Since my Delta bench table saw went up in smoke a few weeks back I wonder why I like this hobby.  Wonder why I work in an dusty environment and why I would spend the $$$.  Sometimes have thought of giving it up.  Went to my woodworking folders and there are pictures of what I did in years past. Nothing extraordinary but they do show what I think I'm capable or making and does make me wants to keep on making saw dust.   The first one I made it in 2001. 

The second one I made it for lady in 2006. Made it out of poplar. 4 ft x 3ft.  One wash coat and 5 coats

The third one is an ottoman my wife wanted.  Made is last year.

the last two are fun to do and my wife loves having these around in the yard for our feather friends

Wayne E

Cause it is just so much fun to do. It also gets you on this fine woodworking forum to meet all of the awesome woodworkers and share all of these great experiences.

Hang in there and keep it going.

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John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Who hasn't had those feelings?  I know I have.  I stopped taking personalized orders.  I turn work down.   I'm hoping to finish the last personalized item today - the wine box.  I found myself spending the entire weekends on projects for others, with no time to devote to the projects I want to make.  How's that for a bad attitude?  lol  Devoting my limited time to the projects I want to make is far more important than the few dollars I was earning from these personalized items.  

I have found joy again in my woodworking by saying no. Today I hope to finish up the last personalized item - the wine box.  Knowing that once that box is finished, my time will be my own again to concentrate on my first love - turning bowls   

SQ

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It it can't be fixed with glue and sawdust - it's not worth fixing.

Very nice work Wayne. The Table top looks great and I realy like the bird feeder and bird house. Keep it up.

Wayne, look at those views on this post! Folks have really enjoyed reading this one, I can see why you love the hobby, and I can see why your wife loves you to love this hobby! Hold on to that fire my friend, this is one of the best hobbies a person could be involved with. There are so many variances of woodworking and the woodworking crafts that you could branch off in any direction at any given time and half the time it's a complete surprise when it happens. Look at me, I had no idea that I would take an interest in restoring old woodworking machinery. Some friends on this site sent me to a location near me to do them a favor, while there I met a fellow who showed me his old woodworking machinery, and I came home ready to dive in to my first restoration. That is an area of woodworking I never thought I would have been in just a short few weeks ago. Yet here we are.

I love woodworking, problem is my day job gets in the way of it, and my paid jobs on the side aren't my first choice of woodworking endeavors but they pay the bills. Right now I am involved in some storage lockers for our local college. They are simple unfinished birch ply boxes with doors and shelves. Not my first choice for woodworking fun, but as I said, it helps pay the bills. I would much rather be working on my rocker I have not been able to get to for months, or making something, anything out of solid walnut and cherry. I have been chomping at the bit to get into design as well, fresh new ideas, swoops and swirls, and laminating this to bend that and putting different geometrical shapes together to make who knows what. My point being, you are involved in a craft that will take you to places you never dreamed of if you let it. Keep your mind open, read a lot, visit other woodworking sites and fellowship with woodworkers in your area and next thing you know, you'll be out in the back woods cutting down your own tree to slab it out and make something beautiful, something you never dreamed possible. Keep up the great work buddy, I Love your enthusiasm.

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

You're just too selfish.

SQ said:

Who hasn't had those feelings?  I know I have.  I stopped taking personalized orders.  I turn work down.   I'm hoping to finish the last personalized item today - the wine box.  I found myself spending the entire weekends on projects for others, with no time to devote to the projects I want to make.  How's that for a bad attitude?  lol  Devoting my limited time to the projects I want to make is far more important than the few dollars I was earning from these personalized items.  

I have found joy again in my woodworking by saying no. Today I hope to finish up the last personalized item - the wine box.  Knowing that once that box is finished, my time will be my own again to concentrate on my first love - turning bowls   

SQ

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It it can't be fixed with glue and sawdust - it's not worth fixing.

Sue, I am starting to develop that attitude as well, thanks for showing me that it;s ok to feel like that.

