Shop time in retirement

[David Larsen]

A question for those retired / semi-retired.

I would hope to spend more time in my shop when I retire.

I get a kick out of all these people that save every penny for retirement because they want to travel or do something in particular. Once they reach retirement they either die or their health is poor and they don't ever reach their dream.

I spend time in my shop now and would like to do more when I retire. I hope my health holds up so that I can see it through.

For those that have retired: Have you found the shop time you looked forward to or does something get in the way?

If you could do it all over again, what would you do different?

[Ron Jones near Indy]

I retired 2 days less than a year ago. My shop time has increased, but not as much as I had hoped it would. Work on the house, inside and outside, honeydo jobs, and helping my parents have seen to that. But that's ok with me. I had planed to do those things; in fact these things were part of the reason I retired--especially helping my parents. At their age every day spent with them or every phone call with them is a gift. I wouldn't change a thing. I'm in reasonably good health and feel the shop time will come.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

David,

You can find more time if you so desire. I retired at the end of January and we traveled somewhere every month so far. In fact, Monday morning at 0130, we returned from our latest trip to Houston. I am spending more time doing yard work right now. I just ordered more tools and hardware. I am getting ready to begin a new woodworking project.

[Chip Lindley]

You got me thinking. If travel funds were plenty, my plan would be to send HER travellilng. Then my shop time would increase exponentially.

Savings? If there was any, it is much less now due to our economic debacle. Even my paid-for home is worth much less than it should be. No sour grapes here; just facts. I am thankful indeed for the roof over my head.

But alas, it is not a perfect world in which we live. My shop time is best spent to supplement my retirement income. Beats being a Greeter at Wally World!

[Robert McGowen]

I retired a year and a half ago. I found that when I can do ANYTHING that I want to, I tend to end up with less shop time. Before retirement, I had to make time for the shop, but now that I can just walk out there whenever, I find that other things tend to eat into the shop time. YMMV

[John Morrison60]

David

I retired 3 years ago, and enjoy my wood working more than ever.
I took up the hobby 6 years ago after many years of home improvement projects.

I still very much enjoy the time that I now have.
It takes pressure off and enables me to methodically work at my projects.

I also made a decision that I would not "make do" with tools.
If I needed a particular tool for a project task, I would purchase it.
I have a lot of satisfaction with learning how to use the tools, and
with having the proper tools for tasks that I am doing.
I do not always buy new, and I have had a few miscues
(mortising jig for drill press, tenoning jig for T.S.)
but I have been thankful that I can do this.

My wife and I are pretty much homebodys, so I do not spend a lot of
time away from home. I try to go into the shop every day.

I do have other hobbys, but nothing that gets the time I devote to wood.

Welcome to retirement.
Good Luck.

John

[Larry Heflin]

I also hope to spend more time in the shop. June 4 at 12:00 noon ends 30+ years as a firefighter for me. Woodworking features big in my plans, but you know how that goes.

Larry

[Greg Moore]

I retired just over 7 yrs ago. Just prior to retirement, I built a new shop and started replacing my weekend commando grade tools (after raising two boys, they were wore out) with higher quality tools. My original intent was a hobby and a get-away space of my own.

That worked fine for the first few months. Neighbors and friends discovered my hobby and wanted to know if I could build a few things for them. I now spend 30+hrs a week in my one man cabinet shop. Five - six times a year, the wife and I leave for 2-3 weeks, just to relax. I have a very difficult time relaxing at home, when the shop is only 50' from the house. Of course since I enjoy my wood working, the shop is always calling ;-)

Good luck with your retirement

[anthony wall]

i retired 3 years ago and spent the first 2 years on moving and settling in a new country ,building a house to live in then building a holiday home at the beach ,i realy enjoyed those first two years then just before christmas i built myself a shop onto the house that we finished a year ago so that i could go back to my first love(woodworking).i am now building furniture again and loving it only problem is that everyone who finds out what i do and have done since arriving here now wants me to either build them a house or furniture , building houses is now much to heavy work for me though i will continue building furniture as long as i can or want to ,funny thing is that i expected to play much more golf than i did in the uk

[Rich Engelhardt]

If you could do it all over again, what would you do different?
I retire on Aug 19th of this year.

There's only one thing I'd have done different in leading up to it.

I would have spent more money on better tools instead of stuffing so much down the gullet of greedy slot machines! ;)
(to the tune of several thousand dollars....)

