How old are you and are you passing on a woodworking legacy?

[Jon Grider]

Perhaps I'm wrong but I get the feeling that many of of us Creekers are baby boomers or older.I hope the noble craft of making sawdust does not die off as we do. So how 'bout a sound off of your age and more importantly have any of your children or grandchildren become woodworkers because of your influence?

I'll start . I'm 63 and have been woodworking for nearly 40 years. My daughters had little interest in wwing, and my son who recently moved out of state had little interest in wwing while he was growing up. However now that he's two + hours away, he has found a new interest in making wooden items. Go figure, better late than never I guess.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Just shy of 70. Taught shop for 5+ years. One son owns a home repair business, and other owns a heavy equipment repair business. Have a grandson who is a very talented woodworker in the building trades.

[Lee Schierer]

Approaching 68, neither one of my children have shown an interest in wood working. So far none of the grandchildren have either.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Lee and I are the same age. None of my children have shown an interest. However, I have introduced a number of locals to the fun of turning wood. They went on to buy their own lathes and tools.

[daryl moses]

67 here, neither of my children have shown an interest [except for the items I make for them] Just one Grandson who I thought might take up turning on the lathe. We made a couple of deer calls together and he did a great job but unfortunately hasn't shown much interest since. He's got a lot on his plate now so hopefully he will take it up later on. My wife is kinda "crafty" and likes making "stuff" she has done some spindle work and turned a small bowl.
It does worry me some wondering what I will do with all my equipment when it comes time to hang up my safety glasses. I would love to pass it on to someone who shares my passion for wood working.

[Steve Kohn]

I'm 67. I have two sons and a daughter. The daughter showed no interest in the shop. Both sons have spent time in the shop and know their way around. However each son has children younger than 7,full time jobs, and their own houses to maintain. I do take the grandkids into the shop for simple projects.

[Leo Graywacz]

Buncha old farts. And I thought I was old. 55 here. 2 boys. Early on they liked going into the shop to play with tools and mostly the dust collection. Throw a pile of dust on the floor and they'd suck it up. Over and over.

Little interest in woodworking. Even though they see the amazing things that I can make. Tried to teach them things like repair and just basic fixing stuff, the logical order of troubleshooting. No interest, so sad.

[Earl Rumans]

I'll be 72 this fall and nobody to pass anything on too. None of my 4 children, or any of my grandchildren, have any interest in woodworking.

[Wade Lippman]

64. My sons would rather die than do anything I do. Really.

[Tony Pisano]

Just turned 64.my son andcousin's son used to come in the shop and have me cut stuff for them when they were young. Later on my son learned the basics and we made a few things together like shelves, boxes and an entertainment center. We also did some carving together. He also has an artist's eye and does a lot of drawings and paintings. He went on to trade school and worked for a few contractors and then we did handyman and light remodelling work together for some years. He now works full time for General Dynamics and is looking for his own place and when he finds it, he'll have the skills to do the work himself.

[Darcy Warner]

37, all my kids enjoy everything to do with the shop, machines, repair work, running lumber, hauling equipment, auctions, etc. My oldest is 11 and wants to learn how to set up my moulders.

[Keith Westfall]

67 - no one really interested. Grand-kids do a bit but everyone's busy it seems.

They'll have to one day when they have to clean and sort my tools!!

[Andrew Hughes]

52 here we have four adult kids.Three grand kids 11yr 2 yr 1 yr old.My wife and I are guardians of our oldest Vincent and has been with us since he was two.
Nobody in my family tree is interested in learning how to work wood.My shop is my space we have a very busy house so it works well for me.:)

[Tom Giacomo]

I am 78 started woodworking at 30. My son is an arborist and does chainsaw carving, he is 51, as an arborist he gets me most of my turning wood but I have to keep reminding him, kids what are we going to do with them.

[Larry Anderson]

75 here, neither of my kids show any interest. But i am very pleased that they, their friends and other family members greatly appreciate things I have made for them.

[Adam Petersen]

38 here, both of my kids love spending time in the shop with me, but it doesn't last very long. When I am working hands on with them individually they last longer. I think at their age it's the love of interaction with me vs the love of actually making something. I think if I can generate some good memories for them in the shop they'll carry those on into adulthood and hopefully keep it alive in the family.

[James Baker SD]

68 here. nature decided my wife and I were to remain childless, so I will pass on none of my interests or hobbies, but at least I have years of pleasure from woodworking, and fond memories of working with my Dad in his garage workshop when I was young.

[Michael J Evans]

Dang you guys are old ;)

I'm 25 have a 5 and a 3 year old. The 5 year old doesn't care much but the 3 year old loves to come in and break stuff, I don't care just happy he's out there with me.

My kids arn't old enough and I haven't been doing it long enough to have a legacy. Maybe when I get older I'll care, but as long as they're doing something good in life, I'll be happy.

[Steve Eure]

I am 56. Started WWing when I was 12. Did a little off and on up until 3 years ago. Now that I'm retired its my #1 hobby, pretty much in the shop daily. Have 3 grown girls who aren't interested in wwing. They're always wanting me to build stuff for them though. Have 2 grands, a boy and girl, ages 9 and 8 who occasionally piddle in the shop with me, but not real interested at this time. Hope that changes in the near future.

[Rich Engelhardt]

65 & my grandson is going to trade school to become a general contractor :).
He left his job at McDonalds this Summer to work for a plumber.
My wife and I are tickled pink he's choosing to take a trade path.

[Wayne Lomman]

I'm 57 with 3 adult kids. Been woodworking for the majority of my life, with a mix of heavy industrial work thrown in to pay the bills here and there. My eldest son loves woodworking, so does my daughter from a design perspective and my youngest son is perfectly capable at it but doesn't make the time. I have trained plenty of apprentices over the years, even had one win apprentice of the year. These days I spend a bit of time making my expertise available here. I leave others to judge the the value of that... Cheers!

[Larry Edgerton]

My wife just had a surprise 60th birthday party for me, and half a dozen guys I trained showed up. They are all in business for themselves now, and a couple have sons working with them, so ya, I guess I do.

My three daughters, not so much.....

[Martin Wasner]

36

No children

[Phillip Gregory]

32 with a 3 year old daughter and a baby boy. My daughter likes to come into the shop and play with little pieces of scrap wood, so maybe. The little guy is too young to tell yet.

[Matt Day]

37 and a 3 and 4 year old who love the shop. A little too young to start much but they like doing projects at my bench like putting painters tape all over my drills. If that keeps then busy and I can clean up that's fine with me! I try to get them involved in all my house and car projects hoping it will run off on them.

[mark mcfarlane]

60 here. My son had no interest in anything like woodworking. He was a large motor skill kid and a great athlete. My daughter used to help me in the shop when she was growing up. She is now fearless. Is remodeling her own home with her husband, set her own toilet, hangs drywall,...

[Brian Henderson]

51 and my kids aren't interested. They're creative in their own way, but don't care about working with wood.

[Mike Henderson]

Old as dirt here, and all I'll pass along is the furniture I made. So I try to make things that will last.

Mike

[jack forsberg]

I can't see how we woulds pass anything along with all the bouquet schools the boomer has created to train old farts. Dead end if you ask me . Woodworking has become a FASHION INDUSTRY . Lots of dead wood out there. the younger are not interested in taking the time it take to get the skill. they just want to build with the guidance of Goggle. heads think different today ! "I got an I phone so I do not have to learn a thing" 55 with a 21 year old intern in the shop this summer

[Mel Fulks]

I'm 69. Passing on knowledge often with pithy phrases like "damn...that's ugly", " what kind of nut designs a house with 21 different sized windows just on the FRONT",and "you've worn out ANOTHER set of kitchen cabinets". I have an engineer son who lets me help him with stuff. Don't think he's taking any notes

[Yonak Hawkins]

I'm 67 and I, finally, have gotten to the point where I feel I can retire from woodworking. Even though I kept telling my customer I am retiring, he keeps sending me orders which I feel obligated to fill. I finally told him this is the last order and I won't continue. Unfortunately for him, he cannot find anyone to replace me. I really don't know what he's going to do ; I've tried to find someone for him, but no luck. I think he may be hoping I will cave.

I will probably keep my tools for now as there are always wood projects to do but I won't keep up the pace I have kept and only for personal projects for our house and our friends. With no children in my family my plan is to, at some point, give my shop, in whole, to some young craftsman who impresses me, whom I have not met yet.

[Leo Graywacz]

Triple your prices.

[David T gray]

I'm 67 and I, finally, have gotten to the point where I feel I can retire from woodworking. Even though I kept telling my customer I am retiring, he keeps sending me orders which I feel obligated to fill. I finally told him this is the last order and I won't continue. Unfortunately for him, he cannot find anyone to replace me. I really don't know what he's going to do ; I've tried to find someone for him, but no luck. I think he may be hoping I will cave.

I will probably keep my tools for now as there are always wood projects to do but I won't keep up the pace I have kept and only for personal projects for our house and our friends. With no children in my family my plan is to, at some point, give my shop, in whole, to some young craftsman who impresses me, whom I have not met yet.

i am young and like free things !

[Jon Grider]

Well this thread confirms my thoughts that there is a high percentage of us curmudgeons here. It is nice that a few of our offspring have an interest in woodworking and that some of the younger members are passing on their knowledge to their kids. Perhaps woodworking will follow the path of film photography with technology changing the landscape for the majority. Maybe a remnant of old school woodworkers that use band saws,lathes, and hand tools will survive just like a small group of die hard film users have survived with their Leica's and medium and large format cameras. Thanks to all who replied.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jon,

There could be a revival too! Take music, for example. Today it was announced that Sony was going to start stamping out vinyl records again. Who knows?

The ONLY 2 things guaranteed in life.....death and change.......from the moment you are born.

[Darcy Warner]

I have a ton of pictures with my kids in the shop, at auctions, running a RAS, drill press, creating things, driving the fork lift, etc.

[Joe Calhoon]

62, kids are on good career paths and not much chance they want to take over the shop. Things can always change though. My daughters worked in the shop some mostly office and CAD. My son and I have built skis together he designed. He just purchased a house with a big garage and I am setting up a vintage Delta shop for him.
like Larry I had a lot of good employees over the years and some have their own shop now.

In semi retirement I do some teaching and consulting with plans to work wood as long as I can.

[Martin Wasner]

In semi retirement I do some teaching and consulting with plans to work wood as long as I can.

I'm curious what you consult on Joe. I'm at an awkward spot in my business, I'm working way too many hours and wearing too many hats.

[lowell holmes]

It's not a legacy but I have four children that have rocked my grandchildren in chairs that I built.
I have a grandson showing interest in woodworking, so who knows.

I must be older than most of you and I just celebrated 81.

[Martin Wasner]

I have a ton of pictures with my kids in the shop, at auctions, running a RAS, drill press, creating things, driving the fork lift, etc.

I grew up a farm kid. I can fix most things, I know that hard work doesn't mean swinging the hammer, it means driving the nail. My wife and I can't have children, but if we could I'd want them to have those skills to change a water pump in a parking lot or know that it doesn't matter that you're tired, it's late, and that'll likely need stitches, because you need to grind whatever grist the mill requires. With that said, if I did have kids, I'd never wish this life upon them.

[Eric Rimel]

I turn 50 this year. I've been a cabinetmaker/furniture maker for 30-ish years. I've taught woodworking/metals/CAD/CNC for the last 12+ years......so I've passed what I could to about 1200 people so far.

[Jon Grider]

Jon,

There could be a revival too! Take music, for example. Today it was announced that Sony was going to start stamping out vinyl records again. Who knows?

The ONLY 2 things guaranteed in life.....death and change.......from the moment you are born.

Pretty cool, Ken. I was aware that there was still a vinyl cult following.Sony's plans should build interest even more, and then they can produce a new line of turntables to play the new vinyl on.Coincidentally, a young late 20's girl at work asked me to build a mid century style vinyl album holder for her this past week. So yes,maybe there is hope for a wwing revival as well.

[Bryan Lisowski]

I'm 40, I am sure my son would like to come in the shop, but I just don't trust him, he is 11 and has very severe ADHD. I bought him this little woodwork kit to make a picture frame box. When I walked back in, he is trying to saw his arm, hence little trust.

[Darcy Warner]

I grew up a farm kid. I can fix most things, I know that hard work doesn't mean swinging the hammer, it means driving the nail. My wife and I can't have children, but if we could I'd want them to have those skills to change a water pump in a parking lot or know that it doesn't matter that you're tired, it's late, and that'll likely need stitches, because you need to grind whatever grist the mill requires. With that said, if I did have kids, I'd never wish this life upon them.

I want mine to learn whatever they want to, are interested in. My oldest wants to learn how to set up a moulder and grind knives.
She has been cataloging my inventory of parts I have laying around. I told her she could start listings them for sale and I would give her 20%.

They love figuring out how things work and what they do.

[Jim Andrew]

I am 65, looks about average for this group. My elder son was pretty good at doing trim work when he was around, my daughter took wood shop in school, my younger son is a plumber, and not interested in wood. Who knows about the grandkids? The girls are less than excited now, at 10 and 12, but they used to hang out in the shop and would glue blocks to a piece of plywood. They also did artwork on scraps. Have been telling them to try woodworking in school, the older will be in 7th grade next year, and they have a course available. I had an ancestor who was a apprenticed cabinetmaker in England, before coming to America, maybe I am his legacy?

[Mel Fulks]

Darcy,good luck to your daughter on getting a moulder job. As knife grinding has gotten easier the product has suffered and the machines are being abused and replaced at a much faster rate. If she will resist the path of deciding that some procedures and maintenance practices "ain't neccesary" she will have her choice of employments and the best reputation around.

[Mark Schmit]

49, I started my 12 year old daughter on the lathe at 10 as I was taught. I also teach Industrial Education (very skill development oriented) at the same school that I attended where my dad taught. I just went back to teaching after fifteen years of owning my own business as a general contractor.

[Phillip Gregory]

Jon,

There could be a revival too! Take music, for example. Today it was announced that Sony was going to start stamping out vinyl records again. Who knows?

The ONLY 2 things guaranteed in life.....death and change.......from the moment you are born.

The quote actually goes "there are only two things that are guaranteed in life, death and taxes." My experience is that is absolutely true, "change" does happen but when you see the same things in a slightly different wrapper come around every decade or three and then predictably leave, actual durable change is not that common. If you said "death and fads," I would 100% agree with you. Otherwise, wouldn't we be simply getting our projects made by a Star Trek replicator or at the very least, using computer controlled laser beams instead of 1800s technology circular saw blades and motors to cut our wood?


Well this thread confirms my thoughts that there is a high percentage of us curmudgeons here. It is nice that a few of our offspring have an interest in woodworking and that some of the younger members are passing on their knowledge to their kids. Perhaps woodworking will follow the path of film photography with technology changing the landscape for the majority. Maybe a remnant of old school woodworkers that use band saws,lathes, and hand tools will survive just like a small group of die hard film users have survived with their Leica's and medium and large format cameras. Thanks to all who replied.

Photography is really an art. Digital photography fortunately brought SLRs from unaffordable to buy and operate in the film days to a price point where someone who is interested can pretty easily get an okay enough camera and get into the field. A guy with an entry level crop sensor camera and a nifty fifty but some talent can easily take better looking pictures than a guy with a five figure medium format camera and many thousands of dollars in lenses but minimal artistic talent. I would say unlike woodworking, photography is *much more* popular today vs. back in the day. Woodworking requires some art but considerable skill and usually a considerable investment in equipment and shop space.

[lowell holmes]

I am the oldest so far.:)

I plan on making 90.

[Darcy Warner]

Darcy,good luck to your daughter on getting a moulder job. As knife grinding has gotten easier the product has suffered and the machines are being abused and replaced at a much faster rate. If she will resist the path of deciding that some procedures and maintenance practices "ain't neccesary" she will have her choice of employments and the best reputation around.

She is only 11, very eager to learn.
She has taken over crating machines for me this summer.

[Jon Shank]

45 here, my brother at 48 years is also a woodworker and was really digging playing on my lathe last time he visited too. My wife and I don't have any kids but my brothers son and daughter have both shown some interest, the daughter more than the son last time me and my brother talked about it.

I'm just going to say here that I haven't read through the whole thread so this is just my take on it without having seen what others might have said after the second or third page. But, actually from reading around alot of forums and Facebook groups for a decade or better I have the impression that woodworking generally and more specifically hand tool woodworking are making a kind of come back. A Facebook group specifically aimed at hand tool woodworkers (Galoots, Neanderthals, unplugged woodworkers) that I've been reading for several years now has had a controlled explosion of new people and activity in the last year or two, from about 350-400 people 3 years ago to over 14000 now. Which is great and has been enlightening and amusing in a lot of different ways. Other than the fact that the price of good quality, used hand tools have spiked up in a pretty huge way, I think it's a great sign for the woodworking world in general. And if you look at some of the woodworking literature, both in books and magazines out there from Mortise and Tenon magazine(I'm positive I just spelled that wrong but I'm tired) and Lost Art press just for a couple of examples, there's a pretty huge amount of interest. I think we can be fairly sure woodworking as a hobby and even as a vocation isn't going anywhere real soon. Take heart wood butchers, I think we're solid.

Jon

[Chris Wdowiak]

I am 46 years old, fairly new to woodworking, but have build some outdoor furniture. Been a home handy man most of my life. Can fix a lot of things around the house. My 12 year old son loves the lathe and scroll saw. Even my 19 year old daughter likes to use the scroll saw. I like that they are interested in it. It keeps my son off the video games. Seeings how most high schools in California do not have shop class anymore, I try to get him in my shop so he can learn some life skills.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Today it was announced that Sony was going to start stamping out vinyl records again.

I have a hard time understanding this.

[Yonak Hawkins]

i am young and like free things !

I used to buy ash lumber from a farmer named David Gray. You don't live in Bowden, Georgia, do you ?

[Bill Dindner]

I must be on the younger end of the spectrum here. Just 32, have 3 young children, oldest is five. They are too young too tell, but my oldest daughter seems to take an interest.

I picked up wood working 3 years ago, independently of any friends and family, so I don't have much sentiment of passing on a tradition or anything like that. I enjoy it, and would be nice to share it with my kids when they get older if they are interested.

[Mike Ontko]

56 here and I started around 9 or 10, making boxes and birdhouses out of orange crates that my dad would bring home. My grandfather was the one with a shop and that's where I caught the bug from, and my first tool box. I took woodshop class in the 7th and 9th grades, and then life took a series of other turns until I was in my fourties. But I was doing home renovation and remodeling (as a sideline and not as a career) up until just 4 years ago. I have two daughters. The eldest got her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2013, with a focus on printmaking-stone lithography. She's stayed active in the art world, but more from an academic perspective than an entrepenurial one. About a year ago she took up a position as an assistant to a Seattle area sculptor, John Grade, working on a project of his titled, Middle Fork (http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/exhibitions/middlefork). The project involved about 4-6 months of cutting and then gluing short segments of cedar around a casting that had been made of a 140-year old Western Hemlock. Once glued, each segment of the pre-assembled tree structure had to be sanded largely by hand (mostly with ROSs). The finished piece is over 110 feet in length. I can't imagine a worse way to be introduced to woodworking--sanding for 6 to 8 hours a day for all that time, but she managed to catch the bug and is already working on another related project.

[Mel Fulks]

I am the oldest so far.:)

I plan on making 90.
It's late and you are probably tired from wrestling a bear.....tomorrow you will reassess and say 100!

[Mark Canada]

I'm 32, my son passed away last year.

I have hope that if we are lucky enough to have another chance, my child will take it up - it seems to be genetic from my Mum's side. I don't have anything to do with my extended family, we've always lives thousands of kilometres apart - but my Mum's brothers all have wood shops or woodworking businesses, and my grandfather on her side was big into woodworking. It's been hard to get tools out of my hands every since I could hold them, be it wood or otherwise. My wife's side of the family are all technical hands on people too, father in law was an engineer and now a skilled fine art painter in his retirement. I'm an engineer - can't stop designing and building things!

[Larry Edgerton]

It's not a legacy but I have four children that have rocked my grandchildren in chairs that I built.
I have a grandson showing interest in woodworking, so who knows.

I must be older than most of you and I just celebrated 81.

All of my grandkids slept in cribs that I made. Lost a finger while making one.

[Roger Marty]

I'm 40. Started last year and went on a terror completing several projects. Slowing down because I realized I was spending more time in the shop than with my 9- and 7- year old. I figure I'll have plenty of time on my hands when the kids are all grown up. They show little interest in anything outside of iPads, etc.