SQ said:

Who hasn't had those feelings?  I know I have.  I stopped taking personalized orders.  I turn work down.   I'm hoping to finish the last personalized item today - the wine box.  I found myself spending the entire weekends on projects for others, with no time to devote to the projects I want to make.  How's that for a bad attitude?  lol  Devoting my limited time to the projects I want to make is far more important than the few dollars I was earning from these personalized items.  

I have found joy again in my woodworking by saying no. Today I hope to finish up the last personalized item - the wine box.  Knowing that once that box is finished, my time will be my own again to concentrate on my first love - turning bowls   

SQ

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It it can't be fixed with glue and sawdust - it's not worth fixing.

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

Wayne,

I forgot to mention this earlier, all your products turned out great!   Your poplar table top came out fantastic.  I'm just amazed at the color you achieved.  Woodworking is a great way to challenge oneself.  It's also a great way to make inexpensive gifts for all occasions!  

SQ 

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It it can't be fixed with glue and sawdust - it's not worth fixing.

LOL  You are so right!!!

SQ

Gene Howe said:

You're just too selfish.

SQ said:

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Thank you all for your complements and encouragement.  If I learned anything on this hobby, it that you take your time in the building process and in the finishing process.  Actually I'm probably real slow in making anything.  I'll work on for awhile and then sit back and look at it for awhile.  I'll even sleep on it when I'm pondering my next step.  Sue believe this, it took me about 4 weeks to make and finish that table top because that was the first top I had ever made in that size.  That was working couple hrs each day and then working about 5 hrs on both Saturday and Sunday. But then I'm pondering my next step.   My wife says I was taking way too long in making it.  But I got the result I wanted to achieve for that lady and she was very well please.  It is an hobby.  It helps keeps me occupied on my  almost 4 days off from work which 2 of those days I'm home while my wife is at at work.  Again thank you all

Wayne E

Happy to be of assistance.  

SQ

John Morris said:

Sue, I am starting to develop that attitude as well, thanks for showing me that it;s ok to feel like that.

SQ said:

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

Wayne,

I forgot to hit "Add Reply" earlier. Dementia?

Anywho, your projects are fabulous. The table top is really nice. Do you have pics of the whole table?

The bench and ottoman are exceptionally well done. And those avian abodes are very cute. 

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

That's another great thing about woodworking - no time clock to punch.  No one telling me when to start and when to finish.  Being a perfectionist can drive you nuts in the interim, but certainly results in a better product.  

For the table top you mentioned you used one wash coat and 5 coats. What products did you use?  Can you explain your finishing process?  Thinking I might try it on some poplar boxes.  

SQ

Wayne Ellington said:

Thank you all for your complements and encouragement.  If I learned anything on this hobby, it that you take your time in the building process and in the finishing process.  Actually I'm probably real slow in making anything.  I'll work on for awhile and then sit back and look at it for awhile.  I'll even sleep on it when I'm pondering my next step.  Sue believe this, it took me about 4 weeks to make and finish that table top because that was the first top I had ever made in that size.  That was working couple hrs each day and then working about 5 hrs on both Saturday and Sunday. But then I'm pondering my next step.   My wife says I was taking way too long in making it.  But I got the result I wanted to achieve for that lady and she was very well please.  It is an hobby.  It helps keeps me occupied on my  almost 4 days off from work which 2 of those days I'm home while my wife is at at work.  Again thank you all

Wayne E

Wayne, that pondering is an artist's mind at work!!!

Wayne Ellington said:

Thank you all for your complements and encouragement.  If I learned anything on this hobby, it that you take your time in the building process and in the finishing process.  Actually I'm probably real slow in making anything.  I'll work on for awhile and then sit back and look at it for awhile.  I'll even sleep on it when I'm pondering my next step.  Sue believe this, it took me about 4 weeks to make and finish that table top because that was the first top I had ever made in that size.  That was working couple hrs each day and then working about 5 hrs on both Saturday and Sunday. But then I'm pondering my next step.   My wife says I was taking way too long in making it.  But I got the result I wanted to achieve for that lady and she was very well please.  It is an hobby.  It helps keeps me occupied on my  almost 4 days off from work which 2 of those days I'm home while my wife is at at work.  Again thank you all

Wayne E

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker