James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
Sawzalls are supposed to do anything — cut through pipe, wood, and sheet metal; rip chunks from interior walls without regard for nails that hide in the way; and even to some extent do the fine work of a jig saw. But to do any of that well, you need a rugged machine. Look no further than the Milwaukee 650922 Reciprocating Sawzall with the best power-to-weight ratio of any machine in its class.
The powerful eleven-amp motor is fully controllable for working speeds from 0 to 2800 strokes per minute — if you need to work carefully, that speed control makes precision as easy as ripping holes. The stroke length of 3/4 of an inch glides through most jobs but could also be rough on the operator. A double-bearing wobble plate cuts down the vibration users feel, and the shoe is fully adjustable to fit any tricky situation. Pick from a wide variety of blades built to match the job — the quick-release blade mount locks the blade with teeth forward or reversed, depending on how you need to approach the work.
No matter what your project entails, you’ll be able to find a Milwaukee Sawzall blade built with that in mind, from straight cuts in wood to trimming trees or ceramic tile. Expect to buy lots of blades and change them frequently, because the high power jobs you tackle with this seven-pound tool will wreck them quickly. Whether you get good results or not will partly depend on skill. Freehand results vary widely. Efficiency of cutting — and what seems like a lack of power — has more to do with choosing the right blade and not trying to force a blade that’s dulled. The Milwaukee 650922 doesn’t have all the power of a heavy contractor’s version, but it packs considerable power into a size that’s easier to use.
James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
Sawzalls are supposed to do anything — cut through pipe, wood, and sheet metal; rip chunks from interior walls without regard for nails that hide in the way; and even to some extent do the fine work of a jig saw. But to do any of that well, you need a rugged machine. Look no further than the Milwaukee 650922 Reciprocating Sawzall with the best power-to-weight ratio of any machine in its class.
