an identity, a reason to wake up and go there, but most of all a room where I can be meditative, be calm, creative, build stuff, explore and feel like life has not stopped, but is a flow.
Yes I am truly grateful and I can thank a lot of you LJ's for this also, since blogging on LJ gave me an extra reason to do woodworking, the interaction the response, the things you learned me and most of all the chance to inspire others by sharing my projects became a big part of the driving force that kept me going - thank you all, especially all of you that also became my friends, both the once I meet in real life, but also those of you who are my close virtual friends for years now. (I just had tears in my eyes, smiles).
I still have my workshop, but I'll keep going, sometimes out of the workshop…
To my home, for some home woodworking.
Or just with a basket to Turkey, while I had a house down there.
Missed my workbench.
But found ways.
And latest I go to my allotment house, where I have a small garden workshop, I can use when I'm there, leaving the city for some peace in mind.
And yes I set up a small workshop there, you will probably here more from that place.
For now I will say thank you for taking time to read this blog, some of you have read many of my 321 posts and 377 blogs, yes it has grown over the years, I am truly grateful.
My favorites:
Jewel box for my daughter (Because it was made with a fathers love and it was where I tested my skills the most)
https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/101935
Japanese tool box (It was in the Japanese series, that I really learned to care for every detail of woodworking)
https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/67229
Low angle shoulder plane (this really opened my eyes for tool making)
https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/49132
Whistle with pocket knife (Because it was my first woodworking eye opener when I was a boy) https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/69184
Mafe's wood bucket (because it was made with Mike and I think it was first master class on LJ)
https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/47898
Yes! I also love the Friends and gifts series, I get full of gratitude each time a I see a post there, it's where the importance of the friendships I made here shines through.
https://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/series/5411
I don't want to mention names, you all know who you are and what role you have had in my life, but there are one person that I need to mention by name, Jamie, Jamie did not become my woodworking friend, he became my brother, or as we say; brothers with different mothers. Jamie learned me more than anyone, he learned me how to be a better man, he trained me in forgiveness, kindness, how to accept sickness and depression, meditation, to fully trust life and the others, he showed me a path in life, that I walk every day, a path for what I am forever grateful. Thank you my dear brother, thank you from my heart.
Link to my first visit to Jamie place in Scotland: https://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/37720
Most viewed projects during the years:
1 Ruler stop (89.000 views) https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/36692
2 Kerfmaker (84.000 views) https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/37513
3 Height gauge (77.000 views) https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/36682
Yes I will guess that my blogs and posts has been viewed more than two million times now in total, so I must believe that my mission to share back and inspire has succeeded, but I have no plan of stopping.
You LJ's has become a part of this old happy monkeys life - thank you from my heart.
Hope it can be to some inspiration, perhaps another lost person might find a path to walk…
Best thoughts,
MaFe
Best of my thoughts to all of you.
Ten years on LJ today
and my workshops during time.
Hi LJ's,
Yes it's my 10 years anniversary on LJ's today, my ohhh, sooo much has happened since I put up my first post here.
A jewel clamp for holding small objects, I still use it and it has saved my fingers by the disc sander often, now where I do a little silversmithing as well as blacksmithing, it makes even more sense to use it.
I wrote in the welcome page back then:
Hi guys,
Thank you for the warm welcome.
I want to set up a good workshop now, make me some jigs, and start to grab the wood more as I have wished for many years.
I'm not all good in my health after an operation (that was not all success), so I can't works so much, but since I love the smell of saw dust, and to see wood come to life, I will spend the time possible in my little toolshop.
Little did I know, that I should stay for ten years, get a lot of friends, visits from all over the planet in my little Copenhagen workshop , travel to friends in other counties and even get friend that I see in private on a regular basis. (Ohhh and a brother, but more of that later).
When I joined LJ, I was kind of in a life crisis, I had retired due to a neck operation at the age of 40, after a too short carrier as an architect, that had been my dream since childhood. I stood in a dark hole, fighting depression, anxiety and economical disaster. I were desperately looking for something to occupy my mind and remembered that I had a childhood dream of becoming a furniture maker, working with wood and the smell of fresh shavings. So before I would fall apart I started up the wood working as a serious hobby and new travel of learning, that I needed to stay relatively sain. Smiles.
My story short: https://www.lumberjocks.com/topics/20999
LJ interview Nov 2011: http://lumberjocks.com/MsDebbieP/blog/26514
Today I will make on a small tour of my workshops during the years, also before joining LJ, just as a fun reminder, that woodworking don't need a big fancy workshop, with all the tools, a knife is basically what you need to get started and from there the road never stops, if you get the woodworking bug, or shall we say it gets you, like it got me. Smiles.
It kind of started here…
Me as a small boy, app 44 years ago - loving to build stuff and understand how things were made.
Saw, hammer and nails were my favourites and no, I had no idea how to make a straight cut, but I build plenty of rafts, playhouses and much more anyway, as I remember the thing I'm building on the photo is a doll theatre.
After my grandfather died, I build this stand to hold his tool box, as a memory of him and for me to give something back to his summerhouse, where I spend many summers, I was in my twenties there as I remember.
Raw force was needed since I did not know how to sharpen the chisels yet, but I had the basic principals learned.
Same age, at the building constructing architects workshop, where we learned the basics of all the building trades, here in carpentry, where we just finished building a small house, to learn the different ways of putting wood together. It was a wonderful time, where we also did bricklaying, concrete work, plumbing, blacksmithing, drawing and much more.
