Interesting.  When I was considering leaving my corporate job 20+ years ago, one of Chris's associates told me "the world is full of ex-professional woodworkers paying off IRS debts."  I I think that is the one that was a former professional furniture maker and currently runs a donut shop.

 

 

Earlywood: After the War

CHRISTOPHERSCHWARZ.SUBSTACK.COM

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Publisher’s note: It’s that time again – your weekly, still-very-much-alive Earlywood, a free excerpt published every Saturday from one of the...

 

Earlywood_ After the War - by Christopher Schwarz.pdf

Good read, thanks. 
 

I mostly have power tools, built a large amount of custom furniture for our home over the years, and now donate my time and limited expertise to folks in our church. 
 

need to fix up an old desk next, including reproducing some missing fretwork. I’ll only ask her to cover the cost of lumber, under $40. 
 

I’ve made my money elsewhere, I don’t need to charge for what I do. 
 

remember reading in Sam Maloofs book that he was one of a very few that made a living by making furniture. 
 

4 weeks and 2500 for a coffee table?  Are you nuts. Fine, have a safe drive to ikea. Again. 

Some of what has been created in my shop is on our home. The vast majority, however is in other's possession. A confrence table built over 20 years ago is still in use. Most of the point of sale cubicles built for a chain of NAPA stores are still doing duty. Two Morris chairs, three rifle presentation boxes, a couple river tables and various pieces of cabinetry, one relative or another has. All made with power tools with limited hand tool use.

i read an article a few days ago about a CEO who works 17 hour days, 6 days a week, "only" putting in 5 hours on sundays, he's been doing this for several years, and has been paid north of 40M dollars over that time.

 

and i thought, "that's insane".  he has no life, just work.  rarely sees his family.  why?  after the first few million, you've made your bank, what is the point?

We had a Sunday School video lesson this morning.  It was all about priorities in your life.  The pastor was telling about his early years building a start up church.   He was recently married, then a bit later adopted a child and a year later had a biological child.  His wife would ask him, "Are you going out tonight?"    He'd go door-to-door inviting people to the new church.   He said one day his wife said, "I don't want to ever have to ask you again if you are going out in the evening."

 

He came to the conclusion that his priority should be

1. To God

2. To his wife

3. To his family

4. To his church.

 

He said he had to say in a sermon one week that "You all are in position four."

 

 

I am also reminded of Harry Chapin's song, "Cat's in the Cradle"

Matthew 16:18 - … I will build my church…

 

pastors need to focus on doing pastor stuff,  Jesus will build His church. 

I was reading a post today.   Guy spent $45 on materials and he thought about 20 hours building it.   Thought it would sell for $110 or so.

 

Let's see $65 for labor divided by 20 = $3.25 per hour

and once he pays the booth/table fee at the flea market, his net will be $5!

 

"honey, i made $110!!"

 

"no, you made $5, but that's before we figure your gas cost...."

4 hours ago, DAB said:

and once he pays the booth/table fee at the flea market, his net will be $5!

 

"honey, i made $110!!"

 

"no, you made $5, but that's before we figure your gas cost...."

You did not count paying for the tools, glue , screws and finish.

I built an Excel work sheet where every fastener,every measured piece of lumber, every speck of finish, every drop of glue and every gallon of gas and ever second of labor gets entered. Along with the cost of each. NOT! Are you kidding? Where's the fun in that? If woodworking wasn't fun, I wouldn't be doing it. One's passion and/or enjoyment can't be measured in dollars and cents. And, I don't bother trying.

2 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

I built an Excel work sheet where every fastener,every measured piece of lumber, every speck of finish, every drop of glue and every gallon of gas and ever second of labor gets entered. Along with the cost of each. NOT! Are you kidding? Where's the fun in that? If woodworking wasn't fun, I wouldn't be doing it. One's passion and/or enjoyment can't be measured in dollars and cents. And, I don't bother trying.

I knew an upholster that did this and I believe he shared the quote with his prospective customers.  Let's see : Screws 40 cents, staples 22 cents, webbing $1.20,...

