How Much Shop Time Do You Get?

[Kevin Herber]

It seems that I don't have nearly as much shop time as I would like. By the time I get home in the evening, have a bite, prepare for tomorrow and relax a little my shop time is almost non-existant.

How much time do you folks get during the week and when do you get it?

-- Kevin

[Ted Daigle]

Not enough because there are only 24 hours in a day! :D

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

How much time do you folks get during the week and when do you get it?

-- Kevin

I get off work at 7:00AM, in the shop if I wanna be from 8:30 or 9:00 until 2:00 or so, then something to eat and off to sleepy land until I get up at 9:00 to go back to work. I'm off Sunday and Monday nights...Sunday is 'family day', and we do pretty much whatever LOML wants to do. I get a lot more woodworking done with a night job than I did when I had a real job during the day.

KC

[Scott Stephens]

I get off work at 4:30, go home, get my daughter dinner, read paper, then off to the basement. I try to get 3-4 hours. I usually don't spend all that time working in the shop. I have all the usual BS from the day to deal with. So by the time I get it all figured out, I get about 10-15 minutes of actual shop time. I hope this makes sense to all. :):):)

[Jim Becker]

Not nearly enough...some due to business travel and other obligations and some due to not being a "morning person". Evenings are tough to get into the shop because Dr. SWMBO doesn't get home from work until between 7 and 7:30 and then we deal with dinner. When I'm home and decide to cook, I can have it on the table when she arrives, but the nights we go out pretty much eliminate any time left for shop frolic. Further, during the winter months, it's difficult to get the shop comfortable in a very short period of time for evening play--hopefully in the next couple of years I can solve that issue with finishing of the upstairs of the shop building so I can get a real HVAC system in place. So it's pretty much weekends and around other distractions...

[Mark Singer]

I would like more!!! I try to balance out family, Friends,business, travel , and other things. I usually don't get shop time in the evening...we do stuff ..I would like more!

[Jeff Sudmeier]

It seems that I don't have nearly as much shop time as I would like. By the time I get home in the evening, have a bite, prepare for tomorrow and relax a little my shop time is almost non-existant.

How much time do you folks get during the week and when do you get it?

-- Kevin
I get in the shop every night for at least 2 hours if I want to and every weekend I get in at least 4 hours, again if I want to. There are times I wish I could get more time in, but this amount seems about right to me.

[Kent Cori]

I travel about three weeks out of every month so I can't spend every night in my garage shop. However, I do get in about 8 hours every weekend and as many evenings as I can when I am home. I probably average 12 hours a week.

[Steve Clardy]

Well this woodworking is my business. So, I get 10-12 hours a day, at least 6 days a week, sometimes 7 days a week. Did I say I turned my hobby into a job? Lol

[Robert Mayer]

I get a lot. I work 40 hours a week, but I get off at 3:30. I dont have any kids so I usually have non work time all to myself.

[Mike Tempel]

Well, there is family time and my time. Not enough of either but if one has to give for the other the family time wins out hands down. I can get about 6 hours on my off days when my daughter is in school. Sometimes I can get a weekend but having only 2 off per month they are usually for the family. Working 12 hours on shift (days and nights) I don't go home and work in the shop - just too tired and I don't like starting something and not getting to a good stopping point. During the summer it is typically too hot here so I don't get really any at all to speak of for about 4 or 5 months a year. During the winter I tend to work alot of overtime but when I am off you can find me in my shop as much as I can be. Sometimes up to 16 hours a day if I can swing it.

This thread should be turned into a poll so we could see how everyone measures up. I would enjoy that. I don't want to hijack the thread so I will let the originator look into that.

[Kevin Herber]

"...This thread should be turned into a poll so we could see how everyone measures up. I would enjoy that. I don't want to hijack the thread so I will let the originator look into that."

Mike - Go ahead and hijack this if you want! I considered a poll when I posted it but I did not want to limit responses to a specific criteria. I must say that I did expect to more participaton than this...

