Are your projects appreciated by family?

[Vince Lok]

Well, I made a table for my little girls and wood burned "For Chloe and Samantha, Love Dad" on the bottom of it. So far they like it. It's not even close to fancy and is made with not the greatest wood. In the month that they've had it, they seem to have enjoyed colouring it all sorts of different crayon shades so I thnk they like it. Maybe in the future they'll do homework on it.

I dunno if they'll appreciate it later, but I love to see them using it! (the are almost 2 year old twins)

As my skill grows, I'll build better things. Currently I'm making a little step stool for them to reach the sink.

Oh yeah, for posterity, I like to woodburn my initials and date on the backs of things I've made.

Vince

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I've turned various gifts for family members and special family events...daughter's wedding etc. For the most part they are appreciated. My MIL, however, just rants over them. She asks me regularly if I have anything else for her.

My wife has commissioned me to make at least 3 significant pieces of furniture so that after our departure from this earth, each of our 3 kids will get a piece of furniture Dad built.

Since I bought my MM-16, my PM32520B and my Onieda DC, my youngest son's response was....to heck with the furniture, I want Dad's tools.

[Dave Lehnert]

I think the most amazing story I heard was on a TV show. This lady when she was a child wanted a Dulcimer. Her father was unable to afford one so he made one out of scrap wood. It was a rough version. When her father gave it to her she was mad and slammed it down on the table.
After many years her dad passed and she often wondered what happened to that homemade dulcimer. She was very sad her dad made that for her and reacted in the way she did.
She was searching on E-Bay and she found what looked like the dulcimer her dad made. She took the chance and was the highest bidder. She received it in the mail and believe it or not, It was the one.

I made a few things for a friend but thought I never got the reaction I thought I would have. She was thankful but you know the feeling.
Fast forward 10 years or so. Out of the blue I received an email from her asking me if I remembered giving them to her. She named every item. The one she especially talked about, that seemed to give her the most meaning, I forgot I even made for her.

Ever notice how little things mean the most today but was no big deal at the time. Mom making pancakes on Saturday morning. Or Dad packing your lunch for school. Same thing in woodworking I guess.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for sharing that, Perry. I can only hope that someday the things that I've made will be appreciated as much as I appreciated being blessed with the opportunity to create them.

[Vic Castello]

I'm mostly a relief woodcarver. Most of my stuff ends up on sombody's wall, or displayed on an easel. Like all of us, I work on this stuff for hours and hours. So, when I showed my kids a blue ribbon I recently won for one of my pieces at a woodcarving show, my daughter said....that's nice Dad, but when are you going to make something that is actually useful!

Family appreciation???

[Jeremy Wilcox]

i havent built anything great furniture wise but i have ambitions.... I seem to have great lack of time and dedicated shop space. I have made simple routed/profiled shelves and wall plaques/ key racks. My problem with my wife is that since i cant seem to find time to do projects she goes and buys some cheap crap and it bothers me because i could of made that. Perfect example she wants a spice rack.... i can do this and we are at lowes and she points out one that is $40, i was like i can defiinately build this for less than 40 ...put it back. she did but now i must make a concerted effort to do it. Good chance for a xmas present i suppose.

[Prashun Patel]

Personally, I always end up spending more on a piece than if I had bought it outright. There's always an excuse to buy a new tool or better wood.

[Jeff Mohr]

I made a cutting board for my grandmother a few years back. I went to visit here and it was hanging on the wall as it was too nice to cut on! I guess you could say she liked it....

[Pat Keefe]

Well, I am like most blokes, dissappear into the shed and muck around. Occasionally I might even do something. Our daughter moved into a new place and her mother went to check it out. It was noted that the lounge room "needed" a coffee table, to which the daughter replied "Just like yours, mum" as I had made my wife a coffee table several years earlier. My wife remembered that I had a coffee table size Redgum slab in my shed and the order was given.

Now I am given to acts of sheer bastardry on the children, so when the daughter would come over to our place, she wood enquire about the state of the table . . . excuses were given, too much work, not the right tools, lack of interest, which would irritate said daughter.

The table was delivered on her 21st birthday, to her suprise

[Sean Hughto]

Paul, I just a beginner, but have been turning a few tops recently - just making them up as i go - sort of skew practice. All work well enough, but I'm curious if you've found any particular design that outshines the others as far as being easy to spin and stays spinning longest? Thanks.

[Rod Sheridan]

I'm mostly a relief woodcarver. Most of my stuff ends up on sombody's wall, or displayed on an easel. Like all of us, I work on this stuff for hours and hours. So, when I showed my kids a blue ribbon I recently won for one of my pieces at a woodcarving show, my daughter said....that's nice Dad, but when are you going to make something that is actually useful!

Family appreciation???

Vic, that's funny!

For years my daughter called our Morris chairs "garden furniture".

Now that she's out on her own, and has seen Morris chairs in furniture stores, she's wondering if I'll make her a couple.

Don't see any reason to as her condo doesn't have a garden.

Regards, Rod.

[Sean Hughto]

My expereince is that some (a minority to be sure) folks who have never really thought much about fine woodwork - what constitutes it and what it takes to produce it - don't really appreciate what they've been given. Or they might be impressed in a "wow, you can make a bookcase as nice the Ikea ones!" sort of way. They just have always taken furniture, bowls, pens etc. for granted.

Other people are truly impressed and grateful. The hope with the folks that don't really know any better is that maybe your gift will open their eyes a bit as far as appreciating the finer things and the effort it takes to produce them.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I spent a weekend carefully matching grain patterns on a damaged stained window trim and then got told to paint it white by my wife. Whoever strips that down to restore the original finish is going to thank me. Probably me.

[Bob Rufener]

I have been making something for each of our kids over the past few years. I do believe they really appreciate them. I have made simple things like a key and letter holder, a bank with doors using old postal box brass doors, and a pen holder for a desk top. I also made each of them a two drawer file that I know they very much appreciated. Maybe they will appreciate them more after I am gone and these things will bring back a memory of me. That in itself would be worth it. I have also made a few larger things for friends who have done me favors. I made a pine hutch for a friend who built a log house. I also made a fishing rod/ cabinet for a friend who has taken me on several trips to Canada fishing. I don't think he really appreciated it as it sits in his basement unused. I kind of feel bad about that but I feel good about the fact that I made it for him alone and have the satisfaction of returning some favors. I will continue to do this when I see something that a friend or relative might enjoy. Even if they don't enjoy it, I'll still have the satisfaction of trying to do something nice for someone else.