Hello all, any other brits here?

[byhammerandhand]

I'm of British heritage, though so many generations removed, I don't know how many.   I've also worked extensively with a lot of people from Britain and almost all predominately English-speaking countries - Canada, Australia, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, South Africa, India, and Hong Kong.  So I can adapt to the dialect.  Never caught on to "Geordie" though.  http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-do-a-geordie-accent   First time I heard it, I wasn't sure the speaker was still speaking English.

Having also read a lot of British woodworking / furniture making books, I have learned (learnt) to translate:

g cramp = C clamp
rebate   = rabbet
polish     = finish
timber     = wood
plough    = plow
breaker stock = pile of old wood parts that someday might be useful
fad          = wadded up rag
hessian   = burlap
calico       = muslin
bench saw = table saw


And of course, I know a bit of polite and not so polite profanity.

[gene]

I truly enjoy the old style of re upholstery with all natural materials. I can see spending my retirement years learning more about such things and authentic restorations - picking and choosing what I will work on without concern for bills and time tables.

It would seem that sofa doc's wife caught him paying "someone" $39.95 a month for almost 4 years. Thinking fast, he blamed it on a scam a fellow upholsterer was running on this forum. I'm glad to be of help, sofa doc.

Maybe someday you'll let us all know what it was that you were actually spending your money on.  ::)

gene

[ajlelectronics]

fad          = wadded up rag

Never heard that one before, although the rest make sense. A fad can be described as a short term interest. So for example, someone may decide to start making wooden stools, which is outside thei normal subjects of interest. If they lose interest again quite quickly, then it was just a fad.

Just thought, a wadded up rag could be a "pad"? Not sure what else we might call it apart maybe from a "polishing cloth".

I haven't head of "breaker stock" either. A pile of surplus bits would generally be a "scrap pile". The word "breaker" would generally be used to describe a company that dismantles vehicles, as a car breaker. You would refer to it as "parting out" I believe.

[UKSteve]

For such a small island we do have a lot of dialects, and some of them are so thick I have trouble sometimes. Even words can have different meaning moving from county to county, go into a bakers in the north and tell the young lady she has nice baps, note the reaction. Try the same further south and get ready to run.
We treat swearing as our heritage and right and do it with aplomb, whenever possible, and even the worst words imagineable are used as terms of endearment at times.
Yes we are a strange race, but please never take us too seriously.

As for upholstery, we had many years of older stuff being sold abroad, mostly to the states. During the 80's container load after container load left here as the money to be made was astronomical. There's not as much about as there was but I get to do a lot of interesting stuff for a lot of people who have finally realised that there are not many upholsterers around now who know how to do traditional stuff.
I started my apprenticeship back in 1980, since then our manufacturing base has been raped and the apprenticeship schemes that went with it. It's sad to say but as the years go by fewer and fewer new upholsterers come on to the scene, especially those who can use hair and the like.

[fragged8]

often referred to

' England and America are two countries separated by a common language.'
   George Bernard Shaw

[R.A.F. CaNvAs]

  Eee by ekk, gorra nuvva bloody POME on here then av we .. :-*

I used to know a Stapler-Steve but he ran away to Spain many decades ago.. ;)
   So jolly nice to have your aquaintance  on this here new fangled tinta-web thingy
     ol'chap.  Can't stop to chit chat , must crack on.

[limey]

Apprenticed in England, left for the 'States in 1980. Now sliding into semi retirement in the Pacific Northwest. Don't tell the wife though, she still preaches the american "work ethic" and expects me to be "at the bench"  at least another twenty years.  Don't miss much, well maybe a pint a pie and the footie!

[UKSteve]

1980 was the year I started my apprenticeship, as for the football? You can keep it. Never, ever understood what all the fuss was about.

[Darren Henry]

 :o  Isn't that grounds for bannishment to the "Colonies"? That's like Canadian kids who never played hockey of curled. We send them to the states to play volleyball LOL