-- Kevin

[Marshall Harrison]

I'm sure that "not enough" would be the answer for all of us. As for me I sometimes get an hour or so in the evenings then 2 - 4 hours a day on the weekends. That varries somewhat depending on my family's schedule. Righ now my evenings are tied up on Mon, Tues, and Wed. plus I'm tied up all day on Saturdays. This won't leave much time for WW until at least March.

Such is life....

[Jim Dunn]

ZERO,NONE,NINE,ZILCH,ARGGGGG!!!

Taking pain medicine for a pinched nerve in my back. Don't think shop time would be a good idea right now as my saw is moving around the room and I can't catch it:).

Supposed to get a spinal shot Friday. We'll see if shop time is in my future then.

[John M. Cioffi]

Also not enough shop time.

Depending on how much OT / Project time there is;maybe 2 hrs. after work & then most of Saturday - if the Wife doesn't have a bigger priority.
John

[George Summers]

Don't feel bad. I thought that once I retired, shop life would be a breeze. It ain't. Honey-Do list, work 2 days a week for pocket money, a couple of civic committees, a church committee, Masons (just finished a three year term as DDGM), once a week for golf, ocassional babysitting for grandkids, all equal to not near as much shop time as I would like. I still get about 20-24 hours a week, but would like 40.

George

[Roger Fitzsimonds]

I usually only get a couple of hours a couple of days a week due to kids sports and church. Then I get at least 1 day a weekend depending on what is going on. That adds up to 4 to 8 hrs on the week end. Not a lot but any time is better in the shop than out, except time with my daughter. She is my shop assistant.

Roger

[Jesse Sylvester]

no near what i would like maybe a few hours on satarday thats about it. the rest of my time is for my daughter and wife, and work. and my shops to small to have any be ongoing projects. so my next project will be making a bigger shop

[Jim DeLaney]

Well.... I'm gonna be the wisea** here. Since I'm retired, I can get eight or ten hours a day out there, whenever I want to.

Wife feels the same way about her quilting hobby. She has a 14 X 30 studio, with heat, AC, cable, and computer, so she can spend days at a time there, too.

[Jim Dunn]

Not enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Frank Pellow]

"...This thread should be turned into a poll so we could see how everyone measures up. I would enjoy that. I don't want to hijack the thread so I will let the originator look into that."

Mike - Go ahead and hijack this if you want! I considered a poll when I posted it but I did not want to limit responses to a specific criteria. I must say that I did expect to more participaton than this...

-- Kevin
We did have a poll on this last year. Look at the thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=23633&highlight=time

[Andy Hoyt]

Shop time is the day job. Also the evening job. Also the all nighter job.

Safe to say I get plenty; and there are days when I get way too much.

[Frank Pellow]

I am retired and most weeks I manage to put in about 40 hours to 60 hours on woodworking/renovation/construction. From November through April about 80% of that is in my shop, whereas from May through October, only about 20% is in my shop.

[J.R. Rutter]

I'm doing my best to keep it under 50 hrs / week!

[David Abel]

ZERO,NONE,NINE,ZILCH,ARGGGGG!!!

Taking pain medicine for a pinched nerve in my back. Don't think shop time would be a good idea right now as my saw is moving around the room and I can't catch it:).

Supposed to get a spinal shot Friday. We'll see if shop time is in my future then.

I recently had 2 shots in my neck due to a bulging disk. As the doc said, the first shot may not help, but the second shot, usually given 2-3 weeks later usually helps. That's what happened in my case. Pain clinic doctors are the specialists to administer such shots. Not only did I have pain radiating into my shoulder blade and arm, but my arm was extremely weak. It's been about 2 months since the injections and I'm doing better.
Good luck with your problem.

[Robert Waddell]

Andy said it the best. It's my day job, evening job and all the time job. Right now, because it is not the craftshow season I'm working about 40hrs. At present I'm building stage props, furniture, and building up craft inventory. Around March it will be around 60+ hrs a week and selling on the other days. I have at least a one day venue/show every weekend from March to Mid-Dec. I'm like a dog chasing it's tail. The more I sell the more I have to make. The more I make the more I have to sell. I get tired but never get tired of working wood.

[Gary Herrmann]

Probably somewhere between 5-8 hrs per week. I may be able to sneak some in if I don't have to run errands with the fam this afternoon...

