Who here is from Northern California? I am from Sacramento…
My girlfriend is going back to school and will be attending UC Santa Cruz so I get to commute there once or twice a month, might be fun to stop by and say hello and check out some other peoples shops.
Michael
Replies
I guess everyone moved away? Either that, or they are trying to tell me something...
Michael
Hey Michael,
Nice to hear that someone lives close by, as I live in Carmichael. I have often wondered if Sacramento is well represented on this forum. There sure are a lot of custom cabinet shops around here and most people are willing to give me advice anytime I need help.
Ryan
Ryan,
Are you a member of SAW, Sac Area Woodworkers? It's a great group.
And a homebrew ALWAYS sounds good!
I learn LOTS by looking at others shops and seeing how the do things. And I have a LOT to learn...
Michael
I'm a bit further north, on the Mendocino coast. Come on up, we'll have a homebrew!
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." A. Einstein
http://www.albionworks.net
I'm in Stockton, but I spend most of my vacation time at the Albion River Campground abalone diving. Are you one of those guys up the river?
Nope, I'm a ridge-runner. I live near the end of Middle Ridge, about a mile from the Albion store but it's a 7-mile drive!"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." A. Einstein
http://www.albionworks.net
Michael
You've got to drive by my house in San Jose to get to Santa Cruz (Hwy 17 @ Hwy 85).
Got a fairly complete shop, stop by and I'll get a couple out of the refrig.
__________________________________________________________
Michael in San Jose
Freedom from mental disturbance is the very most for which one can hope.
Epicurus (341-270 BCE)
There are some of the rude, crude and socially unaccepiticale types fron N CA over at Breakitme.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....
WOW!!! What a Ride!
San Jose here - south of 101/680. Always looking for an excuse to take a break. - lol
I live in Paradise, about a hundred miles north of Sacrmento in the Sierre foothills. There are quite a lot of woodworkers here for such a small town. A friend of mine here is 94 years old a master wood carver and furniture maker. He actually lives in his shop and works every day. He started furniture making at age 16 and has made furniture for many of the Hollywood rich and famous as well as many forgin leaders.
As for myself, I sold my last home and shop and am now beggining the process of building a new home and a much larger shop. I feel so lost withort a shop to go to every morning. all of my equipment is in storage so when I am not overseeing the construction of the new place I just go hang out with my 94 year old friend, Bill. He is such an insperation.
Dale K.
Wow!
I knew there had to be more people around here!
Paradise is a nice area! My gunstock machine is still in Chico and I drive up a few times a month to run batches. I hope to have the shop expanded soon so I can bring it down.
I saw a bald eagle fly over Hwy 99 on the way up last time, it is such a nice drive. Lots of good walnut suppliers up in that area as well!
Michael
Michael,
Speaking of walnut, I just got 21 old walnut trees from a grower down in the valley. They are Paradox Walnut and English Walnut. They range in size from about 24 inches to 36 inches in diameter. I have milled three of them so far. What beautiful wood! I hope to get them all milled in the next month. We are sawing them in slabs ranging from 5/4 to 14/4. Then the long wait till they are dry. I have some from the same orchard that were cut a few years ago that are now dry. All I need is my new shop to be completed.
Dale K.
Paradox, also known as Bastogne is some of the most beautiful walnut there is. They just sold a HUGE Bastogne tree in Chico for $45K, that was green!
Thick walnut takes years to dry. I won't even touch a blank unless it is 5 to 8 years old.
Michael
hi folks - now we are getting north - in weaverville (trinity county). i do end up in sac every 6 or 7 weeks - chico less frequent.
hello to all
jerry
Hi Jerry,
How long have you been in Weaverville? And how's life up there?
I was up there in '85, and enjoyed it; I now have the "downtown" picture from the Trinity web site as the wallpaper on my PC. I check often for happenings there.
Any special areas to look to live? I know the area around the airport.
duster
hey duster
have been in trinity county since the early 70's. and probably not much has changed since you visited in '85 - xcept for a lot fewer logging trucks. life is good up here - still do not have a single traffic light in the whole county.
as far as places to live - well like every place else the real estate is selling pretty quickly - but usually not a lot of places available since the county is about 92% forest land. and it's all relative as far as price - there are good deals to be found.
if you come to visit again send me an e-mail and i'll "show you around."
jerry
Oakland here. In the hills, just above Montclair. Shop is under the house. There sure seem to be a lot of Michaels here.