Well,, maybe two or three other things - like cigarettes & a river of suds....

In defense of all three of my "nasty habits", being an "ancient" in the IT field carries an unbelievable amount of stress. You have to run at full throtle 101% of the time, just to stay a few steps behind the younger people in the field.

[Lee Schierer]

I'll let you know in 36-1/2 days.....;)

[Myk Rian]

I retired 7 years ago at the ripe age of 55. Only then did I start building my shop.
I spend much of every day in it.

A heart attack got me into weight lifting. I just kept re-hab going on my own. Now I do the training program in our Senior center weight room.
JOIN YOUR SENIOR CENTER. There are always projects there a wood worker and handyman can do.

[Thomas L. Miller]

David,
I retired in 2010. Prior to retirement, I built a shop with an office (now a quilting room for my wife). The only thing I can add to the above comments is that I don't really know how I found time for work prior to retirement. I do get more shop time. I do now buy top quality tools. I do some projects for friends (mostly gratis). I do have a perpetual "honey do" list. I do some occasional consulting gigs. We do travel more. My wife and I just returned from a month in Spain and are trying to recover from jet lag. While on the way to Spain (we took a transatlantic cruise to get there) I spoke with many folks who have retired. None of them expressed a desire to return to the daily grind of corporate life. Many enjoy lifetime hobbies like woodworking, flying and even bicycle racing. I did conclude that your retired time is yours and the results are what you make of it. I also agree with all the posters who said that one of the most important retirement assets you can have is your health. You can look for your health to probably improve simply with the reduction of stress. Have a great time in retirement. It's great!
Tom

[Jerome Hanby]

I think I would want to have my shop setup before I retire. Would be a major bummer to break myself placing heavy equipment then have to depend on medicare to fix me.

[Jim Tobias]

Well, I have to jump in and say that I also will let you know(I am just barely beating out Lee)in 22 days. I have had my shop for 10 years and am looking forward to being able to spend time in there on my own schedule.
As others have mentioned, health is also very important so I want to:
1- retire while I still have good health
2 - Do all I can in retirement to maintain that health
After 39 years working in Athletics(30) and School Facilities Management (9), I am ready to make my own routine and schedule!:):):)

[Russell Sansom]

I retired 2.5 years ago from a fantastic job. Unfortunately, I had to take over my terminally ill father-in-law's business and the stress took away most of those couple years. As a reward during that time, I built up my tool set, brought in a small vertical mill and a lathe, and cleared the decks out in the shop. Late nights I stalked Craig's List for lumber and upgraded my 35 year-old lumber stash.
Finally, the business was restored and at Thanksgiving I set to work on several projects. It's the happiest I've been in recent memory.

Retirement has let me work in very focused bursts of a month or more, often from dawn to dinner. For me, the combinatorial puzzles of woodworking are much more enjoyable if they are uninterrupted. Having full days lets me adjust intelligently to arthritis, aging memory, diminished endurance, and faded lessons in safety. I anticipate being able to gradually keep up the match between my withering powers and what I want to accomplish as a craftsman and an artist.

A bit of a dark answer, perhaps. But I have found retirement very complex emotionally and I'm still stumbling around trying to figure how I fit in.

[David Larsen]

I am not retired yet. Just trying to look into that crystal ball to see if I am heading in the right direction. My shop is full of tools and I want to be ready when I get there.

I would hate to spend my time getting ready to find out that the grass on the other side is brown! lol

[Bruce Page]

In my mind the sweetest thing about retirement is being able to do what you want, when you want. I have spent more time in the shop but I have also been spending a lot more time doing yard work and catch up maintenance around the house.

The clock say’s it all:

[Jim Finn]

I retired from construction 11 years ago. I was working 32 hours a week the last 6 years I worked. I now play in my workshop about 5 hours a day 7 days a week. (life IS good)....hey! I am working/playing more hours now, than when I worked.

[Roy Turbett]

I built my shop before I retired 13 years ago. When I first retired I didn't use the shop as much as I thought I would because I had other projects like a cabin up north. That changed two years ago when I extended an open invitation to some friends at church to stop by once or twice a week for a little fellowship and woodworking we call "Shop Talk". I have anywhere from two to thirteen people show up for three hour sessions on Friday and Saturday mornings. My shop is 1200 SF and I have three lathes so there is enough room for everyone. I help my guests with their projects and save my woodworking for the other five days of the week. I really enjoy the company and it provides me with the social interaction that I used to get at my job before I retired. I also get alot of father and son teams that drop in as well as some home schoolers. And every other Wednesday night a group from my woodturning club take turns hosting each other for some woodturning and to share ideas. I'm having so much fun in the shop I've put the cabin up for sale.

