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Ten years on LJ today and my workshops during time.

4K views 29 replies 25 participants last post by  mafe 
#1 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
 

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#2 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Happy LJ birthday my friend. What an inspiring human tale you tell!
 

Attachments

#3 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
although i havn't been on this marvelous journey of yours as long as some here ive definitely enjoyed the ride,and i especially love when you take us into your haven of a shop and let us watch you make your beautiful creations step by step almost as if we were their with you.for that i say thanks you and a big congrats on 10 beautiful years,and i look forward to the next 10 my friend.peace mads.
 

Attachments

#4 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
GRATZ SIR … that is quite an intresting story .. thanks for sharing you struggles and accomplishments :<))
 

Attachments

#5 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
We have a family saying - "NGUNS"! Never give up, never surrender. I am sending this to my kids, another example.

I have really enjoyed reading your blog. Happy LJ birthday, and many more!!!!
 

Attachments

#6 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
You've brought great sunshine to this site over the years with your detailed blogs and projects. We are all the richer because of your contribution..
Happy birthday
 

Attachments

#7 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Happy anniversary, Mads! I'm happy to be able to call you a friend.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Always a pleasure to read your posts! Keep it up. Congrats on your 10 years, as well. It's been some journey, that is for certain.
 

Attachments

#9 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
What a lovely trip down memory lane you've taken us on and thank you for all the inspiration you've given me over the years. I always look forward to your posts Mads.
 

Attachments

#10 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
A lot sure has happened, houses built/renovated, shops built and outgrown, projects drawn and shaped, ups and downs and, on the side, women and pipe tobacco for enjoyment. Thanks for the ride, already looking forward to the next 10 years!
 

Attachments

#11 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
So glad you were able to take good childhood experiences and turn them into a positive way to get through a lot of very hard times. And as someone early on in building a shop/tool collection, its a great lesson for me that there may be steps forward or backwards in getting stuff, but the skills, relationships and love for the craft are always with you. So thank you for sharing!
 

Attachments

#12 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
This site is better for having you as a member my friend.
Congratulations on your anniversary and here is to many more posts to come.
 

Attachments

#13 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. As with all your blog posts, you tell a great tale! I have and will continue to enjoy whatever you have to share. Congrats on 10 years of making LJs a better place!
 

Attachments

#14 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Brilliant, It seems the world of internet is not all bad.
Great story Lumber jock.
Nice one.
Kind Regards
Anthony (Hong Kong)
 

Attachments

#15 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Hooray! Love the pics and trip down memory lane! LJs is a better pace with you, Mads!!
 

Attachments

#16 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Glad to have been along to watch your journey over (most) of the last 10 years, it's been inspiring to me.
 

Attachments

#17 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
What an awesome journey.
 

Attachments

#18 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Happy LJ Day, my dear friend. Thank you for all you have taught me.
 

Attachments

#19 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
I always enjoy your blogs Mads you come up with interesting stories and projects ,I've always marveled at your ingenuity and willingness to make your own tools in your own special way making your projects artistic and unique. Your earlier days of working in a very small space proved if someone is motivated and creative you can make many of the tools you need to get your work done. Congrats on 10 years ON LJs
 

Attachments

#20 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Congrats Mads. I have been on this site for 8 years now and have enjoyed all your blogs. I have had the pleasure of being in your shop to visit several times and just love Værkstedet. And yes we finally got to enjoy a beer or two in the shop.

-Madts.
 

Attachments

#21 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Hi Mads.
Your post brought back some very fond remembrances. It's great to see you in a good place and for your generosity in sharing your journey.

Sal (and Geri says hi)
 

Attachments

#22 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Tillykke Mafe!
You have been of great inspiration to me, both here on LumberJocks and in real life.
Your countless contributions to this site and your ingenious approach to any given topic are much appreciated.
Thank you.
 

Attachments

#23 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
I always enjoy your blogging. It is an amazing and wonderful reading with all the pictures added.
I tried to build a project with the camera ready the whole time but it's not easy.
 

Attachments

#24 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Wonderful to hear your success story Mads. Yes, success isn't about money or position, it is about having a worthwhile life and sharing it with your family and friends. Like yourself, woodworking opened the door to this world for me and so I can very much understand how you feel about it now, albeit not having experienced the many challenges you had to overcome at such a young age. Looking forward to the next 10 years (if I last that long, ha ha).
 

Attachments

#25 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Hi my so dear friend here,
First of all thank you for all the wonderful words, congratulations and laughs, I have to say it made me laugh and even cry. After all we have gone from being a really close group of people, always writing comments to each other and leaving comments to new members, into a large site, where comments has become rare and a lot of the old are either busy in their lives, left or just don't comment any more. Kind of sad it's not so personal any more, I try still to answer anyone a writing a comment a personal reply, to keep it on a personal level, even it takes some time to catch up - I enjoy it always. For my activity here, I have had a life with ups and downs, so in periods I just had to give up and come back when I had the energy, so I have missed a lot of my friends post and even more of the never stopping line on the front page. When this is said, then I can see there are even more activity than there used to, that's good, since it means there are a reason to post, as I post to inspire and share my ideas. ;-)
I still have a lot of unposted blogs in a folder, app 80 I think, some I still hope to post, some I gave up on, since new keeps adding up. Time will tell and the most important is we still stay big boys, happy to play with wood and I can't see that stopping my selv. Smiles.

shipwright, always a pleasure to ride with you, you have such a wonderful story your self (the parts I have seen), love to follow your life, boats, woodworking and now also schooling new generations in almost forgotten skills. Thank you.

pottz, thank you for those kind words, they truly warm my heart. I always enjoy to see your avatar, impossible not to smile. Wrrrouufff. To the next ten my friend.

GR8HUNTER, life is a rollercoaster, happiness is in the process and pause, you know the moments where we are all into a project and when we put tobacco in the pipe, relax and wonder hmmmmmm what should I do next, the rest is up's and downs, that make these moments possible.

Duayne Israelson, I have learned from life, that there are days where I wonder if I have what it takes to wake up next day and go on, days where all have seemed completely black, but somehow, if we just go slow in those times, enjoy the little things and appreciate what we have, then we are suddenly on the other side, looking back with a smile and thinking how could it seem so hopeless when it feels so good now. Thank you for the kind words.

Jim Rowe, Jim those were beautiful words you gave me, thank you from my heart. Thank you for all the nice words over the years and to make my life richer.

Dave Polaschek, and I'm happy to call and be your friend Dave. Big smile.

DarkLightning, Thank you. I'm not sure I know how to stop, I sometimes run out of energy and have loads of unposted blogs, but after a while I always miss your guys company and to be inspired and share.

Brit, Andy, my dear friend. I actually did not know that I was responsible, but I take it on my shoulders with great joy, what a wonderful thing to be guilty of! I have enjoyed every moment we have spend during the years, especially in real life, when I held your birthday in my wee apartment and we meet in the work shops. Thank you, I also look forward to many new adventures. (And was proud to have your daughter staying in my place also).

kaerlighedsbamsen, Ty! Min kære TY. I have no doubt we will have many to come, both on LJ and out in real life, thank you for being an inspiration to me, you have a way to be determent that I highly admire, you like to set the bar high and always get over it. Thank you for having become a dear friend of mine, I look forward to invite you to my allotment when the winter is over, I have enjoyed good times in your wonderful allotment so it will be with great happiness to return some fine moments.

BenMac, An old friend of mine, told me some clever words years back. I was sad by being treated bad by a person close to me, so I said he was an asshole, my friend then replied; 'he is also an ass hole', this made me think twice about my words, that yes a real asshole, might also be a good friend to others, might be good at his work, might be full of love for his wife - so no one is just an asshole. After this it has become much more easy to let go and forgive, to leave those people to live their own lives and wish them the best inside my self.
The skills you learn will come with you in up's and downs, both in wood working and in life. ;-)

Woodwrecker, A big warm smile thank you. Always a joy to have you along the journey, cheers for ten more.

sras, I guess that's what LJ made me Steve, a story teller… Perhaps I was always that, just learned to do it in writing and in English, as my languish is Danish and I doubt you would read my blogging then - laughs. Thank you for the kind words.
(I'm not sure if you would read all I could write about, I had a bowel operation, that's a really brown story…).

anthm27, I was also surprised to learn how much good that can come from the internet, as long as we keep the mind and soul open. In fact I meet my GF on the internet, so I'm kind of convinced by now. :-D Thank you.
(Hong Kong - I just send my camera there to get fixed, bought it by a company that looked as if it was English and then when it came it was from Hong Kong, sadly it needed fixing after only six months, so not all good comes from the internet - laughs).