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Hey guys, if you want more time in the shop, I have two suggestions;

One, lose the TV, kill it, burn it, sell it, put it on a coin operated timer, or, live in Japan, where TV is PAINFULL to watch (man it sucks!)

Two, sleep less......... :D I'll sleep when I'm dead!

My shop time really depends, sometimes I get as much as 4 or 5 hours a day, other times, I don't see the Dungeon for a week at a time :mad:

Life!

Cheers!

[Joe Unni]

At least 40 hours. Like Steve Clardy, I turned my hobby into a business though I'll never call it a job. It's too much like play!

-joe

[tod evans]

Hey guys, if you want more time in the shop, I have two suggestions;

One, lose the TV, kill it, burn it, sell it, put it on a coin operated timer, or, live in Japan, where TV is PAINFULL to watch (man it sucks!)

Two, sleep less......... :D I'll sleep when I'm dead!

My shop time really depends, sometimes I get as much as 4 or 5 hours a day, other times, I don't see the Dungeon for a week at a time :mad:

Life!

Cheers!

stu, i haven`t owned a television for years! so i wholeheartedly agree with you.:) the opiate of the masses......02 tod

[Byron Sellers]

One to two days a week. This winter I have spent more time on the internet than shop time. Have been learning so much from the forums, I hope this spring I will be able to pry from the computer and back to the shop.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Shop time is the day job. Also the evening job. Also the all nighter job.
Safe to say I get plenty; and there are days when I get way too much.

Like Andy for me.

In fact, I better get back...

Take care, Mike

[Jerry Todd]

Been retired almost three years now. The result is a lot of shop time. Have four projects going on now, A doll cradle & step stool for my grandaughter, some easy clocks for next years Christmas presents and some tissue box covers as gifts. Then some "keepsake" boxes for two grandsons and another blanket chest.
The only thing that keeps me out of the workshop is belonging to three motorcycle clubs and church.
RETIREMENT IS GOLDEN.

[John Viola]

Maybe, if I am lucky, 30 minutes a week. And that's just enough time to clean the rust off of everything before something more important comes up. Before i was married and had kids, well, maybe 30 hours a week. That seems like a very long time ago.

[Scott Rathburn]

I get about an hour in the morning 6:00 to 7:00 AM and after work about 5:00 To 6:00. Saturdays about 5 or six hours and Sundays family day.

[Tom Hamilton]

Between granddaughters, LOML tasks, church Bookstore and yard work, the shop time gets "worked in".

It's been interesting to watch how a project can develop with 15 minutes here, 2 hours there and so it goes.

Probably, a 2-3 hour stretch, uninterrupted, is the most that I've been able to put together.

No complaints, just the way our life works.

All the best in 06, Tom

[Scott Coffelt]

Not enough these days, work takes up way too much time, then there is travel time, cooking dinner, get kid in the bath, relax, quality time and then I am tired. So usually it is left to weekends for now, but they seem to packed. I did get about 6 hours in it today.

[Tom Drake]

Being retired I can spend as much time in my shop as I like. :)

[Russ Massery]

I get 6-8 hours a day on the weekends incl. friday's. When I don't work them (we work 4 -10 hr days) Not much during the week. But were real busy now till June. It's our busy season.

[Rob Millard]

TOO MUCH!
I'm in the shop each day by 6:00 AM or so, and quit each night a 4:30 PM. Plus I work about 4 hours most Saturday mornings. I do goof off a lot though, like this week I went for several one hour walks in the rain and snow, and I took an afternoon to go to the United States Air Force Musuem. I'm making up for that by working today (Sunday) for a few hours.
Rob Millard

[Eric Shields]

As I'm sure with all non professionals, I will probably never have/get enough time in the shop. Though as of now my shop is only a space, a lot of my time in the basement is spent planning what is going to come next, after that, and after that. My situation is one where basement transformation funds are at a minium at the moment. This should change this summer and I hope to start making noticeable progress. Of course that will be squeezed into the usual, "I want to change x, y, and z in our "new house." So for now, as I have been for many months, I will be living my woodworking life vicariously through each of you. So please, for my sanity, everyone up your shop time...lol.