[Bruce Page]

Wow Roy, that really sounds.....perfect!

[Carl Beckett]

Its not longevity of life that matters, its quality of life (at least thats my philosophy). So you dont want to always be 'waiting' to 'live', but enjoy your life as it is now (which doesnt mean you shouldnt prepare for a comfortable future).

Or as I once saw on a bar in Scotland:

If you give up cigarettes, whiskey, and women you dont live any longer......... it just seems longer.

:)

[Richard Wagner]

I have been retired (completely retired) for nearly ten years. Except while in recuperation mode after knee surgery, I have spent about 6-7 hours a day in the shop on week days. Even before retirement, I spent a good part of the week ends in the shop. I don't build a lot but I spend my time doing whatever tickles my fancy in the shop. These are truly the "golden years".

We have even considered selling the camper because we don't use it all that much - just not as fun as it once was. No argument from me, I'd just as soon hang out in the shop.

[Don Selke]

Retired 15 years ago after 32 years as a firefighter. I spend as much time in the shop as I can but have to shut down the three car garage shop for four months due to the heat here in AZ. Make room for the car as it is no fun getting into a car that has been sitting in the sun in 115+ degrees during the day. OK, I know it is a dry heat! I tried to apply some finish to complete a project when it was 110 outside and the finish was drying before it hit the material being sprayed. Work all fall,winter and spring with the garage doors open. At 72 years young, I still get a high off woodworking.

[John TenEyck]

When I was younger I often wistfully wished that when I got into my mid-fifties that my company would fall on some hard times and offer me a buyout. Guess what? It happened. Trouble was I was having the most fun of my
32 year career right about then. But the offer was just too good to pass up so
I took it. The first year was a blur of emotions. Every day was like a
vacation and my wife and I traveled a lot. I missed work, too, especially a few
of my coworkers and the problem solving that we did together. Fortunately, I
got a couple of woodworking commissions right as I retired and that gave me some
much needed focus and outlet for my energies, and I spent a lot of time in the
shop for 3 or 4 weeks at a time. Turns out I really like getting paid - and
selling furniture and doing trim work provides a small income - at least enough
to buy whatever tool I want without having to justify it. Three years into
retirement now I've stopped missing my former coworkers for the most part, although I
still stop in occassionally to have a cup of coffee and see what they're up to,
but going back full time sounds too much like work to even contemplate.
My parents are starting to slip now and that has highlighted how many
potential good years I have left. I'm looking at the bucket list with a very
focused eye towards the ones I need to do real soon or it won't happen.
Woodworking will remain a good part of the list, but there are a couple of other
things that I've got to find time for soon or make peace with myself for not
doing.

[Ole Anderson]

I retired last September. Didn't really get into the shop until after Christmas. But then I had time to really clean it up, install a dust collection system, and start on my first substantial WW project in a while.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?159135-Shop-Tour-New-DC-system&highlight

My shop time is usually seasonal, we live on a lake and yard projects and boat time as well as trips "up north" really put WW on the backburner for a while. But being retired, I am hoping to actually get into the shop this summer. Going to FL for 3 weeks in the fall and 6-8 weeks in the spring really cut into available free time as well as garage time working on my Jeep and friends and my boys cars. Oh, and both of my boys found themselves on their own in fixer-upper houses so I spend a good amount of my free time there, painting and whatever. But I am loving it! Don't know how I got everything done before. At least I am on my own schedule now.

[Forrest Bonner]

David, I agree with Myk about what to do in retirement. I was an engineer for forty years with the last many behind a computer or on an airplane. I had my heart attack while still working but was not particularly interested in exercise. I retired 6 years ago and suddenly exercise to extend my life and make working in the shop easier became important. I recommend joining a gym or the senior center (if they have equipment). I now go to Gold's Gym ($29 a month with AARP and in walking distance) 5 mornings a week for strength training and cardio. I feel much better even though it does cut into shop time what with house repair and lawn work. Heck, at 71 I can even manhandle 4x8 plywood up onto my TS - couldn't use to do that!
Forrest

[Dan Barber1]

