Hey bud, welcome. I'm a newbie too. Used to live in San Diego until 6 months ago I moved to southern Oregon. Its quite an addiction (knife making). I made my first by stock removal by file....lots of work. bought a craftsman 2x42 and modified for variable speed. Just moved to a KMG. Went from a charcoal bbq to an evenheat kiln all since last November. Take your time, experiment, and have fun!