As a serious hobbiest I spend about every other weekend with a day or two in
the shop. I seem to be able to "put out" about 4 major projects each year
after. There are lots of little things on between. FWIW, I consider "major"
to be anything from a night stand on up.
This summer the wife has me gutting our hall/stairwell. There will be lots
of sheetrock and wiring, but there will also be new stair treads and
spindles turned by me so that sort-of counts... but not really. My summer is
toast...sigh. But I digress.
I also make sure that I turn out at least one significant project outside
the shop after any significant shop works (cabinets or tool stands)
How much is do you all produce in a year?
Do you have long-term goals? For me, it's to replace *most* the my furniture
in my house in the next five years with stuff from my own shop. OK, it may
take 10, but you've gotta have a goal right? :-)
-Steve
"Stephen M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> As a serious hobbiest I spend about every other weekend with a day or two
in
> the shop. I seem to be able to "put out" about 4 major projects each year
> after. There are lots of little things on between. FWIW, I consider
"major"
> to be anything from a night stand on up.
With three little ones, I consider it a major accomplishment if I'm able to:
a) not sleep past 5:30am (assumes no young'un woke up in the middle of the
night)
b) amble downstairs to make some coffee
c) watch enough news/weather until I'm coherent
d) get out to the garag^H^H^H^H^Hshop before 6'ish
e) have 10, 15 or 30 minutes of time to myself before they start waking up
But, I'm not complaining at all. I'm pretty damned sure that the time's
coming when they won't need Dad as much; would rather play with their
friends than spend time with me -- so I'm spending as much time as I can
with them *now*.
Lew Hodgett wrote:
snip
> Having said that, I'm up to my eyeballs in a 20,000 man hour project called
> a boat.<G>.
>
No, that should be "a 20,000 man hour project called a Hole in the
Driveway that You Throw Money into Until You Run Out of Money
and Have to Sell It for Ten Cents on the Dollar".
Woodworkers are a strange lot, but boat owners, especially the ones
who build their own boat ...
charlie b
Do today's props require your engine to run "backwards" like the
old Ski Natiques?
What is the difference between a boat and a woman?
A boat is a hole in the water you throw money into...
> HA !!! a hole in the water you throw money in!!! i got one o those
> too!! lol....:-}> i got no goals. just a rather long honeydoo list!
> hope i live long enough to see it completed but it seems to grow
> faster than my ambition. man is SWMBO gonna be dissapointed when i
> kick the bucket.....
>
> skeez
> I have certain criteria for such projects.
> 1. You cannot pay me
> 2. You cannot ask when it will be done
>
> Why no money? It ruins things like that. If you pay me, you can tell me
> how you want it done. You can complain if it is not perfect. I will feel
> obligated to complete it in a timely manner. It takes the fun out of a
> hobby.
>
> This is the second bench I'll be making. A neighbor saw the first one and
> said "you can make them and probably sell them for $150." I just laughed
> and did not even try to explain that the wood alone was $300.
> Ed
> [email protected]
> http://pages.cthome.net/edhome
>
>
Ed- I can not agree more. Very sage advise.
Dave
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"mttt"
I'm pretty damned sure that the time's
> coming when they won't need Dad as much; would rather play with their
> friends than spend time with me -- so I'm spending as much time as I can
> with them *now*.
Thanks for that post. I have a 2 year old daughter and an 11 month
old son and my wife and I both work. Things are definitely get busy,
to say the least, and I find that I get rather depressed that I'm not
getting more done in the shop.
Its too easy to forget to keep things in perspective.
I've had a new policy lately. When I go into the shop at "nap time"
on the weekends, I make sure that I set my mind to the fact that I
will get absolutely nothing done. That way anything else is a bonus
and makes me feel like I'm coming out ahead.
Chuck
"Stephen M" writes:
> How much is do you all produce in a year?
Whatever gets done.
> Do you have long-term goals?
My goal is not to have any goals.
Having said that, I'm up to my eyeballs in a 20,000 man hour project called
a boat.<G>.
--
Lew
S/A: Challenge, The Bullet Proof Boat, (Under Construction in the Southland)
Visit: <http://home.earthlink.net/~lewhodgett> for Pictures
"Stephen M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> I also make sure that I turn out at least one significant project outside
> the shop after any significant shop works (cabinets or tool stands)
>
> How much is do you all produce in a year?
Only one or two big ones. Bunch of little stuff. This year I've got one
complete (TV Stand), one about a week from completion (chainse lounge), and
the third (another Tudor bench) I have two pieces of wood cut to length. It
will probably take me the summer to complete it.
>
> Do you have long-term goals? For me, it's to replace *most* the my
furniture
> in my house in the next five years with stuff from my own shop. OK, it may
> take 10, but you've gotta have a goal right? :-)
My only goal is to enjoy what I'm doing.. Thus, the Tudor bench. It will
be a gift to some long time friends. Last year they added a patio and it
needs something like that.
I have certain criteria for such projects.
1. You cannot pay me
2. You cannot ask when it will be done
Why no money? It ruins things like that. If you pay me, you can tell me
how you want it done. You can complain if it is not perfect. I will feel
obligated to complete it in a timely manner. It takes the fun out of a
hobby.
This is the second bench I'll be making. A neighbor saw the first one and
said "you can make them and probably sell them for $150." I just laughed
and did not even try to explain that the wood alone was $300.
Ed
[email protected]
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome
"Larry Jaques" writes:
> You mean you're about 35,000 hours into a 20,000 hour project, right?
Not really, but if you get sloppy with your time management, it could
certainly happen.
--
Lew
S/A: Challenge, The Bullet Proof Boat, (Under Construction in the Southland)
Visit: <http://home.earthlink.net/~lewhodgett> for Pictures
"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
<snippage>
>
> I have certain criteria for such projects.
> 1. You cannot pay me
> 2. You cannot ask when it will be done
>
Good rules, Ed. I think I'll adopt them as my own.
Patriarch
On Wed, 12 May 2004 00:40:00 GMT, "Lew Hodgett"
<[email protected]> brought forth from the murky depths:
>My goal is not to have any goals.
Good goal.
>Having said that, I'm up to my eyeballs in a 20,000 man hour project called
>a boat.<G>.
You mean you're about 35,000 hours into a 20,000 hour project, right?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I sent in my $5, so * http://www.diversify.com/stees.html
why haven't I been 'saved'? * Graphic Design - Humorous T-shirts
On Wed, 12 May 2004 00:40:00 GMT, "Lew Hodgett"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"Stephen M" writes:
>
>> How much is do you all produce in a year?
>
>Whatever gets done.
>
>> Do you have long-term goals?
>
>My goal is not to have any goals.
>
>Having said that, I'm up to my eyeballs in a 20,000 man hour project called
>a boat.<G>.
HA !!! a hole in the water you throw money in!!! i got one o those
too!! lol....:-}> i got no goals. just a rather long honeydoo list!
hope i live long enough to see it completed but it seems to grow
faster than my ambition. man is SWMBO gonna be dissapointed when i
kick the bucket.....
skeez
> My only goal is to enjoy what I'm doing.. Thus, the Tudor bench. It will
> be a gift to some long time friends. Last year they added a patio and it
> needs something like that.
>
> I have certain criteria for such projects.
> 1. You cannot pay me
> 2. You cannot ask when it will be done
>
> Why no money? It ruins things like that. If you pay me, you can tell me
> how you want it done. You can complain if it is not perfect. I will feel
> obligated to complete it in a timely manner. It takes the fun out of a
> hobby.
>
My "friend" projects are either simple or rare (special). I have too much of
my own stuff to do.
I agree wholeheartedly with your criteria. I made an aquarium stand for a
friend. One if *my* criteria was that it had to look good and function well
as a general-purpose piece of furniture ... She did not agree. I did it my
way and it never made it under an aquarium... It's currently a very kick-ass
liquor cabinet. She offered to pay for materials, but I declined because I
was concerned that she did not understand the costs. (quality brass hinges
ain't cheap either). I'm sure that I had over $150 in QS oak, finishing
supplies and hardware into that not big cabinet.