[Kevin Jenness]

35 years of custom cabinetmaking and architectural woodworking with a minor in furniture, easing into turning and boxmaking with cnc assist. Of my two sons, one is a traveler and the other has become a talented timber framer- not sure what he may have gained from me other than a love of building beautiful and useful things.363050363051

[Russell Stanton]

I am 73 and have 3 sons and 6 grandchildren. Each one of the sons and grandchildren have turned a pen as a minimum. One son has gotten into turning after his son won a lathe at the Atlanta AAW symposium. Another son is in the process of building a dining room table from a natural edge slab, did all the flattening with hand planes and sanders.

[Jon Grider]

The quote actually goes "there are only two things that are guaranteed in life, death and taxes." My experience is that is absolutely true, "change" does happen but when you see the same things in a slightly different wrapper come around every decade or three and then predictably leave, actual durable change is not that common. If you said "death and fads," I would 100% agree with you. Otherwise, wouldn't we be simply getting our projects made by a Star Trek replicator or at the very least, using computer controlled laser beams instead of 1800s technology circular saw blades and motors to cut our wood?



Photography is really an art. Digital photography fortunately brought SLRs from unaffordable to buy and operate in the film days to a price point where someone who is interested can pretty easily get an okay enough camera and get into the field. A guy with an entry level crop sensor camera and a nifty fifty but some talent can easily take better looking pictures than a guy with a five figure medium format camera and many thousands of dollars in lenses but minimal artistic talent. I would say unlike woodworking, photography is *much more* popular today vs. back in the day. Woodworking requires some art but considerable skill and usually a considerable investment in equipment and shop space.

Photography is an art. Agreed. Digital photography opened up a new door with better pics than the old AE1's could provide. And overall, yes, because of digital, photography is growing. My statement above concerned film photography, which I still practice. I'd have to say though that there are probably very few film photographers left who have invested heavily in good equipment that are not artistically inclined. The nature of the craft dictates a measure of strong artistic awareness and the ability and knowledge to create the image they see through the viewfinder and translate that to film and then develop that into a print. I'm not talking about the family get together photos taken with an old Kodak Brownie, that is not what I would call art. Neither would I call art the images created by the lady with a basketball sized expensive Nikon digital camera on a recent Pictured Rocks boat tour. She had her camera set in machine gun mode and was infuriatingly popping up at the most inopportune moments for everyone else's viewing perspective and blasting off hundred's of images in bursts. No composition, no focus, no skill. That's not art either. Also, woodworking is such a varied and personal experience. Creating boxes for kitchen cabs may not be an art form, but I would absolutely call Krenov, Maloof, and many others "artists" in the truest sense of the word. I would not hesitate to call "art" the works of many here on SMC. We have some incredibly talented and creative turners, box makers, and furniture builders in our midst, and the work they do requires a very developed artistic ability to go along with the skills they have developed.

Sorry for the side show, I'll try to stay on topic. I'm finding it very interesting hearing about fellow Creekers.

[Al Launier]

Like Martin I also grew up as a "farm kid" and learned the benefits of "hard work", "making do", "fixing things". This led to becoming an all around handyman involving woodworking, plumbing, electrical, gardening (5 acres), raising various farm animals & 10,000 chickens (ugh). Fortunately I'm no longer into farming, a tough living. But, I never lost my desire to fix or make things, especially with wood.

This background evolved into hobbyist woodworking and at the age of almost 75 (10/1st) I enjoy making unique projects for my wife, daughter, relatives & friends. Unfortunately, or not, my woodworking interests were not enjoyed by others, so my only legacy will be the things I made & gave as memorabilia.

[Adam Herman]

30, no kids. My wife and I enjoy remodeling our homes and hopefully someday our kids will learn to work in the shop. My Grandfather and my Dad owned a midsize? door and trim business that I worked in during middle and high school. I learned a lot from them. The biggest thing I learned, is that there is a way to do or fix anything, you just have to work at it till you figure out that way. we worked on cars, restored a Century Coronado, built cabinets, built most of the machines in the door factory and repaired all manner of things.

I want to learn more on the furniture side, as I have done mostly home stuff.

[Bill McNiel]

I'm 68 and have been making "stuff" all my life. I got my Journeyman's card in Carpentry at 19 and worked my way through Architectural School at USC as a carpenter. My maternal grandfather was a carpenter. My wife had her own woodshop when I met her. As a "side project" I have been renovating the 100 yr old barn we live, play and work in for 36 years.

My 40 yr old daughter is a nationally renowned tattoo artist and does amazing watercolors as well (I don't have a drop of ink on me). I always maintained that Architecture is the most expensive art form so she had to one up me by pursuing art that requires others to offer up their skin as your canvas.

My 39 yr old son has always has a deep commitment to creating and building stuff. I taught him how to use a Skil Saw with the guard wired up when he was 12. He now earns a very nice living in Hawaii in the building trades. He will inherit my shop and $10K to relocate it when I pass or can longer play with the toys.

A close childhood friend of my kids recently started coming by the shop one day a week with the expressed desire to learn more about woodworking. He has now rehabbed two Stanley planes, purchased his first set of chisels and is currently building his first workbench (the top is a glulam beam gifted to him by Bob Wise, a member here at SMC). Jimmie has also joined the Creek and is creating some very interesting art using electrical currents to burn in semi random patterns in wood.

[Martin Wasner]

All of my grandkids slept in cribs that I made. Lost a finger while making one.

The crib, or making the kid that made the grand kid?

[Larry Edgerton]

The crib, or making the kid that made the grand kid?

With three ex wives, each one getting a new house that I built, that is a sad story that requires a couple of shots. :(

Maybe some day over a beer, its just funny stories now..........

[Bruce Page]

I’m 66. I was introduced to making things when I was 8 helping my dad build a sailboat (chief gopher) None of my children have ever had any interest in woodworking. One daughter does some craft work and calligraphy. I am nurturing my 10 year old grandson making bird houses, derby cars, etc. He has a strong interest in my CNC router. I don’t know if that’s good or bad..

[Osvaldo Cristo]

55 years old here. My both kids have not demonstrated interest for woodworking. :(

[Phillip Gregory]

All of my grandkids slept in cribs that I made. Lost a finger while making one.

I made the crib for our two kids, it was the second "big" project I did on my own after a hiatus for college. I started out doing woodworking with my Dad when I was about 8-9 years old so I had been at it a while.

I have all 10 fingers though.

[paul cottingham]

55 and one daughter, 11. She has shown some interest in the shop, and is very tall (5'10", I was6'2"when I was her age) so she is physically capable.

y

[Thomas Canfield]

At 75 I hate to reply with all the young folks. My 50 son has some interest but still has too many other things with girls still at home. My 4 grandsons are out in CA and might have some interest but little contact. I have noticed the older generation in my local turning club and problem attracting younger members. My woodworking interest came from working with my grandfather as a pre teenager but got interrupted for about 50 years with school, college, raising kids, work, ..... I am always glad to share my woodworking with beginners. I hate to think about what will happen to my shop and all the material stashed for the next project.

[David Helm]

74 and all my grandkids live thousands of miles away. Only get to see them a couple times a year. I think the oldest one is interested but he only spends a few days here per year.

[Ron Kellison]

I'm approaching 70. My kids were always exposed to me working in the shop, usually fixing things that they had broken. Of the 3 kids, 2 definitely like working with wood. One son is an industrial designer and one daughter is a licensed carpenter is Quebec. The photo is a table my daughter just built. My son has LED lights with 5' wooden arms installed on every foyer/common area throughout the new World Trade Centre. They are already talking about which tools they want when I check out! :)


363095d TCente

[Mel Fulks]

Legacy is also a legal term, and a big part of the discussion here is who will inherit things of some value. Some have said here that no one close to them is interested in woodworking, that does not mean that there should be no consideration of real value or continuing practical use.

[Andrew Hughes]

Ya I agree with Mel.When you feel like you have something of value it's a shame when your willing to freely give it and no one wants it.
Its like having a Apple tree full of Apples delicious juicy fruit.And no one wants to take a bite.
My attitude for working woods can be applied to many areas of life.
For instance do the right thing even when no one is looking.
Happy 4th everyone :)

[Mark Fisher]

I'm 56 and I've done some woodworking on and off, but I'm now making a set of Brian Boggs inspired chairs.....first one looks great. My daughter is actually a very accomplished spoon and figure carver. She gets green logs (cherry, linden/basswood and buck thorn are favorites), splits and hews the blanks, then carves with sloyd and hook knives. She mainly gets the logs from urban trees, the local park district and family members. She actually taught me how to do it. She also uses similar techniques to make measuring scoops, jewelry and knitting needles.

[Harold Wright]

I am 82 and am mentoring/teaching a 14 year old young man in woodturning. He is very smart and energetic. I need some of his energy. He will become a good woodturner.

[Cary Falk]

I am 46. I have 2 kids which neither will be taking up the hobby. I don't think there will be grandkids anytime soon. I think I am doing it backwards. The people that come to me wanting to learn are planning for retirement and want something to do with their free time.

[John Lankers]

56, and had to retire from farming a few years ago due to health reasons. One of my grandfathers was a master furniture maker, the other a carpenter and farmer. My father picked up wood turning when he retired from farming, he gave most of his projects away to friends and family and miraculously dozens and dozens of bowls, candle holders, plates... showed up in front of the altar at his funeral. My youngest son, soon to be 21 years old, is a carpentry apprentice in Fort St. John, BC, made 2nd place in the provincial skill competition. Now he is planning to keep learning and become cabinetmaker journeyman, which would add another couple of years of training. Some of the pieces he built in school are just incredible, these kids learn design and combining wood, metal and concrete and the results are just out of this world. Sadly, few people are willing to pay the price.
Now my youngest daughter (19) says she ahe wants to spend some time with me in the shop after a year in university, it'll be interesting.

[Vince Rosypal]

46 with a 7 year old that I hope one day shows an interest in WWing.
More than likely it will be the requests to build things like mom does.
I'm not good enough to try to teach anyone.....

[Dave Cullen]

65 with a 32 yr old son. We're both engineers and like building stuff. He's become a woodworker by necessity since buying a house, and has also been making rustic furniture from framing wood, and has even taken orders on commission. My father and grandfather were wood workers and I have hand tools that belonged to them. My son will inherit them and use them as I have been.

