Jim Ramsey
(See some of Jims' work at the bottom of this article)

What is your specialty in woodworking?
I don’t really have what I would consider a specialty,.  There are so many directions to go in woodworking I am still experimenting.   I enjoy veneering when the project calls for it; I have studied marquetry and hope this year to pursue that aspect of this hobby.

How many years have you been woodworking?
I have pretty much always worked with my hands Model Railroading (HO gauge), flew model airplanes, and then picked up woodworking about twelve years ago. 

What is your favorite hand tool and why?
With apologies to Dave Kraatz, I have not been a big fan of hand tools for most of my woodworking time.  Recently I have acquired a Lee Nielsen Block Plane and have found myself reaching for it more and more.

What is your favorite power tool and why?
I would say that the router is the favorite because it is so versatile, it can be mounted in a table or hand held.  It uses a wide range of bits and can machine joints or fine edges.

What is your favorite wood to use and why?
I would say walnut is very high on my list; I like the color and grain structure. 

What is your most favorite project you have built and why?
I need to put two items here, a cradle and then the toolbox I just made for my son.  The cradle because this is the bed my second grandson slept in when he came home from the hospital.  The toolbox because of the challenges and now my son has a really nice piece from my shop.

What is the best deal you have gotten on a woodworking tool?
I think this would be my Dewalt Scroll Saw; I bought it from one of the home improvement stores as they were going out of business.  It was a real improvement over the two speed one I had, the ability to slow the cutting speed down is required for the marquetry work I want to do.

What guild activates have you been involved in?
Early on, I was involved in the toy project, this lead to a group in my church starting our own toy project.

What has been your favorite guild activity?
The show and tell time as it allows me to see what other members of the Guild are doing.

What Shop Tip can you give us?
Think things through, whether it is a new or old process; always keep in mind that tools are meant to cut.  If you get your body parts in the way it could be you being cut instead of the wood you had planned.

Thanks Jim for allowing us to feature you this month.

Ball Rack	Auto Bank	Cradle	Desk
Roll Top Desk	Roll Top opened