Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory! #1: You will not believe this... I would have to provide pictures, Most will think this is fiction!

Sounds like a wonderful experience! Good for you!

-- Paul, Texas

I could do an entire kitchen out of birdseye that matched… it is that crazy… I was floored.

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Drew… most thieves do NOT steal lumber. It’s too hard to hide in their pockets and the trunks of their cars.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

I have a confession…. I stole a log from my parents house last night. It’s small (24” long x 18” diameter), but I’m going to cut it up and see what I find. It’s a maple tree that my dad cut down and didn’t tell me about. I got over there last night and most of it had already been taken by a friend of the family for firewood. It didn’t fit in my pocket, but I was able to get it in the trunk of my car.

-- JP, Shelbyville, KY

and I thought you were inspired before!! You are “wired for sound” now!! hehehe

get building Mr. ... get building!!

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

What a great find Drew. I wish I had neighbors around like that.

I forsee you leaving Real Estate soon and becoming a full time woodworker.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

I am not that good at it… Just a beginner… and frankly… I would have to be amaizing as a woodworker to be able to do what I can selling homes… I think I could get there after about 7 years… So… when I retire from this in 10 years… perhapse I will get into it as a second career…

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Well send me the lumber and let me get started. This is now my second career. I may be able to make some items for the homes you want to sell.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Just a beginner and building a shop like that? I thought I jumped in with both feet, but man, youv’e got me beat.

-- JP, Shelbyville, KY

Drew,

I believe this is the same as Timberline Woodworkers Supply, correct?? Think you could hook up a fellow Utahan to a deal like that? hahahahaha it would be nice though…..

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

I am thinking Drew can hire me to make furniiture with that great wood and use his shop as well. I will help work out the bugs in the shop, the placement of tools, etc. hahaha

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Yup… same guy…

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Oh man and I am going to be driving right by there tomorrow on my way down to Delta…. and again on Saturday on my way back!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

Well Max… I am sure his wood (His personal stash) is his… however if you let me know when you are going to stop by and want me to put in a good word for a buddy for a tool or something… let me know… It actually may make a difference for you. You won’t believe the deals he has given me on used equipment. I got a dewalt 13 inch 735 planer with sharp knives for $250. (It is still in the shop so just realize that one is MINE)

Drew

P.S. One of my best buddies is from Delta, are you? Do you know the Lovells?

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

I think that you’re on the right track to eventually being able to do something with deals like Schroeder’s trees: Part of being better at woodworking isn’t just the technical skill, it’s also building those social connections so that we know who to turn to for help when we get in over our heads, and who to share with when we come into useful materials.

Had I, for instance, taken the time to strike up a conversation with the guy I see occasionally down at our local general store who has a portable mill, I may have had a better idea of what to do with those trees. So next time I see his truck parked in the neighborhood I have that much more incentive to get out and say “hi” to a neighbor.

Thanks for the reminder and the kick in the butt.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

Drew,

I purchased my hollow chisel mortise mach. from them a couple of years back. It was a refurbished Delta model. I will keep your offer in mind that is for sure. I am going to be looking for a new cabinet saw here very shortly…..

My Dad (who is now 88) is from Lynndyl and I have relatives down there and in Delta. The Greathouse family. I am sure that they know the Lovells….

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

I have seen great used cabnet saws go through there so fast I was lucky to catch a glimpse… I would suggest you give me about 4 models you would like to have and Ill have him keep an eye out for a used one and Ill call you when it comes through…

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Drew,
You’re looking at this from the wrong perspective. This is NOT going to be your second career. This is your best Hobby and people pay you for it. And it won’t take you 7 years.

This is what you do:
Realize that in your life there will never be retirement. Peddle a few homes (5 or 6 per year) part-time and work on your sticks part-time. And as you realize that money is only money, and your craft is an extension of who you are, you’ll do more wood and less real estate.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

That actually sounds very attractive to me. Last year I listed 103 homes for sale myself… Talk about burning the candle at both ends… I love the idea of slowing up a bit but want the income. If I could eventually replace the income I have lots of other thinks I would like to do… Play in the garden, greenhouse, shop, or fish or ride my ranger… Pleanty of hobbies… not enough time. I just spend all day painting the shop… I am doing a Devoe epoxy floor in there this week so I acid etched it today. Then I rented an airless and sprayed it out after masking the heck out of things. Before acid etching I pressure washed the floor… after as well come to think about it…. Then I waited for it to dry and then painted the bottom of the shop with metallic navy blue paint. The ceiling and walls are beige. THe floor will be tan with beige white and black flakes and a clear coat. Almost there guys… I picked up a delta 12 inch circular 9 inch belt ( I think) sanding center… an almost unused one… made in the USA…. And a folding outfeed table I need to install on my 3 HP Delta X5 table saw… Anyhow… It was a good day but I am siting here falling asleep so signing off…

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

As Obi said, one day you will probably realize money is not everything. I worked at my corporate job for almost 18 years. In the last couple, I was making good money. Yet, I walked away from it and into the unknown. I had disliked my job for some time, but eventually decided it was not worth any amount of money (at least what they would pay) to keep it. Now I wake up each day smiling, I am more relaxed, and looking forward to what life has in store for me.

Basically, it all comes down to deciding what you want from life. I decided I wanted to make things, rather than “push papers” for a living. I do miss that steady paycheck and some of the people from work, but that is all. I have no regrets about leaving and starting anew.

It sounds like you are just dying to get into woodworking and other things full time Drew. I think I would find a faster exit strategy than 7 years. One or two at max would be the way to plan. Sure it will be a lot of changes, but just think how much more time you could spend with your family, your place, and doing the things you love to do.

Good luck on whatever you decide. Keep us posted on how it goes.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

follow your heart…
but then I haven’t heard anything about you hating your current job, either…

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

I like my job… And I am proud of the job I do… just need to figure out how to make it less time consuming. And a bit less stressful would be good too.

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

I think you would feel better if you cut down on the real estate, and increased the woodworking side of your life. Find a way to do that, and you will be happier and less stressed.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Good to hear you like your job. Also good to hear you have so many interests (sounds very close to home for me). I hear you on the candle burning… but I think you’ll figure out a way soon enough to divide up your passions in such a way that you can do what you really want to do, and still pull in a descent paycheck. Your kids are just getting old enough to participate in some of them, right?

After a 10 hour day yesterday, I discovered I’d have today off! Unexpected shop time! Free gifts of time are much more important to me than the steady paycheck (which was never “enough”) and predictable hours and stress of years past.

Today I’m going to work on my next box in my series, and ask the universe to please make sure we won’t owe on our taxes this year.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

I have only been at my “corporate” job for 13 years… it might be nice to finish it or take it part time by the time I hit 18… we shall see what the future brings… My kid are the most important thing to me and so I have been trying to develop interests that they can participate in. I have worked long hard hours now because I went to a parenting seminar about 4 years ago that said that when they were little they needed dad but mom could really handle most of the parenting… When they got older they would need more of a dads time… My folks divorced when I was very young and I spend half of my time with mom then half with dad so it is hard for me to know what the best live with your family all the time parenting style is as I did not experience a normal child hood that way… (lots of us don’t) It is interesting that something as important as having a family we must learn from looking over others shoulders or trial and error… I look forward to time off as well more and more as time goes on… Maybe someday Ill be able to take Bills advice and do something different that is a little less demanding time wise…

On another note… Dan had mentioned missing a tree… my friend Richard who is the guy from timberline opened a new store in St. George Utah a couple of years ago and he told me this story about the tree that got away. He went up to the LDS temple grounds one day for lunch and there he sees a new stump… they had cut a walnut tree down… St George is like Vegas… summers are totally dry and hot… ( I was down there on a day it hit 127 last year) so walnut trees grow very slowly and not well… lots of burl and bumps and deformities due to the weather. He sat down… looked at the stump and he would know ( I would not) but he said he ran to find the grounds keeper… and asked what they did with the tree… They had burned it… He said to me ( I Believe him) that this particular tree would have gone for $80,000 for burl walnut veneer. The grounds keeper did not believe him…. Oh well…

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

You need to come back and post some of the stuff you built with all that great material! (-: