My wife is interested doing some scrollsawn ornaments for this year. My reply was this is fine but you will be preparing your own stock. I'll instruct and guide you with the cutting jointing and planing but you will be doing all the work.

 

Did I just open the door for her to take over my shop?

Will my last sanctuary no longer be mine?

what will I do to get away from "She who must be obeyed?"

 

Wow! You have just asked a very difficult question. While my wife in not interested in doing any kind of woodworking I do on occasionally ask for help when two hands are not enough. Now mind you my wife knows nothing about wood wooding but if I ask for help all of a sudden she knows everything. Long story short, we agreed the house is hers and the shop is mine.

That being said, I think if you and you wife could make this work it would be a great thing. I think it depends greatly how well you work together. If you've done any remodeling together you should already have you answer.

This is probably not a real good answer to your question but it the best I can do.

Hey John, I was under the impression you had already! Naw jest kidding pard. I think you have lost your mind though, it's called the "I will do anything for my wife to make her happy because I love her so" syndrome. You lost your mind in love buddy. Not a bad place to be.

Well my wife has no desire to go into the shop. She would rather hand it to me and ask that I fix it. LOL

That works for me. She is very supportive and knows that the shop is my "Man Cave". She will come out and help me move something if I need another hand and if I ask her opinion on something she will come out and tell how she thinks it should be.

We do a fair amount of re-modeling together and work pretty good that way.

I don't guess I answered your question, but that is how it works for me.

The War Department was just at my scroll saw the other day. She paints cartoon cutouts for the child advocacy center in town. She will come out to the shop from time to time to cut more out if she feels that I don't get on them in a timely manner. I don't mind. She rarely wants to stay longer. I don't mind. She has her craft room in the house. I stay out of there for the most part too.

I think it is great she is interested in the scroll saw. Having an interest don't mean she will like it. If it was my wife, she would say it is too noisy, too dusty or too much something else. However I know a lady that tried it (along with some other woodworking) and loved it. Preparing the wood isn't such a big deal for either one of you, once prepared the sawing will occupy a lot of time. Either she will like it or will drop out. If she likes it, then it opens a lot of possibilities. I'd love to have my wife take an interest and go to tool/wood shows with me. Even help with some stages of my projects and vise versa. As it is, she has her own quilting, sewing and crafting. That is OK too.

I'd prepare the wood the first time for her, without showing her. Train her on how to use the saw safely and let her see if she is really interested enough to go further. Keep an open mind, women sure think different than we do, and maybe things can be a lot of fun for both of you.

Ron, you speak like a man who has been married his entire life, very wise words. Your wisdom is appreciated.

Ron Altier said:

I think it is great she is interested in the scroll saw. Having an interest don't mean she will like it. If it was my wife, she would say it is too noisy, too dusty or too much something else. However I know a lady that tried it (along with some other woodworking) and loved it. Preparing the wood isn't such a big deal for either one of you, once prepared the sawing will occupy a lot of time. Either she will like it or will drop out. If she likes it, then it opens a lot of possibilities. I'd love to have my wife take an interest and go to tool/wood shows with me. Even help with some stages of my projects and vise versa. As it is, she has her own quilting, sewing and crafting. That is OK too.

I'd prepare the wood the first time for her, without showing her. Train her on how to use the saw safely and let her see if she is really interested enough to go further. Keep an open mind, women sure think different than we do, and maybe things can be a lot of fun for both of you.

She likes to scroll saw and has her own Dremel brand saw.

she however is afraid to use the table saw, has used a small 4" table top jointer, and is willing to try the planer. It is under my insistance that she use the 8" jointer and planer, and glue up her own stock. I will urge her to use the table saw with feather boards and push sticks to square her stock. but will not force her to do so.

She is a hands on crafty person who has helped with a complete gut and remodel of our house. I am very confident in her abilities

Be sure she does the new skills safely and then GO FOR IT!!

John Hechel said:

She likes to scroll saw and has her own Dremel brand saw.
she however is afraid to use the table saw, has used a small 4" table top jointer, and is willing to try the planer. It is under my insistance that she use the 8" jointer and planer, and glue up her own stock. I will urge her to use the table saw with feather boards and push sticks to square her stock. but will not force her to do so.

She is a hands on crafty person who has helped with a complete gut and remodel of our house. I am very confident in her abilities