About Me

Thank you for taking the time to stop by.  I'd just like to take a few moments to tell you a little about me.

I grew up in upstate New York and a love of history was instilled in me from a very early age. Family vacations were always spent at historic sites within a days drive.  It wasn't long before I stood enthralled by demonstrations of trades and crafts at living history museums.  Many hours were spent in libraries reading every word of the scant offerings on these subjects.  In the days before the internet, knowledge on arcane subjects was hard won.

My grandfather was a master cabinet maker, so not surprisingly, woodworking won out over the other trades, as the tools were readily available to me. I began with very minor "projects" before I can remember.  I purchased my first table saw before I was sixteen.  Since then, I've added many power tools.  However, in 2004, after my grandfather's passing, I inherited  all of his tools. I began to tinker with his hand tools.  There is definitely something to be said for the feel of well cared for, vintage tools which have been lovingly used to create beautiful pieces.  I especially fell in love with the bench planes, the egg beater drill, and brace.  And so began a decade of searching, acquiring, and rehabilitating vintage hand tools.  More importantly though, I have been putting them to use.

I attended college in Rhode Island.  After earning a degree in History (minors in Economics and Political Science),  I decided to stay here, as it seemed a fertile field in which to pursue a career in history.  It wasn't long before I purchased an older house which desperately needed a loving touch, and  after a hiatus during my early 20's, my shop time was definitely going to be on the upswing.  Just a few years later, fate stepped in to rekindle my interest in tinplate and the tools and equipment used to fashion both utilitarian,every day items, and the occasional decorative piece.  Today, some of the latter, fetch hefty prices at auction as folk art.

I have been blessed to study under some of today's master craftsmen at both Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, and Eastfield Village in upstate New York.  I plan to continue to take classes and attend symposia and seminars for many years to come.  It is my firm belief that with all of the knowledge and information available to us today, even a lifetime of study and practice is just skimming the surface.

Today, I am fortunate to work for a non-profit organization that preserves and interprets some of the finest pieces in New England spanning some 200 years of our history.  Needless to say, inspiration is never far from hand.