Shopsmith Forums

This is a picture of my oldest brother Lenny taken in the 1950's. He built a lot of wood projects and sold them road side at my Grandmother house. He had a small shop and all tools were floor level or just slightly higher to adjust to his "handicap" as it was called back then. If you have ever read my woodworking history you will know he played a big part in me taking up woodworking.

[ATTACH]16789[/ATTACH]

BTW the wheel chair is his designed and built using what he could find for materials. He first had to design and make a powered hacksaw for cutting the metal. Powered by batteries it gave him mobility to come home, about 2 blocks or go into town, about a 1/4 mile.

This picture just resurfaced within the last month and it got me thinking about where he got the plans for some of the things. The crescent moon had many many options and sadly none of them survived in the family or perhaps anywhere else. It is possible that he came up with designs by looking in magazines of the day or even out of his head.

Do any of these items look like something you have seen from the mid 50's?

I thought I'd ask before I started a bulk search. Can't ask him, he died in 1977 and no one else in the family can recall any information.

If you got something let me know please,

Ed

Magnificient picture sir. I see alot of bicycle parts in the wheel chair. Did it survive the years?
I have a friend who, after an incredible cancer bout, was stricken with a case of West Nile which left him in a wheelchair and some but not excellant use of his arms. He was working on his cabinet shop, had it fully equipped and doing quite a bit of work when he got sick. Shop sits dormant, maybe I can pass on the info about modifing all the machines.

post too good

Pretty picture. I am sure he was your source of inspiration way back when he was alive.



_____________________________

http://www.sawblade.com

That is some really nice work. When I first glanced I thought it was a real church on the hill in the background until I looked closely.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Bill V

Good picture. Judging by the quality of the work and the ingenuity I would guess he probably came up with them himself. However, I would bet that some around here probably could point you in the direction of similar plans.

My grandfather made a lot of bird houses in the 50s and 60s all by hand. He had his own siginiture design. He also had a signature finish that was a combination of everything he had mixed together. When he built my uncle a birdhouse he offered to buy him a new can of finish. Grandpa declined, said "no need, I got some here." After all the years he sure is glad grandpa didn't take him up on his offer.

Photos like this remind me that it is a healthy attitude to always focus on our abilities rather than the disability. Your brother was able, and doing, and forging ahead with his God give gifts until his death. I love it! It is inspiring.

Interesting thread and tribute to your brother. I'm curious to see what folks come up with.

Not to derail this thread. But seeing the bird houses reminded me of some long time friends and their father who built and sold handmade bird houses. Sadly to say though, just yesterday I found out that their father just passed away. From the link below you can view some of the houses they produced.
http://kilchskottages.com/welcome.htm

googling "crescent moon shelf" gives many similar images, with titles having things like "1950's" in them. They look very similar to what your brother has there.

So it has been a couple of years since I posted this. And as things go we go with them or get taken with them.

This past weekend we were in northern WI for a memorial service for an Aunt. She and I had the opportunity to share letters for some years now and she was much younger in mind then the 93 years she had put in here on earth.

In one of our correspondents the moon had come up and then this past year I got the news that her son had saved the moon that use to hang in my grandmothers house then moved about to end up out in Oregon. I was ask if I would like it and I excitedly said yes.

That was last summer/fall. I was thinking that things might have gotten over looked but being true to myself I waited. When my Aunt passed I had no idea that she and the moon would be riding together on that final trip from Oregon to Boulder Junction.

The moon came with a story and I'd like to share it with you.

"12/10/14
Howdy Eddie,

My mom, your Aunt Dorothy, relayed the message that you would like Lennie's
crescent moon. I'm really glad that you want it since I believe it should be kept in the family and especially in his immediate family.

Here's the history of this moon as I know it:
Lennie probably made this in about 1955 or a few years before. He made it in
his workshop behind gramma's log house (where Evelyn's house stands now). His workshop always intrigued me. I used to go in there and watch him work. Sometimes he'd let me paint things and work with the hand tools but I was never allowed to touch the power tools since I was only 10 or so. As I recall he had a small jig saw, sander, vise, and quite a few hand tools. I don't remember a table saw or anything big like that. I think that he liked me being interested in his work. Lennie actually introduced me to woodworking and it became a lifelong interest.

I remember the bird houses in many types and colors, the moons, and several
little wall hung shelf units that he made. I remember gramma's front yard with these things hanging and setting around for sale during the summer. Often times Lennie would be out in his wheel chair watching the traffic go by and waiting for someone to stop and buy an item. Gramma would hustle out and make sure the sale went well. I don't think Lennie needed any help, he was a good businessman. I think many of the customers made that a traditional "every summer" stop. There are probably quite a few families from southern Wisconsin, Michigan, and northern Illinois that would recognize this moon.

This particular moon started out in Gramma's house and migrated over to the red cabin about 1954. lt was part of the red cabin "furnishings" as provided by gramma and Uncle Walter. During the summers when I was back there it was a fixture on the wall between the kitchen and dining area. lt seemed like it was a part of the structure. I always knew that Lennie had made it but when I got older I realized what effort he had to put into it.

I remember your mom "Aunt Susie" visiting with my mom in the red cabin. She
used to come by almost every day during the summers and the two of them used to sit there and talk and giggle like little girls.

Richard and Joan and their kids all lived in that red cabin during several winters and we used it during the summers. The moon survived some hard living.

As my mom got older the cabin did too. Finally I talked her into letting me build her a cedar house toward the back of the property. The moon stayed on the wall in the red cabin even though my mom didn't live there full time anymore. When I came back to Boulder during the summers in the 90's she would move over to the cabin and let me live in the cedar house. We often started our day having coffee and hot chocolate in the cabin at the table under the moon. The red cabin with its associated fixtures, including the moon, always represented a point of reference for me.

My mom decided to sell the house and cabin and move west to be with the rest
of the family. I ask if I could have some things out of the cabin including the moon. I didn't think it should leave the family.

When she sold the property coincidentally I had to go back to Madison, WI to pick up a horse trailer. lt was coming back empty so I offered to bring her things west to our ranch in *******, OR. lt rode in the tack room in the front of the trailer. The moon made the trip and I hung it on a wall in my shop in the barn. We sold that ranch about a year ago and bought a smaller one in Dallas, OR. The moon came with us and I have enclosed pictures of the house and the moon on the wall in my shop.

This summer my mom came up here to escape the heat of California. She saw
the moon on the wall and we talked about it and her letters to you. She very much appreciates your interest in her and the family. I thought the moon's rightful place is with you and your family and ask her to make the offer.

l'm very glad you want it. l'm also glad it survived many years and miles. lt is a meaningful piece of Northern Wisconsin history for those who want to appreciate it.

Jerry"

The moon is showing it age and missing a couple of stars but it has made it this far so why not a few more years. I think if you look at the first picture you will see a moon on the ground and this could be that one or it is from the same design.
Ed