Who I Am
My name is Chris and I'm 67. Since I was a kid I enjoyed making things. Back then it was soapbox cars and as I got older I took "shop" courses in school.
When I was 17 I enlisted in the United States Army. I served stateside for about a year and about 22 months in Germany. I am very proud of the service I performed for my country.
When I returned home one thing I knew was I wanted to work with my hands creating something. There was no "suit and tie" in my future. I tried several options, sheet metal, welding, and even did a few years driving a truck. I settled on sheet metal work and am to this day a proud member of the Sheet Metal Workers Union.
During this time I found a hobby working with wood. My first pieces were attempts at furniture and I do mean "attempts". With only a few hand tools the results were not very good. Then I discovered "String Art" pictures and I found my niche. I taught myself what I know through trial and error. I also learned about making wood furniture (I've made almost all the furniture in our house).
In 2005 I was forced to retire from my job as a Union Sheet Metal worker when an accident damaged my right hand and made it impossible to continue working with the tools of my trade. So, instead I now spend more time working on what was a hobby when I had time off. They say "when one door closes, another opens" and I'm hoping this is true for me.
