My wife keeps yelling at me....

[Jason White]

...because I spend more time (and money) building things for my workshop than on furniture for her.

I keep telling her, "but honey, when I work on the shop I'm really doing it for you so that I can build you things!"

She ain't buyin' it! :o

Jason

[Wayne Hendrix]

Lol good luck with that excuse.

[Dave Gaul]

I've had the same issue! I have SOOOO many things I want to do to the shop, but I've learned to sometimes put one of her projects at the top of "THE LIST"... I've made more things for other people than her, so I need to balance out that ratio some!

Just finished a fish tank stand that she wanted for the 20 gal long tank, turned out pretty good so she should be happy for a while!

[Don Jarvie]

At least she is letting you spend money...:)

I keep hearing about how this needs to be painted, this needs to be done..

[Robert Parrish]

They never do! Make her a nice curio cabinet that should help.

[Charlie Gummer]

Same boat here....bookcases are definitely next on my list....that or sleep IN the shop.

[Karl Card]

Same boat here....bookcases are definitely next on my list....that or sleep IN the shop.


sleep in the shop,,,,uhmmm and whats so bad about that.....lol..

what is it about wood that captivates us so much?!!

Not trying to steal thread but I just want to mention that one time i came across a website that believed that working with certain woods would have an effect on your mental behavior. makes you wonder eh

[Harry Hagan]

Try these. They cancel out unwanted noise.

[Karl Stowe]

And here I thought I was the only one with that problem. The wife wants a hutch in the kitchen to replace the drawers that will be taken out when I put the dish washer in. I told her she makes a great dish washer but she still wants a mechanical one. :confused:

Look at Mike Johnson's shop in the workshop section. He has the fridge, microwave, and sink already set up. I figure he has a fold up bed there somewhere. :cool:

WIFE is actually an acronym:
W: washing
I: ironing
F: frustrating
E: etc.
You could also replace the "F" with something that is more fun in bed but since I am new to this forum I thought I would clean it up a little.

[Chris Padilla]

All wives are like this...ya gotta produce to keep the new tools flowing...that is just how the wife works.... :D

[Kurt Cady]

Just another reason to keep my current IRS filing status the same (i.e. Single)

Suckers... haha :D:D:D

[Neil Brooks]

Is my situation better or worse?

Her hobby is quilting and sewing.

It turns out ... you can spend a HECK of a lot of money on toys for THOSE hobbies, too!

So ... she doesn't gripe, but ...

a) We spend 2X what we would if it were just my shop, and

b) I'm not carrying around any of her homemade purses, but she is getting a nightstand, a vanity, etc., etc.

I feel ya'.

I feel ya'

:)

[Ben Martin]

Is my situation better or worse?

Her hobby is quilting and sewing.

It turns out ... you can spend a HECK of a lot of money on toys for THOSE hobbies, too!

So ... she doesn't gripe, but ...

a) We spend 2X what we would if it were just my shop, and

b) I'm not carrying around any of her homemade purses, but she is getting a nightstand, a vanity, etc., etc.

I feel ya'.

I feel ya'

:)

Ha, I know about that, my Mom sold Husqvarna sewing machines for 10 years...

My wife is actually ok with it, it is my hobby, so as long as I enjoy it, she is ok with it!

[Billy Trinh]

I tag along my projects with her requests. Takes twice as long to complete, but all is happy :). If anything, I just tell her I need these to do those;)

[Rob Holcomb]

I used this approach when explaining my passion for woodworking....Honey, some men have the hobby of being unfaithful, some men spend most evenings in a bar, some men are workaholics and are never home, some men are sports fanatics and are either playing them or watching them with their buddies. I work with wood as my hobby in my shop at our house, which in my opinion is way better than most alternatives. Then when I want to buy a new tool or wood or other supplies, I make sure I ask her if she would like to go with me and we can make an afternoon or evening out of it. Stop some place and have a nice dinner and if it's something expensive that I'm going to buy, I make sure gets something out of it too. A new dress or shoes or whatever she would like to get while we're out. An hour shopping with my wife is far less painful than listening to complaints. It's give and take and it works wonderfully for me!

[Jason White]

Mostly I'm just a tool whore. :p




sleep in the shop,,,,uhmmm and whats so bad about that.....lol..

what is it about wood that captivates us so much?!!

Not trying to steal thread but I just want to mention that one time i came across a website that believed that working with certain woods would have an effect on your mental behavior. makes you wonder eh

[Michael Koch]

So whats the problem. I figure that if we all were to make the things that our wife wants us to make, we would have to spend 8-12 hours a day for about a year in the shop. As it is, it takes at least 2 hours to even get your thoughts together to do anything in the shop. Am I missing something..Mk

[Jason White]

Great advice!