[Stan Calow]

Early 60s. I got into W-working as a hobby, as a homeowner who wanted to fix things, and because I appreciated the beauty of furniture and things well-constructed of good wood. I don't know anyone in my socio-economic area under the age of forty that even appreciates fine wood, or wants an heirloom. Temporary furniture, finished black or white, in pseudo-wood (bought on-line) is just fine. So, I don't see an interest in younger people. On the other hand, they can do incredible things with computers and programming and fixing technical problems, so its not a laziness issue, just a different priority.

[Andrew Gibson]

32 years old here, and have been woodworking my entire life... My grandfather gave me a hammer, 2x4 cutoff, and a box of nails when I was 3 or 4 because I wanted to help. Two hours later every nail was in the 2x4 and I wanted more. I now have 4 hammer drawers in my tool box. Sense thanksgiving I finished up a 13 piece commission, and restored a Gravely 8122 lawn tractor. I am currently working on a L134 flat head for a friends Jeep, helping a coworker rebuild an Atomic 4 for his sailboat, and I am getting ready to spray primer on the cab of my 70 Chevy C10. Ooh I also made a "Mario" themed cutting board for my Sister as a wedding gift a few weeks ago and need to finish up the other 10 that I made at the same time and sell them. (I don't like making end grain cutting boards)
Automotive and engine work is relatively new to me over the last few years, but the addition of welding to my skill set has allowed me to venture into mixed media furniture with a modern flare that seems to be more desirable to high end customers.
I have also dabbled in saw milling and work with slabs, and I have built 34 ukuleles and a couple guitars in the last 5 or 6 years.

I work for Infinity Cutting Tools for my day job and film Videos and shoot most of the photography for the company and help with a lot of product development, customer service, and tech support questions.

No kids yet, and I fear that when they come my kids will not be interested in the things I do. We live in an age where information is cheep and readily available to the point that real knowledge and the accompanying skill has very little monetary value. On that note I have a degree in History and am a researcher through and through. If I don't have tools in my hands working on something, I am researching and reading. My wife says if I'm not working on at least two projects and researching another I will explode. I'd like to get into more metal work and machining, but I need a bigger garage.

[Mel Fulks]

Andrew you didn't have to tell us you read history ....you had us at "cheep".

[Andrew Gibson]

Andrew you didn't have to tell us you read history ....you had us at "cheep".
I said I can read and look things up, never said I could spell. Not bad for a dyslexic boy from Missouri.

[Mel Fulks]

I said I can read and look things up, never said I could spell. Not bad for a dyslexic boy from Missouri.
Mee just mint reeding thos olde book voluums meens yoo wil knead good eddater.

[Albert Lee]

37 here, my daughter is only 6 months, I dont particularly like my wife or my daughter to come to my shop because it contains a lot of fine dust and its not good for them, I always wear my mask when I am in my shop.

once I have upgraded my dust extractor I will welcome them with banners and an opening ceremony

[Phillip Gregory]

I said I can read and look things up, never said I could spell. Not bad for a dyslexic boy from Missouri.

Even Fred Teutenberg's Dirt Cheap chicken from the notorious STL area liquor store ads could spell "cheap" correctly. Must be the Florida starting to get to you :)

Phillip, from Missouri.

[Adam Merritt]

I'm 32 with 4 kids, 10, 3 (as of today, twins), and 8 months. The 10 year old is already helping out in the shop and learning the hobby. The twins like to come out and watch sometimes, but don't care for the noise. My son is always super proud of any project he helped with; if you asked him, he'd have you believe he did the whole thing. I see no reason to correct him. :)

[Mateo Panzica]

47 and just found a new shop cat.

[Darcy Forman]

My dad was a woodworker and spent hours working in his shop. As a youngster I had no interest in what he was up to most of the time and I never bothered to learn anything from him either. I was young and always had something better to do. Then I left home and got busy with life and career for many years.
Now fast forward to today. I'm fourth six now. My dad passed away twelve years ago. After he died I took up the hobby, and I have been wood working now for ten years. I have had to learn everything from sites like this, reading fine woodworking magazine, and my mom. She is a woodworker herself, although more small scroll saw projects and the like. She doesn't tackle furniture like dad used to, and I do today. As one can imagine. I have regrets about not learning things from my dad, however I do find the hobby as a really great connection to his legacy. I have a few of his old tools as well that I use in my shop. When I am working in the shop it sometimes feels like he is not that far away.
I have two kids of my own. They come out to the shop often while I am working and even have me help with things they want to build. I have no idea how serious they are about the hobby, and I'm not fussed about that too much. They are young, and too young to commit to this type of hobby at this time. I guess what I'm saying is you never know what legacy you are passing on and it may happen long after you are done with the hobby. I bet my dad would have never guessed how into the hobby I got, especially given the little interest I showed in it while he was alive. I invested in tools he never had, but I'm sure he would have loved to operate.
So don't loose hope that what you do today won't continue to exist in your family even years down the road. Hope this different perspective helps.

[Rod Sheridan]

47 and just found a new shop cat.

Excellent, shop cats are very important. Here's mine, Ellington, inspecting the shaper setup. regards, Rod.
363180

[Rod Sheridan]

I'm 59 and have 2 daughters, one is actually interested in wood working and has made furniture for herself.

In Toronto, it's doubtful that either of them will own a residence where wood working would be possible.

When I go to wood shows, it's a bunch of grey haired men in plaid shirts, very few to no young people.

Our wood working group is trying to come up with a mentoring program to encourage new people to take up the hobby.

I'm a Technologist, and I work with a bunch of young Techs, none of which have any hobbies that are "doing" type hobbies. Since I'm in the communications industry, many of the older Techs are ham radio guys, or audiophiles who build their own gear. The younger guys don't do anything at all, no vintage cars or motorcycles, no wood or metal working, however they're up on the latest game or which version of iPhone I really need to replace my Blackberry.

Different world, different values and interests............Rod.

[Bill McNiel]

My dad was a woodworker and spent hours working in his shop. As a youngster I had no interest in what he was up to most of the time and I never bothered to learn anything from him either. I was young and always had something better to do. Then I left home and got busy with life and career for many years.
Now fast forward to today. I'm fourth six now. My dad passed away twelve years ago. After he died I took up the hobby, and I have been wood working now for ten years. I have had to learn everything from sites like this, reading fine woodworking magazine, and my mom. She is a woodworker herself, although more small scroll saw projects and the like. She doesn't tackle furniture like dad used to, and I do today. As one can imagine. I have regrets about not learning things from my dad, however I do find the hobby as a really great connection to his legacy. I have a few of his old tools as well that I use in my shop. When I am working in the shop it sometimes feels like he is not that far away.
I have two kids of my own. They come out to the shop often while I am working and even have me help with things they want to build. I have no idea how serious they are about the hobby, and I'm not fussed about that too much. They are young, and too young to commit to this type of hobby at this time. I guess what I'm saying is you never know what legacy you are passing on and it may happen long after you are done with the hobby. I bet my dad would have never guessed how into the hobby I got, especially given the little interest I showed in it while he was alive. I invested in tools he never had, but I'm sure he would have loved to operate.
So don't loose hope that what you do today won't continue to exist in your family even years down the road. Hope this different perspective helps.

Darcy - this truly touched my heart. Thank you for sharing.

[Charlie Knauer]

My Dad was a woodworker and passed it on to me. I have 2 sons and 2 daughters. My oldest daughter has no interest in woodworking. My oldest son who is 32 will put my work to shame.
My other 2 like to turn. They have been without a lathe for a while. We are in the process of setting up a dedicated turning shop. I am 60 and hoping to retire this year so I can spend some time turning.

[Richard Casey]

What a fascinating thread. I am 63, have a wife that meddles with my tools and machinery, 2 daughters that are too busy with life to do anything in the shed, but appreciate and keep some of my woodturnings. Dad was a blacksmith with the business in our backyard and wanted me to be a doctor or an engineer. He would not teach me any of the old trades, so when he was out on the reef fishing, I taught myself to work metal, Oxy and electic welding and changed courses at high school and became an electrician. I now have my own shed with 2 metal lathes, 2 milling machines, 4 wood lathes, 3 wood bandsaws and all the other machines and hand/power tools I need. Sadly, no one to pass this all onto when I fall off the perch.
rgds,
Richard.

[Nick Decker]

47 and just found a new shop cat.

Shop cats might well be named "Dusty", for obvious reasons.

[Adam Merritt]

I'm a Technologist, and I work with a bunch of young Techs, none of which have any hobbies that are "doing" type hobbies. Since I'm in the communications industry, many of the older Techs are ham radio guys, or audiophiles who build their own gear. The younger guys don't do anything at all, no vintage cars or motorcycles, no wood or metal working, however they're up on the latest game or which version of iPhone I really need to replace my Blackberry..
I know just what you mean. I'm a solutions architect, specializing in storage, virtualization, and compute technologies. I have one coworker who just built some bookscases for his wife, and a boss that likes to build. Everyone else around thinks my projects are cool, but have no interest in actually building. They'll occasionally comment on how they wish they could make something like I have, and I always invite them over to actually do it, but I've yet to have one take me up on the offer.

As I mentioned, my Son loves to help in the garage and I hope that continues, but it won't be forced. The others are too young to help, but they spend a good bit of time with me outside. I grew up in a small Texas town and my wife grew up on an Amish farm (she never joined, but her family is still Amish). Those backgrounds give us a little different parenting style and world view. The kids are limited to 2 hours of media time (tv, phone, tablet, video games, etc) and it must be earned daily (Through both good behavior and chore completion). I have multiple siblings whose children can't function without a piece of technology in their hands. I swore that would never be my kids, and so far, it hasn't happened. (My 10 year old son is always a little depressed when one of his cousins leaves, because he doesn't ever want to play outside or with regular toys. He even commented it's like he doesn't know how to play with his toys, only the iPad he brings with him.)

[Joe Calhoon]

I'm curious what you consult on Joe. I'm at an awkward spot in my business, I'm working way too many hours and wearing too many hats.

Martin, My consulting is more on the technical side of processes, machinery, methods and hardware for door and window work.

The long hours and too many hats is something most of us in the business have had to contend with. No easy answers but for me when I honestly faced up to what I could produce with my machinery and crew and stuck to that schedule things got easier. This means you have to turn away some work and that is not easy.

