You guys might be able to help me with a quest. I need some help in
coming up with a gift idea for an Inlaw. I'm not sure what I can make
for a family member that was a very good wood worker up until he lost
his vision a little over a year ago. He is going through school to
learn how to deal with it and only views it as a setback. He's even
considering going through the wood working classes that they have at his
school. He and I get along fairly well and I would like to make him
something that he not only would appreciate as a wood worker, but could
also find useful. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

To make kindling is human, to finish the projet divine.

Hi Mike

It'll make make both of you feel good if you make something for a close
friend I'm sure.

So how about a smooth round bottom popcorn type bowl, you don't have to
be able to see, to be able to feel just the smooth wood, should make
him feel good, with or without popcorn in it.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

Mike Burr wrote:
You guys might be able to help me with a quest. I need some help in
coming up with a gift idea for an Inlaw. I'm not sure what I can make
for a family member that was a very good wood worker up until he lost
his vision a little over a year ago. He is going through school to
learn how to deal with it and only views it as a setback. He's even
considering going through the wood working classes that they have at his
school. He and I get along fairly well and I would like to make him
something that he not only would appreciate as a wood worker, but could
also find useful. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

To make kindling is human, to finish the projet divine.

A vernier caliper with voice synthesizer for reading out dimensions.

Mike Burr wrote:
You guys might be able to help me with a quest. I need some help in
coming up with a gift idea for an Inlaw. I'm not sure what I can make
for a family member that was a very good wood worker up until he lost
his vision a little over a year ago. He is going through school to
learn how to deal with it and only views it as a setback. He's even
considering going through the wood working classes that they have at his
school. He and I get along fairly well and I would like to make him
something that he not only would appreciate as a wood worker, but could
also find useful. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Mike

--If you can find it at a used book store (currently out of print)
get him a copy of "Making Mechanical Marvels in Wood", which includes many
neat ideas for kinematic contraptions. They range from simple to complex and
might make for good projects for someone with failing eyesight. They can all
be held in the hand and cranking the mechanisms and feeling the widgets go
round might be good tactile feedback. Here's a link to fotos of one I made:
http://www.nmpproducts.com/woodengn.htm


--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : Why do weekend projects
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : always last a month??
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

Mike Burr wrote:
You guys might be able to help me with a quest. I need some help in
coming up with a gift idea for an Inlaw. I'm not sure what I can make
for a family member that was a very good wood worker up until he lost
his vision a little over a year ago. He is going through school to
learn how to deal with it and only views it as a setback. He's even
considering going through the wood working classes that they have at his
school. He and I get along fairly well and I would like to make him
something that he not only would appreciate as a wood worker, but could
also find useful. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

To make kindling is human, to finish the projet divine.


I dont know if he would be interested , but you could make some wooden
drink coasters , and carve the outlines so he could do a chip carved
pattern in them . I dunno if that would be too safe ?

A bowl sounds like a good idea , maybe with some inscribed lines to
indicate quantities.

Instead of making him something that may show him just him what he's lost,
instead, encourage him to get back into woodworking, so he can see how little
he's lost. Get him a braile tape measure or some other tool made for the blind.
Here is a company that supplies all sorts of items to hospitals and clinics.
Oddly, I have bought my grand kids some of these interesting and well made items
as gifts. You might look for a vision impaired catalog, too. Dan

http://www.sammonspreston.com/

To make kindling is human, to finish the projet divine.

To spell correctly is heavenly. (project)

Sign on the mess hall at the Key Largo naval base: To fly is heavenly, to
hover divine. There was a rivalry between the fixed wing and rotary wing
pilots.

I'm not sure what you should get him Mike, but whatever it is make sure its
not a saw! I know a fellow with 'failing' vision who still uses one - scares
the hell out of me!

Tom

"Mike Burr" wrote in message
. ..
You guys might be able to help me with a quest. I need some help in coming
up with a gift idea for an Inlaw. I'm not sure what I can make for a
family member that was a very good wood worker up until he lost his vision
a little over a year ago. He is going through school to learn how to deal
with it and only views it as a setback. He's even considering going
through the wood working classes that they have at his school. He and I
get along fairly well and I would like to make him something that he not
only would appreciate as a wood worker, but could also find useful. Any
ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Mike

To make kindling is human, to finish the projet divine.

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 23:47:38 -0500, Mike Burr wrote:

You guys might be able to help me with a quest. I need some help in
coming up with a gift idea for an Inlaw. I'm not sure what I can make
for a family member that was a very good wood worker up until he lost
his vision a little over a year ago. He is going through school to
learn how to deal with it and only views it as a setback. He's even
considering going through the wood working classes that they have at his
school. He and I get along fairly well and I would like to make him
something that he not only would appreciate as a wood worker, but could
also find useful. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Blind_woodworkers_story.html might
be of interest, especially the paragraph just above the second photo that
starts "The question I most often hear".

Google "blind cabinetmaker" and you'll find some more accounts by people
in that situation.

Mike

To make kindling is human, to finish the projet divine.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"Tom Storey" wrote in
news:6bc9h.350338$5R2.108014@pd7urf3no:

I'm not sure what you should get him Mike, but whatever it is make
sure its not a saw! I know a fellow with 'failing' vision who still
uses one - scares the hell out of me!

Tom

"Mike Burr" wrote in message
. ..
You guys might be able to help me with a quest. I need some help in
coming up with a gift idea for an Inlaw. I'm not sure what I can
make for a family member that was a very good wood worker up until he
lost his vision a little over a year ago. He is going through school
to learn how to deal with it and only views it as a setback. He's
even considering going through the wood working classes that they
have at his school. He and I get along fairly well and I would like
to make him something that he not only would appreciate as a wood
worker, but could also find useful. Any ideas would be greatly
appreciated. Mike

To make kindling is human, to finish the projet divine.




Awkward posting order. Sorry.

In or near Berkeley, CA is a state training school for newly blind
people, generally speaking, adults. They have a fully functioning
woodshop, including power tools. Their director came and spoke to our
woodworking club, and really changed our minds about 'handicaps'.

I'm glad I can still see well enough. But to know there are places
which help people adjust to changes in their tools - that's great!

Patriarch

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 23:47:38 -0500, Mike Burr
wrote:

You guys might be able to help me with a quest. I need some help in
coming up with a gift idea for an Inlaw. I'm not sure what I can make
for a family member that was a very good wood worker up until he lost
his vision a little over a year ago. He is going through school to
learn how to deal with it and only views it as a setback. He's even
considering going through the wood working classes that they have at his
school. He and I get along fairly well and I would like to make him
something that he not only would appreciate as a wood worker, but could
also find useful. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thankfully, I don't know what blind woodworkers use to keep at the
craft, but I'd guess that a good set of wood rasps and files might
come in handy, if the guy has any interest in doing something really
tactile like carving, and there's any concern over really sharp
cutting edges. A Dremel might be a handy thing, too.

Mike Burr wrote:

You guys might be able to help me with a quest. I need some help in
coming up with a gift idea for an Inlaw. I'm not sure what I can make
for a family member that was a very good wood worker up until he lost
his vision a little over a year ago. He is going through school to
learn how to deal with it and only views it as a setback. He's even
considering going through the wood working classes that they have at
his school. He and I get along fairly well and I would like to make
him something that he not only would appreciate as a wood worker, but
could also find useful. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Mike

To make kindling is human, to finish the projet divine.

Good ideas so far. I like Leo's Idea of the bowl and also adding the
tactile markings on the external surface. I also like the wood
coasters. I've got some spare cyprus that would deffinately work for
that and is fairly resistant to soaking up more fluid. I wanted to
show him that we had a lot in common, not just our love of music. He
was one of the reasons I started a more ernest attempt in working with
wood and eventually onto wood turning. I'm not sure he ever ventured
into turning, but wanted to show him what the world of turning felt
like. He is currently in Mississippi going through one of the schools
to assist with the new dissability, and was thinking about going into
the wood working classes. I wanted to make him something that he could
use, but that might also help to motivate him to feel the wood again.

Mike

To make kindling is human, to finish the "project" divine.

Mike
Good luck to your inlaw. When I was living in Sherbrooke Village, NS a few
years ago, an old friend (how old? his wife changed my diapers when I was a
baby) lost his vision overnight due to diabetes. He never gave up. We ran
ropes to the mail box and the barn so he could get the mail and feed the
horse. I tilled the garden over and ran strings for rows. He planted and
weeded by feel. One day I went to the house and asked his wife where he was.
She replied he was in the cellar. I opened the door to pitch blackness. As I
turned on the light I heard the power saw running. He was making TV tables
for friends. I have one down stairs. It scared me half to death but he
enjoyed his wood working until cancer finally got him. He was great guy I
will always miss. Good luck to your friend.