[Paul_Guraedy]

Susan your evolution theory gave me much to think about.

Nancy, I wish I could take comfort in, and follow, your advice on the paint brushes. However, as I contemplated Susan’s posting, and confronted the reality of being a Collector Rat, I must admit that, in my response, I decided to use the least objectionable (to me) example and to temper that with the excuse of the 55 mile journey. Then I read Susan’s reply! Nuts and bolts don’t bother me. If it does not involve carving I am a User Rat. But, as a woodcarver I must admit to being a Collector Rat.

This morning I placed one of my older (maybe 10 years or so) burrs in the flex shaft. I touched that burr to the stallion I am working on and it immediately started to burn the wood. Dull…….well that’s putting it kindly!

Without thinking I dug back into the very rear of a shelf loaded with wood, opened my “dull bit box” and beheld the awesome sight of at least two dozen of these burrs, rusting in oblivion, but in safety from the dreaded Shop Cleaner.

Occasionally, without warning, this fearsome, dedicated, unseen (always appearing when I am gone) entity, sweeps through the carving shop, throwing treasured pieces of carving wood (generally preying on the small helpless ones), broken tools (but maybe usable in some fashion), and bits of sandpaper (could be used as a smoother grit than the original rating) into its opaque, black, bag (which emanates a sound like the wings of demons arising from the depths of hell).

I have tried many things to protect the shop. Covered the floor with wood chips, put a line of sandpaper across the entrance, even left sharp tools concealed among the sawdust and chips on the work table. All to no avail. The Shop Cleaner is impervious to my pitiful attempts at protection.

Like a modern era pirate the bag is filled to capacity with treasure from my shop and then left, like a demented memorial, deposited on top of the garbage can out back of the house. In full view of the poor Collector Rat. The Shop Cleaner has not, thus far, resorted to skeletal remains as a warning to avoid disturbing its stolen treasure. But there is a spell of protection on its spoils, that manages to prevent the Collector Rat from returning the treasure to the workshop.

[Ashbys]

Amazing ! Simple Amazing ! I want one , if you can find it and box it please send it to me ! I can put it with Ricks knife made of the special never dulling steel alloy he got on his last vacation and sent to me.

Gosh with that cleaner demon from hell and that knife ! Who knows what I could do !

Ash

[Irish]

Paul, You leave me speechless ... almost!

Are you implying that we User Rats are really Cleaning Demons in disguise that occasionally go balistic-complusive-manic and must throw that stuff away? After three weeks of going through boxes, bags, totes, dressers, dry sinks, toy chests and finding all those treasures I have compassion for the poor Collectors of our species when the Users get into one of those moods. Well, some

I can appreciate the box marked "Burrs too dull to use" but I appreciate more the space that box takes up that might go to a new box marked "Burrs, sharp and crisp, Mint Never Used!" or maybe a nice piece of maple burl or a chuck of black walnut would sit in that space .......... ?

Oh - Shop Cleaner Demons only strike when they know the Collectors are not around and the trash pick up is the next day. Don't you know we are born with built in Collector Radar.

Susan

[Nancy_G]

Paul -- I'll confess too. I haven't been carving much since --- oh, I suppose late '04 -- so late last year I CLEANED. Oh, I cleaned and I didn't stop cleaning. I was still cleaning when poor Jerry had to haul me off to the hospital in Feb. (OK Dave -- that was a regular hospital, not a mental one. OK?) I threw away more carving stuff than I kept and not a crumb of it was anything anyone would want.....not even a brush.
Hey Irish -- hear Paul and me talking? Think we could influence your husband?

[Irish]

He, the Collector RAt, and I, the Cleaning Demon User Rat, have a cease fire going on right now .... and maybe even a general treaty of sorts. I clean, I fill the boxes then I sort them into three piles. One is the keeper pile, one is definitely headed to the trash but the third pile is destinted for Good Will.

Now as we pack the car for the Good Will trips he gets to go through the boxes and take a FEW items out and put them back into the Keeper pile! Seems fair to me. Then he takes the load into the charity.

Now it seems to me that if Paul's cleaning demon had donated that box of dull burrs to charity it would have been easier on him ... because he would know that somewhere - somewhen another Collector Rat would recognize that box for the treasure chest that it is and take it home to protect it with his hoard ...

Susan

(Oh - Nancy, I still have my basket of rotten tomatoes. So if Hi-Ho gives you a hard time I'll lend you some.)

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Stop, cease and desist! You throw it away, and you WILL need it someday!! lol

[Ron Davidson]

My cleaning demon thought that one day I needed my area cleaned. But low and behold when I returned to carve I did not notice it. I only noticed when I cut myself because the cleaning demon had moved my knives from the order I keep them. So my demon has ceased to clean my area. But talking about collections I have also for years collected all the John Wayne movies I could find. I have around 200 movies that I can't see. Talk about a collector rat!!
Ron

[Paul_Guraedy]

Ron, I have to admit that a collection of movies by a blind person certainly qualifies that individual as a collector rat. But then, 200 performances by the Duke would be a valuable thing from both a collection and from a monetary standpoint.

Reading your post, as well as those by Susan and Nancy, I have seen the error of my ways. I have resolved to no longer be a collector rat. As a first step in the, well however many step program there is to cure this malaise, I have resolved to take my collection of two dozen dull burrs and sell them to the scrap iron dealer!

Though I have to admit that I cannot totally reform my character. I cannot bring myself to give the money to charity. I am looking forward to spending all of this ill gotten loot on woodcarving tools!

[squbrigg]

Geez...you guys talk as if being a Collector Rat was a bad thing!!! You might need that piece of wood some day, who cares if it's only 2" X !/2" X 1/8" , it might be useful for a dozen blocks for a ship some day when all the other wood in the world dissappears! Then who's be laughing!

Bob

[whitecree]

2x2x1/8 .... Geez, I can get 3 or 4 miniature paddles out of that!

I have found a means of keeping the dreaded SHOP CLEANER at bay. I lock my shop door any time I am away longer than 30 seconds. I use a dozen locks, several deadbolts, a couple of live bolts, another bar or two, then I slam the vault door good and tight.

Of course, it takes me a good half hour to open all those locks again, and this tends to cut into my carving time, but at least my sawdust collection is safe...