JW


I used this approach when explaining my passion for woodworking....Honey, some men have the hobby of being unfaithful, some men spend most evenings in a bar, some men are workaholics and are never home, some men are sports fanatics and are either playing them or watching them with their buddies. I work with wood as my hobby in my shop at our house, which in my opinion is way better than most alternatives. Then when I want to buy a new tool or wood or other supplies, I make sure I ask her if she would like to go with me and we can make an afternoon or evening out of it. Stop some place and have a nice dinner and if it's something expensive that I'm going to buy, I make sure gets something out of it too. A new dress or shoes or whatever she would like to get while we're out. An hour shopping with my wife is far less painful than listening to complaints. It's give and take and it works wonderfully for me!

[Jerome Hanby]

Guess I'm lucky. My wife called me yesterday from the local thrift store. They had a Boice Crane jointer for $150. I told her it sounded like a good deal, but we could use the money for something else. She proceeded to tell me if I didn't get it then I'd be kicking myself later. She bought it and told me to pick it up on my way home from work.

just FYI, they also had what looked like a King-Sealy built Craftsman band saw, so if you're in the Birmingham, AL area...

[Joe Shinall]

I get grief everytime I buy a new tool. Or buy something to help me with some organization in the garage. I hear "you'll never be happy with the way your shop is arranged." But after about a day of that, I then talk about building a piece of furniture and ask her for her input and it's all good. I just better make sure I don't deviate from her design!

[Richard Wagner]

Just make certain that you always have one of her projects "in progress". What is done when you are not working on hers will go unnoticed.

You really do want to keep track of how many projects are completed though. If the numbers get too lop sided, that won't go unnoticed.

[Gene Howe]

I used this approach when explaining my passion for woodworking....Honey, some men have the hobby of being unfaithful, some men spend most evenings in a bar, some men are workaholics and are never home, some men are sports fanatics and are either playing them or watching them with their buddies. I work with wood as my hobby in my shop at our house, which in my opinion is way better than most alternatives. Then when I want to buy a new tool or wood or other supplies, I make sure I ask her if she would like to go with me and we can make an afternoon or evening out of it. Stop some place and have a nice dinner and if it's something expensive that I'm going to buy, I make sure gets something out of it too. A new dress or shoes or whatever she would like to get while we're out. An hour shopping with my wife is far less painful than listening to complaints. It's give and take and it works wonderfully for me!

A very wise man!

[Van Huskey]

Simple solution:

http://www.amazon.com/AO-Safety-90541-WorkTunes-Protector/dp/B0013092CS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1268261558&sr=8-1

[johnny means]

Maybe being a professional gives me a different point of view, but I think continual shop projects defeats the whole point of woodworking. Didn't we all start out with the idea of how great it would be to build our own furniture, cabinets, jewelry boxes, etc. It seems to me thatvehis is a trap that many woodworkers fall into, trying to set up shop morphs into a pursuit of the perfect shop, which is akin to chasing ones own tail. If your wife is noticing that you never build anything, maybe she has the perspective that you lost to the shop bug. They're right about everything else, right.

[fRED mCnEILL]

"My wife keeps yelling at me....
...because I spend more time (and money) building things for my workshop than on furniture for her."

You could just respond with "so whats your point?

[Chip Lindley]

As soon as the man says *I DO*, the new wife starts saying *Oh No You Don't!* with increasing frequency.

You are engaging in a worthwhile pastime. But too many significant female others never see it that way. They HATE competition of any sort! If her only rival is a new tablesaw, she should thank her *lucky stars!*

At my age, getting locked out of the bedroom is a cloud with a silver lining! LOL! I have cable in every room and several nice couches to choose from.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Find some nice jewelery -- and put it in a handmade bandsaw box.. they're very fast to make and look great.. That's one project in the non shop column...
:D

[Byron Trantham]

Is my situation better or worse?

Her hobby is quilting and sewing.

It turns out ... you can spend a HECK of a lot of money on toys for THOSE hobbies, too!

So ... she doesn't gripe, but ...

a) We spend 2X what we would if it were just my shop, and

b) I'm not carrying around any of her homemade purses, but she is getting a nightstand, a vanity, etc., etc.

I feel ya'.


I feel ya'

:)

You can't begin to compare sewing costs to woodworking! My wife, too, sews and embroiders. We added up "our hardware". Mine came to about $6K, hers - $28K!!! :o Now add in her very speicalized software to run those machines another $4K. Oh and don't forget about thread $6/spool, she has over 800! Do I have problems getting tools? What do you think?:D

[Bruce Page]

Spending time & money in the shop is better than spending it in the bar.;)

[Aaron Berk]

Maybe being a professional gives me a different point of view, but I think continual shop projects defeats the whole point of woodworking. Didn't we all start out with the idea of how great it would be to build our own furniture, cabinets, jewelry boxes, etc. It seems to me thatvehis is a trap that many woodworkers fall into, trying to set up shop morphs into a pursuit of the perfect shop, which is akin to chasing ones own tail. If your wife is noticing that you never build anything, maybe she has the perspective that you lost to the shop bug. They're right about everything else, right.


