I may not be a fine furniture maker, but I do like to make furniture. I began woodworking at a young age, probably around 21. It wasn't much and my workshop was a closet in an apartment. Over the years I have grown to a much larger workshop and have gained experience with woodworking. My grandfather worked with wood, my father did as well and from them, I gained knowledge. My son even works with w
ood when he can. I confess, I have made some pretty nice projects over the years but, nothing comparable to some things that are made by others. I consider myself a better than the average amateur woodworker. I also collect cloth nail aprons as a side bar. I have 96 aprons to date. Many are from Lumber yards that don't exist any longer. I have them displayed in my shop. Sometimes I like to just go out in my shop and look at the aprons. I get excited when I get an old grubby crusty cloth nail apron, the dirtier the better. It's like they want their story told. But, sadly today, many are are tossed into the dumpster and lost forever. So, I want to collect as many as I can to help preserve that part of Americana that most people forget about. The one tool that helped build America. Today, sad to say, many of the aprons that are made come from China or some other country other than America or they are made of leather or heavy canvas. When you get your hands on a cloth apron, keep it as they are quickly disappearing.