-Steve
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I find the above posts interesting and yet at the same time a bit
thought provoking. We decided to not have children, but yet decided to
do business on a quite serious nature. Sometimes, I think the kid thing
would be much more fun. At the same time, I find it more fun to go to my
shop and build something without worrying about injury to someone not
familiar with machinery. Tis a hard path to define.
mttt wrote:
>"WoodChuck34" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>
>>
>>Its too easy to forget to keep things in perspective.
>>
>>
>
>Yeah. I'll admit - it's very hard.
>
>I just try to keep remembering the time's coming - and not too far away -
>when I'll walk into a quiet house, once again. After the joys of walking
>into a noisy one, that's a damned depressing thought.
>
>
>
>
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I find the above posts interesting and yet at the same time a bit
thought provoking. We decided to not have children, but yet decided to
do business on a quite serious nature. Sometimes, I think the kid thing
would be much more fun. At the same time, I find it more fun to go to
my shop and build something without worrying about injury to someone
not familiar with machinery. Tis a hard path to define.<br>
<br>
mttt wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="[email protected]">
<pre wrap="">"WoodChuck34" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:[email protected]"><[email protected]></a> wrote in message
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="news:[email protected]">news:[email protected]</a>...
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">
Its too easy to forget to keep things in perspective.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
Yeah. I'll admit - it's very hard.
I just try to keep remembering the time's coming - and not too far away -
when I'll walk into a quiet house, once again. After the joys of walking
into a noisy one, that's a damned depressing thought.
</pre>
</blockquote>
</body>
</html>
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"Stephen M" <[email protected]> wrote
> How much is do you all produce in a year?
>
> Do you have long-term goals? For me, it's to replace *most* the my
furniture
> in my house in the next five years with stuff from my own shop. OK, it may
> take 10, but you've gotta have a goal right? :-)
>
> -Steve
Well Steve, when i started framing pictures several years ago it was suppose
to be a 'hobby', but its turned into a second job. I crank out about 1-3
frames
a week, depending on the sizes. I was able to crank out a cherry end table
this
past week. I might get lucky and work out 4-5 projects for my self in a
year.
Are you gonna turn your own spindles for your stairwell?
daviswoodshop
"Cody Hart" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I find the above posts interesting and yet at the same time a bit thought
provoking.
> We decided to not have children, but yet decided to do business on a quite
serious nature.
> Sometimes, I think the kid thing would be much more fun.
A'yup. Couple o 'thoughts. (a) the kids filled a huge void in my life, I
didn't even know was there, but YMMV (b) don't worry about being too old,
should you change your mind. I'm finding some advantages in being an older
parent, but YMMV (c) if you ever decide to change your minds, rest assured I
can send you the names of half-a-donzen couple/friends that changed theirs!
> At the same time, I find it more fun to go to my shop and build something
> without worrying about injury to someone not familiar with machinery.
As soon as the first kid shows up - you realize just how damned dangerous
the whole world is and just how damned powerless you are to protect them.
> Tis a hard path to define.
A'yup!
Article on the front page of the Wall Street Journal this week about a guy
who built a boat in his backyard and now a) it's too expensive for him to
move it b) there aren't any slots at the marina (and too expensive) c) he
can't get liability insurance to sail it d) no sailing schools will accept
it as a donation because he taught himself boat building.
Don't let that happen to you!
Mark
"Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Stephen M" writes:
>
> > How much is do you all produce in a year?
>
> Whatever gets done.
>
> > Do you have long-term goals?
>
> My goal is not to have any goals.
>
> Having said that, I'm up to my eyeballs in a 20,000 man hour project
called
> a boat.<G>.
>
>
> --
> Lew
>
> S/A: Challenge, The Bullet Proof Boat, (Under Construction in the
Southland)
> Visit: <http://home.earthlink.net/~lewhodgett> for Pictures
>
>
"WoodChuck34" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
>
> Its too easy to forget to keep things in perspective.
Yeah. I'll admit - it's very hard.
I just try to keep remembering the time's coming - and not too far away -
when I'll walk into a quiet house, once again. After the joys of walking
into a noisy one, that's a damned depressing thought.