I retired 2004 and have had some time in the shop but demands on my time do not let me get here as much as I would like. I live on a small farm and chores like grass and bush cutting, hours and hours of weed eating in the summer, having a garden and excursions to the nearest town-city for doctor visits and the wife's shopping excursions keep me occupied. Also, my mother is 95 and as an only child I have things to do at her house most days. Combine all that with the southern heat we are just now getting into and my preference for the air conditioning in the house (not the shop unfortunately) limits my shop time. Having said all that I'm now in the process of enlarging the shop by about 50%, doing a good bit of the work myself, which I hope indicates I will be there a lot more in the future. At 67 I wondered at the prudence of this but decided I would raher expect to be here and healthy for a good amount of time yet than to sit around expecting to die soon with nothing to do. I guess I think the increased shop time and the satisfaction it brings will help with the longevity issue. Within the next year or so I hope to really challenge my skills with a Maloof rocker. We'll see. Before that though my wife needs a cabinet for the utility room and I want to build a nice fancy cupola for the shop, as part of the remodeling and expansion. I think you can tell from this that, for me, woodworking and retirement are pretty nice bedfellows.

[Chris Cohick]

I am bringing back a dinosaur thread. Since joining the Creek, I have been doing more reading than posting, systematically going back in time to learn what I can. This thread in particular jumped out at me. I am 51 currently, and expect to never be able to afford to retire. However, reality is going to force the issue at some point. It is interesting to me to read about what some others have done in their retirement related to woodworking. There is some good advice in here.

[julian abram]

Chris this is a good thread, a lot of sage advice, glad you pulled it up again. I'm 61, thinking about what these members have said about retirement. I think about retirement but with a couple young daughters still at home not sure when and if it will happen for me. That being said, I started building a 16'x20' addition on to my shop this summer. I'm not sure I will live long enough to enjoy it during retirement but decided there is no reason I can't enjoy the extra space now.

[glenn bradley]

Not retiring for a few years yet. I will say that the anticipation of having more free time when I do retire has made me take a hard look at my lifestyle. I read way too many stories of folks who have the time but, have no energy or other health issues that rob them of this enjoyment. My diet, sleep and exercise regiment have moved way up in importance in my anticipation of having more time AND the health and wherewithal to spend it in the shop.

[daryl moses]

I've been retired going on seven years now. I stay busy here on my tree farm, seems their is always something to do. But unlike a "regular job" I enjoy my work now. If I want to spend a few days in the shop I do. I get bored easily, just can't seem to sit still for any length of time. The only time I really "rest" is if the wife decides we need a vacation and we get away from home. Even then after a few days i'm ready to get home and do something constructive. I swear, I don't know how I ever had time to get anything done when I was working.
Bored now, going to the shop............................

[Michael Koons]

Thanks for resurrecting this post Chris. I also do a lot of "reading" vs. "posting" here but I do post from time to time. I plan on spending much more time in the shop when I'm done but that's probably several years out. Reading this thread was very helpful for me.

[Stan Calow]

So far I am finding that I can spend a longer time once I am in the shop, but less total hours per week. Too many competing things to deal with.

[Michael Stein]

This has been a great read... I am nowhere near retirement (heck, many of you have had longer careers than I am in age), but if things keep going the way they do now, I will do two (three) things in retirement; fishing (boating) and woodworking. I live (moved to) a small coastal town in Eastern NC, and don't plan to ever move. I enjoy the area and my job (healthcare IT), now I just need a bigger shop! Ive got 25 years to get there... Congrats to all the recent retirees in this thread, seems to be many!

[Steve Peterson]

I am currently still working, but hopefully only for a couple more years. The past few years have been spent acquiring good tools and building a workshop around them so they are fully set up when I do retire. It can take a month or longer to finish a router table because I only get a few random hours to work on it. I am enjoying the journey.

Steve

[Ted Reischl]

My advice is to retire as soon as you can.

My brother was 3.5 years older than me. When I hit 52 I had the wherewithal to retire. He kept slugging it out even though he could have retired. He decided to retire when he was 62, his wife had a bit of a fit. She wanted him to hang in there until he was 65 so his SS check would be bigger. They did not need that extra money at all, my brother had done very well. Less than two years later he passed away from a major heart attack. He had always wanted to do woodworking, neanderthal style. He was getting good at it, beautiful dovetails. I still talk with his wife, she regrets him not having retired earlier. His job was very stressful with a ton, and I mean a TON of travel, like every week for at least 3 nights.