[John Piwaron]

64. My sons would rather die than do anything I do. Really.

That's sad

[Bill Sutherland]

I'm 73 and it's just my wife and me.

[John A langley]

I'm 75 and started woodworking in high school,work mostly has a cabinet maker when I was younger I work commercial construction. Of my three kids my youngest son only showed an interest after he moved out he had moved too far for me to be any help other than on the phone so he was more of a self taught made some really nice things he's quite the woodworking and Has taken up gunsmithing My oldest son and I could not work together like oil and water he picked up enough to do home repairs

[Andrew Gibson]

Even Fred Teutenberg's Dirt Cheap chicken from the notorious STL area liquor store ads could spell "cheap" correctly. Must be the Florida starting to get to you :)

Phillip, from Missouri.

Dang, I haven't had this much abuse sense the 5th grade Spelling Bee. :)

[Phillip Gregory]

Dang, I haven't had this much abuse sense the 5th grade Spelling Bee. :)

I thought you would laugh at the reference...

[Martin Wasner]

Martin, My consulting is more on the technical side of processes, machinery, methods and hardware for door and window work.

The long hours and too many hats is something most of us in the business have had to contend with. No easy answers but for me when I honestly faced up to what I could produce with my machinery and crew and stuck to that schedule things got easier. This means you have to turn away some work and that is not easy.

Thanks for responding Joe. I've made some serious leaps in methodology the last few years for making the shop productive through tooling and equipment. The product I build, is what I build, there isn't much that I'm willing to change on that other than manipulating how it goes together through machining, that all require a cnc, which is in the plan.

It's just been killing me. We've been down for 15 days between moving and getting set up in the new shop. We were about a week ahead when we pulled the plug to move, but things are stacking up quickly. Saying no is tough, no two ways about it. Impossible when it means potentially losing an account.

I'm just cranky from the last six months, my average week has been about eighty hours. Woodworking is a tough biz. The only thing worse than not having work is having it, because it's always too much when you do have it, it seems.

[Rick Malakoff]

Hi All,
I'm 72 1/2 today, none of my children are interested in wood working nor are my sons in laws but just about every weekend I visit the local swap meet and look for old tools. I figure that it serves many purposes, I get out and spend two hours shambling around and I buy planes for less than the price of a replacement irons, there also braces and bits, Yankee push drivers in all sizes and quite a few egg beaters all for cheep. Not to mention hand saws and back saws.
I clean them up but do not refurbish them, clean meaning no rust but sharped and usable and they do get used.

My kids and grand kids know what I do and know that there will always be a market for what I have accumulated, so yes they will be able to keep or sell "The Antiques" because in the future not everyone can afford a 300$ plane or saw.

The other thing is I know that what I find will be going to a good home!

Rick

[Bradley Gray]

Longest thread I've seen here. I'm 64 and have 2 grown daughters. Both learned hand tool woodworking when young. One is a scientist.(coolest job title ever) One is a video producer for HGTV and does make use of what she learned working wood.

I have launched 4 apprentices who still work in the trades - I enjoy working alone too much these days to take on another.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Cary, tell them, once they retire there will be no free time.

[Joel Cress]

Like Darcy's story, I showed little interest in woodworking. My dad is an excellent woodworker, and his high level of skill is quite daunting. I have always been too busy to really invest the time to develop woodworking skills, and am not sure I have the patience to match his quality of work.

However, since Mom died a few years back, I am finding in my mid-50's that woodworking is a great way to bond with my father. I am finishing up the construction of my own workshop, and am getting much advice from him on everything from dust collection to sharpening tips. Now that my daughter is grown (she has no interest in the craft at all at this time), I have more time to devote to the workshop.

I am not sure that the woodworking legacy is dying quite yet; I am convinced that many are starting later in life, after they settle down. One day, I believe most youngsters will realize that fancy coloring books are about as fruitless a hobby as Facebook advances social graces. They will be seeking to create things of far more lasting value.

[Chris Fournier]

Legacy? I built a wood shop to work wood because it turned me on. When I'm too old to do it any more or just not interested I'll sell it all to whoever shows up at my price. I've helped several folks build their benches so that they could work wood. But I'm not sure that this is the stuff of legacy, more likely just decency.

[David Turner]

I'm 73 1/2 and learned most of my woodworking knowledge from a 84 year old. I would love to pass along what I have learned in the 55 years I have been building period furniture but the younger generation doesn't seem to be interested in reproducing the "old" stuff/furniture. I have had luck getting my son-in-law interested and he is building some Arts & Crafts style work. He has become a good lathe turner and is putting out some great bowls. Most of the guys I talk with are concerned about the lack of younger participation but have no knowledge of how to get them involved. I am a member of the SAPFM and have posted on their website in an attempt to get meetings together to share the knowledge but to date no one has responded or seem interested.

David Turner
Raleigh, NC

[Yonak Hawkins]

Dang, I haven't had this much abuse sense the 5th grade Spelling Bee. :)

Excellent intentional, strategic, stick-it-to-him misspelling of "since". Well played, sir.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Great thread!

I'm 58 with 2 sons in college. Early on, they spent little time in the shop with me, as 'the shop' was at my father's and the available hours past their bedtime. My own interest came from my father, but in an equally circuitous route as his.

As a teenager, he learned some basics from a neighbor on Cape Breton Island in a water-powered mill. He left it all for a career at the stick of a USAF single-seat fighter. Then a wife, kids, and a house that needed furniture brought him back to WW'ing in his late 30s. Like many here have implied, I think needs and limited funds mesh nicely with "I can do that" attitudes, so he built what we needed. At 90, he can WW, weld, is a decent stone mason, plumber, electrician, and has overhauled about 5 houses along the way - but now limits himself to small lathe work.

My WW'ing road has been similar. My earliest memories are of playing in dad's sawdust pile. But as a young man, I had little time, interest, or access to tools. Up popped my family and an empty house, coupled with sticker shock for expensive new cheap furniture (I knew good drawers didn't use hot-melt & staples) and I was pushed to my dad's shop. ( "I can do that. Maybe?") I was lucky that my dad had moved nearby, and was still here to pass on what he knew. One day he called and told me he was moving my mom to a senior's apartment, and to come get his tools if I wanted them. It's all in my shop today and my signature line is an acknowledgement of my dad's legacy.

...Perhaps my sons will find themselves on a similar road one day?

[JohnM Martin]

32 here and just starting in the craft - learning a lot from the wisdom that collects here.

My oldest just turned 5 - too young to really get the bug yet.

[Rick Potter]

WARNING, and apology. Keyboard diarrhea. I didn't intend to write a novel, it just happened.


Late to the party as usual. I will be 75 in October. I was a fireman for 33 years, where we had to know enough about a lot of things to keep from being hurt badly. My father had a small table saw he bought in 1946(?) with some of his parting pay from the Navy. He built various things for around the house, including an addition on the house. Never anything for fun, except a few wooden toys for my brother and me.

When I started on the job in 1964, most firemen were from the trades. We used to trade time and help coworkers build additions, lay cement, re-roof, etc. I learned a lot from them. They still do it now, but to a much lesser extent, as the recent guys come from different backgrounds now. At 23 or so, I bought my second house, which needed everything. It was completely trashed by the previous tenants, and I got it in 1966 for $13K. I went out and bought some well used tools in a package deal. Got a bench, Atlas 8" TS, Sears 12" BS, and a Monkey Wards RAS for a total of $125.

I redid the whole house, which took me almost 4 years. Then, with help from coworkers, we added a new family room, sidewalks, driveway and roof. After a few more years, we moved to a brand new home, where we lived 32 years, and did a comprehensive addition and added a carport and 750 sq. ft. shop, with upstairs play room. Up to this point you will note no mention of 'woodworking'. I have always had hot rods, dune buggies, sports cars, but no interest in WW as a hobby or job.

When I was maybe 45, I helped my dad build his workshop. He was about 70. He talked me into doing some woodworking. He wanted to sell small craft type items at swap meets (no hobby). We both went to a demonstration of Shopsmiths, and both bought one. This is one of the things that caused me to build the above shop at my house. I made gifts like rocking horses, and cradles for the grandbabys that came along, but my woodworking was mostly for our needs. I built a complete kitchen with a bench top router table, and a Unisaw, which I bought with the savings from building the kitchen. Raised panel oak etc. Tried to let the kids do some projects, but never got beyond simple band saw stuff. No interest.

Fast forward to 2002. Dad fell and hurt his hips, mom had alzheimers, I recently retired and was 60. They had to go into a home, which was very expensive. Fortunately they had worked hard and had eight rental homes. Unfortunately, dad had let them get run down, and they were in need of a lot of work. Not slumlord stuff, just not up to snuff. I spent 2 1/2 years working full time redoing them all plus the house my parents lived in. We got them newly rented, one at at time for higher rent, and finally could pay the $7500 per month the rest home cost. In 2005 they were both gone. By then I was pretty experienced at flipping homes. If I was younger, I would have gone into it.

In 2006, we decided to move into Mom and Dad's old house. This became a round robin deal where first, we had to move into our travel trailer and parked in the driveway of our oldest daughter. This allowed the younger daughter to sell her house to us and move into our old house (her childhood home). Next, we had to go through her house, and get it ready to rent to the people living in my parents house. Then when they moved, we had to clean up my parents house, so we could move in. Shortly after, the first daughter gets a divorce and moves into our (my parents old) house with us, and my son's family takes over payments on the first daughters house and moves in there.

So, here we are with shower curtains around the first daughters room (nee living room), her two daughters in the bedrooms, and us starting another remodeling project. We added a granny flat (1100') onto the house for when we are to old to climb the stairs. When it was finished, the daughter moved into it. We also added a 1600' shop out in the back yard for me. I have filled it with more tools than it will hold, and have tried to get my 7 grandkids interested, but they never progressed beyond simple summer camp style stuff. (Notice how I finally got back on point here?)

I have tried to teach woodworking to a friend at church also. He just turned 65, and we have made some box joint storage boxes, and the like, but he has good days and bad from a series of strokes. I doubt he will be able to do more than small projects. We are trying to figure out a small shop for his garage, but it is slow going.

My son is very handy, and can do anything he puts his mind to. He is into mechanical stuff, not wood. Running his own trucking business and flying are his biggest things right now. The grandkids now vary from 15 to 29 years old, so I don't expect much change from them.

As for fine woodworking? I still dream about it, but I am 12 years into the remodel here, and three years into the 68 drawer kitchen (almost done though). I guess I will always be just a DIY guy.


PS: For anyone getting to this point and wondering what happened to my dad's shop...it is still here and has my old cars in it.

PPS: What will happen to my new shop when I keel over? Well, the plan is for the first daughter to get this house. She threatens to make it into a skating rink.

[Mel Fulks]

Thanks for taking the time,Rick. I'm sure the help you are giving to the friend who suffered the stroke will take hold and encourage others. You will find the right project to inspire some zeal.

[Jon Grider]

Looks like this thread struck a chord!Thanks to all who have and have yet to reply, some fascinating reading here. Now will someone tell me what the gold stars signify on the main page?

[Vince Rosypal]

Looks like this thread struck a chord!Thanks to all who have and have yet to reply, some fascinating reading here. Now will someone tell me what the gold stars signify on the main page?

Stars are the thread rating.... rating can be applied at the top of the thread

[Tom Bain]

What a interesting thread! So many different backgrounds and approaches to our obsession, er I mean hobby. Both my grandfather and uncle were accomplished woodworkers. My Dad was more into tinkering with cars, and my Mom is a quilter. I'm 44 and been woodworking seriously now for about 8 or 10 years. Just wish I had more free time to spend in the shop.

[Julie Moriarty]

66 last April. I've been tinkering with wood for most of my life. I still have a small piece of a branch from a tree that fell in a storm when I was 12. I carved my initials in it and painted the carved out initials with nail polish.

My dad was all thumbs. He was also impossible to please. The first time I fixed something he was clueless about, I was in 3rd grade. He raved about it to everyone. Bingo! I figured out how to get praise from him and from there I tried to fix everything. I got pretty good and by the time I reached my early 20s I got into the electrician's union.

After I was married, I made a bow sprit for my dad's boat, still looking for his praise. But it wasn't until the mid 90s that I started getting serious about woodworking and that took another jump after I retired. My dad has been gone 20 years but I think he'd be impressed with some of the things I've made.

[Noah Magnuson]

45 here. I have been doing this in one form or another most of my adult life. More recently, I have gone almost entirely neander unless it is just a time issue (Deck, fence etc.) . My daughter is just now 2 and loves any tool she can get her hands on. I am pretty liberal with letting her do stuff as she seems to pay attention and I grew up when your grandfather gave you a pocket knife at 4 or 5. The wife is pretty much on the same page. The little girl loves to play with a half-bladed ryoba I snapped and a mallet I made her. She will be well-rounded, I think, but have no idea if she will take a serious interest later in life. I have a nephew who will get a lot of nice things someday if nobody else claims them.

[Vinito Caleb]

53 here. No kids.
I've been broke most of my life so DIYing everything has always been just a matter of survival. I'm a machinist and occasionally over the past ten years I've had conversations with friends about the trouble I've caused whomever inherits my estate when I go because they'll have to liquidate my home machine shop, which consists of several machines you need a forklift to move around. Hundreds of tooling items go with all that stuff to and I'm pretty sure it will all be a big mystery to that person even what 90% of it is called, let alone what it does.

I'm just lately getting back into woodworking after not doing much of it for 25 years. At least this woodworking machinery is more recognizable than the machine shop stuff and can be lifted or moved around by a couple fat fellers.

So long story short, nobody here to pass down the knowledge nor the machines to. Maybe the machines will be scattered to several folks who can use some of it and maybe some of the stuff I make in the future will be good enough do deserve appreciation from whomever ends up with it. I'm aiming for that at least.

[Mike Heidrick]

I am 42. I have been president of the woodworking club at work for 10 years. Most of the guys I have learned from have retired. The club has some current members but half of those are in it to learn CNC too. It is a different club than in 2006.

My girls are 7 and 10 now. They help me do whatever most every day. They will be (are) an exception by the time they make up their mind if they like it or not. Around here the shop gets things fixed or built. They both have done wiring, electronics builds, metal lathe work, woodworking, etc. Always a goal to see if we can do stuff ourselved. Megan used a chainfall yesterday. Lily made a butterfly house out of recycled plastic bottles and cups with hot glue and a drill.

Honestly I care more about making memories or creating activities non mindless ipad or phone app based than I do about teaching one specific hobby. I do wood working, cnc in wood, metalworking, cnc in metal, electronics, 3d printing, soon plasma cutting, etc so I think some technology is fine. I am pissed hands on stuff is out of schools at middle and high school level. I am pissed it takes millions of dollars to open a real makerspace formally. I hat BS panrls of decision makers that just like to meet about the next meeting. I decided to create my own makerspace. Hence Mikiespace.

If I can put a parent and a kid in a SAFE proper environment to do stuff together they dont have room for, with tools they would never own and they walk away amazed at something they did together, thats the thing I want to build. Could care less what the actual thing is.

We teach girl scouts here and friends and their kids. My wife is a leader for two troops, one for each age of our girls.

I also make youtube videos on some things I do.

May not be the right way or the legacy you meant. I do things my own way and onlyvstrive to make me happy. Above is how I do that. Many nights its me by myself, or a couple buddies come help, or with my wife helping, maybe Megan and Lily, and some times just me and Sassy my shop dog with a radio and a few tools and a dream. Ill see what it looks like 10 years from now.

[Bob Murphy]

Pushing 3/4's of a century with my daughters living 2500 to 3000 miles cross country. They have has some exposure to ww but nothing major. One S-I-L is the son of a pattern maker and he has absolutely no interest/ability in ww. My legacy will have to be the things I made for them. As for my equipment/tools, and I have quite a collection, if I don't sell/dispose of things, guess my executor will have to deal with it. Does make me wonder who will eventually get things, esp my Clausing table saw that I bought new in, IIRC, 1953. Can still stand a dime on edge with it running; lot to be said for old American made cast iron.

[lowell holmes]

Larry, the things we make for our family members will be here after we are gone.
I put my initials and the year I made it on my pieces (on the bottom out of site of course).

[Darcy Warner]

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[Mel Fulks]

Cute little rascals,Darcy. I think one of them is wondering why the hammer handle is overly long!

[Rod Sheridan]

John, maybe you should get one of us to "adopt" you and you could have our stuff :D

Regards, Rod,

[Dennis Peacock]

58 years old and have been working with wood since I was 13. I was raised that teaching others to do things on their own is called a "legacy" that is related to woodworking and providing for oneself. I have 4 children and a son-in-law. None of them are interested in working with wood. My daughter is more interested than any of them but she has her hands full with our first grand baby. It has taken me over 30 years to put together a shop of tools that I no longer need to upgrade for better quality tools and easier machining of wood. My hope was that I would be able to pass on the legacy of woodworking to at least one of my kids, but it appears at this stage of life that this will not happen. My youngest is 20 and he has a good artistic nature about him but he doesn't like working with his hands much. I have taught several others how to work with wood, how to turn wood and even met and sat to talk with Sam Maloof when he was still living. Sam and his wife were wonderful people that I truly enjoyed meeting and talking with.

I sure do miss all those woodworker gatherings we used to have several years ago.
So...here's to a future ahead of us and hears to hoping that the legacy of woodworking will continue on locally for all of us involved.

[Michael Stein]

31. I hope I will pass it on, but not for a long time. My son (7) enjoys being in the shop with me, in fact, last night said "what are we working on in the shop tomorrow" before going to bed. Melts my heart. My daughter (11) also enjoys it, though she is not quite as enthusiatic as he is... She is getting to the stage where she wants to hide in her room, away from mom and dad, all day! However, the past few years we have made Christmas ornaments for friends, family, and everyone who helps us raise these youngins (teachers, counselors, bus drivers, daycare teachers, etc.) and she seems to LOVE doing that.

[Mel Fulks]

Love seeing the kids! You're a lucky guy ,Michael.

[Johanna Johanson]

I'm 76. I wonder who will end up with all my woodworking tools. My daughter is quite handy, but she mostly does home maintenance and update; she does not make furniture. She does know that I have a small fortune invested in tools, so she would not just dump them. None of the grandchildren are interested - and they all live far away.

Our local woodworking club often helps club members who are giving up the hobby or survivors of club members sell off equipment at fair prices. Many of the members have acquired their tools from those situations.

Perhaps those of in this situation need to find a young person who is just getting started.

[John Gulick]

With three ex wives, each one getting a new house that I built, that is a sad story that requires a couple of shots. :(

Maybe some day over a beer, its just funny stories now..........


Look at the positive side, I am sure you gained alot of experience building 3 homes

[jack duren]

I won't be passing it on but.....................My daughter seems to like the DIY crap and I'm becoming afraid she will become a victim of a power tool accident if I don't get involved... I found out her husband which I trust let her use the miter saw, but she's still my daughter...

[mreza Salav]

I'm 40. My grandpa got me a small real hand saw when I was 7. I started making stuff with that and a hammer and a hand drill my father had in an old wooden tool box. Had no teacher and learned stuff on my own. At age 8 built a boat (bent wood after soaking in a large basin used for washing clothes!). Took it to school as a craft but nobody believed I made it (even my teacher). My mother had kept that boat and gave it to me last year.
Now I am a professor of Math/Comp. Science and fairly successful in my career. Built our own house a couple of years ago and am also building a couple of houses now (designed and prepared the plans, manage the contracts, fix their errors, etc) as I get bored doing only one job. I've been doing all sorts of things (fixing things, making things, etc). Have two little kids. Too early to get them interested in any of the stuff I do.

[Craig Shewmake]

I'm 61 and and just starting my legacy! :)

[Ole Anderson]

Pushing 70. Two boys, one shows no interest, the other knows how to use most of my tools, and has his own chop saw and contractor saw, but for home improvement work, not ww projects.

[Rick Alexander]

59 at the end of this month. I'm a chemist by trade and WW'er by hobby - tool collector may be a better description lately. My son is a professional musician - has been since 15 years old and as a result was always afraid to injure himself in the shop. I hate it because the guy is super talented in about anything he ever tried and he's something I'm not - and that's creative. I can copy things - or follow a plan but I'm just not that creative. Maybe later in life after my two grand daughters grow up he'll be interested but right now - not at all. Too bad - I've spent most of my adult life acquiring or upgrading my shop to where it's so much more fun to work in now. Having the right tool makes such a difference. For now - it's just a selfish man cave for me.