 

 

Before I was born, my dad and grandfather had a booth at a "farmer's market."  I remember my grandfather once telling me a story.   He asked a fellow there how he could be selling his stuff at the price he was.  He noted the costs along the way and told hiim he could not be making any money at that price.  The guy responded something like, "Oh, just look at all the cash I have in my till."

I enjoy giving things I make away.  A smile is much better payment than money.  Not a good business model but oh well.

1 hour ago, HandyDan said:

I enjoy giving things I make away.  A smile is much better payment than money.  Not a good business model but oh well.

 

1 hour ago, HandyDan said:

I enjoy giving things I make away.  A smile is much better payment than money. 

You got that right! 

hobby

noun [ C ]

US  /ˈhɑː.bi/ UK  /ˈhɒb.i/

Add to word list 

A2

an activity that someone does for pleasure when they are not working:

Angela's hobby is restoring vintage motorcycles.

 Fewer examples

He needs a hobby to keep him busy and stop him from getting into mischief.

The students sidetracked their teacher into talking about her hobby.

Rebecca's main hobby is trampolining.

 

work

noun

US  /wɝːk/ UK  /wɜːk/

work noun (ACTIVITY)

Add to word list 

A1 [ U ]

an activity, such as a job, that a person uses physical or mental effort to do, usually for money:

do work I have so much work to do.

hard work Carrying heavy loads around all day is hard work.

start/finish work What time do you start/finish work?

Aileen does most of the work around the house.

What sort of work are you experienced in?

She tends to wear quite dressy clothes for work.

Roger's work involves a lot of traveling.

 

Source: Cambridge Dictionary (on-line)

 

IMHO, a hobby should be fun otherwise it would be called work. How much or how little time, resources etc. someone chooses to invest in their chosen niche is their decision. I do what I do because I want to not because someone else wants me doing it. BTDT. Sorry for the rant.

 I'm retired so I guess everything I do is a hobby whether I want to do it or not. 

On 9/26/2023 at 9:40 AM, Gene Howe said:

 

You got that right! 

I just talked to a guy at a craft show.  He was selling wood toys.  He had a really cool looking skidsteer that he was selling.  I asked him how long it took to make something like that?  He said " I dont keep track because he doesnt want proof that he is only making 0.20 an hour selling his stuff."

I thoroughly enjoyed my last 20 years of "work".  But, the last 20 yeas of retirement has been even more enjoyable. Not as lucrative but, a bit more fun. And, I think 0.20 an hour for my present hobby is about par. Maybe somewhat over stated, actually.

Edited October 4, 20232 yr by Gene Howe

you get paid????

 

whoa, whoa, whoa......

 

hold up partner.

 

i make stuff or do stuff because i know how to do it, and because it helps those in need.

 

so i could have gotten paid for painting exterior trim, installing a vent hood, painting a garage, installing smoke detectors, fixing the church's front desk finish, fixing bookcases, building benches for a green house, installing a pond liner (136 pounds of rubber), replacing a damaged outlet, etc......

 

clearly, i need a better agent!

The year before I retired teaching I added a section to the class requirements for the students to keep track of the actual hours they spent working/thinking just about the class project, and how much sandpaper/glue and time was spent using any powered tool in the fab lab.  First day of class after explaining this requirement I ask each students to guess what their project might actually cost to make.  I gave each student a small bottle of wood glue and told them how much it cost.  I told them average cost of a sheet of sandpaper.   I reminded them that they all likely knew that electricity to run the lights and power tools costs money, and we would use the cost per watt/hour noted on their electricity bills to calculate that part of the project cost.   

 

This assignment never came to be as a pandemic kicked us out of the building that year and classes went on-line.   The goal of it though was to put a price tag on each piece at the end representing what they thought they could sell it for if they had to make a reasonable profit on it.   I was betting most would be very surprised.

4D

a few times i've been asked if i could make something i had already made for our house, they had seen a picture of it normally.  so i gave an answer, long pause, and they replied "but it's just a table/cabinet/cutting board/whatever".  true, and i'll spend X hours/weeks designing and making it.  how much do you make in that same time period?

 

"but you're 'just' a woodworker"

 

nice talking with you.  buy your own tools, have fun, be safe.  oh, lumber is not free either.