At what age did you complete your fir…
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At what age did you complete your first woodworking project?
- 10 years old and under
- 11 to 16 years old
- 17 to 25 years old
- 26 to 40 years old
- Over 40 years old
- In a previous life
You will not be able to change your vote.
Replies
when I was about 10 yr old, I made my mom a house with a chimney. It was very primative and may not be considered wood working by most people. But to me it is...I will never forget how happy and proud my mom was that I made her a birthday gift.
corny yes, but still rewarding.
Thank you,
Cheatah
Can't remember exactly-think I was about three years old when I cut a special tree down with my Dad's finest panel saw ;)(:Philip Marcou
At ten years of tender age (1940)my first wood work project was making a wooden skate scooter from an old orange crate and a two x four ' Racked up plenty of miles and won a bunch of races too. My secret was removing the rubber 'snubbers' on the skates two axles, (Fore and Aft) allowing the wheels to pivot and 'lean' into the turns.Every Saturday me and my pal Billy would scout out a new section of the Bronx to try new hills. What fun. We did this for hours and hours. Occasionally we'd go swimming in the Harlem River to cool down and perhaps steal some apples or pears from a back yard garden plot (Having no dogs). More fun!One particular Saturday, after skating (Scooting?)as far downhill as was possible,We were faced with lugging the scooters uphill for many milesto get home. After some thought, we just threw the scooters over a fence down onto a rail yard (near the Yankee Stadium) and 'hitched some trolleys home. FUN FUN
Steinmetz
When I was 15, Me and my dad built our first tablesaw . I t was a 'tilt top' but worked fine for years The mechanism to raise the blade was my contribution I took my mother's orange squeezer apart and used the 'rack and pinion' for elevation. Those days only 1/4 horse power motors were available., so I hooked two in tandem to provide medium or heavy duty choices of power. For those of you who know about electric motors, the second motor had a burnt out starting winding, but since motor #1 was pulling plenty 'nuff' to rev up the #2 motor to running winding cutting in speed' it worked swell. Ask me to tell you how I made a device to rock my baby sister while she was parked down below on the front 'stoop'and I was above on the second floor. Go ahead ask! Stein.
If building tree houses and forts count. Then 10 for sure.
When I was a wee youngster (7-8 yr?) the delivery man from the grocery store would deliver some of our groceries in wooden apple crates each week, so that I would have a supply of wood to build things. I wanted to build a dog house, but didn't have a dog, so I built a house for my cat. When I was around 25 years old the light suddenly came on in my brain and I realized why my dad had such fun inviting all the neighbors over for me to show them my "cathouse". I thought he was impressed with my work. By the time I figured out the truth I was too deeply hooked on woodworking to ever give it up.
Woody
good story
Ken
I was 8 years old and had no idea I would do it as a career.......
If I would have known at 16 how much i would end up loving woodworking I would have never became a locksmith.
At 33 with a new house, 5 months from a wedding and most likely less than 2 years from my first child I am afraid to make the change.
Muleboy.
Heh, at 44 with five children and a huge mortgage, taking a flyer on converting a hobby to a profession doesn't seem like a good idea to me either.
Besides, things that are fun sometimes lose their lustre when you're doing them for a living, rather than doing them for fun.
You have even more to think about. Much more at stake than I do.
It's funny though, I feel at peace in my little woodshop. I can't put my finger on it but it's as if I just flat out belong in that environment.
Of course as a locksmith I have been in a "shop" environment for 16 years. My hearing and my knees are the things that have been sacrificed. I'm darn good at what I do but the love isn't there anymore.
Muleboy.
Hi Muelboy... As a locksmith I always seem to use my woodworking skills... mortising in locks, drilling cabinets for locks and a hundred other wood related skills. I've even had to do major wood-working repairs on doors that a customer did not want to replace. Locksmithing also gives me time to work on my other hobby, metal-working. SawdustSteve Long Island, NY (E of NYC)
I know what you mean. I started Locksmithing while I was in high school. it paid my way through college and I'm still at it. When I installed my first deadbolt I didn't realize (at the time) that was also my first mortise. I also like the metal working part of it. Especially anything to do with a hammer. Must have been a blacksmith in a past life. ;)
I was in your neck of the woods this past February. I was at a "Cliq" training seminar at Mul-T-Lock USA in Jersey. My fiance and I spent some time in NYC after the seminar was over. Since I work in Chicago and lived there for 11 years it was neat to see another big city.
I fool myself from time to time but I am suffering from a big case of locksmith burnout.
I got to tell you, I'm doing the estimating for my company now and I am downright sick and tired of people coming to me worried about there security. Perhaps they got broken into, perhaps there neighbor did. What I am tired of is offering them REAL solutions and they tell me "oh but that's too expensive", as they drive away in their Mercedes SUV. Makes me sick. They would rather spend 2 or 3 grand putting in new tile in the kitchen and living room.
Any ideas? Perhaps just one long #### vacation. Or a few good stiff drinks. or just STFU and take it.