[Ted Reischl]

I am 67. No one in my family would know what to do with the tools other than my brother in law, but he has a nice shop too and really does not need anything. He might be interested in the CNC machine, but that is about it. He is 10 years younger so by the time I kick the bucket he may not be interested at all. We were at their place last weekend and he has a decent crescent band saw (at least I think it is a crescent but it was buried in his "barn" and I was not in the mood to wrestle a bunch of stuff out of the way to see what it really is) that he would give me, but I already have a bandsaw that works just fine and am not interested in rehabbing it at all because even if I did fix it all up I would not have a place for it.

Told my wife that if I croak, just sell the stuff off and have given her an idea of what it is all worth. Heck, so what if some woodworker gets a great deal? I have gotten really good deals, so why not someone else? It is not like we are building some huge monument to our existences and need money to erect an obelisk.

[Brian Henderson]

Told my wife that if I croak, just sell the stuff off and have given her an idea of what it is all worth. Heck, so what if some woodworker gets a great deal? I have gotten really good deals, so why not someone else? It is not like we are building some huge monument to our existences and need money to erect an obelisk.

Good point. This is something I've seen in other hobbies and I really don't get it. I couldn't care less if my kids take up my hobbies. I don't care if I pass along anything that I enjoy doing to someone else. I do it because I enjoy doing it. That's it. When I drop dead, I really don't care what happens to my various collections and hobbies. Light them on fire for all I care. I didn't do any of it because I wanted to make a buck or have a legacy, I did it because it was enjoyable for me. If someone wants to continue on from where I left off, fine. If not, that's fine too. So what if some of these hobbies go the way of the dinosaur? Did that stop you from having fun while you were engaged in it? Was your enjoyment somehow lessened because your kids didn't walk in your footsteps?

Honestly, I just don't get it.

[Ted Reischl]

Good point. This is something I've seen in other hobbies and I really don't get it. I couldn't care less if my kids take up my hobbies. I don't care if I pass along anything that I enjoy doing to someone else. I do it because I enjoy doing it. That's it. When I drop dead, I really don't care what happens to my various collections and hobbies. Light them on fire for all I care. I didn't do any of it because I wanted to make a buck or have a legacy, I did it because it was enjoyable for me. If someone wants to continue on from where I left off, fine. If not, that's fine too. So what if some of these hobbies go the way of the dinosaur? Did that stop you from having fun while you were engaged in it? Was your enjoyment somehow lessened because your kids didn't walk in your footsteps?

Honestly, I just don't get it.

I hear ya Brian. I start laughing every time I see a magazine article that states "Build an heirloom...blah, blah, blah" Glad my folks did not do that! Would have made it difficult to toss out or give away the stuff I did not want when they passed away! Would have laid a guilt trip on me. Just think, he could have built some Victorian piece and told me it was an heirloom, and then expect it to be sitting in my house with nothing else matching it. I have seen homes like that. Sheesh.

Frankly, I think it is like a bunch of old guys sitting around fussing over their own mortality. Same guys you see sitting around talking about how prices are soooo out of hand, how things only cost a fraction back in the day. Of course, they were only working for a fraction back then too.

[Harold Balzonia]

The pragmatists have arrived at the party.... I'm 49 and my ten year old girls are interested in what I do but not enough to sit and really learn. They will sit a watch for a while, ask a couple questions and move on their way. They create all kinds of other things and maybe they will get into some craft later on or maybe not.

The way I see it, if they know how to change the oil in their car, how to swap a circuit breaker, how to sharpen a knife, how to drive a manual transmission, how to put an idiot in a submission hold, how to laugh at what's funny, how to solve a scientific problem, and how to care for other people, I've left my legacy.

What I go out of my way to make sure they know is what is the difference between something made/crafted by hand and something put together with cam nuts and particle board.

i have been known to take my girls to a local Porsche or Bentley showroom and let them see and feel the difference between these highest quality items and my chevy Tahoe. I play them the Beatles constantly and explain why "Eleanor Rigby" is better than whatever throwaway "boom-boom-boom" stuff is being played when we walk past some junk store in the mall. And I've taken the time to let them play with whatever machines they want to play with (of course, highly supervised). My girls have cut strips on my powermatic table saw, made circles on the big band saw, held every sander I own, and they can't get enough of the air gun on the compressor....

my kids know that the world is a better place as long as people are still building things with their hands and getting dirty. That's all I care about in regards to my legacy.

[Matthew Hutchinson477]

As I'm only 26 and recently into woodworking with any seriousness, I'll offer a perspective from the other side. Hopefully it has some influence on how a lot of you...older fellers...think about the subject.

My grandfather, who passed away a little over two years ago, was a priest and an avid woodworker. Growing up I sometimes forgot which order those things went in. I can't say exactly how he got into it but he had a dedicated woodworking shop both when I was a kid and when my father was a kid, so his passion had a lot of depth and a long timeline. I wish I could tell some story about how much better people used to be with their hands and how keen their craftsman's senses were based on my grandfather but that simply wouldn't be true. Though he was productive, he never progressed past amateur in all honesty. He produced some decent work but nothing like a lot of the items posted by some members here. Being a priest he never had much money so most of his tools were cheap--he bought quite a bit of tools that I'd consider junk in all reality. If he felt something to be important enough to warrant a little more investment he'd go for whatever Dewalt or Craftsman offered but that was high quality by his standards. Nevertheless, he wasn't in it to impress anyone or anything like that--he just enjoyed the craft. Most of the furniture he made has outlasted him and will probably outlast the next generation at least. Virtually everyone he was close with has something he made with his name on it, and some of those items will be around long after the last person who knew my grandfather dies. Not a bad way to spend your free time.

Enter my father, who grew up with an avid woodworker for a dad, a tough Nebraska farm girl for a mom, and an uncanny natural aptitude for anything mechanical. Through my father's youth much of his free time was occupied by woodworking and cars, and he spent summers putting his aptitude to use doing construction, working on the family farm in Nebraska, or functioning as the de facto mechanic for a combine team. Unlike my grandfather, who grew up wealthy but deliberately chose a life devoid of it due to many of the vices he so disliked in the wealthy Philadelphia community he grew up in, my father was influenced by the fact that his parents were always tight on money and never had any sense of financial freedom. He didn't want to be constrained by that himself so he busted his ass through college in three years and got into medical school. Long story short, when it came time to decide on a specialty he gravitated towards surgery pretty quickly. As he'll readily admit, his aptitude for fixing mechanical problems and love of hobbies like woodworking were the primary drivers of the decision. In other words, woodworking played a significant part in my dad deciding he wanted to be a surgeon. And it turned out to be one of the best decisions he ever made. He loved it and was very good at it. Even today, in his late 50's, his passion for his career only grows and his skill has given him an impressive reputation. He averages 2-3 times the number of surgeries of the average surgeon, completes risky procedures like ruptured aortic aneurisms in as little as 45 minutes, and consistently has higher success rates than others. I don't say this to brag (well, maybe a little) but to illustrate that this career has been an incredibly good fit for him, and he owes at least some of his skill to his upbringing that included a lot of woodworking.

Now onto me. Growing up with a surgeon for a father made me a little sour on the idea of "ambitious careers" given the amount of stress and crazy workloads I saw growing up. I grew up with a different mindset and I care a lot more about free time and not working 80 hour weeks than my father did. I just so happened to inherit my father's mechanical aptitude gene so much of my upbringing was spent doing the same things my father did--taking things apart for fun, building things, and emulating my dad. I vividly remember, at age 6, watching him reject on offer from a contractor to build a room above our garage because he could do it himself. He fixed everything himself, and I admired that trait. After getting interested in cars while working in a mechanic shop in high school, I subsequently became disinterested in cars when I realized how expensive they were. I did a little bit of woodworking and it was always fun, but it was on the periphery for me. It wasn't exciting or fast-paced enough. Then a couple years ago I found myself stuck with a garage full of my grandfather's tools, and no one else was gonna use them. In hindsight it seems both random and natural that I progressed to where I am today--random given the fact that I didn't deliberately get into woodworking and natural given that it fits my criteria for a good hobby very well. Long story short (just realized how long I've been rambling) I started out using my grandfather's old tools to fix things and do some minor housework. But my curiosity kept pushing me to learn more. This was compounded by the fact that my grandfather did have a few antique hand tools that I didn't even know how to classify at the time. Out of pure curiosity I looked up how to set up a hand plane one day and by that point I was hooked. I absolutely loved the aesthetics of it, the history behind the tools, and the fine skill involved.

Now, despite having little money and living a lifestyle that requires frequent moving, I haul a small crate of old hand tools around. I still don't know what the hell I'm doing with them sometimes but I'm having a lot of fun learning. As it turns out I'm on the same career path as my father now so my time is limited but I'm in no rush. I know this hobby will be with me for life. I feel like I'm upholding a tradition that has tied my family together to some extent, and I'm keeping alive a skill that seems pretty rare and unappreciated in my generation. I see my grandfather's old furniture in my dad's house, or the mahogany letterbox my father used when he was in medical school, and I can't think of a better way to pass something on to others. I could go on but that's probably enough for now. Point is, I hope everyone here makes an effort to pass on this craft. I'm incredibly thankful that my father and grandfather did for me.

[Johanna Johanson]

I am not sure that the woodworking legacy is dying quite yet; I am convinced that many are starting later in life, after they settle down.

Many of us started serious woodworking (as opposed to the household maintenance type) after we got much older because we could not afford good tools when we were younger and were too busy just staying afloat.

[Tim M Tuttle]

I turn 39 next week and just got into wwing a few months ago and have made very little thus far but have spent plenty. I think I might enjoy shopping for tools more than actually using them. No kids and dont plan on any in the future. I am going to try and document all the work I do for posting around the internet, maybe even YouTube, and that will be it as far as a legacy in wwing goes.

[Joshua Bass]

I am 37 and just picking this hobby up. My grandfather and his brother were big time woodworkers, but sadly I never cared to learn from them when I was younger. I really wish I had picked this up sooner :(

[Don Orr]

I'm 58 and have no children or other family. I have a nice shop with lots of tools-lucky. I do belong to and help with our local woodworking club and hope to donate my tools and wood to them when I pass on. They have an annual tool and lumber auction to support their educational fund.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I am 47, and building a shop. I have no children, but do make gifts for my nephews.