(Me on the left).
Ten years later I had my first real workshop, this was is the basement of my first house, that I bought with my daughter Mathildes mother. I did not have much time to play in that shop, since I were working as an architect, had my own office on the side and were fixing the house, that was a total renovation project I bought. But yes I was proud and happy as can be, my first workshop
Build my daughter a bed there.
But good things ends and I got divorced, moved to a new place, where I after a while started constructing a mini workshop in the garden.
I was in this period having constant pain, stress and my serious deroute started, so I needed a place to go and meditate, to empty my mind.
And so this tiny knife making workshop came to life, it was truly wonderful, even I could not stand up, but to get a break from life and the growing neck pains, were just what I needed.
Next I bought me a summerhouse on an island in Denmark, a fine old house, that had a small side house, I converted into a simple and practical workshop. Again I had little time for joy there, since I once more had bought my self a house that needed serious renovation… But it made me realize, that I could raise again after a fall and so I learned that woodworking and workshops, would be a part of my life from here.
Once again I had to sell my houses, I were 40 now and had to retire after a neck operation, that left me with chronic pain and a PTSD that dates back to my childhood had come to life, so I had to throw in the towel on what we call a normal life. I had to stop working and so I had to sell all I owned including a good part of my tools, to survive.
But I met a French woman and in Paris I build my self a small toolbox from wood found in the street.
So I were back into woodworking, in a Paris apartment now.
Never give up!
Got my self a small apartment and this was where I started thinking about taking up woodworking as a serious hobby.
It started in my living room with a tiny fold down workbench behind a door in the living room of my two room apartment.
But quite fast I converted my basement room into a small workshop and it was here it really took off and my early blogging on LJ began.
It was so small, that I had to step outside to change my mind, but I loved it and learned most of my woodworking skills there.
The living room, were used for Japanese woodworking.
Again there came a change, I meet a woman (there has been a few since Mathildes mother), we packed up my apartment and my workshop… and yes I were without a workshop for a period, but constantly looking for a place I could pay.
Then my lovely workshop finally showed up.
In a street in the centre of Copenhagen, fair size and wonderful location.
My ohhhh that was one of the happiest days in my life.
One of the first days back in 2012, seven years ago.
It quickly grew into the workshop I have today.
And the wall that I love to see every day when I open the door, brings me smiles and remind me how lucky I was to discover this world of woodworking, that brought me through depression and gave me a new meaning, a project, an identity, a reason to wake up and go there, but most of all a room where I can be meditative, be calm, creative, build stuff, explore and feel like life has not stopped, but is a flow.
Yes I am truly grateful and I can thank a lot of you LJ's for this also, since blogging on LJ gave me an extra reason to do woodworking, the interaction the response, the things you learned me and most of all the chance to inspire others by sharing my projects became a big part of the driving force that kept me going - thank you all, especially all of you that also became my friends, both the once I meet in real life, but also those of you who are my close virtual friends for years now. (I just had tears in my eyes, smiles).
I still have my workshop, but I'll keep going, sometimes out of the workshop…
To my home, for some home woodworking.
Or just with a basket to Turkey, while I had a house down there.
Missed my workbench.
But found ways.
And latest I go to my allotment house, where I have a small garden workshop, I can use when I'm there, leaving the city for some peace in mind.
And yes I set up a small workshop there, you will probably here more from that place.
For now I will say thank you for taking time to read this blog, some of you have read many of my 321 posts and 377 blogs, yes it has grown over the years, I am truly grateful.
My favorites:
Jewel box for my daughter (Because it was made with a fathers love and it was where I tested my skills the most)
https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/101935
Japanese tool box (It was in the Japanese series, that I really learned to care for every detail of woodworking)
https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/67229
Low angle shoulder plane (this really opened my eyes for tool making)
https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/49132
Whistle with pocket knife (Because it was my first woodworking eye opener when I was a boy) https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/69184
Mafe's wood bucket (because it was made with Mike and I think it was first master class on LJ)
https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/47898
Yes! I also love the Friends and gifts series, I get full of gratitude each time a I see a post there, it's where the importance of the friendships I made here shines through.
https://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/series/5411
I don't want to mention names, you all know who you are and what role you have had in my life, but there are one person that I need to mention by name, Jamie, Jamie did not become my woodworking friend, he became my brother, or as we say; brothers with different mothers. Jamie learned me more than anyone, he learned me how to be a better man, he trained me in forgiveness, kindness, how to accept sickness and depression, meditation, to fully trust life and the others, he showed me a path in life, that I walk every day, a path for what I am forever grateful. Thank you my dear brother, thank you from my heart.
Link to my first visit to Jamie place in Scotland: https://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/37720
Most viewed projects during the years:
1 Ruler stop (89.000 views) https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/36692
2 Kerfmaker (84.000 views) https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/37513
3 Height gauge (77.000 views) https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/36682
Yes I will guess that my blogs and posts has been viewed more than two million times now in total, so I must believe that my mission to share back and inspire has succeeded, but I have no plan of stopping.
You LJ's has become a part of this old happy monkeys life - thank you from my heart.
Hope it can be to some inspiration, perhaps another lost person might find a path to walk…
Best thoughts,
MaFe
Best of my thoughts to all of you.