SmittyCabinetshop, Smitty! The king of hand tools, you are a great inspiration to me, I always love to see your posts and blogs (even I have a feeling I missed a lot), your wonderful workshop full of life, tools and wood and the fact you really live out the dream of the old crafts. Thank you to travel with me here.

Manitario, wauuu yes we go back a long time now, I am truly impressed by your progress, I can see how you more and more focus on design and detail, as your skills grow - respect. Enjoy to ride with you too.

swirt, yes we had lots of good times, big smile. Time is going tic toc and sometimes I feel like I never do anything, my GF laugh and say: you do so much, it's hard to keep up, it helps me to go to LJ and take a look, then I see that even I'm retired, a lot still comes from my hands and when you guys then stop by with a note, my smile is all back. Thank you, yes ten more, for now.

lew, I thank you back, I always have a feeling you are there. Don't know how to explain it better, but it's a lot. It's been a joy to become your buddy and later some one I consider a friend.

a1Jim, Thank you a lot, it's a compliment I take with great pride, when it comes from you. I guess I somehow do more working wood, than woodworking I love to make jigs and tools, to solve problems and so my personal journey has become less furniture maker, than I had thought, but I love every moment, at since it's my hobby, it's just wonderful. You were one of the first that welcomed me to LJ and made me feel welcome, so for me you are a grand old man of LJ, but also a grand old man of woodworking and skills, I have read several of your writings and have a picture in my head of your shop, where there are loads of jigs in the celling and were there also something about you and routers… Just discovered that we never became buddy's, so I have added you, hope it's ok. ;-)

madts, yes we have a history by now, both here on LJ and meetings in Copenhagen, I feel have gotten close to your life and know parts of the man also. I have shared both beer, joy and sadness with you. Thank you my name brother.

Marcial, Hi Sal, yes we have shared a lot of good times. I will always keep our days in Copenhagen as a warm memory, you and Geri are nothing less than wonderful to be around. You are a star on my sky for being a gentle man (also a gentleman), full of dedication and with a Leica hanging around your neck. Loved how you were not only taking pictures with your camera, but with your heart and soul (even keeping track of Geri too, that she was carful with the camera, smiles). I love to imagine how it was for you to visit the Leica museum, like a small boy on a chocolate factory I imagine. Hope to see you again in real life, send my love to Geri.

Ale, Pasquale, still working on saying it in a proper Italian way. You my so kind friend, you are missed in Copenhagen now, especially on the coffee and cake Mondays, in my work shop. I can't wait to get over the winter, so I can get back to the allotment and enjoy the things you helped me build there; the new floor, the glass door and most of all the windows in the workshop, that made an enormous difference to the place and house - thank you. Thank you for being a good and honest friend, I would trust you my life any day, even you are a relative new friend in my life. I hope you are not staying in Italy and if you do, I'll have to find my way down there. In the mean while I will try to take good care of your workbench it's at my attic, just saw it the other day. You inspire me with your eye for detail and this shines through in your approach to life. Hugs to Italy.

Gengaskokaren, tak til broderfolket. Big smile. I have become used to having the camera with me in the shop, so it has become kind of natural for me, sometimes I have to move a step back in the process, when I have forgotten one, otherwise I try to explain in words, guess it's more story telling than a how to blog. In fact it's almost strange when I don't take pictures, but once in a while I completely forget and that's just fine too. Video on the other hand, I don't like to be so exposed, I get shy, so that will be for others.

Stefang, I so much agree, the size of the shop is no reason to not do, we can buy a piece of MDF, a used skill saw and put it together into a small table saw, we can use in the yard, like I did when I wanted to build my daughter a garden gate. A toolbox and a small empty floor space then we can do wonderful projects, even a pocket knife and a walk in the forest can open up the wonders of working with wood. It's been a great pleasure to be your friend here, especially our bucket building was a wonderful shared time. I look often at the budstikke you send me and smile with gratitude, thank you Mike and thank you for the nice words.