Anyway, I used my shop to renovate a victorian home and build quite a bit of stuff. But I am not interested in furniture building anymore, and not interested in doing it for profit at all. What I am interested in is CNC machines. Worked with them my entire career. So, when my lovely wife finally decided she had had enough of corporate crazy, we headed for NC so she could be close to the beach and we could enjoy the warm weather.

We built a shop in the back, half is hers, the other half mine with a wall between them. I have downsized now to a 14 X 28 area with 9 foot ceilings. It has A/C, Heat and a decent stereo. A very comfortable place. 5 windows for light. Most days I spend at least 3-4 hours out there. Lately I have been making molds on the CNC for her pottery hobby. Added a 4th axis to the machine I built. All of this keeps me moving about and my mind busy solving problems. Most people who meet me think I am about 60, I am 67. I had my heart attack over 25 years ago. I decided pretty quickly after that I would live like I was going to be around forever and not drive myself crazy trying to plan for dying. That was a good move, cause 25 years later, I am still here.

The way I see it, I am not at all worried about someone having to "clean out my shop" after I die. Told the wife, unless she wants to use my half, leave it the way it is and let the heirs worry about. If they want to gripe, fine, we won't be around to hear it. Besides, anyone who cleans it out will get a lot of really good tools, or they will make quite a few bucks selling the stuff.

So, basically, my advice is: Get out of the corporate/work life as soon as you can afford to, get on with living YOUR life. YOUR life is NOT doing the bidding of some corporate muckity muck who has figured out he can make more money by riding your back and he will get to retire earlier.

[Frederick Skelly]

Not retiring for a few years yet. I will say that the anticipation of having more free time when I do retire has made me take a hard look at my lifestyle. I read way too many stories of folks who have the time but, have no energy or other health issues that rob them of this enjoyment. My diet, sleep and exercise regiment have moved way up in importance in my anticipation of having more time AND the health and wherewithal to spend it in the shop.

Really good points Glenn!

[Brad Barnhart]

I retired from OTR trucking 3 years ago after 35 yrs in the saddle. I had health issues at that time, & was unable to pass a DOT physical. There wasn't going to be an easy fix to my issues, so I turned in my keys, & began working on my health. My shop was, for the most part, set up w/all the tools I needed. Little did I know after retirement, major back surgery was in my future. I spent the first 14 months in rehab & recuperating from surgery. Since that time, I spend all the time I can in the shop doing ww. I do a lot of scroll work, lathe work, & whatever my grandkids think they need made. Along with whatever my bride has lined out for me. I am on my own schedule, & love it!! Its been said many times not to walk into our "golden years" with tall expectations. I didn't. I just take things a day at a time, a project at a time, and it is what it is. My Father always said "too soon old, too late smart." I think about that a lot, & think what would I do different? Nothing. I've been in every state in the country, seen all I wanted to see, now it's my time to do what I like to do.

[Mike Henderson]

If I could have worked longer, I would have. No health issues, I was caught in the tech wreck and another job would have meant moving, which I would not do (I live in Paradise). I get a fair amount of shop time but other things take my time. Overall, I'm satisfied with what I'm able to do, and the amount of shop time I get.

Mike

[James Baker SD]

A lot less time than I had hoped due to failing health (bad and getting worse lungs). The energy levels just are not there. Can still do almost anything I want, just not for very long. In this and my other hobby, I see a lot of classifieds selling wood machines or astronomy gear due to poor or declining health. I am buying like crazy while I still have enough health to enjoy it at least some. Every day is different and I just make the best of those days when I feel good.

[Stephen C Cunningham]

Though still working, I feel like I'm retired. I can't imagine putting a star on the calender and calling it quits.
I guess it's about balance. I would love to spend more time in the shop, I really enjoy the solitude. Family time of course is very important. Monday remains my favourite day of the week. My clients are like friends so work makes up the bulk of my social life. I may slowly start to retire one day. God willing the choice will be mine.
What we really need is a 30 hour day.