Doc

[Jay Hart]

I'll be 78 this year. Always loved working with wood going back to 7th grade shop class. In the beginning it was mostly hand tools (didn't have the budget for a real shop). When we got the three kids through college in the 80's I was able to begin adding some stationary equipment in the basement and now have all the basic gear as well as a huge collection of accessories. Our youngest son, now 47, has shown an interest in the craft but he seldom has the time and his house is not suitable for a shop. It's not clear how much longer my wife and I can keep running this house but it is going to be tough to dismantle the shop where I have spent so many enjoyable hours.

[John K Jordan]

67 here, grandsons enjoy playing in the shop and learning to make things.

What I like best is introducing and teaching woodturning to kids of all ages.

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[terry gearhart]

Hello, I'm 60 and have been doing woodworking fo 45 years. I did not have anyone to pass the trade on to until my 2nd marriage and a few yours till the wife's son and I could see eye to eye together. Some thing snapped and he wanted to learn how to turn pens. Not surprised, he picked th skill up fast and efficiently. Today, he and I do a lot together and he looks up to me and often asks for my opinion

[Dave Gagnon]

I am 32 and have been woodworking since I started walking. I have photos of when I was 5 working with my father who is now 57 and still wood working. He was 14 when he began. I now have a 9 month old son who I periodically bring in the shop to show him around in hopes he takes an interest one day... When I bring him in the shop, he becomes very attentive and interested, especially when he sees my hand planes and chisels :)

[John K Jordan]

I am 32 and have been woodworking since I started walking. I have photos of when I was 5 working with my father who is now 57 and still wood working. He was 14 when he began. I now have a 9 month old son who I periodically bring in the shop to show him around in hopes he takes an interest one day... When I bring him in the shop, he becomes very attentive and interested, especially when he sees my hand planes and chisels :)

Nice! When my grandson was 2 I'd set him on the floor in the shop with a soft piece of pine and a gimlet and let him drill holes. He's 7 now and still likes to make holes, as does his little brother, 2.

JKJ

[Gary Cunningham]

54 years old. We have one son, about to start college. Unless it has wifi he shows no interest.

I have been working wood (not laying claim to being a woodworker yet) for about 3 years.

Over the years I have built my house, and helped my dad build three others. No one in my family has done 'real' ww'ing.

I have learned from books/mags, and the interwebz.

[Patrick Irish]

Im 35 and picking up the hobby past 5 years. Father is a very detailed oriented good general contractor so tools have been in my hands early on. We do but heads on putting screws into everything haha! When I have kids we'll spend a lot of time in the garage.

[allen long]

I'll be 60 this year and both my grown sons are just now starting to get into woodworking.

As far as "not getting it" I suspect that underneath it all, the legacy most of us want to leave is that our children will have fond memories of their tool-loving loved ones as they use a tool that was passed down to them.

I love and cherish using any of the tools my dad left me and think of him with love every time I pick one of them up.

That is the legacy I wish to leave.

I don't get why someone would not want to leave that as a legacy.

Many Kind Regards . . . Allen

[david beck]

54, No children but neices and nephews etc have no interest. They said it seems my interests dont involve cell phones and may cause cauluses.

[Steve Arnold]

64, and I think because my 2 kids were already adults and had kids of their own when I started turning, they've shown no interest in taking up the hobby.

They do enjoy seeing my various creations though!

[Jim Mackell]

Coming up on 71. Oldest son not interested, his 2 daughters have enjoyed the stuff I've made for them, but otherwise if it's not electronic, they're not interested. Youngest son is lukewarm interested. He's done a few things with great skill. But he's 650 miles away and doesn't have room for more than very basic tools. His 11 year old boy has some minor interest that I encourage every chance I get. When I croak any tools they don't want go up on Craig's list I guess.

[Matthew Springer]

I'm squarely in the middle cohort here. 43 with two young kids (4.5 and 2) both very, very tall girls. Working tech but started woodworking as an offshoot of guitar amp building trying to figure out how to make dovetailed square boxes. I went and got a Master's in Elec Eng thinking that would teach me how to build electronics but it taught me to do math.

So in my case it skipped two generations. My great grandfather was a general contractor in Cleveland (he did all those slate roofs in Shaker Heights). I grew up with basically no hands on anything which is ironic because my dad is the best commercial construction manager I know. But he can't really hammer a nail. So I picked it all up as an academic exercise watching youtube, books, etc.

Also just a lot of trial and error.

The biggest thing I hope to pass on to my daughters isn't the techniques of woodworking, it's the ability to self directed learn by diving in and trying it and possibly failing (safely). That and never get on a motorcycle.

[Phillip Gregory]

I grew up with basically no hands on anything which is ironic because my dad is the best commercial construction manager I know. But he can't really hammer a nail.

I hope you are not surprised that a manager has absolutely no clue how to do any of the work of the people they are managing. If you are, then keep your job as long as you can as you are VERY VERY LUCKY to not have seen this nearly universal fact. The manager that rises through the ranks is as rare as finding a MiniMax 20 in mint condition for a dollar as a yard sale any more in these days of outsourcing and everything being run by transient short-term Master Bullcrap Artists solely seeking their multiples when they pump and dump a business.

[Matthew Springer]

Not at all surprised. My Dad's core skills are and always has been working with people and keeping track of the money. He's really really good at it.

Almost all of his major 1M + sqft commerical projects came in on time, under budget and everyone was still speaking to each other at the end of the day. It's OK if the manager doesn't know how to _do_ the stuff he manages as long as he or she KNOWS they don't know that. Delegation and specialization are good skills too.

As far as legacy, I've tried to teach him to use a #5 but he's just not that into it, but he's only 71 so he's got some time. Sigh. Parents these days....

[Thomas Pratt]

I am 89 and still doing woodworking. Over the years I have accumulated most all of the tools one would have in a hobby shop. Now I have a problem: all the grand young'uns do not have room for a shop and do not really shoe an interest in woodworking, so I am wondering what I am going to do with a shop full of tools when my time comes (hopefully in several years). Any ideas?

[Yonak Hawkins]

Thomas, I've thought a lot about this. I've decided an auction (likely on-line) would be the easiest, fastest way. Of course, one must pay for this convenience.

[Eric Sizer]

I'm 32 with a 4 year old son. I've been woodworking off and on for about 5 years, and have yet to build a decent piece of furniture, though that will change when I finish my walnut hallway table I'm currently working on. My son loves "Cars and trucks and bus," and he loves spending time in the driveway when I'm building something in the garage..err I mean shop....I've let him try to use some of my smaller hand tools and while he doesn't quite have the strength to do much with them, he still enjoys being around me while I'm working. I'm hoping that when he gets older he will still think of me as his hero.

My dad was an aeronautical engineer (now retired from Boeing) and what I consider a master tinkerer. I can't say if he ever really had a hobby until he bought a sail boat, but he was always working on this or that. I inherited some of this and learned how to do basic car and home maintenance, but really I wish I had spent more time with him when I had the chance. I now live in Florida, and he's in Seattle so it's tough. The feeling of nostalgia I get thinking about it and reading this thread almost makes me feel a bit regretful, but thankfully I have enough financial freedom to visit my family often enough.

[Derek Cohen]

Well, I'm 67 .... like a lot here! Interesting that. :)

My love of wood comes from my father, who took me camping in the forrests a lot when I was young. He was an architect, and our house was filled with timbers from around the world. He even designed furniture, which was made professionally. He knew all about joinery, but it was all on paper and he did not have a clue about tools. He was fantastic with rope and twine, and lashed everything together in the best boy scout tradition. So I was always the fixer in the family - repairing electrical, wood and cars.

It was all carpentry - restoring houses - until we settled in our current home 25 years ago. Finally I had a workshop, and began to design and build the furniture that was locked in my head for so long. I'm a shrink in my day job, and the workshop is where I can relax and switch off. I'd love to say that I've inspired my son, now 24, to join me, but he is not interested ... yet. I've built most of the furniture in our home, so the message is there.

Giving back is very important. Whether it is as a member of a woodworking club, where you support others, running workshops on technique, or encouraging those on the forum ... there are lots of ways to do this.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mike Cutler]

I'm 58 now, and it's doubtful I'll "leave a legacy" to anyone in particular.
I've been doing this work on and off for most of my adult life. Never as a job, though I have made a few bucks, beers, and pizzas, along the way, but just for my own enjoyment and to keep up with the never ending work on a 100 year old house.
I've made some pieces I've been very proud of and some that ,,,,,well lets just say the wood should have gone to someone else instead.

[Jim Becker]

60 yo, now retired from full time work and doubtful about any "legacy". Neither of my daughters are remotely interested in woodworking. I do this for my own enjoyment and mental health. :D

[John Gulick]

Nice! When my grandson was 2 I'd set him on the floor in the shop with a soft piece of pine and a gimlet and let him drill holes. He's 7 now and still likes to make holes, as does his little brother, 2.

JKJ

+1 for John, teach em young. Sounds as though you are doing your job of passing the trade/enthusiasm to the young ones

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

old enough to be retired. My father was a cabinet maker by training and he did a lot of carpentry projects around the house. The only thing I was ever interested in was his lathe and how to operate it. Like him, I do not watch sports on the boob tube, better things to do, as he always said. I became a hobby gunsmith and built several guns and made parts, carved out stocks etc. Made my own reloading gies for obsolete calibers etc. Now, my interest is in turning again. My kids have no such interest, at present. There is a young man at my lions club who turned a few things on my lathe when we put on a demonstration last November. He has been looking for a lathe, but it is a difficult hobby for a person living in an apartment. I am tired of working in the barn and having the cats crawling all over my stuff. This winter, I expect to enclose an area and have a real cement floor.

What I fear, is that after I go, the kids will be such bone heads that they sell the stuff for about 2 cents on the dollar. For that reason, I may just leave the entire workshop to a group that promotes woodworking.

[Rick Costa]

34, I work as a senior manager for a large IT company so I got heavy into woodworking about 5 years ago. My dad built a construction company from scratch and the man litterally can build, work with, solve just about anything. I learned how to operate huge heavy construction equipment, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, etc. But woodworking was something I always liked doing with my Dad. When we all individually moved to Florida to the same town I started buying and upgrading tools from a fairly low budget collection in one of my garages to a stand alone shop with some top notch stuff you could say the passion took over. My son is really young but he's learning and he enjoys it. My dad and I still work projects together and there are few things I enjoy more. In today's digital gotta have it now world there needs to be more makers. People who do for themselves, solve problems, and accept challenges. Keep on building guys and gals.