Best of my thoughts to all of you, yes especially those who became friends, those who takes the time to leave a comment, but also just all of you who looked by, to see what MaFe is up to, when the happy monkey is making stuff, with absolutely no plan and no other goal, than to make it a joyful time in the workshop.
Big smile,
Mads
Yes I know I'm sentimental, my daughter loves teasing me with this. ;-)
 

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#26 ·
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.

Rectangle Wood Wallet Metal Fashion accessory

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).

Shorts Shoulder Bermuda shorts Sleeve Textile


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.

Sleeve Beard Eyewear Gesture Musician

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.
Jamie, yes you probably don't read this, but you get a word anyway:

Years back when I traveled up to Scotland from Denmark, I think it was the fist time, you learned me a lesson for life, this little story I will tell here, just for the joy of it.

When I came up there, I was not in a too good state, a girlfriend had asked me to move out of her place with only ten days notice and I was living there with my daughter and her kids, so my daughter and I, had had to move into my workshop all of a sudden, where I tried my best to make it a home. The relationship had come to an end, the woman was not what she had pretended to be, so I was kind of happy in my sadness, to get away from her, but the fact that she threw me and my daughter into the street, just because she felt it was hard for her to live together, while I had to find a place to stay, after we had decided it had come to an end - yes this broke something inside me, I really felt betrayed and that I had been blind trusting a person, that could do something like that, for a while I lost my trust in life and felt kind of lost.

Jamie felt this sadness and we spoke about it - in fact his wonderful wife Shirley and I spoke about it first, when she came to pick me up in the airport and could see I was not all me.
Well to be with them and their wonderful friends (my friends now), eased me up, also many good hours in Jamies workshop, did me good and finally that I went meditating every day, in their wonderful meditation room.
On my way there one day, I meet Jamie in his wheel chair in the hall way, he asked if he could give me a challenge and I said tell me what it is and I'll answer.
Jamie then asked me to go and meditate on the feeling of some one I love, to let this person fill me up and then send all my love and good energy towards him or her (I can't remember who I choose). I accepted and it was easy, I have always been a loving person and there are plenty of people I love, so this was just to change my focus on where I send my energy.

Next day before I went meditating, Jamie asked if I was ready for one more challenge and I said yes right away. He asked me again, to go and send my energy to some one, but today it should be to someone I hardly knew, it could be some one in the supermarked, my daughters teacher or who ever, as long as I hardly knew them, but that I could imagine them. This was more difficult, to focus and send love in an almost abstract direction, was harder than I had imagined, but after a good while and a lot of effort I managed to make a flow and love was streaming from Scotland, to a stanger in Denmark.

On the third day, I asked Jamie, what is my challenge today? And he looked at me with his kind face and said, now I want you to send the same unconditioned love to your X-girlfriend, the one who have troubled your mind… I don't remember my reaction, but I remember that I accepted and went into the meditation room, with a lot of mixed emotions spinning my soul around, how can I send love to some one who I'm pissed at?. But I sat down on one of the meditation stools, closed my eyes, gathered all the focus I could, the love I had, the best of my abilities to let go and all the kindness I had in me and started to push this love. Push, one step forward, two steps back, one step forward, two steps back… I was now further back than when I started. Ok Mads, relax, breathe, forget who you are, let go of the story, let go of the disappointment, let go of the negative feelings, just be and start to fill your self up with this love that you are made of. I could feel I started to relax, to just be, to not care for the story, for wright and wrong, for the need of justice and slowly I was able to imagine her, at first really blurry, then more and more clear and finally she was crystal clear and I could start slowly to send love, it took a long time, but it just grew and grew, this river of love, that came from me to her and was flowing freely at the end, just like an African river after the Monsoon rainfall set in over West Africa in June, nothing could stop it.
Jamie and I meet in the kitchen later and he asked me how it went and I could reply; I succeeded, thank you.

Yes you are right, nothing had changed in life from this, she was still the same person, that I did not want a relation to and I had to come home to the same situation - but something had changed inside me, I had let it go, I had cleared my self from a bad experience in the past, I had stopped carrying her with me - I had forgiven her through this relatively simple process.

I have used this technique many times since that day, when some one treats me rally bad, I sit down quietly and wish them good, then meditate and send them love. It works, you should try it.
Thank you Jamie, my dear brother.
 

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