[Gregory King]

This thread has been a great read. Should pop=up every couple of months. Brad, You made some good points for those retiring. My wife and I are retiring at the end of Sept. from the same workplace. Few if any have done that at our local university. Both of us are looking forward to a change of pace. Two hours on the road each day won't be missed. Two grand sons that we see everyday grow-up, will be well worth it. Have my garage shop pretty much setup. Now, I can finish rebuilding my 14" General planer I bought a few years back. [Pictures Too]. I want to replicate some of the items that Norm built over the years. Don't plan to sell many, as my daughter will likely want them. They love the old furnishings. Lots of good info above from those retired, and ones who will soon. Good health to all and enjoy your pastimes. Greg

[Chris Parks]

Life takes some funny turns when you retire and the body is getting older. I retired having said that with the extra time and no need to commit to anything else I would lose some weight and do some WW. I lost 12KG in a few months but then began to have problems with my shoulders so the doc ordered some scans. Then the fun started, I was eventually diagnosed with a Thymus Mass in my chest and it had nothing to do with the shoulder issues just an accidental finding. It turns out that this problem is on the rare side of things and the medical profession don't know a lot about it other than to operate and try and remove it. Well the op was a failure so onto plan B, radiation therapy to try and reduce its size. That damaged my lungs to some extent as the doctors said it would so I am left with a reduced breathing capacity and it takes twelve months for the mass to react to the treatment. Around Christmas this year I will have an answer as to what is going on. As long as I am still vertical life is good.

[Erik Manchester]

I am not retired yet, but with 32+ yrs in a military career the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. I have always been a woodworker, grew up in the house of one, and inherited a bunch of my grandfather's tools when he passed.

Moving the shop every few years was never fun, nor was moving cast iron into or out of a basement shop. Two years ago I moved for the last time and we bought a place in the country in beautiful Prince Edward Island, Canada on 10 acres with a 28 x 36' two story outbuilding that became my shop. Finally a shop on grade, no more basements!

After some serious upgrade to the power (100A to 400A) for the property and replacing oil fired appliances with geothermal heat pumps I am enjoying a cozy warm shop no matter how cold the winters get (and the last two winters have had over 14' of snow).

I am only home on weekends until I retire and when the weather is nice I always have outdoor home improvment or maintenance projects on the go as the house was built in 1912 and cedar shingles are mostly original. Shop time is mostly in the winter for now.

I have installed a used 15 hp rotary phase converter in the shop and a transformer so I can run industrial grade eqpt (600v 3 ph in Canada) and I have found time to pick up some older large tools now that I will not have to move the shop.

I enjoy the restoration of these old tools as they will give me many years of satisfaction and certainly outlast me. My SIL is a carpenter and I tell him to build a big shop as my daughters will not want many of these tools when I am gone.

I have likely a year left before I retire and start to spend a lot more time in the shop and get to build an apartment above it for family and friends to use when visiting.

I have many ideas for projects and hope to live long, and well, so that I can get at least half of them done.

[David Linnabary]

I'm about a year out from retiring, spent the last few years slowly upgrading my shop and some of the equipment in anticipation. The lesson for me came from living much of my life single only to meet the love of my life in my mid 40's, we had some good years before cancer took her at 54. Now in my late 50's, I'm in a good situation financially to retire and looking at the opportunity to be retired like a very precious gift. I have plenty of hobbies that are active outdoor types and I have good health at this point to enjoy them with. I'm thinking that the shop will get most of my time in deep winter and peak summer when it's not as enjoyable for hiking, biking and kayaking.

I think building will be a lesser focus for my shop even though it's setup well for that, rather restoration work may be where my interests are, possibly even reproduction. Also I very much like what one of the first posters in the thread described about making his shop available to others in the community, church, etc. I think teaching and facilitating would be very fulfilling.

The way I imagine a day in my retired life would be to get out first thing in the morning for some exercise on the bike, etc. for an hour or two, back to the house for a few hours of shop time, the afternoon catch up on household duties and napping :) the late afternoon and evening would be social, outside the home activities.

David

[Erik Manchester]

David, If you allowing others to use your shop, I would review your existing insurance policy carefully with your agent to be sure that you are covered against any unfortunate accidents.

[mark mcfarlane]

A timely thread for me, thanks for bumping this.

I'm retiring 'sometime in the next 18 months'. Might be this Fall, might be Spring of 2017. Haven't been sleeping much lately trying to decide if its time to quit saving and start spending. My son is going house hunting for me today in Texas with a realtor (We're currently living in the Middle East). We have a house in Texas but not with a big enough shop space and very little land. I've been working on 3D models for the past few weeks, with 3-4 hours of sleep a night, trying to figure out how to do what I want to do on my current postage stamp parcel of land (with an awesome lake and golf course view). The wife is a golf nut, she's out golfing now under the lights.

Anyway, thanks everyone for sharing. There couldn't have been a better time for me to listen to your stories.