How's your thoughput?

[Stephen M]

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

[Lew Hodgett]

Whatever gets done.

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..

[Larry Jaques]

On Wed, 12 May 2004 00:40:00 GMT, "Lew Hodgett" brought forth from the murky depths:

Good goal.

You mean you're about 35,000 hours into a 20,000 hour project, right?

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[Lew Hodgett]

Not really, but if you get sloppy with your time management, it could certainly happen.

[sawdust]

"Stephen M" wrote

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

[Edwin Pawlowski]

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.

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 [e-mail]

[Stephen M]

Yes.. about 60 of them (2 for each stair and then there is a railing in the upper hallway).

[Stephen M]

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

[skeezics]

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

[mttt]

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*.

[TeamCasa]

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[charlie b]

snip

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?

[patriarch]

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in news:CWfoc.3312$ [e-mail]:

Good rules, Ed. I think I'll adopt them as my own.

Patriarch

[RS]

What is the difference between a boat and a woman?

A boat is a hole in the water you throw money into...

[Mark Wells]

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

[WoodChuck34]

"mttt" I'm pretty damned sure that the time's

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

[mttt]

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.

[Cody Hart]

[mttt]

serious nature.

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!

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.

A'yup!