Rod, I went to high school with a fellow that began making custom knives, and makes a living at it yet today. You might want to check out his website. I think you can reach it by clicking here:
http://www.knifeart.com/turnbullknives.html
Now as far as what we do with our non-related teardrop skills. I enjoy woodturning, on one of my 4 wood lathes, usually cranking out one-of-a-kind lidded boxes, or bowls for loose change or keys. I too, often give them away as gifts, but probably have 40 or 50 turned objects in boxes or displayed in my living room. As another outlet for my woodworking urges is the scroll saw, which allows me to putter with designs that I come up with while watching the news at night.
Right now, I am making a lidded box with the interlocking first names on the lid, of a couple of friends of mine who are getting married. It should make a unique wedding gift, that will probably sell for at least a buck in a garage sale in the event that the union doesn't work out.........But it will.
I have just remodeled the kitchen, added 12 roll-out pot and pan shelves, skinned the old cabinets and made natural pine doors and drawer fronts throughout. The sweet wife now has a pantry that has double doors that hold about 50 cans and the floor to ceililng pantry shelves hold more food than we can afford to buy.
We live in a manufactured home, (not a mobile home) which has thin, plywood covering the interior walls. I hate this dark paneling, so am in the process of altering electrical outlets to suit our needs and installing sheetrock on just about all of the walls. Big job, but taking it one room at a time. So far, 5 are finished, 5 more to go.
I've always wanted a hand carved wooden entrance door, with matching sidelight windows. So, I removed a window onto the front patio, installed the entrance door frame required and hung a 3ft solid core door within it. Then, I've added hand-carved pine boards, plugged and stained on both sides, with a large oval in the center where I intend to install a huge leaded glass lighthouse with the rays of light extending into the sidelights. Never done leaded glass, but I'm gonna learn pretty soon.
What else, Oh yes, The wife wanted a scrapbooking room and I wanted a wood carving room instead of a huge 14 x 24 ft living room which we would never use. So I added partitions, closets, built-in work counters and wall shelves per her instructions in her room and I have a solid workbench in my room so I can continue my woodcarving in airconditioned comfort. I have built 3 storage sheds since we moved in a year and a half ago.
That's about it, right now, but the little 10 ft standy Kenskill still awaits my attention, and when it cools off, the whole interior will be rebuilt, now that I have gutted it to the bare walls. And to think some of my friends want to go back to work because they can't stand being retired. Whew, I don't have enough hours in the day to do the things I enjoy.
Roly, sorry about being so long winded, but I got on a roll...........