Muleboy.
mule,
Do not think that they will pony up any more for furniture, than for security, after they've spent their total wad on that new house mortgage.
Cheers,
Ray Pine
Sawdust, Funny you never mentioned it before (That you are a fellow locksmith)
I got my first locksmith licence in new York in 1948 or 49? Started out installing kalomine doors in '46 Installed hundreds of Foz police locks, as well as tons of mortise cylinder front door locks ' Didn't use power tools much but hammer, chisel, brace and bits Installed ALL the doors and hardware in whole apartment houses even installed kalomine double hung windows all over the five buroughsSteel doors and jambs,sliding fireproof 3 hourdoors and tracks. Retired after more than 40 years and still install locks for friends and relatives. Lately I'm teaching a hardware store owner in town to key alike locks and masterkeying is next. He has to compete with the big box stores now. If you are from LIC, perhaps you know where the New York City Department of Purchase building is. Don't remember the name of the street but it's a little north of the Pepsi Cola plant on the east river.
Did plenty of work intalling elevator doors and jambs in residential buildings in Manhattan.
I live in Connecticut now, but I miss the challenges every day in the 'trade'. Don't give up hope. Look for a job with a Univercity NYU ? or a big office building
Go for Electric door access controls and related hardware.I've MK'd G MK'd and GGMK'd entire buildings and offices before they went computerized. There's money in removable core lock upgrades and servicing.Work with a few building contractors and install panic hardware and door closers. I was self employed for 35 years and it's the only way to go. Goodluck guys. Steinmetz.
I started my locksmithing 'career' in 1966, learning from an old 'Dutchman' who tought me step one and then said ... you can't go on to step two until I'm happy about how you do step one. Yea, the good old apprentice system. I've installed my share of Segal's, enough Schlage, Arrow and Kwikset stuff to fill a good sized van. One or two Fox locks, but very little call for them out on Long Island. I'm fairly handy with a lathe and have made a few custom locks because we needed it for a customer. Ever see a DC Segal with a Schlage keyway?? Master-keying was the most fun, setting up small to medium sized systems in an evening. I hate to admit it, but Mortice locks with their associated woodwork were fun to do. To bring this thread back to ww'ing, the one thing I had a love/hate relationship with was when an Interior Decorator brought in a fancy ($$$$$) european cabinet and said 'I promised my client that I would have a lock installed on this (expensive) door and it will look like it was made that way 100 years ago'. Oh yes, I need it by tomorrow evening! I bet you've heard that story too.
SawdustSteve SawdustSteve
sawdust, I had to make a custom lock for a Showroom entrance door for a big name perfume retailer
The door (Solid Core flush wood covered with bright silver Formica
(was supposed to look like a safe or vault)
I bored a hole in the center of the door and added several linkages to connect the heavy duty Schlage body to the deadlocking latchbolt If you've ever looked up toward the ceiling array of sprinkler head piping for fire suppression, you'll remember a big valve handle on the fat riser pipe
The wheel is cast iron and is 9" in diameter. Using my lathe, I rebored the wheel's center hole to engage the cylindrical lock's mechanism and extended the plug's tailpiece and made a brass collar to hold the cylinder
The whole thing was then taken apart and the architect had it bright chrome plated. Then I reinstalled it Made about $600. 00Edited 12/18/2005 12:54 am ET by Steinmetz
Edited 12/18/2005 12:57 am ET by Steinmetz
Mule, I can't help telling you that if you love woodwork so much you will be good at it -so make the change now-before things get complicated. Especially if you are not happy doing locksmith work.
You are lucky-you live in a place where you can readily take classes to quickly upgrade your skills and potential-what the hell are you waiting for?
It is said that if a man has not made his final career choice by age 40 then he will never change-I changed at 39 andsomemonths-see my website http://www.collectablefurniture.co.nzPhilip Marcou
I made up my mind at age 30 to make the change. I put myself on a ten year plan to make it happen. Working lots of overtime in order to purchase a house and the tools needed for a one man shop. It's only a matter of time as far as I am concerned. My fiance' supports my decision, especially after recieving a couple of pieces, namely a Cherry bedside table and a solid cedar wardrobe.
There are humps that I need to get over and that will happen with time. I just get very impatient from time to time.
I don't dream of becoming the next Sam Maloof, or becoming rich and famous, only rich in the personal rewards of building things people will pass down to thier children and their children's children. I want to wake up and make things every day.
I also think it may afford me the luxury of being home when my (future) kids get home from school, and dropping them off in the morning. Perhaps it's a pipe dream but I have to strive for something. The job I have now I work 10-12 hour days + drive time, too many hours, too much B.S.
Well I'll step down off my soapbox now... sorry folks.
Muleboy.
For my tenth birthday my grandfather gave me a 16oz hammer. I've still got it. Made a tool box in cub scouts to put it in.
Datachanel
Doing things the hard way
BUT I was really into my Erector set!
Gee that tower and all! I had a hard time making them silk para-shoots?
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