Why did I have get into Woodworking? All I do in my real job now is daydream about all the projects I cannot get to. That chopsaw table, storage unit, and dust collection setup for my shop. The new island that my wife wants in our kitchen. The chest that I want to build to use as a coffee table in our family room. Finishing up my first real workbench complete with vises and dog holes so that I can do hand planing and dovetail cutting. Building an open storage unit in my yard for drying freshly cut boards. Building another shed in my backyard that will house the machinery that I will buy that won’t fit in my basement 12′ X 18′ shop.
For the small amount of projects I have accomplished as an amateur the satisfaction of completing them has outweighed any satisfaction I get in my real job. Why did I have to learn about crosscut sleds that cut perfectly straight boards? Jigs, that make what appears to be a complicated router cut, an easy one. Miter saws that yield a perfect angle for that oak frame. Random orbital sanders that sand that maple coffee table silky smooth to the touch. Pipe clamps of varying lengths that make that job of gluing-up a snap. Hand planes that bring the charm of the old world of woodworking into the new.
My life is not the same as it was. I yearn for the wood shop while I’m sitting in an office in a concrete building from 7AM – 5PM every day, day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute. I want a short commute from my kitchen to my basement. I yearn to build something with my hands, something unique to my specifications, that will fit in my world. Is this too much to ask?
Pardon my rant but I somehow feel I’m not the only one who feels this way…
Regards,
Buzzsaw
Replies
Amen!
I just decided on early retirement. The one thing I can't wait for is to have lots of time for woodworking. As someone once said "Life is not a rehearsal". Live it now, do what you enjoy and enjoy what you do! Best regards.
JGI,
I am extremely jealous! I still have another 10 years minimum of working in the real world as 10 years from now my youngest will be in her 2nd year of college. I just find working now extremely frustrating as there are so many woodworking projects I want to accomplish. The weekends are always filled with house chores like going to the dump, mowing, etc and before you know it, it is Monday morning all over again and I haven't accomplished squat in my woodworking endeavors. How fortunate are those who can make a living doing what they love to do. Good luck to you.Regards,
Buzzsaw
You read my mind.
Michael
You have pretty much nailed it right on the head. I tell myself that I can use my pay cheque now to pay for my retirement career latter.
Scott C. Frankland
Scott's WOODWORKING Website
"He who has the most tools may not win the race of life but he will sure make his wife look like a good catch when she goes to move on."
Sadly,
After spending seven years at college and a long career, with 1,400 people working for me, I have the same problem as you. If only I could trade all those people problems for my wood shop.
Well, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, and one day I will retire.
I do think however, if you can really produce good hand made furniture, following some of the older styles, such as American Period, Dutch, English etc., you can make a good living from a small niche market.
Willie
Buzzsaw,
I could sure think of a lot worse problems in a persons life. Keep taking your bosses money and put some away a bit at a time and continue to contribute to your retirement funds and also enjoy your company provided health insurance. If you were self employed you would not have any paid days or paid vacations or any other benefits , but you would be doing what you want ,hmmm. You could be doing what you want and be broke instead of not enjoying what you do and having dollars in your pockets.This indeed is reality !
dusty
Thank you Eric and Dusty for putting it into some perspective. I am fortunate to be in my situation and I'm glad you reminded me of that. Someday I will have all the time I want for woodworking if I play my cards right now and put enough away for the future. I guess the grass is always greener but I must admit, my yard looks pretty good now and I should remember that. Thank You!Regards,
Buzzsaw
One of the many things I learned from my dad was spend a little time Thursday or Friday night doing your set up or in my case clearing a space and finding the tools I need. It means you get to do a little more woodworking on the weekend.
Enjoy your passion.
Len
Buzzsaw
I had this same conversation the other day with a co-worker. She observed that part of the reason hobbies are so much fun and so attractive is because they are an excape and distraction for the normal routine - like playing hooky. She suggested that they wouldn't feel the same if you could do it whenever, and as long as you wanted. I can't wait to find out anyway.
Good advice from your dad, Len.
Stan
Amen! preaching to the choir...but I do agree grass is always greener....unless your spouse can bring home a nice slab of bacon to support the habit, as a friend of mine does (M.D. Wife)....he could not live on what he makes (a few consignment sales)...but he lives for the making!
But, as my lovely wife reminds me: the secret of happiness is not doing what one likes to do but in liking what one has to do.
each day is a gift..even 7a-5p in the concrete block (my M-F location as well). blessings-Eric
An Australian Poet put this better than any I have ever heard:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~newtoy/clancy.htm
or this that contains a musical rendition
http://www.wallisandmatilda.com.au/banjo-paterson-poems.shtml
Buzzsaw, You've got it bad and you described the addiction well. I got it back in the late 70's, reading FWW and buying tools as I could afford them. I worked for a large retailer for 25 years as a project manager, doing remodels and visual merchandising. Not a bad job for a creative kind of guy but I was constantly designing furniture on legal pads as I attended boring meetings and traveled the southern half of the US. In between the corporate drudgery I've built two shop buildings, ground up, by myself. Saved every nickel hoping for the day that I could cut the cord. And that day came at age 51 when I was offered an early out with a tiny pension or a long move to Dallas. So I've been a furniture maker for 3 years. If I work really hard, I can make about 30% of my corporate salary which wasn't that much. Thank goodness my wife has a good job.
Today the only projects I really enjoy are those that I'm making for myself or because my wife wants one, or for my son or grandchildren. Every time I let a piece of furniture go to a stranger, I feel slightly screwed. The wood costs too much, I put too much time into finishing and I know that they can't possibly appreciate the attention to detail. Keep the day job for as long as you can or get a different one that you like better unless you can build extremely high end pieces and sell to those who appreciate and can afford them, like a Rob Millard, Or you'd better have a great business sense to mass produce average stuff for the masses and compete with the Chinese. You're fortunate to have a goal for the future, after you've secured your family's well being. Most people don't have such a goal.
Ian
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