tcarswell Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I spend around ten hours a week in my shop I'd love to spend at least around twice that. My wife really isn't a huge fan of that idea.shes a stay at home mom to our son and wants a break when. I get home ( I Co own a hvac company and work 50 a week ) How about you guys ?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 +1, Wife is a stay at home AND homeschooling Mom. Trust me, she EARNS those breaks! On average, I may get 1 or 2 hours per week of shop time, aside from using my tools for regular home upkeep and repairs...those don't count. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 We both teach and her level dismisses an hour after mine due to bus schedules. She also needs more time at school than I do. This gives me 8-10 through the week and maybe 5 more through the weekend. I can get more if she has an interest in the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisphr Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 4yo twins +a 3yo. She is generous with about 5 hours a week to fit in all my hobbies: cycling, shooting, backpacking, and woodworking. But man, I really enjoy those woodworking hours... I dream of time first, space second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick A McQuay Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 In a very productive week, 20-28 hours; in a non productive week maybe 0-2 hours. The last year or so has been closer to 20 on average. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mzdadoc Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I'm usually too tired after work during the week but if I get stuff done around the house then skies the limit as far as time on weekends. I always put wife, kids, and house in that order first and I get all the time I want. My brand new PM2000 came along with my wife's patio umbrella. Her umbrella came first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefmagnus@grics.net Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 OK I am on dialysis and that takes MWF completely away from me. I go to dialysis at 6-7am and get home at 1-2pm eat and the sleep until 4-6 am on TTHS. When I get up I eat and take my meds. One of the meds protects my liver from gods knows what but it has a side effect that I can not sleep until it is filtered out by dialysis. So I get my average of 7-8 hours sleep but it is every other day. Also I don't sleep on weekends. Why am I up today? Pipe broke at the center so no treatment today. So I am going to go for a longest spell for me in a while. I am going to be up from Thursday 6ish am until I either overcome the med or I get my treatment on Monday. During the week, I get shop time while my wife and daughter sleep. Make breakfast for them, catch up on email and social media, a bit more shop time, lunch, another couple hours either in the shop or playing with our corgis, make dinner and spend time with the family then more shop time until clean up and go to dialysis. I try not to go into the shop on the weekends, I gues that I average 4-6 hours a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarswell Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Thanks for the input guys! We have one child a 7 month old boy and He is an absolute angel. I nearly never enter the shop when he's awake which means I always do my woodworking after 945 to ten. ( I had to acoustically dampen the Garage for my neighbors sake ). I was starting to resent my wife honestly I work in 120+ degree attics and crawl in crawlspaces that I can't even Roll over in almost daily. It's a real blessing to have a nice setup. I wish I could Use it more. But hearing the other dad's I guess I'm not doing so bad . Thanks so much guys. PS chef I'll pray for you buddy I hope you feel better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarswell Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 +1, Wife is a stay at home AND homeschooling Mom. Trust me, she EARNS those breaks! On average, I may get 1 or 2 hours per week of shop time, aside from using my tools for regular home upkeep and repairs...those don't count. is that enough time for you ? how long have you been in the hobby? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 When I'm not in school, as in when the semester is done with, I spend 5-8 hours a week in the shop easily. Other time is spent with the fiancé because I don't get a weekend to spend with her. I'm up by 4:00, home by 7:00, in bed by 9:30 on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RichardA Posted October 25, 2014 Popular Post Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 You poor bums, rug rats, school, employment, all those things are in my rear view mirror. I'm retired, my wife works part time, and I can do 80 hrs a week if I feel up to it..... Generally I spend about 8 hrs a day in the shop, building something, cleaning, or just rearranging.... even a little time dreaming about a bigger shop. Hang in there guys your time will come. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Sounds like heaven to me Richard. I get a couple of hours some nights of the week. Maybe get a day or two at weekend if I'm lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 If you do your woodworking after the wife and kid go to bed, there's not much for anyone to complain about. I'm usually too wiped out by then to be enthusiastic or do good work. And since I work pretty much seven days a week, that doesn't leave a lot of openings for me. I've been going through a real deficit of shop time in the last year or so, and it sucks. Between a crazy work schedule and two little kids, it doesn't leave a lot of time or energy. Fortunately it's a hobby that even bent over old dudes can do to some degree. Hopefully I'll have time before I become a bent over old dude to do some of the things I want to do. If I got 10 quality hours in every week, I'd be happy as a clam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Tcar, 10 hrs seems pretty good given your work and kid situation. A little advice - don't scrimp on time with the 7 month old, he won't be that way for long. As for me, it's hit or miss. I can get an hour or two at night after homework is done and everyone is in bed, but sometimes I'm too wiped for it. Weekends are spotty but I can sometimes get a 4 hr block on Saturday or Sunday. I'd rather have a longer single block of time than several hour-long sessions, so maybe you just need to work out a weekend schedule with the wife. Instead of resenting and arguing just come up with a schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 If you do your woodworking after the wife and kid go to bed, there's not much for anyone to complain about. I'm usually too wiped out by then to be enthusiastic or do good work. And since I work pretty much seven days a week, that doesn't leave a lot of openings for me. I've been going through a real deficit of shop time in the last year or so, and it sucks. Between a crazy work schedule and two little kids, it doesn't leave a lot of time or energy. Fortunately it's a hobby that even bent over old dudes can do to some degree. Hopefully I'll have time before I become a bent over old dude to do some of the things I want to do. If I got 10 quality hours in every week, I'd be happy as a clam. Who you calling a bent over old dude? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I'm lookin' at YOU, Dick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 is that enough time for you ? how long have you been in the hobby? I make do. That average doesn't come in even intervals, but in spurts of a few hours, with a few minutes here and there in between. Although I have been making things with wood for most of my adult life, only in the past couple of years have I attempted to make anything resembling 'fine' furniture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 My wife is really supportive of me getting time to work in the shop, but due to work and actually wanting to spend time with my wife before she has to go to bed (getting up at 5am is rough) I average maybe 5 hours. There are also weeks at a time when I am at zero hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBM Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 It varies for me depending on the project. I have a 20 month old daughter and my wife is a stay at home Mom. So they have to share in the time. It averages about 6-10 hours including the weekend. If it's a project my wife wants done faster then I get more time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Depends on what I'm doing, and how much free time is expended on my other loves... Year-round average is maybe 10-15 hours a week, on a big project, closer to low thirties. When I'm in a big project, my wife will usually take over my household chores to let me work. I often slow way down in the summer, as I spend a lot more time cycling, flying, and watching local motorsports. I don't have kids, and I work from home, so I don't have a commute or child care stuff to take up time. My wife is a school teacher who is gone from 6:45a to 6-6:30p, so I have a few hours of free time every day. Working from home allows me to get short duration tasks done that I couldn't if away from home. This is fantastic for gluing and finishing, where I often need to do short stints that need to sit undisturbed and tie up shop space. Having the ability to work this way can greatly reduce the calendar day completion time on a project that took far longer when I commuted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapid Roger Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Twelve to fifteen hours a day seven days a week. Yep, I'm retired (and so is my wife). I am not allowed to smoke in the house but, I can use the bathroom, eat and sleep in there. I have my computer, flat screen TV, beer box and all of my tools in the shop and more or less just live there. Don't get me wrong, the wife and I get along just fine in fact, probably better than if we were together all the time. She has her car and comes and goes to her volunteer "jobs" at will and, I have my van to go get wood or supply's when ever necessary. We just stay in touch with our various doings and go out to lunch, church and visiting friends etc. Am I a happy camper???...... YOU BET YOUR SWEET PA-TOOT I AM! :) Rog 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 You poor bums, rug rats, school, employment, all those things are in my rear view mirror. I'm retired, my wife works part time, and I can do 80 hrs a week if I feel up to it..... Generally I spend about 8 hrs a day in the shop, building something, cleaning, or just rearranging.... even a little time dreaming about a bigger shop. Hang in there guys your time will come. My grandfather always told me not to wish my life away, but I do look forward to a time when I can have unlimited shop time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 My main woodworking time comes on the weekends. My daughter is 3, and my wife and I keep the same hours for work (9-5). I can usually get out to the shop for an hour or two each evening if I have the energy. My average time varies, but I would say maybe 8 hours per week would be a good estimate. In the winter I slow down considerably, as the cold keeps me out of the shop. I moved and am in a new-to-me home, so I have a lot of furniture to build. The new shop is not fully insulated yet, but I needed to stop the diy and get some woodworking done so I took a break from drywall and insulating to build a few pieces. I hope to get the insulation done before winter so that I can work in the colder months. I also spray finish outdoors, so after about Halloween, I can't finish with the HVLP gun until april or so. That tends to slow me down as well, unless I am finishing with a different product. I really like hvlp and high performance poly, so I tend to stick to that combo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarswell Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Thanks for all the input guys. I feel pretty Lucky now to have the energy to work as late and as often as I do. Also I would never wish it as I love my son with every fiber of my being but in a few years il have more time as my poor wife won't be worn out from getting up with him at night etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarswell Posted October 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 +1. I usually get 5 hours a week in the shop, almost always between 8 and midnight. Once a month or so I will take a vacation day from work for honey do or shop time. My shop almost never gets cleaned and i have no time for shop projects/jigs. That's such a bummer man I pray you get more time !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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