Time management in the shop Hobbyests

[Brian Brown]

This is for amateur woodworkers, part and full time. I am creating a similar thread for professionals. This may seem like a strange question, but how is your shop time divided between actually making projects for your home, family or friends and creating "for the shop projects"? I've been doing this for about 5 years now (hobby), and it seems like I spend more time making stuff like jigs, shop fixtures, shelving and storage in the shop, adjusting and remaking jigs and shop tools, etc? Each project requires a new jig or two for accuracy, and there is always something else to build to make the shop function better. Then I need to make a new storage system for the new jigs and tools blah, blah, blah, you get the idea. Last night I saw David Marks make one of the most complex jigs I've ever seen. It took more time than the actual project. I have a friend that built a shop over 30 years ago. He works in it often, but has yet to turn out a usable project. He is always building, rearranging, tweaking etc. If he ever does make something useful, it will come out of the most efficient "manufacturing plant" in the world. He says "I'll make something as soon as the shop is finished". So I am posting a poll with this thread for amateurs, who make just one, or a few copies of their projects. Feel free to add comments about your time in the shop.

I never want it to become my living. That's the fastest way I know to ruin a good hobby. I know that doing anything in the shop takes my mind away from work for a while, but I sure would like to have a greater sense of accomplishment when I am done in the shop (SWMBO would too). Let me know how you spend your time.

[glenn bradley]

What timing. I have just been going through a funk based on not creating enough tangible results (finished objects) in the shop. I am mid-project but just can't get enthused. I vent my energies on little shop fix-ups and such as you describe but this does little to get me outta this mood. I'm gonna try again today to get happy ;-) I'll watch this thread with interest; maybe its just the winter blues(?).

[Brian Kent]

I'm with you, Glenn! I got a great deal on a couple of tools last fall and I'm just squeezing around the shop. Now that the sunshine is lasting a little longer I am anxious to get out there and build some storage cabinets for our household stuff, get an air cleaner on the ceiling instead of the floor, get some better lights up, spread out the tools so I can move around…

…and THEN build something.

[Brad Noble]

When I go out to the shop I spend my time doing whatever it is that I choose to do. Sometimes building something for the shop and sometimes not. If my shop time becomes a method by which I can be judged for my worthiness to exist in the woodworking world then I may fail. But, if my total satisfaction, my complete happiness, my renewed attitude that comes OUT of my shop is any measure, my time was extremely well spent.

Did I build anything? What does it matter. As this is my hobby and not my living, what I build is really not important. I don't mean to belittle those that are proud of what they build. No, not at all. I envy their talents. But my inability to build fine furniture does not mean that my shop time was poorly spent.

Does this make sense?

And yes, I understand that this was not the intent of the OP but I have been asked this question before and just thought I'd share my answer with anyone willing to read it.

Brad

[Jim Becker]

This is a good question. But I'll add my comment that the mix for me has changed over time. While I'm at at least 80% "project projects" at this point, earlier on, there was more shop project focus, both because I needed to do stuff like that for functionality as well as the fact that I used it for learning new techniques, etc. (I still do the latter on my "project projects", being sure to have at least one new challenge in every one if I can)

The reason for the shift is that after a certain passing of time, I have my shop mostly where I want it, both from a tools standpoint as well as a "how it's put together" perspective. That said, I do have plans to completely change the way I store material going forward once I'm through all the necessary projects related to our addition....probably later this year, frankly.

[William Nimmo]

I usually always have a piece to make for a customer as well as running another full time retail business. I still love my woodshop time even though it has become a little burdensome keeping up with demand.
How sad is this ..after a completely crazy valentines week in the flower business, I had an evening off and just grabbed a beer, turned on the music and hung out (alone) in my basement shop. For about 2 hours. Just looking around, maybe I should move this, maybe I should build a new shop cabinet, yada yada yada. It is good to know from a thread like this, that I am not the only knuckle head suffering from woodshopitus.

[Randy Klein]

I've discovered that ever since I migrated to more hand tool use, I need less jigs, infeed/outfeed tables, and large machinery that requires storage/mobility/thing-a-mi-jiggies. But theres still tool storage, bench upgrades, etc. that take some of my time still.

[gary Zimmel]

For me any time in the my shop gets me out of my real world.

It seems the shop is in a never ending makeover. I spent alot of time over the past few years building cabinets and setting everything up. Just when I got it pretty much done I am starting over again. Over the past while I have built new plane tills and a saw till and am in the process of redoing my miter station. (upper cabinets are just about done) Jigs seem to be an ongoing process too.

One would have to ask why keep on building and redoing things in the shop? For me, as my skills have gotten better, the shop keeps on going through a transition for the better. Going to my little getaway gives me tons of satisfaction and this is a hobby what I do is secondary. I get as much of a charge in looking at the new sawtill as I do looking at the mission bedroom suite that I built for our home.

I have these ongoing projects for my shop and spend around 40% of my time doing them. Do a couple of ptojects for the house (to keep the boss happy) and then do more work on the shop. I figure I will have to live to about 130 to get everything just the way I want it.

To me any time in the shop doing what ever is time for me and I would not trade that for anything......

Back to the shop as I am glueing up a couple of more cherry panels for some doors....

Great thread.

[Lee Koepke]

Interesting. Of all the posts above me, I have bits and pieces of all of them. I pretty much TOTALLY overhauled my shop space this Christmas. Gutted everything and started again from scratch (more or less) The old workflow didnt work at all. Since then, I built one little project ( I will post pictures soon ) and thats about it.

I am more into remodeling my basement bar area and thats most of my project time. I only spend about 2 hours in the evenings downstairs and the weekends. So I dont have any complicated projects planned. I do things in steps, so it fits my schedule.

Sometimes, I pull an old FWW or other wood maganzine, get a frosty cold beer, and sit around think of whats next.

Either way, that two hours, is ample time to alleviate 10 hours of 'salaried' work.
Thanks for asking.

[Gary Breckenridge]

:DI like to make things. I like nice ,clean and new tools. I even sweep the floor once in a while. But mostly I like to make things.:D

[Geoff Potter]

I am in the process of putting together my shop after a long period without one so it is fair to say that right now I am 100% focused on shop projects.

My wife used to say "Wood goes in but nothing ever comes out!". I am determined to prove her wrong this time around.

[JayStPeter]

As often happens, Jim said exactly what I was planning on saying.

My shop was going 100% on real projects for a while now and had been suffering for it. Since around new years I've been doing a bit of upgrading and a bit more cleaning and rearranging. After one more small shop storage project, I have a real project on the virtual drawing board. I said 80% real projects and 20% shop. I have some significant shop projects based on possible future purchases that could push it closer to 50/50 for the year if they happen. I have a big backlog of real projects though.

[Bill Huber]

I am kind of with Brad on this.

I don't build a lot things but I do spend a lot of time in the shop.

I do a lot of planning and a lot of getting ready for the next projects but the main thing is I am in the shop and away from all the other stuff that goes on in the world.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I've moved three times in the last four years, and I've noticed that each time I move, I loose about ten months getting settled in. Once that happens, projects fly out. Still setting up the newest shop though, so I answered 50%. Going to build a new shop here in the near future, so, here we go again.... ARGH! I hate moving!!!

[Eddie Watkins]

I spent a lot of time doing shop projects for a long time. I finally decided I liked actually producing things people would use so I usually buy rather than build things in the shop anymore if I can find them available and good quality. I still run into things that just have to be built.

Eddie

[Matt Bickford]

I find it odd that so many people spend more time making things better for their shop than producing furniture, which is what the point of it all is I think. Why? Is it because people tend to do shop projects because it's something that they won't be graded on. They get time with their tools and that makes them feel good? I guess. I can't think of anything else. My shop doesn't flow at all, but I'm not about to spend 6 months on it. I certainly don't have a list of jigs I need to make. (I don't even know what would be on such a list.)

[Don Bullock]

Right now for me my shop time is mostly for projects. Until I retire and move within the next few years my projects for the shop are mostly on hold. There is no use in creating something that I won't need or won't fit into a new shop. I'm sure that when we are able to make the move and I have a shop that this will reverse for a while until my shop is functional.

[John Thompson]

I took a break about 7 years ago and spent about a year putting my shop where I wanted it with lights.. wiring.. cabinets.. assembly tables.. etc. There have been upgrades in larger machinery since, but at this point I can bring them in.. put them on a mobile base and use them the next day.

After that year of shop building.. I would log around 20-30 hours a week in the shop building furniture. I retired by default in mid October and now spend from 40-60 hours doing the same. Not much I need in the way or tools.. jigs.. etc. at this point so....

Since I retired Oct. 22. I have popped out a new bed and the first of two chest of drawers is almost done. I lost 3 weeks before Xmas with family business that came up. But at this point full steam ahead with no fore-seeable detours.

I have glue drying at the moment and the chest carcass gets assembled to-night. A combination of 240 pins and tails for DT's on drawers will most likely get under way tomorrow as I prefer hand cutting them.

Might take time to watch the race tomorrow. It's a toss-up between the Daytona 500 and hand cutting DT's with the DT's having more priority at the moment. Love to cut em.. drawing them out is kinda like well.. sanding. Tedious.. but a necessary evil. :)

Sarge..

[Peter Quadarella]

I'll be honest - the point of all this for me is not necessarily to make furniture. I mean, yes, I want to make furniture, but the main point for me is to have some fun and expand my horizons. I enjoy being in the shop, and whether I'm making a clamp rack or a chair doesn't really matter so much to me, as long as I'm learning and enjoying myself.

I've spent countless hours looking at the stars, playing video games, shooting, and many other hobbies and activities that don't even pretend to be productive, so the fact that I may turn out something useful once in a while is only icing on the cake for me.