Santa Cruz is a fun place to have to go to. The Catalyst has some good music down there.
Stop by and say hello sometime.
Michael
San Leandro.
stop by if you like.....I'm always willing to learn what I can and share what I know.
I am good at doing curves and such but no good at straight stuff like boxes. I make gunstocks but am starting to do some gun cases just to give myself practice. I want to make fussy little art boxes but am a long way from that yet.
If anyone wants to see what I do, my website is http://www.mgstocks.com. The site is pretty basic, but I am about to update it to show my expanded line of offerings.
Michael
Michael,
I'm a newbie. I bought my stationary machinery from MichealP of San Jose about a year ago and I'm still trying to arrange my "shop" (ok, so it is really a garage...but I can dream, can't I : ) ). I've built a few things but not too much....I'm quickly acquiring a taste for hand tools...I've got a few planes and 10 or so chisels and several saws.
Tim
I'm about a mile north of the 80/680 junction in Fairfield.
Always fun to have another woodworker to shoot the breeze with.
Mark
Wow,
Looks like my dance card will be filled for a while! I will h ave to get started coordinating some of this.
Since there are a bunch of you in or around San Jose and there is a lot of used machinery down there, if you see a BIG old drill press, one of the old Delta machines or even a Craftsman with a full 6" of quill travel, I am looking for one!
Michael
How 'bout a Craftsman benchtop drill press? Got the Ridgid floor model and the Craftsman is "excess inventory" - lol
It's all about quill travel. If it isn't 6", it isn't enough!
I have two floor models, and two bench top models. I drill LOTS of holes and so I am always using drill presses.
Michael
Hey, Mark, I have a buddy who must live pretty close to you. He's on Suisun Valley Road, near the CC. A metal worker, he and I are collaborating on a chest project."Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." A. Einstein
http://www.albionworks.net
about 2 miles away. I take Suisun Valley Road, passing right by the CC on my way to work everyday. I work over in Rockville.Mark
You work in Rockville? In the store, or the bar? (Or has it grown a bit since the last time I was there?)"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." A. Einstein
http://www.albionworks.net
Behind the Rockville Inn, in the little strip mall, sitting in front of a computer writing Java code all day.Mark
Sacramento here. Greenhaven area.
J,
Are you a member of SAW, the Sacramento group? Our next meeting will be Tuesday.
No. Where do you meet. What are the meetings like.
J_
Well, each new member must bring in his best work and then we all sit around and critique it till they break down in tears.
Very casual, we have a couple of drawings for new tools at each meeting. about 1/2 of announcements, then a speaker for a bit. We break and have refreshments and then more bs.
We start at 7pm at the senior center downtown. It is between 27th and 28th at a park that straddles I and J street. There is one small building all alone in the center of the park, you can't miss it. You don't have to join, but membership is $25 for a year. The drawings alone are worth it. I once won a 20 bit 1/2 router set!
It is a a bunch of older retired guys for the most part, but I am only 38 and there are few younger than me. We have a website that isnt too active at
http://www.sacramentoareawoodworkers.com/
Any of you bay area guys a member of this group?
http://www.geocities.com/bawanewsletter/index.html
Yep, been a memeber for about two years now. It's a good group, and very active. Got my arm twisted to be the Education Chairman. When the Pres. asked me to do it, I thought he meant that I needed more education, so I immediately agreed!
I'm not in Northern California, but just over the border into Oregon about 10 miles. I am located in Cave Junction, Oregon, just off US199, the Redwood Highway.
We just happen to have one of the great microbrewerys right here in CJ, Wild River. I have waxed eloquent over their brews in other threads, so I won't bend your ears here. If you're interested, search on Wild River.
I used to have friends in Weaverville, but after divorces on both sides, we've lost touch. He was a PE teacher/coach at the high school. His name was Greg and his former wife's was Mimi, but darned if I can remember his last name. His ex and my ex grew up together, so that was the main connection.
I used to live, in a former life, in the SF Bay area. I grew up in Burlingame, lived in San Carlos, then San Ramon, then San Leandro, before moving to Oregon 12 years ago.
--
Lee in Cave Junction, Oregon;
Gateway to the Oregon Caves
Just moved to the Clear Lake area from Auburn.
A lot fewer people here than the Sacto Valley. No smog either.
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