Good advice worth listing to.
I'm no professional, but I can vouch for the validity of the "shop bug". It is indeed a live creature that lurks in every mans shop. The bug has been in mine and I must say, it's bite goes unnoticed.

One of these days I may recover and start building "real" stuff:rolleyes:


As for the SWMBO thing...... mine bought me a G0605X for my b-day, and tells me she wishes I had enough free time to really enjoy the new saw. And she means it:D

Bill ThompsonNM made a good point too! Bandsawn box and something bling-bling goes along way to quelch the perceived nagging.

[Sean Nagle]

You can't begin to compare sewing costs to woodworking! My wife, too, sews and embroiders. We added up "our hardware". Mine came to about $6K, hers - $28K!!! :o Now add in her very speicalized software to run those machines another $4K. Oh and don't forget about thread $6/spool, she has over 800! Do I have problems getting tools? What do you think?:D

My sister-in-law quilts. She was telling me about a specialized sewing machine that can handle stitching in the middle of a large quilt that runs $30K!! It's like a CNC milling machine. I think a Felder setup can be had for less than that.

[John Thompson]

So whats the problem. I figure that if we all were to make the things that our wife wants us to make, we would have to spend 8-12 hours a day for about a year in the shop. As it is, it takes at least 2 hours to even get your thoughts together to do anything in the shop. Am I missing something..Mk

I retired two years and 5 months ago Michael. I spent 6-12 hours a day in the shop for the first 24 months and bumped out 11 large carcass pieces to have a chance of seeing day-light. For the last 5 months I have slowed down a bit to the tune of 4-8 hours a day as I only have 3 large pieces left that she currently wants. The key word is "currently".

And I agree with Johnny Means on trying to build perfect shops in lieu of building furniture. I suggest you get essential then make a shop up-grade after doing a furniture project. My shop was complete for the most part 20 years ago so I have no excuses as to why I can't build for her. :eek:

[Sean Nagle]

John's right. Whether a project is for the wife or some other non-shop project, that is what most people got into this hobby to do. It's easy to sink time just making the shop better than working on what the shop should be producing.

[Don Bullock]

Wow Jason, I sure wish I had your problem. Since we moved into our new house in June most of my shop equipment and materials are just where the movers dropped them. The only things that have moved at all are the tools and materials I've used for all the "home improvement" projects that SWMBO and my 86 year old MIL wanted done. I haven't begun to organize the shop, hang cabinets the cabinets much less make any cabinets or benches for the shop. I'm looking forward to finally getting some organization in the shop so that I can actually do some woodworking instead of carpentry.

[Logan William]

My sister-in-law quilts. She was telling me about a specialized sewing machine that can handle stitching in the middle of a large quilt that runs $30K!! It's like a CNC milling machine. I think a Felder setup can be had for less than that.

Mom has one of those, only minus the CNC control part, its called a long arm quilting machine, and now takes up a 15' x 4' floorprint in what used to be called the living room. Thankfully it does mean that when I'm home I don't have to help rearrange furniture. Mom has her quilting, Dad has his 2 metalworking shops.....I'm still single and have whatever I feel I can afford.

[James Evers]

Good advice worth listing to.



Yeah I agree with this assessment my shop fits in a small closet and has to be drug out to do anything. I've got a workmate, a circular, saw, router, drill and sander. I can build anything with my setup if I put enough thought into it. I think it's time to use the toys for something you can show off to the entire neighborhood. ;)

[Jason White]

Did I mention I'm still re-siding my house, too? :(




Wow Jason, I sure wish I had your problem. Since we moved into our new house in June most of my shop equipment and materials are just where the movers dropped them. The only things that have moved at all are the tools and materials I've used for all the "home improvement" projects that SWMBO and my 86 year old MIL wanted done. I haven't begun to organize the shop, hang cabinets the cabinets much less make any cabinets or benches for the shop. I'm looking forward to finally getting some organization in the shop so that I can actually do some woodworking instead of carpentry.

[Kevin Gregoire]

just start building a nice coffin and keep it in the corner and when she says you cant
buy any new tools just tell her you need to get out to the shop and start working on
your corner project again, she just might change her mind!

[Victor Robinson]

At my age, getting locked out of the bedroom is a cloud with a silver lining! LOL! I have cable in every room and several nice couches to choose from.

I'm a newlywed. Is it bad if I already feel this way? :D

[Troy Turner]

And here I was thinking it was just mine :) She didn't threaten that if i don't get some projects in the house, she's going to buy them :eek: