What do you do for a living?

Well at the moment I am a full time student. Planing on opening a shop and producing furniture for a living. Before I became a fulltime student, I ran my own furniture repair and refinishing business. Which I will most likely reopen when I return to the states. Just to help with the cash flow. But it’s not something that I plan on doing for long. (refinishing and repairing that is.)

-- Kaleo , http://www.kalafinefurniture.com

I’m an air traffic controller.

I’m a software architect currently designing software for movies and music playing on cell phones. Stuff like sharing music videos from one phone to another or showing pictures from a cell phone onto a TV. I’ve been in computer hardware and software engineering since the mid 70’s and I’m really tired of it. It was fun when I could actually create the software myself, but now I do some design and the software is produced in China. Hoping someday to get good enough at woodworking to make it a business. I’m still too slow and particular and have so much to learn. Great to have a place to converse with so many like minded and talented woodworkers.

-- RonR, Massachusetts

I just retired so If i need new tools I’ll have to sell something.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

this is a great topic—it’s nice to know who we can turn to if we have a non-woodworking question :D

Currently: Life Guide, helping people overcome barriers in their lives, mostly relationship issues. I’m also a day Care Consultant, having an Early Childhood Educator background.
Highlight of my career was facilitating a parenting program with male inmates at a correctional centre. I could have done that all my life, I think, if it had been an option,

Other hobbies: photography, writing (I write a weekly article for our local paper) some leatherwork

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

I’m an accountant for a major mining operation.

I am a software architect and program manager for a large technology company. Woodworking helps me release the day to day stress of this type of work.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I am a Corporate Safety Director for a grocery distribution company with responsibilities in DOT and OSHA compliance as well as overall safety and traininig for 5 divisions of the company.

Woodworking is my escape…besides I like working with my hands and power tools…lol

-- Sawhorse - Sulphur Springs, TX - www.sawhorseworkshop.com

after 12 years as a graphic designer – going from drafting table and clip art to 40+ hours at a computer (PC???) – the last 4 managing my dept – I’ve demoted myself to part-time, so I could work days with my dad. He’s been doing renovations, landscaping and handyman type work the past couple years, after being downsized one time too many.

Our bread and butter comes from subcontracting for Owens Corning (basements), which occasionally involves woodworking, but we also do our own jobs to fill in the gaps (when and if we get them – gaps, I mean)

The two jobs – physical labor, and computer work – provide me with pretty good balance. Previously woodworking was the antidote to all the hours at the computer (now a Mac!)

I sometimes miss my colleagues at the former day job, (especially on the crappy weather days) as I pretty much fly solo when I’m there – but I’m enjoying the time with my father so much more. I used to worry about what I’d do next… and was afraid to take career steps without something to fall back on from there, but now I’m so much happier than I’ve been in years.

Woodworking is still my hobby… though I tell myself I wouldn’t mind making a little money from it.

-- 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/

Everybody answering so far sounds like they have great and very cool jobs!

I work at a Sears store! (Please, don’t laugh too loud, it’ll hurt my feelings!)

I could say: “It’s a living”.....but it hasn’t been lately.

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

Recently retired from Glacier National Park as the information Guru for all visitors who contacted the park. So I now also need to earn money by selling stuff to buy any new tools…lol

I am now working more than full time between my shop and projects and my website which has begun to generate some business already. I am now getting clearance to show my work at some local Farmers Markets and art shows once I have enough inventory built up. Woodworking is a passion I plan to make some money at.

-- Splinters - Living and Loving life in the Rockies - http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/ - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5220040

I’m a sales manager for a manufacturer located in Ohio. I get to show our products to end users and work with distributors to sell our products vs. the competition. I cover Georgia and Florida (someone has to, right?).

Full-time Christian Minister (preacher) with an eye towards ending up where I daydreamed about starting out. That being bi-vocational – part-time minister and full/part-time woodworker. Problem was, I prepared for the minister part (college, post-graduate seminary) and didn’t prepare for the wooworking part back 20 years ago. Add to that marriage, kids, etc. and I got caught up in going with the flow of life. No regrets about where God has led, but the call of working with my hands as well has never gone away. Looking towards trying to make a transition towards bi-vocational life somewhere in the next 8-10 years (get kids through college). I’m trying to be diligent about preparing better this time though. Trying to save my pennies, take on a few “paying” projects repairing, refinishing and furniture commissions (below what I should charge but in order to gain the needed experience and skill) and roll that $ over into tools and getting better – by taking classes with accomplished professionals in the trade and work on my skills in the shop. If I keep praticing and learning, I think I could get there with my long range plan.

-- Paul, Texas

I am Spid-ato Man!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Yeah, but what does Potato Parker do during the day?

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I’ve been in commercial construction for 30 years and a superintendent 25 years of that.

I get my spending money for the shop from the woodcarvings that I make and sell. I could use more tools, anyone need a chip carving? LOL!

-- " All Things At First Appear Difficult"

I am the system administrator for the business software (finance and hr/payroll) for a biomedical research institution, which is an affiliate of a well known scientific institution.

When not working or woodworking, I indulge in photography, baking (homemade pizza dough tonight), kayaking, snowshoeing, and dreaming about retiring early to the Adirondack Mountains.

-- Chelle http://artsgranddaughter.blogspot.com

I am a NERC certified System Operator for a utility company. I monitor the substations and high power lines ( not the distribution that brings the power to your home). Before that I operated three different 575 megawatt coal fired generators for the same company. Going on 26 years and looking forward to retiring in 21 years ( if I live that long, LOL).

-- Jesus is Lord!

I am a 5th grade teacher. Is it summer yet?

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

I am a Registered Piano Technician. I have been the Staff Piano Technician at Marshall University in Huntington, WV since 1970.

-- Paul Dempsey, WV

I am the Senior Pastor (12 Years) of a Baptist Church. I have been in the ministry for 20+ years. During that time I have been doing some form of woodworking on and off to help supplement my income. Mostly remodel jobs. Recentlly I have found that I enjoy the solitude of the shop, and the satisfaction of making something useful with my hands. It’s very relaxing for me.

-- John -- Racine, WI -- Woodworking..."It's not just a Hobby, it's an Adventure"

I’m a process mechanical designer. Primarily process piping systems for municipal water and wastewater. But I also have done quite a bit of graphics over the years and have more recently been doing a lot of 3D modelling for projects and proposals. I enjoy my work but would love to semi-retire to my workshop.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

I make Martins life miserable by asking too many questions. jockmike

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

What a broad range of occupations . . . and we all have something in common.

Well actually two things: woodworking and LJ.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

I do a special type of recycling – I access manufacturer’s scrap (surplus) and find alternate uses for it.

For instance, the sizes of UHMW and acetal plastic that manufacturers turn up their nose at are perfect or the home woodworker and micro businesses starting out.

I move this stuff through retaillers and have an ebay store.

-- surplusdealdude

cool… we need a heck of a lot more recycling, reusing, and repurposing in the world. Nothing’s trash if you look at it the right way.

-- 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 take big sticks and make little sticks then I take the little sticks and make big sticks agian.

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

I’m a retired Heavy Equipment Mechanic Supervisor. I’ll be celebrating 17 years/retirement on June 30th. Never a dull chisel moment!!

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

I’‘m a chiropractor. Small town solo practice for almost 30 years (which finances my wood working addiction). As with most jocks woodworking is a great way to relax. I guess I love to work with my hands.

-- DocK, WV

Nothing’s trash if you look at it the right way.

I certainly agree with you there, Scott.

You should SEE some of the stuff industry throws away! I just got in a box of “scrap that had 2 pieces of white Delrin in it, 7” x 24” x 2 /14”.

Online prices for this stuff go from $685 to $1060 EACH, and these guys are throwing it away!

Last year I got a UHMW piece from the same guys 4×40 x 40, worth about $1500.00

It’s worth the hassle to pick it up and resell it at that rate.

-- surplusdealdude

I’m an estimator for an Electrical Contractor

-- --Mike Lancaster, OH

I’m a software developer. I’ve been working on, and programming computers since I was about 12 – frankly, I’m tired of it. Someday, I’ll get to a skill level that I’m comfortable taking the big leap and striking out on my own. Studio furniture, and restoration projects are what interests me the most.

-- To do is to be

I am Chevy Chase and you’re not. LOL, I have always wanted to say that.

I am currently, for the past 7 years, a consultant/associate for an international project management firm in the accounting/finance practice. I am also a CPA. Some would say “Constant Pain in the A..” I will work on a project for a client for about 3-6 months. Take a break for 4-6 weeks and then on to another project. During breaks between projects I will either travel and visit friends in exotic parts of the world or work in the shop on a project. I spent four years of my career installing computer accounting software for branches of a major US bank in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and London. I have the greatest job and why would I quit or retire. All my experiences and acquired skills add value to each client project as I am able to hit the ground running. I also develop and implement Access databases for clients and leave them with something they did not have before. I have worked for Fortune 50 companies and smaller companies as well. I am currently working at a small insurance company subsidiary for a large food co-op in the western US.

People ask me why my hobby is woodworking. I reply that both my profession and woodworking require a great amount of “attention to detail”. The light goes on and they smile and agree. I love to spend time in the shop regardless of what I am doing. I like hearty Italian varietal wines, shorts, sandals, my two LJ t-shirts and the Napa valley. I also like dogs in Northern California.

-- Fred Childs, Pasadena, CA - - - Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

I owned my own construction company until I had kids. Once they were born, I wanted to spend all the time I could with them so I sold my construction company, upgraded my tools and my shop from 1200 sq ft to 3800 sq ft and I built that shop right next to my house. Now I build custom cabinets and sell some stuff on ebay. I can put my 6 & 9 Y/O’s on the bus in the morning and open my shop. When the bus drops them off I can close up shop if I want. And I don’t have to explain to you folks what my day is like in my shop.

I get to enjoy my family and enjoy my shop while getting paid for it. I feel fortunate to be living the American Dream. I owe that to my grandfather and my dad for teaching me the skills and knowledge. Hopefully I am setting up my boys for the same success and traditions that were passed down to me. I look forward to learning more from this site and its members.

a great gift for your children!! :)

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

I am a part time pastor of a growing non-denominational church and the director of our states counseling program. I also have a private family counseling practice. I do woodworking to relax!

-- Bruce from Central New York

I was a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse for 13 years. Then I burned out and had to end the mission. Now I am a graphic designer/Asst. Manager of a FedEx Kinko’s. I’m looking to teach myself web design after buying the big load of software. Someday I may even grow up (but I’m not betting the farm on it).

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

I am branch manager for a local tour bus company in eastern WA, which means interviewing/hiring/training new drivers, cleaning and light maintenance on these greasy machines, and also driving, plus minor office work. Mine is one of three state bus yards, so we all share the office load.
I am also a professional writer, doing book reviews in the woodworking niche for Ellis Walentine at woodcentral.com, and am contributing editor for book reviews at Canadian Home Workshop magazine.
All of which leaves me little time for my garage/workshop. Retirement is five or six years away…...

-- BarbS, Wenatchee WA

I’m a Nurse…I save lives…most of the time.
At home I’m a Mad Scientist. Always thinking, always creating and always having too much to do. So sadly most of my projects keep getting put on the back burner. Eventually though…some day.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

The question was, “What do you do for a living?” My answer is ‘live life abundantly”.

My income comes from the investments I made over a lifetime of business leadership. I retired four years ago here in Australia after working 25 years for a Chicago based office products manufacturing company. I stared with this employer in Canada but after ten years was exiled to the colonies.

I chose woodworking in preparation for retirement about six years ago because it was something that I enjoyed in high-school and after watching my dad do the same when he retired. Unfortunately, other than a few hand tools of his that I inherited, all of his power tools are rusting in a shed in Vancouver.

Although I’m asked almost every week if I sell my small boxes [did I ever mention that I just love small wooden boxes?], I made the decision when I retired to keep woodworking a hobby.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hilsbiblechurch.org/

I am retired – now working with wood instead of beating folks with wood – (PR24). Spent the last 21 years working as police officer and retired as a Lieutentant. The very first person to ever retire from our department. Now thats got me to wondering – was that a good thing – or was I too stupid to move to a better job. Naw – have memories – good and bad that I will never forget. God Bless retirement. Now I can worry about my own problems instead of evereyone elses. Lets make saw dust!!!!!!!!

-- "Have you hugged your pet today?" ---------- Larry

Retired two years ago working construction. Over 43 years in the trade, 33 as a commercial constructin superintendent. I worked under the Carpenters union and my union pension was enough so I can keep woodworking as a hobby. The last few years I worked, I bought the tools I needed, and now only have a few tools that could be upgraded.

-- Jack

CADD tech. for large engineering firm. Been doing it for 32 years. Its fun.

I am a remodeler, home repair/handyman and licensed home inspector.

I got pushed into medical retirement about 5&1/2 yrs ago. I was badly misdiagnosed over a period of years and ended up with the bugs having a big party in my CNS (that’s central nervous system for the medically snobby). It’s sort of like the old fried egg/drug commercials – you know, “this is your brain …” but not as much fun. Downside, my brain is melting. Upside, I get to play with my grand kids a lot. Pretty soon though, they’ll be smarter than me! Before retirement I was a commercial lender with one of the top banks in the US and a summa cum laude graduate from business school with degrees in Labor Relations and Economics. I can’t do that anymore but I can still do fractions so I keep on doing the woodworking. I think that I’ve found that working with my hands is rewarding in a way that the mental gymnastics of separating borrowers from their income ever was. Much more straight forward, too. Hopefully I’ll get good enough so that I can make a few bucks before my grey matter starts running out my ears. Given that I’m only 57, though, I hope like hell that someone comes up with a treatment in the fairly near future.

-- JWB

I do speech-language pathology work in the public schools… I primarily serve students with severe speech and physical impairments (pre-k through high school). We work on augmentative and alternative ways to communicate (e.g., using voice-output communication devices to replace or to supplement speech).

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

I have worked for the last 16 years as an Automation Engineer. Complete systems, electrical, mechanical and programming.

I designed the things that make the things.

Currently taking a couple of years off.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

JWB .. that sucks :(
I hope that you get to continue with your woodworking for many, many, many more years!

Dorje – very rewarding.
When was in college I had the pleasure of observing a classroom where the students (severely handicapped) used bliss boards and computer programs to communicate. The teacher could “hear” what the students were saying by watching the tilt of their head. Another student with head activated keyboard was having a geography lesson. Amazing stuff.

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

I am an account rep at a weekly advertising publication, however, my passion and my future is wood. As hard as my wife may try to keep me out of the shop, I persevere. Is there a site like this for wives of woodworkers to complain about their husbands’ hobby? This way, they could complain to each other instead of us. Good Idea?

-- Jeremy, Austin Texas- A bad day in the shop beats a good day at work

It could be worse… when we were first married my wife and some of my friends wifes had a starcraft widows club… We were so addicted and at the end of the day… (or 5 am whichever came later) what did you have to show for it but a screwed up relationship and bad sleep habits.

I sell residential real estate… Have for 13 years and for a 37 year old guy… that is a long time. Grew up building houses and now I sell em… I used to have a general contractors license and let it go as I never built anything and had to admit …Drew your a Real Estate Broker … not a contractor… So… I built myself a shop… I have too many hobbies and will get back into the shop to enjoy my good toold in a couple of months when the 4 wheeling and fishing slows down (and I dont have listing appointments every night.)

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

An estimator for a commercial vehicle builder (mobile command centers, vet clinics, med clinics, balloon chase vehicle and toy haulers). The bigger portion of the business is the RV division building Class “C” motorcoaches.

Past occupations: butcher/ slaughterer in small 2 man meat locker, truck loader at egg plant, swimming pool & Spa work (father-in-law), welder, CNC punch operator, Drafter, Sales/estimating, IT, Forward Observer (13F) IA National Gaurd

-- Joel Tille

currently supplier quality assurance representative for pratt whitney aerospace … cover ohio territory.

30 years in quality control/assurance. sr. quality engineer, layout inspector, gage designer, qc supervisor, calibration tech and qa manager.

major companies I have worked for in my career … sundstrand corp (aerospace) . dow corning wright (orthopedic implants … hps), waukesha engine dresser industries(huge engines) , carrier corp (air conditioners) , utc (corp) and pw (aircrafts parts).

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

I am a Sales and Marketing Director in a Nowegian company selling Telecommunication equipment like IP-telephony systems and broadband modems.

-- Norwegian (living in Sarpsborg, Norway) http://www.masur.no

I’m a recovering slacker! (you can stop there if you’re not interested in a long drawn out story) lol

I’ve been working for a supervisor for a national call center for close to two years … not really a career path I had in mind … more like a pit stop between careers … then about two years ago a friend was in town and I stopped by to visit him at his parents home. They had restored an old Arts and Crafts home and I was amazed by the detail and craftsmanship and something about the home inspired me to hit the library and build them a small end table I thought would fit perfectly in their home (I had just purchased an old used Spruger 7 1/2 table saw for $5 and needed an excuse to use it). That led to a request for another piece … and another piece … and another customer … until the requests started to getting backed up (mostly custom built in pieces) because I had more work and bigger requests than I could handle in a profitable and efficient way with the limited time, space, and equipment … however, at some point I realized my true gift wasn’t necessarily in the shop … it was in people’s homes … where I could work with them to design pieces that would not only be beautiful … but work for them. While I’ve had to tweak some original designs to meet the customer’s requests … and some of the sales have come months after the original pitch … I’ve yet to walk away without the sale. So these days, I spend more time working with Sketchup and then farming the actual construction out to someone else than I do in the workshop … and things seem to be going well enough.

At the end of the month … I’ll be ditching the day job and going back to Purdue full time to finish up my Electrical Engineering degree … as well as trying to drum up some new design work.

-- Lip's Dysfuncational Firewood Farm, South Bend, IN

My full time job, if that’s what you want to call it (the one that provides the insurance) is in civil engineering. I started as a CAD tech and progressed through the ranks to project manager/sr. designer. But most weeks I swear I spend more time woodworking than I do engineeing. Hopefully, within the next 5 years I can break out full time.

-- http://rjoneswoodworks.com/

I do whatever I have to do to survive, most of the time I am self-employed fixing computers and designing and creating websites, although building custom guitars by request always helps with the buck$ coming in. Every year or so I take on contract work of some kind for a few months at a time, sometimes building boats, sometimes fixing computers for other Computer companies, sometimes DJing in nightclubs, sometimes doing guitar setups for music stores, sometimes producing/recording music for bands and other DJ’s and/or advertising jingles, whatever is necessary to pay the bills and put the food on the table. Glad to be a part of this site, when time allows it’s always good to check out what others around the world are doing.

-- Skinna - Australia... I won't stop at murder if that's what is necessary to get the job done

I am an ASE certified Master Automotive and Medium/Heavy Duty Truck Technician along with Emergency Vehicle Master Tech for Law Enforcement Vehicles. I am a Lead Technician for the City of Stillwater Oklahoma. We work on everything from weedeaters to trashtrucks,excavators dozers etc. I am the one in charge of setting up all new Police units for the city.

-- Jim in Cushing Oklahoma

I’ve done a lot of different and rewarding things, and I’ve been on the road in one manner or another for quite a while, but getting the urge to stay put landed me behind the wheel of a city bus… now I have the time and place for my hobbies, and if I start to build things that satisfy me, well maybe retirement won’t be so far away after all… :)

-- OW! that was my THUMB! MyOldHouse in London ON

I’m a writer. Articles, songs, peoples stories. i have a passion for home remodeling and a fetish for wooden boxes. I grew up in the remodeling business – my dad and brother are both contractors in Buffalo, NY but i moved to Colorado because I love the mountains, snow and sunshine. Now I write for a living, always have remodeling projects going on, love to tile and do finish work and really, really need to learn how to make some nice shelves/built-ins for my house.

-- life can always be weaved into a song.

I just don’t know!

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

I work for Herman Miller, a major office furniture manufacturer. If you sit in a cube, Miller’s historically responsible (one of their designers, Robert Propst, invented the cube, a while back), although we might not be the one that made yours.

My job is continuous improvement. Basically, I help others to see the problems that are going on in manufacturing, and teach them how to solve them. I love to use the training I’ve had at work in my shop at home.

-- Robb

I’m a Forester. I work in the Pacific Northwest primarily with second growth Douglas-fir. I supervise the logging and market the logs from my employer’s 25,000 acre tree farm (quite small by “commercial tree farm” standards). I started out in the sawmills, 23 years old with a math degree and pulling lumber on the planer chain, (didn’t want to work inside – ya tha math – not so good here). Stacked lumber for 2 years, then an opportunity to become a lumber grader, then the head grader, soon the fill-in shift Foreman for the sawmill. Within about 7 years, an opportunity opened up in the “log buyer” position – (all I saw was a company pickup). Within 5 years was the timber manager, fun, but stressful. I had an opportunity to buy into a consulting forestry firm (Cronk & Holmes) and so…traveled all over Alaska, Washington and Oregon for five years, the best years of my career for sure, bears, bison, salmon so thick you could literally walk across the stream on their back…it was great! Not generally gonna get rich in Forestry, but I like what I do, and it gives me time to work in the wood shop which I LOVE to do!~so it all works out in the end. That’s my story…such as it is,…

-- The Gnarly Wood Shoppe

quite the story and sounds fascinating!

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

... I’m the Web/Graphics/Photography/Marketing/Advertising/IT guy for a ranch (and it’s businesses) here in Texas.

-- Jchon - Denton, TX

I’m a Marine. Always have been, always will be. Even after I retire and hang out my shingle on my shop full-time, I’ll always be a Marine.

-- Eric Olson Springfield, MO Rock Creek Designs

I’m a retired finance/accounting manager. Right after I retired, my wife and I adopted a cat. His name is Fefe, a very affectinate little boy. I wanted to get him a cat tree. A good cat tree is more than I can afford, so I decided to build one for him. I didn’t do a good job as that was my first time working on wood. After that, I was hooked on woodworking. My first few projects was to build a few cabinets in the garage. I’m almost done now. My next project is to build a router table. I’m really looking forward to it.

Granville – San Jose, California

I’m a truck mechanic supervisor, for the DOT. After more than 25 years as a mechanic I moved up the ladder.

30 year Legacy Air Carrier employee, Currently working in the cargo import office.
About 500,000 lbs of goods are imported at my location every day. My main customers
are Customs Bokers, Importers, US Customs and Boarder Protection Officers, and
Truck Drivers. I also hold a FAA aircraft mechanics license and a FCC GMDSS
Radio Operator Maintainer License with Ships Radar Endorsement. Woodworking
is a hobby.

-- Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

I have been doing accounting since I was 14 and got an after school job. I had several jobs doing that, then got married, had children, did the accounting for our landscaping business, did professional photography for a few years also. My brother got sick, came to live with us, passed away. After taking care of him and my children and husband for a long time I decided I needed to get out of the house a little. Got a part time job doing…what else….accounting. The part time job turned into a full time job, the marriage fell apart, and now I have been with the same company, started out with 3 of us, now there are 30, for the last 14 years. I work for The Lagunitas Brewing Company, we make beer and I try to pay the bills. I love my job, my bosses (husband and wife) are wonderful people and have helped me thru many rough patches in my life. We are expanding to other states now, we may be in your state!! My children are now grown (one married, the other in college and keeping me broke!) I have a wonderful grandson and 2 step grandsons who I love dearly. I have always also loved to work with my hands, I have been sewing and doing every craft imaginable my entire life. My grandmother built her own house in 1956….I think that may be where I got my love of woodworking. I started woodworking probably 15 years ago and have progressed very slowly to my current passion. It keeps me busy and now I am trying to think of things to build for my new grandson. So, when I’m not up in the Sierra’s repairing something on my mom’s house (she thinks I can do anything…go figure) I get to work in my little shop (garage) on the weekends.

-- robbi-Yadahooty!

well, now, isn’t that quite the journey!! Bravo to you. You are definitely an inspiration to others.

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

I work as a custom stair installer in the SF Bay area. I work for Simmons Stairways, and have been building stairs for 15 years. Previously I built custom cabinets in Tracy, Ca.

For my little side/hobby business, I make exotic-wood display bases for miniature painters. Miniatures are the little figures used for games ranging from D&D, to tabletop wargaming like Warhammer. Painting the miniatures has become an art form in itself. There are many competitions held worldwide for mini-painters, in fact I run one at Kublacon every year. Last year I started providing wood display bases for serious competition painters and collectors.

-- Wayne Rogers, www.Miniaturebases.com

I am an attorney.

Personal injury, criminal defense and bankruptcy.

Doug is the only one who’s recognized that my name is Lee

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.

Well, I get up every morning and go to the shop. Right after I check the e-mail and see what you guys are up to. In the shop, I do all kinds of saddle repair and build new saddles and chinks and just about anything else made of leather except upholstery and clothes. On the other side of the wall, I build furniture and custom cabinets and just about anything you want repaired. I just don’t do enough of any of it to get rich. But then, if I wanted to get rich, I would do something else. From 1990 to 2005 Carleen and I owned and operated ranches in North Eastern Oregon. I’ve spent a lot of my life in some way associated with livestock and agriculture. Before 1990 Carleen operated retail stores in Eastern Washington. She owned a Western Wear store, a women’s boutique and a shoe store. I came along and her world turned to horse sweat, dust, sagebrush, hay and cow manure. she grew up on a big wheat farm in the Palouse so it was just a step back.

You guys have jobs I have never heard of. I guess I just never spent enough time in the cities to know aobut those jobs. When I was 18 I did a stint in Chicago training race horses. I guess that was enough for me. I know my way around the city and enjoy my time there but I am always glad to return to the sagebrush. I just wish we had a ” Sagbrush Symphony”.

I’ve cowboyed all over the west. I guided hunters in the wilderness areas of Wyoming and was head packer for the Fred Harvey Company at the Grand Canyon( mule string). When I was young I rodeoed a lot, riding saddle broncs. I did about 6 years in law enforcement and worked in custom saddle shops. I even drove airplanes for a while. Through it all, on the back burner was art, leather and wood. We decided that it is now or never. I’m 60 years old and see no possiblity of retiring. I still get out to some of the ranches and ride. In the spring there is a sign on the door”Gone branding”. No matter what else I will always think of myself as a horseman and cowboy.

-- Thos. Angle

Thos. You are the envy of many. The life sounds tough but joyous.

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

Kind of a loaded question, unlike it’s intended inquiry “what is your job?” What do I do for a living...hmm I don’t think there’s enough space here…breathe oxygen, expell carborn dioxide and other stuff. Raise kids, keep house, make things, keep people happy, inquire into the well beings of other beings. I could go on and on…..

As for the job question, I’m a systems implementation consultant for a large company whose main purpose is to process paychecks for a lot of other companies.

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

I’m an university professor. I teach and do research in Computer Science at University of Florida for a living. I like my job very much and I have no intention to give it up for woodworking. The nice thing is that, for me, woodworking complements my professor job and, surprisingly, makes me a better professional. Working two hours in the garage is a wonderful way to unwind after a hard day at work (I’m never physically tired after work but I can be severely mentally tired; there is nothing like cutting some dovetails or doing a woodturned bowl for relaxation).

Alin

-- -- Alin Dobra, Gainesville, Florida

I am a technical support analyst with a small mid-western financial company. We are a premier provider of payment, remittance and document processing solutions – serving businesses of all types in developing strategies that move money faster. With its products, services and consulting, our company works with customers to grow their organizations with successful solutions for check processing, remote corporate capture, electronic presentment, ACH payments, transaction processing, distributed capture and enterprise content management.

I’ve been with the company over nine years and provide techical and financial assistance to our outside sales staff.

Prior to this position, I was a desktop publisher/graphics artist working with a wood window and door manufacturer for 10 years.

-- Hard work spotlights the character of people; some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all!

Presently I am the Chief Engineer at a Post-Production Co. in Nashville, TN. I have worked in Television stations in Alabama and Tennessee and Post-Productions facilities from Miami Beach to Nashville over the past 35+ years. I do sawdust for our home and hope to retire in a little over 2 years.

-- waroland, Mount Juliet, TN

I am a plumbing designer at a mechanical engineering firm. I design piping systems for domestic water, natural gas, propane, medical gas, fire protection, storm water, waste water, etc for commercial buildings. I know what you’re all thinking… “With all the fame and fortune that comes with being a plumbing designer, where does he find time for woodworking?”. I really don’t find much time for it these days, but when I do it makes it that much sweeter.

-- JP, Shelbyville, KY

I am a Sr. Proposal Manager for Verizon Business (formerly MCI) I manage the company’s response efforts to large Request for Proposals (RFPs) from State and Local Governments as well as Educationals Instututions. Prior to that, I bounced around for a number of years after leaving the Army. I was in for 6 1/2 years before I just couldn’t take it any longer (lost too many friends and a son)

Grew up going to spend my summers with my Grandfather. He was a what I would call a Master craftman who built custom furniture and also did restoration and refinishing. He never owned many power tools but could turn out amazing pieces. I have been working wood on and off since I was about 10 yrs old, trying to reach his skill level, and I’m not there yet. My goal is to build my tool inventory up to the point when I do decide to retire, I have something to do on the side to keep me amused besides driving my wife absolutley nuts. (I do that pretty well already)

-- Greg - Charles Town, WV

I’m a Sr. Quality Engineer for BD Medical, located in the Sharps Disposal Systems mfg. area. First I was a Marine, then I was a Plastics Engineer (injection molding) for 20 years, then 5 years ago I got tired of the constant climbing around on machinery, and went into Quality Assurance. Passed the ASQ CQE exam, and working on my Sig Sigma certifications.

-- The days are long and the years are short...

I am in my tenth year of teaching…The last four of which I have taught US History to 11th graders and Psychology as an elective to 10th-12 graders…

Wood working is a NICE way to get away from the craziness of the classroom…even though I love what I do a nd think that my work is very important…it can be stressful…

-- Matt, Napa, CA...fun is beautiful...just trying to have some fun...

Up until last year I was a software architect for IBM covering Toyota, Honda and Nassin. Before that I was the Knowledge Management Consultant (Lotus Brand) on the Pacific South West, now I am a manage the support contract (for IBM) covering all of GM’s mail systems.

It’s a dirty job but someones got to do it :) 6 years left to retire. If I don’t quit sooner.

-- "so much to learn and so little time"..

Im an electrician and have been for the past 20 years. I try to buy tools with money made by selling scrap copper wire. I am also a Bachoe operater and a welder when the job calls for it.

-- bryano

Hmmmmmm….what do I do for a living ???? Well, I guess the simple answer is that I earn my living making sure you earn yours….LOL. sorry I thought it was funny when I thought it. I am a paramedic/firefighter/Haz-Mat Tech/Fire Engineer/ Swift water rescue tech/ Extrication Tech/ Fire Instructor, and I used to be the Public Information Officer.

My brother, Greg3g, says that I am the only person he knows that gets paid to sleep. But I keep trying to remind him that my nap, which I get paid for, my just save my life and his at 3am.

I also have my mortgage liscence, which is not going so well considering that I have it hung in a b-c lending broker’s office. So, I went and found a Part-time job working at a doctor’s office. There I work as a medical assistant and comic relief for the girls in the office.

My hope is that my brother moves here to Middle TN so that we can earn peanuts by solicating ourselves ….as woodworkers…..get your minds out of the gutters….LOL.

-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"

I’ve been a dentist since 1978. Gotta be careful with these tools.

-- Amateurs...built the ark : Professionals....built the Titanic !

Currently I’m a software development manager for a local Native American casino. Including 10 years in the Army, writing code or designing systems is pretty much what I’ve done the past 20 or so years. The funny thing is I’m a high school drop-out with no formal training. One day a few months after I joined the Army somebody showed up on station, pointed at me, and said “We’re testing a new computer system for the Army. We need a designated expert – you’re it.” They gave me a computer and a manual to take home, told me I had 30 days before I had to report to start the project. Shake. Stir. Viola! One computer programming career development success achieved.

The casino is an awesome place to work – like a mini city, has everything from waste water treatment facilities, to gambling systems, food services, hotels, and a security department bigger than any police department in our county. We write custom software for just about all of it, so no two projects are alike. I did software for 3 years in the industrial insurance industry, and you wanna talk about BOOOooooring… we’d get a bonus just for staying awake 3 days in a row LOL

-- --==[ Pappy ]==--

interesting journey you’ve been on.

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

Isn’t the huge variety in our backgrounds an incredible thing to think about? I love how so much diversity can come together under a common banner and essentially ignore our differences in favor of just being human to each other.

-- --==[ Pappy ]==--

I have been retired for 6 years, when i worked I did various things but mostly i worked as a manager in Canada Post, I managed a Post Office in Saskatchewan Canada untill i retired. Then moved to Vancouver Island British Columbia and built a house on the side of a Mtn. My wife and I own a store in Victoria cateriing to women with breast cancer. I am her helper when she needs something done and help with other things related to thestore
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

-- islandworkshop

I am in the Military up here in Canada. When I am not busy at work or away from home I enjoy woodworking trying to hone my skills so when I retire I will start my own successfully business ( I hope ).

-- RMH Designs

I had to retire 7 years ago because of health. (62 now) Before that I was a plumber / pipe fitter and mostly in supervision with large companies like Brown and Root, Etc. and traveled around this beautiful country a lot.
I also was self employed about 20 years doing Plumbing and heating and later on, home building and remodeling, and custom cabinets.

I have an old saying (I have worked on everything from spigot washers to (HOT) nuclear plants.

and no! I don’t glow in the dark. LOL

-- Gene, a Christian in Virginia

I’m an Elementary School Counselor. As a counselor I don’t always get to see the results of my work. Woodworking gives me balance.

I’m an IBM mainframe Systems Programmer for a large Bank in New Zealand.

I’m a retired child protective service social worker. After 30 years of dealing with folks and their problems (most of whom didn’t want me there) I’ve become interested in woodworking among other things. I have always sewn and after some trade school classes also do upholstry. In order to help a friend I learned to build web sites and maintain her site along with others. Throughout the years I’ve done tons of different crafts- basketmaking, crocheting, water & oil paiinting, quilling, quilting, and about anything else you can think of. I think woodworking has been the most rewarding of all my crafts. I may not be the best (there’s no MAY NOT to it) but I enjoy every minute of trying. My biggest regret is that I know of no one close who could instruct me so I’m really dependant upon good written instuctions and pictures.

-- Never let anyone tell you that you can't do something.

im a custom trim contractor in st petersburg fl. i did about 18 yr. as an autobody tech. and painter . a few yr. as a printer commercial advertising ( k mart flyers ect. ) and news paper press operator . and a coupl yr. as cable modem installer for time warner . all thru the years i did woodworking as a hobby . now it makes me a slim but reasonable living and i love it !

Part-time firefighter, full time student, full time employee at a small used tool store, full time newlywed, whatever’s-left-time woodworker.

I don’t sleep.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

I am currently a steel worker for the largest global steel maker. Being such we have what is called Career Development, the purpose of this is to allow steel workers to train in a new career so if the mill closes we will have had other types of training. So I have spent this last year or so going through our wood working program. And I have to say it is by far the best thing that I could have done.

-- Something that goes unnoticed will never be remembered.

Wow, what an interesting group we have here. I have been a Police Officer since 1968. I am trying to decide if I like the work before I make it my career. I am currently a Lieutenant working as the Night Shift Watch Commander for the East Jefferson Levee District. We are a State Agency responsible for policing 44 miles of levees surrounding East Jefferson Parish (County). We have statewide jurisdiction and keeping up with a bunch of young cops can be tough.
When I retire in 2009 I will have earned my second pension. I retired from the Railroad Police and hopefully between the 2 pensions, my Social Security and my wife’s SS we should be comfortable.
I also operate an on-line pen shop selling high end pens (writing instruments). I’ve been doing this since 1998.
I have been assembling tools and woodworking related items for about 20 years – thinking that I will spend my retirement days making sawdust. Really looking forward to the shop time.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

I am a senior designer for a midwest hydraulics manufacturer. That’s a fancy way of saying that I am a draftsman, or CADD technician.. I’ve been doing that for 20 years now, and am amazed at how much this career field has changed in that time.. Also a proud veteran of the US Army.

I am currently a line operator at a paper converting mill. I take huge rolls of paper and make little ones. Paper towels and toil… ahem! bathroom tissue. Trying to get my website off the ground so I can work at home, doing what I love.

-- Please visit me at http://dustynewt.com

I’m a building automation engineer/project manager, by day, a custom wooden Teardrop Trailer designer/builder, nights and weekends. I’m currently building up this project to a semi-retirement business.

-- Blessings, Steve. Upstate NY. http://www.campingclassics.com

I am a part-time computer analyst at local hospital(quitting Dec. 31st 2007) and full-time financial advisor. My father was a carpenter and woodworker and I grew up watching and then working with him. I wish I could have spent more time learning from him but Hurricane Katrina destroyed his shop and all his tools.
I’m moving into my own home in the next few weeks and I want to get involved in some woodworking projects. I planning to start with carving and then move onto furniture making.

I am a pilot. I have been flying for over thirty years. I even built an airplane once. I flew it for a couple of years. I was probably 7 when I built my first birdhouse. Prior to the flying job I was a sales rep for a Cummins diesel distributorship.

Computerjock. I work professionally as a systems architect and infrastructure engineer, whatever that means. Woodworking allows for a simplified title and less ambiguity when explaining to others what I do. I gave up videography (for now) to get back into this hobby, so now I maintain a mere 3 hobbies. Woodworking, web & artistic design, and hobby electronics. So far, web design and electronics are paying for the woodworking hobby. ;-)

-- It takes a viking to raze a village. &mdash Blog'r: http://www.gradin.com

oooooooh a systems architect and infrastructure engineer!!!

:)
sounds like you have a very creative life – with the hobbies and the profession.

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

I’m a utility fleet supervisor, I purchase and design trucks and power equipment for electric line work.
My grandfather was a cabinetmaker/trim carpenter. I go to get in his way when I was young (oh to be young again) I hung out with Grandpa and asked so many question about building cabinets I was nickname “Whatnowdamnit”. I’ve been woodworking most my adult live some furniture, plenty of home projects. I hoping to improve my skill as I get more time. I like all types of wood projects but furniture is my passion just can’t do a great deal of it.

-- The cost of a thing is the amount, of what I call life, which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.

Wow, what an interesting and diverse bunch we are!

I am in facilities management at Loyola University New Orleans. I do budget management, energy accounting, inventory control, handle the departmental web page, design and manage databases… I wear a lot of hats, but it works for me because I never like spending too much time on any one thing. This job gives me a lot of opportunity to hone my skills in many different areas.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

I am a surveyor with the state department of transportation, so I’m outside 100% of the time, good or bad weather but it is worth it. Also, my wife and I are search and rescue volunteers specializing in K-9 and man tracking.

-- Kip, Shasta County, California "The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up."--Ogden's Law

With no help from other family, I care for my elderly mother full time and have for four years otherwise it would be a nursing home for her. Not my idea of the golden years. So I’m a homemaker and putz around the house…build parts, etc, for my shop. Yes, we live off her income…but it’s better to keep her in her own home than let strangers care for her. The last time she was temporarily in a care facility she fell twice in 12 days and they lost her glasses. That doesn’t happen when I’m around. I was a taxi driver for 6 years prior to her really bad fall. I worked about 20 years in radio. I’d like to get my shop going so I could spend some hours a day building some things for sale. I’m toughing out some back troubles now…but I manage to get the housework kept up a bit.

-- /\/\/\ BarryW /\/\/\ Stay so busy you don't have time to die.

Wow . . . Im amazed this thread is still going strong. I look forward to reading each and every reply.

Only 2000 more LJers to go !

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

Im a CNC setup operator,for a company that makes hydrostatic transmissions.Hydrostatic is a fancy word for automatic,Our transmissions go on lawn & garden tractors.John Deere,Cub Cadet,Toro,Kubota ect.I setup CNC mills,lathes and machine centers.I handle all machine problems.I make tool adjustments when parts are out of tolerance.I do CMMs(target parts to blueprint spec.).When an operator misloads a part.I have to back the tool out of the part,inspect the tools and machine condiition.It can be a very stressful job at times,but never a dull moment.Im always on the go.

-- Rick,Neoga,IL.http://www.myspace.com/sublime_4_life_40

I’m a Roofing Contractor, have been for 32 years. I specialize in inspection and repairs and purchased a couple of seamless rain gutter machines, so I have a crew that installs them also. My office is a hall and door away from my workshop. I also purchased, rehabb and rent houses (landlord).

-- Ron Central, CA

I’m in IT, I build networks for small and medium sized businesses. I do hardware and networking, everything from pulling cable to building servers and dealing with PITA ISP’s. Pretty boring on paper, but as I work in the field, I’m at a different location each and every day.

-- Living on the square...

I have been in commercial printing for 27 years. Computers sure have changed the face of this profession. I have done just about everything from the old camera room to designing the company network and all IT needs. I am general manager for a medium printing company of about 30 people. Some days when I come home I am mentally drained. I like nothing more than making a lot of saw dust. I have been collecting woodworking tools for about 12 years and have a capable shop now. I am on my second family with a 12 year old and an 8 year old so I don’t always find as much time as I would like . The great thing is that my 12 year old son is now becomming interested in the shop. Out of nowhere he designed a TV/Gaming cabinet and we are building it now. I want him to be part of this sight so we will post this project when we get it done. I don’t think I will ever retire. Maybe change professions but I like to be busy too much. I want to thank all who have shared your personal lives. It is very intertaining.

-- St. Louis - just a cut away from finishing!

I design laser printer controllers. That is, the computer inside the printer that figures out where all the dots go. Hardware, software, and all the testing associated with it. I love it, but it takes away from my shop time.

Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

Many years ago I was a science teacher.

For the next 30 years I was a controller/financial manager/credit manager.

I am now a beginning, and loving it, woodwoker.

-- Ed Baggett

I am an IT manager with a large US bank. I manage a team of developers who build tools in Lotus Notes. I’ve been in the Lotus Notes business for about 15 years now, mostly as a developer myself. Before that, I was an accountant (boring!!!!).

In my free time, I work with wood, obviously, and also build/repair golf clubs. It’s another type of hobby that allows me to work with my hands and hopefully improve someone else’s golf game.

-- Tom, Charlotte, North Carolina

Local Operations Manager for the local power company. 26 years. Do everything from collect power bills to engineering new lines to trouble repair. Just my CSR and I run all aspects of the business in our little town.

-- Jimmy

Wow, a lot of techies here. I’m a software engineer working for a telecommunications company. I mostly develop tools to support the network engineers and other internal clients. I do a lot of database & web interface stuff. Sometimes it is interesting and fun, but too often it’s not.

-- Tom, Southwest Florida

I am a fireman – captain on a quint. Sounds much more glamorous than it is. To save $, one truck does the work an engine and a ladder used to do. I work on the state regional hazardous materials team, work part-time for the forest service, maintain dive certifications, teach fire/rescue/EMS classes for the community college system, and volunteer with the local fire department. I have worked in EMS, airport public safety, industry, painting, construction, moving, retail, jesh that’s enough bad memories!! Sounds like I couldn’t keep a job. haha with our state retirement -less than 2 years before I can retire. With our retirement – only 60 years til I can afford to!
I enjoy my family, animals, and wood working – and usually the job. Course the best thing about my job is the schedule. I am only scheduled to work 122 days a year. My daughter is a teacher and has students 180 days…. Yep 10 days a month. With all the time off I have to have lots of interests and part time jobs.
I must say truly an eclectic group. Seems there is no limit to the resources (mental/ work related) to be drawn upon.

-- CaptnA - "When someone hurts you, write it in the sand so the winds of forgiveness will scatter the memory... "

I’m a software engineer working for a large insurance & financial institution. I mainly work on creating and supporting internal security applications. I’m 26 and I hate my job already, but it keeps my family under a roof of our own with food in the fridge and clothes on our backs. It also allows me to start dabbling with woodworking, which is a PLUS for me! Maybe someday I can get out of the IT field and into something I can take pride in like woodworking.

sometimes you do what you do to take care of the basics. You should be proud of that.

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

I’m a retired financial director from an engineering company.
I started woodworking about 7 year ago – 3 years before I switched to part time work.
Now I’m fully retired and its great.
This year I managed to sell enough boxes and turned items to cover my spending on wood and consumables.
New tools come from birthday and Christmas presents.

After 24 years int he computer consulting industry I am now the state director of a federal economic development agency.

I retired from 23 years in the Army in 97’, now I stay out of my wife’s hair by teaching Math & computer operations at a Catholic Middle School. The Lecturn I’m looking to build as my next project is to use there. I’d appriciate any expreienced builders/designers thoughts on a Lecturn/podium.

I dedicated my entire life to computers. I have been a programmer since gradeschool, I help founded our local computer users group when I was 13. I have been a network engineer, command center engineer, hardware technician, and just about everything else. A few years ago, I made a life change. I realized that as long as I lived in the appalachian area, I would never be where I wanted to be working in the computer field. I decided to go into Environmental Health and Safety a few years back, contracting to large local gas and oil companies primarily for Process Safety Management and Risk Management. Later I became employed by one of the gas processing companies and have loved it ever since. I guess it’s good to find a career that you like to do and feel good about. I handle Process Safety/Risk Management, Employee Safety, Environmental reporting, governmental reporting, and compliance with OSHA, EPA, and DOT pipeline. Of course I also handle the programming for our automated pipeline monitoring system, and handle all of the safety and regulatory training to our employees.

I guess sometimes the dream jobs you think up when you’re young don’t always end up being ‘dream jobs’. I have to say that I am very happy with what I do, and wouldn’t change it, unless I could be a full time lumberjock!

-- Jamie, Kentucky

I am a manager at Microsoft in the XNA group

I manage a team of engineers and we build technology for game development teams.

I have a Computer Science BS from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. I’ve been working with computers since I was very young, and I’ve written and shipped software for 13 years.

I think I like woodworking and computers because I like to build things. Woodworking projects, computer software, teams, meals, great yards, etc.

-Matt

I am an idiot savant.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

And I’m STILL taking big sticks and making little sticks then taking the little sticks and making big sticks again. (Still trying to make a living)

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

I’m an Aviation Department Manager/Chief Pilot for a small corporation. It’s a great job. Taken me all over the US and Canada. I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.

-- The answer to life, the universe and everything is .........42!

I am a Retired Army officer, and now I am teaching High School Physics.

-- Max, Palmer Lake

I am Plant Manager for a major perlite supplier on the west coast, and now over seas

-- saw dust makes tree huggers happy

Well, I guess I’m a kept man !

After 33 years in the steel industry, I was put out to pasture 6 months ago. Now my wife will just have to keep me in the life style I am accustom to!

-- Brian's Table Top Toys http://home.mountaincable.net/~bgraham/

Lot of techies here. Well all of you know who I am because for the last 10 years I have worked as a technical recruiter and account manager finding jobs for the talent and providing talent to my customers. I work for the largest IT staffing and services provider in the US. I am a musician (vocalist) and meterologiest by training and didn’t want to take the fun out of music and the weather changed just too fast to keep up with so I moved into slow (ha-ha) moving industry the Information Technology world.

-- Check out my blog and podcast "The Renaissance Woodworker" at www.rogersfinewoodworking.com/blog

I’m a Master Planner for a Govt contractor (not all that interesting). But, I’m also the owner of www.petsweloved.com. I manufacture Pet Memorial Products (pet caskets and urns). It’s been a lot of fun. It will likely never pay the bills but has bought most of my tools so far.

-- Steve, Massachusetts, www.petsweloved.com

I’m a conservation technician with USDA-NRCS, I survey and design erosion control practices for farmers and ranchers. Develope conservation plans that help farmers and ranchers better utilize there natural recourses. In my off time I like to you guessed it do woodworking, hunt, fish, target shooting and gardening.

-- Mel Alexander -- If you can't stand behind our troops, feel free to stand in front of them! "GO AIRBORN"

After 16 years building the Beechraft 1900 I have spent the last 3 in the Stock room supporting the Beech King Air line. My friends call it the retirment home but it is really alot more work than shooting rivets. total 19years at Beech, Raytheon, Hawker-Beechraft and what every comes afet

-- Larry, Rose HIll

profesional computer weenie, currently working as a Tech Support Specialist providing analysis, support and prognostications to Storage Area Networks Sys Admins around the world.

I’m in the identity theft business. (no, I don’t steal them…I protect & restore them) -SST

-- Accuracy is not in your power tool, it's in you

I am a very busy Vice President for a large kidney dialysis provider. I work during the week to pay for the stuff that really floats my boat…tools. I have spent the last 3 weekends making a “Norm” inspired workstation for my miter say and radial arm saw. Will post the final outcome but right now it’s just a lot of mess. I mostly do woodworking for the house but hope to make some cool new products for sale on the internet.

-- Rick, San Antonio, TX www.knottyknotty.etsy.com

It sounds like I’m in the minority here, I’m TRYING to make ends meet building Arts & Crafts inspired furniture & accessories. I spent 25 years as an ASE certified Auto mechanic. Generaled my first house & did all the electrical, trim & cabentry a long time ago. Worked for a group of realestate brokers preping houses for sale till the knees & hips could not take it any more. A few commissions for custom woodworking let me set up my shop so I can spend my time in a warm shop making things I love.

-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6453794

After 16 years building the Beechraft 1900 I have spent the last 3 in the Stock room supporting the Beech King Air line. My friends call it the retirment home but it is really alot more work than shooting rivets. total 19years at Beech, Raytheon, Hawker-Beechraft and what every comes afet

I fly a 90 and a 200. Never flew a “Frankenbeech.” Great airplanes. I’ll be in Wichita the first week of March for FlightSafety.

IT Support and Software Engineer for the last 20 years. Prior to that…Taco Bell Franchisee for 10 years.

-- DaveH - Boise, Idaho - “How hard can it be? It's only wood!”

I’m retired and drive a school bus part time (keeps me in tool money). Before that I was a Senior Manufacturing Specialist, over the span of my career I worked on the assemble of high precision optical instruments, early warning satellites for the Air Force, air sampling systems for nuclear subs, ect,ect.

Hi all.

I work for an ISP, currently doing Production Support ( supporting our internal billing systems ), but moving out of that role and into Oracle DBA, as new staff are brought upto speed with prod support, which I’m completely sick of.

-- Perth, Australia

I’m a night shift Maintenance mechanic/ Boiler operator at a hospital. In a prior life I was a general manager for an industrial supply company till one day we decided to up and move from Philadelphia to a tiny village in upstate NY. I took the maintenance job as a temporary thing but that was 10 yrs ago so I guess it’s not that temporary. The escape from the rat race and a better place to raise my kids was well worth the pay cut.

-- Frank Auge---Nichols NY----"My opinion is neither copyrighted nor trademarked, but it is price competitive."

I’m the Subject matter expert for the Automated Inventory Management System for a DOD project managing the destruction and redeployment of NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical) defense suits. It sounds like I’m a much higher paid and higher trained asset than I am though. Mostly, I just put stuff in the computer, and when other sites have procedural issues, they call and ask me what to do.

Sad really. I’m tech support without the tech ;)

-- "Give me your poor tools, your tired steel, your huddled masses of rust." Yep, I ripped off the Statue of Liberty. That's how I roll!

For the past 9 years I been working as a Hardscape Manager for a community Association for a gated community in South West Florida. Before that I owen a fishing resort in Missouri.

facisnating reading about everyones career/job. Quite diverse.

I studied mechanical engineering, couldnt find a job during the recession so went to to school and studied industrial woodworking. Since then I have been a janitor for a woodworking company, sander, inventory (purchasing). Most of carrer/trade has been on a bench but the latter part I worked my way up to estimating, design, quality control, the development and implimintation of methodolgies and the previous. Did cut lists and spent way too much time in the finishing department mostly fixing what others attempted to destroy.Was stuck in accounting for awhile….........eventually became a partner in the business. In terms of cabinet making I think I have done a little bit of everything and a lot of something?

6 years ago I divorced my partners, took my $$$, sold the house and bought a farm where I built my shop.

Now I design and build. I do a wee bit of subcontractiong from other cabinet shops….......doing what they cant. Now I get to spend more time doing what I love and less time doing what I hate.

Spent a few years framing homes too.

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

I’ve been making my living all of my life doing woodworking of some kind or another. Roofed my first house when I was 12 years old for 50.00. Re-roofed the same house 18 years later with my own construction company. Started stick building kitchen cabinets when I was sixteen with a very good teacher.

For the last almost 17 years now I’ve been making cabinets and furniture for fun and getting paid at the same time. I manage a shop of 8 people, currently 4 builders including myself, 2 finishers, 2 in the office.

I’m an estimator, designer, builder, teacher, sweep the floors, clean the bathrooms, unload trucks full of lumber, carver, turner, order material, hire, fire,you name it i do it. Don’t get to spend as much time building as I used to but I still love it.

I love making things with my hands out of a few chuncks of wood!

-- Les, Wichita, Ks. (I'd rather be covered in saw dust!)

Zuki, Thanks for posting this blog. It is so cool to see the diversity of people that have come together here.

Besides having a high school diploma in Motor Control and Robotics (which I am way out of practice on) I have tech school diplomas in Audio/Visual Communications, and Forestry. But I am trying hard to complete my degree in Historic Preservations and Museum Studies.

I am a jack of many trades (master of very few) and have worked retail, made printing plates, delivery, hotel audio/visual and up to a few years ago was a faciliteis supervisor for about 13-15 offices in MD,DC and VA. I changed gears and love my job as a Maintenance Technician/Park Ranger. It allows me to put all of those things I have learned over years to a good use as well as learn some other newer things on an almost daily basis.

CtL

-- Chris L. "Don't Dream it, Be it."

I am a database developer. I manage a team of 4 developers, plus myself, that build databases/tools in Lotus Notes for the division in which I work.

I also dabble in golf club repair/assembly. Just another hobby that costs me more money for tools.

-- Tom, Charlotte, North Carolina

I own an architectural firm that specializes in corporate office and healthcare projects. My favorite aspect of the practice is programming, conceptual design and, of course, designing custom millwork and trim.

Link to website.

-- The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. Aristotle

It’s great to see folks from so many diverse walks of life who all enjoy working wood for happiness. I’ve been an engineer for Hewlett-Packard for 27 years. Spent the first 15 in field service in Albuquerque NM working at Sandia and Los Alamos National Labs. Relocated to Boise,ID to see what I could contribute as a factory engineer at HP. The job is called technical marketing and I get to travel, teach, troubleshoot issues with current products and contribute to the design of future products. I’m one of those fortunate folks who actually enjoys going to work.

-- Jim, Boise ID - Attitude is everything

I am A CAD Designer. I design Jigs and Fixtures for Aircraft Engines. Have been doing this for 19 years. Getting ready to retire next year so just started setting up a basement woodworking shop. Need the year to buy all the equipment.

-- DaveM -Always Learning

I’m a pipe organ builder, so I do get to make chips as part of my job (which is always fun) but my primary responsibility is design research and development.

I’m currently on year 17 as an air traffic controller. Previous to that I had ten years in the construction field (commercial/industrial, residential, remodeling). Looking forward to retirement when I can spend more time on furniture projects, loud shop noises, and sawdust.

-- Dub

I am a Financial Analyst for Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and sometimes referred to as a Financial Weenie by my family. Once out of the office though the fun begins in and out of my puny little section of the 2 car garage.

I am a full time Deputy for the Kern County Sheriff’s Department here in Bakersfield CA, and LOVE IT!!

Material Supply Manager, my group is responsible for all of the raw and packing materials used to produce Pringles Potato Chips! By lots of them :)

-- Rick, Jackson, TN "Do What You Like. Like What You Do" Life Is Good

not much these days, just getting into the woodworking thing, I would love to eventually become proficent enough to maybe sell the peices to break even and continue my hobby

-- JMGarneau

Houston Firefighter, starting my 36th year. I can’t seem to find the exit door. I have worked my way up through the ranks to one of the Chief’s in a department of over 3,800 members. Hope to retire in 2-3 more years.

Piles and piles of sawdust.

-- qapd

I ranched in western South Dakota for 23 years (where I learned to be frugal and make something out of nothing). After several years of working as an editor, publisher and online director for a newspaper group, I’m now a customer relations manager for a software company that designs and hosts newspaper web sites.

-- Teri, Kokomo, IN

I transform high school dropouts, gangbangers, and drug addicts into lumberjocks. That’s a fancy way of saying that I am shop teacher….lol

-- "It's easier to get forgiveness than permission"

what a great job :) You deserve a medal

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

professional termite, wood junkie…..Been a carpenter/woodworker for about ten years…still like it alot

-- Jeremy M. Reid Woodworking

I am a Paramedic Supervisor and a Firefighter in Flint Michigan. I started woodworking a couple years ago and I am definately hooked!

I’m an account manager for a large IT reseller.
Did a couple years of software development and 10 years in a manufacturing plant before that.
woodworking is a way for me to relax afterwork and make a few bucks from time to time.

-- ~ www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.darrylmasterson.etsy.com ~ www.woodworkingdungeon.blogspot.com ~

I’m a Computer Systems Engineer.

-- Bandsaws love thumb meat...

Concrete finisher, machinist. Trying to make metal out of wood

-- Pretzel L8agn

Well, here is a hint- I have the ability to read a doctor’s handwriting…That’s right…I’m an Attorney!!! –No just kidding I’m a pharmacist. Yes, the man in the white coat. Let’s face it; people really don’t want their pharmacist’s getting very creative with their medications, so I stumbled across woodworking after my wife enrolled me in a woodworking class as a Christmas gift. As much as I would love to exchange my lab coat for an apron, reality dictates that I keep the lab coat for at least another…oh..30+yrs!

I am a telemetrey technian for the Navy to pay the bills, and I collect cans for good wood.

-- A man who moves mountains starts one stone at a time.

I am retired , Trucker / mechanic / owner for 30 odd years . Had to retire a couple years earlier
than I would have liked for medical reasons . Stated in wood as past time the first summer after
retiring . Made wife and neighbors bird feeders and houses. Started out on a couple saw horses
and some scrap plywood in yard . After making a few I thought why not see if I can sell some . They did ! Built my small shop in 92 and from there things have taken on a life of it`s own .
I can work as legs dictate and enjoy it too. I sell to some gift shops, have display in yard in summer .
Do some craft shows, some custom work. Ain`t getting rich by any means but as long as it pays for
it self that is what counts. PLus, If I were to stay in the house my wife would put me yo work !!! Art

-- Ageingwood - artsplae1@msn.com No time , retired

I was a Postal Worker but they took my gun away!
Really though I did work for the USPS for 34 years doing about every job that you can think of while studying electronics. I took the test for technician and went into the maintenance side of repairing all of the sorting and automated equipment use to move the mail. About 10 years before retirement I was promoted a few times and finished my career as a Manager of a large facility and regional OSHA coordinator writing compliance manuals for smaller facilities. Through it all I had done as much woodworking and home improvement as time permitted. Now it’s my full time job and I love it, I’m just glad I don’t have to rely on it for a living.

-- Sell it here> http://woodworkerslist.com

I’m a senior software test automation engineer and work for a big bank. I’ve been going at it for about 10 years now and really enjoy the process of documenting / coming up with standards, coding and designing custom test automation strategies.

I’m a network administrator for the IT division for our provincial government. Have been in this field (but not this position specifically) for that past 8 years. I enjoy the challenges it offers but given the choice, I throw it all down tomorrow to build furniture for a living.

I am a lieutenant with a local Fire Department. I have been working as a Paramedic for 19 yrs. I also hold instructor certifications in Fire, and EMS and teach some classes at a community colege near by. I am on the Haz-Mat Team, Dive Team, Bike Team and any thing else we may have in our department I have honestly lost track. I am currently taking classes to get my electricians license and hope to start a business doing home automation work (sick and tired of dealing with the sick and tired).

-- Pyromedic602, free wood is always good wood

I’ve been in prison 35 years but came home every night. Supervisor/furniture designer. Now retired!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

I Do What I Love and Love What I Do – I own an Advertising Agency and Marketing Consulting Firm-

I am the guy that creates the advertisements that makes people want things they do not need ,or need things that do not want. I create marketing and advertising that motivates boys to be men and men to be boys——I tell you why the hamburgers are the best on the planet, or why taking a pill that can kill you will also erect you!

Woodworking takes me away from the subliminal motions and notions to a place of wood and devotion.

-- Bill - - Ad-Marketing Guy, Ramsey NJ

Carpenter and part time student.

-- Jeremy, Saratoga, NY

I am a civil engineer by training and profession for many many years first as a municipal engineer, then went to a large utility company, then went into teaching civil engineering technology at the local technical college.

-- Rich, Madison WI

ND2ELk.. phew.. that caught my attention!! lol
Ad-guy .. yah.. you definitely have a way with words :) What did I just buy???

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

I’m just plain broke. But happy!

-- "No Board Left Behind"

IT at a University

-- - mark

I own a construction company that caters to insurance companies. We do fire,water,storm etc. restoration. We’re the guys you call when you come home and get met with a river running out your front door. We handle the entire project from drying, cleaning, construction and content cleaning and storage. I used the excuse of a large building to my wife for work but now Im trying to fill it with woodworking tools. I have my office space in the front so sometimes its hard to work knowing all the fun that could be taking place back in the warehouse. My woodworking habit is mainly therapy after a crazy day. LOL

I am a retired Navy Chief that still needs to pay the bills, so I am currently moonlighting as an office manager at a book distrubution center. When I hit the power-ball I am going to become a professional fisherman, golfer, and wood worker.

-- Brian, Lebanon PA, If you aren’t having fun doing it, find something else to do.

A cook, a mason, a painter, a landscaper, an Alaskan fish gutter, a dairy manager, a Stickley furniture factory worker, a phone company technician, and currently a software engineer and landlord. I think it’s time for a change ;)

-- Tom, Central New York

For the last 20+ years I have scratched out a living as a copier repairman (insert your jokes here)

Actually the field is very demanding and always changing. It is an interesting mix of problem solving (mechanical, electrical, and operator), powerfull technology and scheduling/supply hurdles. I am a one man army in a rural community. That means run hard and fast everyday, sometimes covering alot of miles.

I also dabble in the rental property market….but I have found that being a landlord is more work and worry than profit.

My hobbies outside of woodworking are coaching competetive girls fastpitch softball, big game hunting, fishing (man I love that!), and collecting safari rifles.

-- Trevor Premer Head Termite and Servant to the Queen - Heirloom Woodworking

I’m a pilot

my buddy cuts wood

and I plie it

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

Veterinarian, 30 years in clinics, retired/disabled.

-- Tony, Sacramento

Hi all,

I make computer games. I have been doing it for nearly 28 years, a real veteran of the industry.

I hope I will still be doing it till I retire. THen of course, I’ll move over to Fishing and Furniture making.

-- Keep your tools sharp, your mind sharper and the coffee hot

wow.. you are like a pioneer of computer gaming!!

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

I am a Depute Rector in a secondary school teaching kids from the ages of 12 to 18 years, I started briefly in civil engineering before moving into teaching 26 years ago.

I am firstly a technical teacher (woodwork, metalwork and CAD) although I’m not as often in the classroom now as I would ideally like to be. When I can I like to make objects that I can then personalise by chip carving.

I often show my pupils the Lumberjocks website and encourage them to look for ideas for their own models they will make in class.

-- Colin, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. "Every craftsman was once an amateur"

I am a Sergeant with the Illinois State Police. I was a Trooper for 11 years, a “Road Dog” as the veteran troops will say. I’ve done DUI and impared driver, criminal, and interstate drug interdiction most of my career. Sometimes I held those spots on dedicated teams, most the time I’ll work with a couple others in my patrol.

I took a promotion to Sergeant in June of 07, which lands me at the desk every once in a while. My true love is the road, though. There just isn’t much excitement or risk behind a desk with a bulletproof glass window.

This is a job that I treasure, it’s a true calling. However, it can be stressfull at times. So, I’m in my shop every chance that I get, as messy as it may be at the moment. Working with wood is a great past time for me, I don’t think I’m good enough at it to make too much $$. My first project cost me about $5,000… in tools… LOL.

When I’m not at work or in the shop, I’m in my church, First Apostolic in Centralia, IL. There is nothing quite like feeling God’s presence. He is my true Strength and Strong Tower, my ultimate companion.

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

Computer guy. Started with mainframes before there were monitors, only card readers. Currently I’m a Regional Director of Technology for major finanical institution which translates to telling other people what to do, in a way the makes them want to do it and then make sure they do .. do it.

-- Charlie, Humble, Texas

A real estate valuer & regional manager, 40 years in the one job & now retired. Still registered to practice but have no inkling to return. Love the woodworking & the LJ’s community. My friends who had already retired kept on telling me & my wife that they don’t know how they had time to work because they had so much to do in retirement. I now know what they meant but now we don’t have to mow the lawn on the weekend because every day is a weekend.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

I work for a custom home builder and have found a little time on the side to build cabinets. I am trying to finish my basement and have recently discovered that I can trade cabinet work for electrical, plumbing, and drywall. I can’t wait to see what other things I can trade my work for because it gives me an excuse to get in the shop and show off what I can do.

-- “If we don’t try, then we don’t do; and if we don’t do, then why are we here?” -Shenandoah

goodness, you guys do it all, we should get together and bowl. LOL

i work for a wal-mart distribution center, hard work, pays well, but not very mentally challenging.

i love woodworking, and the 4 days a week i am off give me time to really enjoy it.

jay angel

-- "not all those who wander are lost" JRR tolken

ex-electrical engineer; now, full-time woodworker and old ww equipment restorer.

-- Earle Wright, Lenoir City, Tennessee

I was in new home construction and carpentry for well over 20 years until an injury at the age of 37. I am now retired so i build and design Extreme Birdhouses and Lawn Ornaments to pass my time. I have no problem staying busy.

-- John in Belgrave http://www.extremebirdhouse.com ....http://community.webshots.com/user/cranbrook2

Land Surveyor

-- Ron, Northern Illinois

Just stumbled on this thread. Wow, some of the careers make sense and some didn’t as I’ve gotten to “know” some of you. I guess there’s quite a wide variety of appeal to the hobby as this thread indicates many different pro talents. I’m an accountant, wanna be woodworker. I love my field, but love my garage as well. Hey I’m 27, only about 40 to go before I retire! hehe

-- Jeff, South Carolina

I have been a diagnostic imaging field engineer going on 40 years. Diagnostic imaging is a PC term for anything that enables a physician to view the internal parts of your body like X-ray, Cat Scan, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, Mangetic Resonant Imaging, Cardio Vascular imaging, and PET Scan. It’s a great job because every time I arrive at a site it presents a new challenge.

-- Jazman, Northwest Ohio

Retired Vocational School teacher. Taught computer and electronics for 33 years. Now substitute when I’m not in the basement workshop.

Lew

I work in HR and have been doing it for 17 years and as Zuki pointed out, I do it so that I can get money for my woodworking hobby.

-- Young Padiwan Woodworker

Amazing group of people we have here.
I am a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). I put people to sleep for fun and earn my money making sure they wake up at the end of surgery. Been doing this for 20 years and love every minute.
It also helps that I make a decent income so I can have a hobby of taking wood and making it into projects for myself and others.
Thank you for this site. I look forward to spending more time here.

-- Master at making firewood!

I am an IT Director for a large bank. I love my work and the people I work with but, there is nothing like the peace and relative quite of my shop.

-- Hutch - North Dallas, Tx - Safety First

Hi I am a municipal water and sewer worker. I have made money with some wood work I have done but mostly do It for the joy of creating somthing from a pice of wood.

-- Preston H Kamloops BC Canada

After 6 years of seminary and 10 years as a pastor, I am back where I was prior to that season of life, working as a draftsman/designer for a Civil Engeering firm (I design a lot of residential subdivision sanitary sewer systems… think about it…). I’ve been doing this for about a year and a half now, knowing it is “transitional.” Soon I’ll be in “entrepreneur mode,” as a professional woodworker (and CADD guy until the income is back up.) Eventually I’ll take my woodworking skills to the place I want them, which is building wooden boats.
Thanks for such a great community!

-- There's no tool like an old tool...

Hi I am still at scholl and hope to do an aprentaship after that, one day I might be able to make wodwork my career :)

Callum

-- For wood working podcasts with a twist check out http://thetimberkid.com/

I work for a roofing wholesaler. I’ve been with my current employer for 24 years, I was with another roofing distributor five years before that and I worked for the city engineer of Kansas City Missouri for 17 years before my career change .
Math will tell you that I’m getting older and can retire anytime. Looking forward to spending lots of time in my shop when retirement gets here.

-- Brad,--"The way to eat an eliphant is one bite at a time"

Military brat – Hospital Corpsman/USN – Retired USN – Home Dad – Woodworker/Husband to Navy Nurse Practitioner. But to answer question “what do I do for a living…nothing.(see above)

-- so much wood, so little time. Bradford.

After about twenty years out of the job market, experimenting with entrepreneurial and part time stuff, then having to take care of family passing on, then fixing up my home – am now gearing up a home based part-time business answering phone calls to infomercials on natural health-related products. I am growing a network of “home agents” who want significant residual incomes doing the same.

This will be my retirement and will fund my woodworking and home fix-it-up projects. Can’t wait to get going on the backyard wood box and the raised panel wainscoting by the fireplace in the living room.

-- Rich, Seattle, WA

Vice President of IT Operations for a telecommunications provider

-- "Woodworking is my ticket to sanity" John, Upton, MA

I teach history and economics to high-schoolers. I also coach basketball and baseball. And, I do odd jobs and handyman work on the side. Oh, yeah, I’m also working on a masters degree in history. I’m a husband and dad, too.

I need summer to get here NOW.

I am a LAN Engineer for the Georgia State Patrol. Whenever we talk about getting a new network router, I drift off wondering what kind of router bits i could get. I have spent the last 15 years spending time with my boys. One is an Eagle Scout and I was an assistant Scoutmaster. The older one has played baseball since t-ball and the last 2 years with the American Legion. Since the boys are through with their activities, I have found my new past time, woodworking.

-- Bill from Lithia Springs, GA I love the smell of sawdust in the morning.

I’m whatever I need to be at the time.

I’ve been doing handyman stuff for a few years but screwed up my knees a couple months ago. Now I’m stuck (saying “stuck” with tongue in cheek ;)) doing artwork, primarily woodwork. Now I just have to figur out how to sell it :(.

-- Michael R. Harvey - Brewster, NY - RusticElementArt.com - SpaceAware.org - AnConn.com

Bill Aklins, i can sympathize! There is only one kind of router table that I prefer these days, and it’s in my garage!

-- If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until it's free! PJ O'Rourke

I am a second generation grower, we own a wholesale nursery in Southern California and grow indoor foliage. We do this on our 17 acre parcel and have 3 acres of heated greenhouses. (same parcel we are building our house.)

-- http://www.twinoaksgrowers.com

I’m a scenic carpenter – meaning I build scenery for theatre. As much as I enjoy building things that look like real things, I really want to do more woodworking. I spend all day with big power tools…what I want to do is come home and retreat to hand tools. Sort of tough to set up shop when you live in a small studio apartment though.

Hmmm, I’m a geographer (GIS), licensed EM tech, emergency medical dispatcher, certified teacher of adults, have been a plumber, photographer, heavy equipment operator, self employed (my boss was a real crank so I quit LOL)... The best job I have is Husband and Father; its a job I never want to leave early from!

-- ...it's rennovation time!!!

Retired from the Navy, after 22 years of doing what someone else told me to do. Now I make custom (mostly Arts & Crafts) furniture for a …. living? Naw, I do it because that’s what I want to do. Make enough to keep me in new equipment, lumber to make furniture for my own house, and right now, to build my own house. Hopefully, it will never become like work.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

I’m a mortgage banker. I love my job, but my passion is woodworking. I love it when my wife comes up with a “new project” for me. It gives me an excuse to buy a new tool!

-- He who hesitates is lost...

I worked in a yeast factory for 11 years then went into hardwood flooring with a buddy who has been doing it for 25 years or so. My knees started giving me problems, so I am now a building maintenence technician for a retirement community. Ironically, the last floor I installed before calling it quits was my own (my wife wouldn’t let me sell my flooring equipment until it was done!)

-- last night I played a blank tape at full volume - the mime next door went nuts!

I am retired from NBPower started as a lineman and went up the ladder to a desk job working computers I put in 35 years and decided to retired and now I am a LJ full time.

-- <<<<<< I will not stop until I get it right. >>>>>>--

Network Manager for a school district.

-- You're a unique and special person, just like everyone else.

Programmer for a University.

Woodworker/contractor

Former production planner for the world’s largest auto parts maker, once a robot programmer, warehouse layout designer, production supervisor, brake grinder operator, drummer, ski bum, and farmer have all been “jobs” as well.

Still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I am at a good place now though

-- The only easy wood project is a fire

school right now. i have a couple of woodworking jobs and i am hoping to build up a costumer base now that i can still charge pretty cheap and gradually raise my prices so i can go full time after college and not be increasing by like 10$ an hour all at once for labor.

Full time = Senior product specialist for a high end contract furniture company. We specialize in wood casegoods, seating, and conference tables for fortune 500 companies. Our clients are usually law firms, financial institutions, universities and business.
part time = owner/designer/furniture maker of my 1 man shop where I only do residential furniture on commision basis.

-- Brian, Folsom, CA http://www.brianfullerdesigns.com

I used to be gainfully employed. Explosives for 15 years. Now I am self employed. I log and run my own sawmill here in central Utah.

Kevin Davis

-- To those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never know. Unknown, on an empty C-ration box. Khe Sahn 1968

I’m a Sr. Product Manager for a public safety software firm…responsible for the Records Management, Field-based mobile reporting and Jail Management applications. (Yawn.) I like working with wood better – it doesn’t need memory, .net, CPU cycles, a DBA, or even a broadband connection to do what’s expected of it!

-- woodinit Prov. 3:5&6

I am a Correctional Sergeant for the State of Alaska and work as a shift supervisor at a facility with ~ 400-450 prisoners and 12-15 officers. We have a week on/week off schedule (84 hour weeks) so I detox from work on my week off by making piles of sawdust, fishing and hunting. I do have a fledgling side business of building furniture which is coming along slowly. My biggest customer so far is my wife. It seems the more my skill grows the more she wants done around the house and it’s tough to get a piece of furniture out the door without her claiming it.

Mart

Well i am a Navy Nuclear Chemist, have been doing this for 7 years and after 4 more will complete my time, to get a better paying civilian job. Would love to become good enough to make woodworking my job but we will see how it works.

Steve

I am a senior programmer for an apparel company.

-- -Mohkev

I’m a fighter pilot in the Air Force, although I haven’t had much luck getting the desk I sit at now to fly…the up side is that the desk is in Hawaii so if you’re gonna be frustrated it might as well be in paradise!

Woodworking has been a great way to make friends and get involved in new communities every time we move and after 25 years that means I’ve had to pack up my shop 17 times and then figure out how to configure it in the next house. Trying to run tools in Turkey on 220v to 110v transformers is “fun” as you blow fuses/breakers at a rapid rate!

Hats off to everyone for managing the juggling act of careers, family, and a great hobby!

-- Jim

Hi,

I make Computer games, have been doing, well it seems like forever, 27+ year, first starting programing on a black & white no sound machine with 8k, (PET) now it’s all Gigabytes and photorealistic graphics.

Still love it though, produced well over 120+ games and have and have recently moved from the publishing side, back to development. Less spreadsheets and more fun.

My other loves (apart from the family and the two dogs) are fishing, any type but my favorite is Large mouth bass (not a practical pursuit given I live in the UK !!) and woodworking. Have been attending once-a-week nightclasses for the last 4 years, just getting to be happy with a few pieces. Building my first workshop and log on to LJ’s 3 – 4 times a day. this is an AWESOME site

-- Keep your tools sharp, your mind sharper and the coffee hot

Hey everybody!! This is my first venture into an online world. What better way to begin than through my interest in woodworking.

I am a Mechanical Engineer in the Offshore Oil & Gas Industry. I design and manufacture equipment used in offshore drilling and completion.

I am also a new Dad and that makes me really happy. It has only been six months, but I look forward to a lifetime of watching him grow and teaching him everything I can. Oh, and I have the greatest wife in the world, too!

I am an Ingreident Processing Operator for the world’s largest food and beverage company.

-- Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didin't do then by the ones you did. - Mark Twain

I initially posted this thread over 1 year ago and it is still going strong.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

I am a youth minister and gospel story teller. I am new to wood working but learn so much from looking at your projects. I am not sure I ever want to do it for a living, but I love the artistic side of being able to create in 3 demensions. I am the world’s greatest starter and worst finisher so toy making is great for the type of attention span I seem to have. It is easy to start and stop projects as time permits. I love spending time with the kids in the studio/workshop in my basement making tiys out of scrap lumber.

-- www.robneves.com

I’m a Life Safety Engineer for a high tech company – long hours, high stress, and no job security. On the bright side, I work part time for Woodcraft. The pay is laughable, but the discounts can be pretty good.

-- Festool4

I did contract software development for over 15 years, now I am system admin working for a hospital. I am still novice at woodworking but it is a nice outlet.

-- Wait...there *has* to be a harder way!

I own my own cabinet shop. If I could fish for a living I would.

Right now I am a “House husband”. I am curreently unemployed and have started 2 businesses. I sell crafts that I make from wood and also sell Watkins products. Just starting out soo notg much income yet. I am also in process for going back to school for machinest CNC Tech.

-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI

Sr. Network administrator for an elevator and escalator manufacturer for the past year. Prior to that basically a jr. site network admin/help desk/jack of trades when it comes to IT for the same company

Father of three, husband of one, Slave to none. Actually retired hospital CEO who is a stay home Dad who likes to work with wood. Had to quit my paid work because of Mutiple Sclerosis but now I know my kids, maybe too much some times, and I get to have fun in the shop.

-- Every cloud has a silver lining

Think i might have the best job i work in a saw mill we make and sell oak timber frames I LOVE IT

Andy aka pommy

-- cut it saw it scrap it

I spent over 30 years in the automobile repair business with the last 19 years as a bodyshop manager.
I had a good friend whose wife was the same age as I, die of a stroke. Three months later I retired from the car buisiness at the age of fifty. Life really is what you make of it and we dont get to start over.
I have been working wood for the last 13 years and full time since I retired.
I cannot think of anything else I would rather do, well unless I could collect seashells in the tropics for a living.
The main thing I love about woodworking is the challenges and learning new techniques.

-- MISSION FURNITURE-My mission is to build furniture

My day job is being a pain management physician. It’s very gratifying to help people regain a better quality of life and usually more functional mobility. Woodworking has been a self-taught hobby for about 12-14 years and has given me equal enjoyment (along with healthy doses of frustration and humility) throughout. I love the smells, creativity, and solitude.

-- Michael in Texas

The last 15 years were spent making 3D models for video games, and specifically capturing motion for animation. (Tiger Woods, Jackie Chan etc…) I am an artist that is getting back to the basics of sawdust and splinters. It would be great to make money doing this!

-- "There are no mistakes, just fuel for winter"

I build interstate highways here in the southeast. I am currently a superintendent on a $220 million rebuild of I85 below Atlanta near Newnan. I have been doing this type of work since 1977, not for the same contractor, since I did it for 27 years in Iowa. You would not believe what you see doing this type of work. SteveKorz may know, being a state trooper. I have been a woodworker for many years, to relax, stretch my creativity, stay sane, and keep the pipedream going to have my own working shop. I do build a lot of items that you guys call commissions (I call them great), but not enough to give up my day(and night) job. I bought my lottery ticket today, though.
As always, bbqKing

-- bbqKing, Lawrenceville

I am an architect, partner in a 50-person firm that mostly designs projects for higher education and health care. I designed and had built a new house in 2005 (published in Fine Homebuilding’s 2007 Houses Annual Issue) which gave me a great shop space that I had wanted all my life (which is now in its sixth decade). I started from scratch, every cut and joint being a first-time experience. As an architect I have a talent for designing things, and know how to put my ideas down on paper; as an emerging woodworker, I am learning how to transform my designs into reality with my own hands (and the help of some machines). The experience gives me great satisfaction. If I ever retire, I could get into this full time.

-- Bob

I am a Baptist pastor in Pound, Wisconsin. Love woodworking almost as much as my vocation.

I am retired from the Air Force and now work as a Systems Engineer for a Non-Profit Engineering firm supporting the Department of Defense.

-- Garyb6, “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler” - Albert Einstein

For the last ten years I have been a professional firefighter/paramedic in Montgomery County, MD (remember the sniper shootings a few years back…I work there) Brfore that I was a special education teacher…Not all that different careerwise…I still have to interact with a lot of people who are mentally challanged. The only difference is that in my current job, they sometimes think they are normal!

-- amatuer sawdust maker...vicarious woodworker!

I was a Military Officer and a Ship’s Captain. I retired and was a Social Worker. Now I’m just retired and Working Wood, my favorite job!

-- If it ain't broke, fix it! (I worked for the government before blessed retirement)

I run a small web programing company called Twelve Foot Guru (databases, web design). I have also done Music Engineering and Electrical work… and no, I will not help you wire your house ;-)

I own Doorhanger Company. We’ve been installing doors in Los Angeles since 1985. And by WE, I mean ME. While I occasionally hire guys when I have a large job, it’s usually just me… hanging the doors, taking the calls, sweeping the floors. Honestly, I absolutely love it. Now I’m trying to spread my expertise to anyone who will listen… will YOU listen?

-- Bruce from LA via NY "I hear 'measure twice, cut once' works in woodworking, too!"

I was a MP in the army and later a police officer and now I’m lying on my bed most off the day,
because off this terrible pain.
I’m a little jealous on most off you guys.

Take care,

Schummie.

-- Greetings from the Netherlands.

Digital Design Engineer for a defense contractor. Initially I was designing the radar systems, specifically the latest generation for the F16 Agile-Beam radar. After transferring I now design and work on the simulators and stimulators used to simulate RF environments for system testing and pilot training. This involves customers all over the world so gives me alot of interaction with them as well as providing some interesting travel locations.

-- Rich, WNY, www.nyrockingchairs.com

Commercial Real Estate researcher. A buddy of mine calls my job ‘populating cyberspace’. I collect data, take photos and update my firm’s database, all from the comfort of a mobile office in and around central NY (at the moment).

-- Ned - 2B1ASK1 http://nedswoodshop.blogspot.com

So let me add to the growing number of techies here…

After spending 15 years in the restaurant business, the last 7 managing fine dining restaurants, I realized that working until 4am was not going to keep my fiancee around… I switched careers.

Went into IT sales, and have been learning along the way. I’m a data storage/protection specialist. My official title is “Technical Product Specialist” which is a fancy way of saying that I’m the guy who is supposed to know enough about the how the products we sell actually do what they do to be able to get people to understand.

-- Ryno

I’m a retired rancher and business owner. Now I just putter around in my wood shop.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

I’m a production manager at a large wood shop. Click on the link and have a look at some of the pics.

http://www.eastwoodspecialties.ca/aboutus.asp

-- Doing it for a living, ruins a good hobby!

I’m retired right now. I take care of my 7 year old granddaughter most of the time. The wife works full time. But, she helps when she can. I was a pipefitter for almost 39 years & it took its toll on my body. Now that I am retired I found out that there just are not enough hours in the day to get everything done that I want to do. Aat least when i was working I had the time to do them. Go figure?? :)

I’m a software engineer. I’ve worked on satellites and ground stations; currently I’m working on a new global satellite phone service. My wife does credit and catalog work at a department store. Two daughters, both in college. I spend about 10 weekends a year at Civil War Reenactments as a private in the 150th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. I make boxes and furniture to use at reenactments, using only historically appropriate finishes and hardware.

-- Don, Royersford, PA

I am a General Contractor, having started my company in 1983. we work all over the US, building hospitals and related medical facilities.
Three years ago I opened a new company to do high end residential remodeling in the Nashville area.
So between running two companies my shop time is limited more than I like.

-- Wade, Nashville, www.casetn.com

I retired after 35 years from the financial services industry as a loan officer (mainly residential lending, which will explain why I retired last November). Decided I needed a way to earn some money to pay for materials for my shop, so I’m headed into emergency medical services as an Emergency Medical Tech. Have a month of school left before getting my EMT license and will be continuing on to get my Paramedic License a year from this December. My 23-year old daughter is already a Paramedic. So I guess you could say that I’m following in my daughter’s footsteps. This will allow me to pull two or three 24-hr shifts per week and spend the rest of my week in my shop doing what I trully love doing. I am amazed at the diversity there is in this group.

started as a shelf-filler at a UK supermarket, worked my way up to roadsweeper and then went to university a couple of times. Designed gas turbines (RB211 anyone?) and motorcycle frames and software and furniture and did some military stuff you can’t hear about, moved to silicon valley (not siliconE valley, that’s LA) and did more software stuff then to Vancouver Island where I’m sort of retired when not doing technical intelligence analysis consulting.

I’m a locomotive engineer. Yep. I drive the trains.

Started railroading in Livingston, Montana where I also worked as an engineer before moving back to Oregon where I was born. Work for the railroad running between Eugene & Klamath Falls. It has its days.

Joel

-- It's all good... http://spcascades.railfan.net/westernLumberCo.html

I’m a retired teacher from Ontario, Canada who has usually had a business or two on the side ( tax benefits LOL). I had an antique business for a while, buying then fixing then selling antiques as well as collecting. I also had a walking stick and spindle business which started when I purchased a lathe. Unfortunately, when we moved, there was not enough room for the lathe in my small work area, so I had to let it go. I enjoy working with wood, so thought I would check out this site.

-- jroot

I’m a project manager, with 25 years of experience, for a large communications company that has a one letter stock symbol. I’m also currently doing night school to be a high school technology / pre-engineering /shop teacher.

Christian… What area do you work in? We may have “met”! <g>

JAshcroft has a cool job… Trains are the ULTIMATE heavy equipment. I don’t think many appreciate the skill involved in moving them.

“Jim” couldn’t fly slow enough to keep up with what I fly! <g>

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

I am a student and a part time flight instructor at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL

I’m a software engineer for a large fianacial institution for the last 23 years. And yes, if it weren’t for this job, buying these tools would be completely out of the question. Boy am I blessed!

-- AbenakiMan

I am on my third career, I have been with Wal-Mart for 21 years. I am A Market Asect Protection Manager for 12 stores in the Tulsa Market. So anything that cost the company a loss it is my fault. Came from 9 years of law enforcement and 11 years as a Signalman on the railroad before that. So not sure what I want to be when I grow up. :) Now I spend my time making sawdust and rebuilding old shopsmiths.
Bill
Broken Arrow OK.

-- Bill, Broken Arrow OK.

Guess It would help if I could spell. so no one make fun of me since I have only been an Asset Manager for 21 years use to be called a District Loss Prevention Supervisor.
Now I can spell that. Man this needs spell check. :)
Bill

-- Bill, Broken Arrow OK.

I’m a software developer and technical team lead working for a large computer company. Been doing computer stuff for 25+ years. I’d rather be “working” in my shop!

-- Greg, in Ozark, MO

Well, I never woke up one day and said “I want to be a Cook!” but I have been in the business, starting as a dishwasher, working my way up to Sous Chef, for about 36 years. It’s funny because I can’t say that I love it, but I also can’t say that I dislike it, but apparently I’m good enough at it to never lack for employment. I’ll never go hungry, that’s for sure! As far as Woodworking, that’s where my real passion lies. I’ve been playing with wood as long as I can remember. Built treehouses and small pieces of rough furniture when I was a kid. Never had much more than a circular saw and hammer, but have always built whatever I’ve needed or wanted to. Picked up a scroll saw in the early nineties and got the obligatory drill press from my Dad that Christmas. That saw was, and continues to be, my workhorse, but I finally picked up a small table saw. Now I feel like I’m cheating! Have made a little $$ at it, not nearly enough to keep the wolves from the door though…So I continue to cook nice meals for nice people, working for a living, rather than living to work.

-- Mike in Manchester, NH---Unpleasant tasks are simply worthy challenges to improve skills.

Probably not a surprise, I work for the Government! I manage the Bureau of Workforce Training. We do job training and re-employment programs for the State of Wisconsin. Unfortunately, we are busier than I would like to be.
Got back into woodworking when my brother-in-law died. He worked for Sears and had gotten many tools from there. I paid my sister 3/4 of what he paid. I got enough tools to keep me learning for a while and she got more $$ than she would have at a garage sale.

-- Gary, South Central Wisconsin. So much to learn, so little time!

I’m a fulltime student at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. I’m in the Industrial Technology Education program and will eventually be a shop teacher who would like to teach basic woodworking ad metal classes along with Drafting/design.

I also still have a customer service job doing debit/credit expiditing for a nationwide food service and equipment company.

-- ~too many hobbies, not enough free time.

I am a program manager for a large telecommunications company. I oversee light fiber installations nationwide for large clients.

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

i am a retired homicide detective…...
mike

-- mrsawdust, pittsburgh,pa.

the longest list I have ever seen of those “I wanna be”.........”I would rather be doing”

totally impressed by the sheer number of those who would love to do what I get paid to do

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

I work for a medical instument company making micro surgery equipment for eye and brain surgery.

-- Gary, Missouri

I’m a icu critical care float rn in Tucson,Az. Jeff

I am a small animal veterinarian who has been practicing for the past 33 years. However, with the downturn in the economy, I may be selling end grain cutting boards as a living.

Rich
http://farmersvet.com/

-- Rich in Richmond

I was weened on sawdust, my father was a cabinet maker, I became his finisher at 10. Was a sculpure mastercraftsman at 21. Went into highrise constructing after getting married.25 years later fell and took a partial retirement at 52.
Now I’m a Medical Hypnotherapist and help people with chronic illnesses, PTSD veterans and performance enhancement…..When I really want to make money I do breast augmentation thru hypnosis…...yes it works.
I’m getting back into woodworking for the peace I get from it. I just joined this site and haven’t started any projects yet…..I am carving a stone bear right now. Steven

I was a long haul trucker until a work injury put me out of commission. Now I’m retired on disability. Iam currently a domestic engineer, lol

I co-own/operate a small, but very successful residential electrical business.

-- Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

I retired from IBM as Real Estate Project Manager and then went on to design and manage data cabling projects for a couple of years.
Now I am truely retired and am trying my hand at enjoying my “passion” with wood and also make a little money…......... Bad timing with the economy though.

-- Gene, Majestic Eagle Woodworks, http://majesticeagleww.etsy.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/majesticeagle/

I coach a women’s college tennis team. I even got coach of the year last year (not that I’m bragging) [OK I am].

-- Eric Arizona/Argentina -- Cut twice measure once www.elcumbre.com

I taught Jr. High Science and Computer technology in Maine for 30 years. with NCLB (no child left behind) I retired and am currently trying to get back into woodworking. In my 20’s I graduated from the Maine school of Luthiery and made several guitars. I’m looking to begin again and expand my wood forming experiences.

-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful. http://web.me.com/deceiver6/Deceiver/Craftsman_on_the_lake/Craftsman_on_the_lake.html

I’m an Interface and Usability Design Manager for the online division of a large newspaper organization. I try and figure out what works, what doesn’t, and what is the easiest online experience for our audience.

-- Measure, cut, curse, repeat.

I will update mine. I am still a house husband but my schooling has been changed to Computer Support Tech.

-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI

I am a sheetmetal worker.Have been for 38 years,getting ready to retire.Done just about everything I can that pertains to sheet metal work and can’t wait to retire and spend more time in the woodshop.

-- Bill in Mich

I am a patient care coordinator (night supervisor) for a local hospital. I earned my nickname while working in an ER for over 10 years.

-- All bleeding will eventually stop.

I’m a nurse practitioner in a pediatrics practice.

-- Ellen on Cape Cod

I started at a furniture shop, moved onto construction. By the time I was 25 I realised that my back wasn’t going to last until retirement in the construction industry so I went back to college. Now I’m in my 11th year as a software engineer. I would love to get my woodworkin skills to the point where my hobby paid for a new tool once in a while.

-- If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over? - John Wooden

This has got to be one of the longest running threads on LJ…

I’m a Systems Administrator/Analyst for the nation’s largest Home Owner’s Association Management company, I’ve been with this company for just over a year now doing everything from desktop support to multi-million dollar project management.

Prior to the HOA Management firm, I was Systems Administrator for a closed captioning company in California, and prior to that, a V.P. of Information Technology at a Credit Card Processing provider(for companies like newegg.com and zappos.com)

Before that, I owned and operated a recording studio in Southern California. If I could be doing anything, it would be running a recording or post house…

-- Looking for free wood working plans? Visit us at www.AwlFreePlans.com

I’m retired from law enforcement. I spent 32 years with a large cosmopolitan Sheriff’s Office in northern California, retired at the young age of 53 (one of the good things about law enforcement is early retirement with a good pension) and moved to Oregon. I now grow trees, Doug fir, cedar, and maple mostly, on our 14 acres located right on the most beautiful river in Oregon, the McKenzie River. I also keep a large vegetable garden, fish, travel, and do woodworking (mostly in the rainy winter).

My wood working started with a fixer upper house in the late 1960s and as I gained more experience and better tools I moved up to quality furniture, cabinets, and turnings. I now consider myself a fairly accomplished wood worker but I only do it for enjoyment, not profit.

-- Les B, Oregon

PCB Design Engineer

-- - You begin thinking less, and feeling more.

Wow. When I initally started this thread I expected just a few responses . . but it is still going.

Its amazing the diversity of people who like wwing.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

Well I worked for the airlines for 18 years and then went into I.T. professionally in 1998. Left I.T. in 2004 and sold Real Estate for a couple of years and retired in 2006. So I am currently finishing the removal of an old milk farm operation. I should be completed by mid April and sometime in March I will be starting the construction of my horse barn with hay storage and then adding my shop to one end of the barn.

-- Jerry, Set in the foothills of the Smokey's

To pay the bills I am a police officer for a medium size city department, and have been there for over 10 years. For about the last 2 1/2 years I’ve been a full time crime scene investigator and I love it.

And the ‘hobby’ that creates many of the bills to be paid by that salary is my side gig as a photographer. I specialize in lighthouse photography, usually sunset / sunrise and low light photos along with stormy weather shots.

I’ve never done woodworking for a living, but I did take 2 years of building trades vocational training in high school along with 3 years of wood shop classes.

-- Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur

38 years as a pharmacist. New to woodworking but enjoying every minute. Wife buys my tools and so far they have all been top of the line. Funny, after each new tool comes a “honey do”.

-- Bob in Western Michigan -- Have you hugged your tools today?

18 years as an engineer with the US Air Force. Enjoy woodworking and gardening as a hobby…

I been in the IT field for 15 years doing everything from programming, system admin and now network engineering for a large title insurance company.

-- Drayton

After college, I spent 12 years traveling around the world trying to make it a better place. It finally dawned on me that there was no money in “not-for-profit” (doh), so I got an MBA and spent 25 years in consulting. Now I work for a company that produces digital maps for navigation as a director of a technology deployment group. No more travel and interesting work! Been seriously woodworking about 20 years.

-- Carl

Amazing how few people here do woodworking for a living. About 15years ago I stretched the truth a little to get a job in a furniture company as I was unemployed and really needed work and i,ve been doing it ever since learning new skills on the job as I needed to( i dont recommend this aproach) now 3 countries and 15 years later i,m unemployed trying to start my own business,and I still love making sawdust.

-- if the hand is not working it is not a pure hand

I am a Pipefitter , Right now working in a shipyard building Navy, Coast Guard Ships and some Barges. On My time from there I am building a cabin 85% done, Rebuilding a Jeep Cherokee 75% done, fixing a Ford 4×4 and My NEW Hobby working with wood , gotta admit I got into it cause of the Cabin Building It is the Biggest Project I have done (definately NOT a Home builder) But All has turned out well , As soon as I get out back to the Cabin again I will take a Pic of My Projects and Post it …. Be Easy though they are the first things I have ever made LOL My Wife is Happy though So that keeps Me out of Trouble I mess with all kinds of stuff , What impressed My Wife the Most was the Emergency Lights I thought up and installed in the cabin…. Great for Hurricane Season, Which was really how I started with My smaller woodworking projects I had a Oak tree Hurricane Katrina blew down and didnt want to burn it…..

-- Papa CAP

I am a full time paramedic for a private ambulance company located in the central valley of california. We currently cover approximately 90% of Kern county which is the 3rd largest in the state. With the year just ending I believe company wide we responded to just over 95,000 911 calls. I work a 48 hr shift in an outlying area that is primarily oil production fields. I absolutely love my job but I am getting to the age where I am going to have start looking for another profession. EMS is a young mans game and I am reaching the breaking point. I have a few classes left at the local community college before applying to Stanford University and attending the PA(physicians assistant) program. I might also take a few woodworking classes while I am at it, after all I love to work the wood as well.

-- My job is to give my kids things to discuss with their therapist....medic20447@gmail.com

18 years with a large Sheriff’s Office in the Seattle area. Currently I’m the Sergeant of the Bomb Squad / Hazmat Team.

-- “I'm thinking about it, ... I'm thinking it's the best way to piss [the French] off.” -Lance Armstrong

i just started my career as a junior draftsman for a company that makes oil rigs. i love it. lots of opportunity. woodworking is something im relatively new to. i have alot of years ahead of me though and hope to spend as much time as possible in the shop.

-- jacob, houston

All these responces and no one does what I do, huh go figure. I manage a Christmas Tree Farm here in Wisconsin. Been doing that full time for 12 years now and we have been harvesting the last few years about 10,000 trees a year. Sounds like a lot but we continually replant that many and then some each year. We ship pretty much down the center of the US from Wis., IL, IA, MO, KS, OK, KT, and TX.

Before that I was the head field equipment operator on a 3000 acre cash crop farm for about 10 years. Before that I was a long haul truck driver. Before that I was a student in diesel & heavy equipment mechanics.

-- Just remember,it was a lone amatuer that built the ark, and a team of experts built the Titanic.

I’m a beach bum

-- Mark, Dominican Republic

I’m a Church Business Administrator aka Minister of Discouragement.

-- Tom, Springfield, TN

Hello All,
As you may be able to see from the picture and the nickname, I work with railroads. I am a consultant that designs and builds railroads for a living. A great job that I wish left more time for family and the shop.

I work at Home Depot. I’ve been in the Hardware, kitchen/bath design, and now Millwork departments. I sell doors and windows.

-- Steve, Beaverton, OR sgriffin44@yahoo.com

I am the Cad System Administrator for an auto glass fabricator which provides glass assemblies for auto manufacturers. We design the shapes for the glass, the tooling to manufacture the shapes, and all of the computer simulations. But the simple truth is, I get paid to play on computers all day. :-))

-- Vince Kirchner - kirchnerdad@yahoo.com

I am the Operations Manager at a local Welding Supply Store here in Northern B.C. Canada. The Great White North! I never really Got into doing any metal working but I sure love the wood working! Now that I have killed an hour reading this never ending blog I feel like I know you all a little better. You all take care now.
Cheers

-- People who say it cannot be done should not interup those who are doing it

And it all started with a simple question….”what do you do?”

I’m retired now but in my other life I was a chemical technician for a nuclear plant. I’ve worked at tons of other jobs but I won’t bore you with the details…. but I always learned from each job and got a little smarter. So now I’m so smart that I can do woodworking stuff!!

-- George..." I love the smell of a workshop in the morning!"

I spent 25 years in the restaurant business, the final 4 as owner of a small bar and grill. After that I spent nearly a year in Alaska working for Princess Cruise Lines as a chef in one of their wilderness lodges. I loved Alaska, but needed to get back to Indiana to deal with some family matters. Now for the last 7 years I’ve been working for one of the largest door manufacturers in the world building steel and fiberglass doors. Pay is good, but job satisfaction is low, so I turn to other interests to satisfy the desire to be creative and to challenge myself. Looks like I’ve landed in a good place here at LJ’s for that.

-- Fred ~ lignator novus ~

international playboy…well maybe not international….well maybe not a playboy….oh well….I flip houses and do some remodeling for people…..

-- Todd, Oak Ridge, TN, Hello my name is Todd and I'm a Toolholic, I bought my last tool 10 days, no 4 days, oh heck I bought a tool on the way here! †

I am a character rigger, animator, and tools writer for a small, but sort of rapidly growing video game company in LA. I went to art school to get into special effects for film, but shifted over to games when realizing it was a better fit for me.

No one ever knows what I mean when I say rigger/animator, so briefly: we have artists who model characters (people, dogs, scorpions, robots, whatever) in a ‘bind pose’ – sort of like the Vitruvian Man – and paint textures onto them (clothes, skin, accouterments). I take those characters and rig them, i.e. place skeleton joints, bind the skin to those joints, add controls to the joints so animators (including me) can easily animate them to do whatever list of actions they’ll need in the game, like running, jumping, and kicking, and then I do a lot of ‘glue’ stuff, like creating tools that ease all the pipeline work of turning those animations into assets we can use in the game, or batch utilities that allow us to knock out a lot of the mindless, repetitive stuff with a few button clicks.

It keeps me in tools, and it has the lucky bonus of having taught me what is essentially a good CAD system that I use at home all the time to design things I’ll build in the shop, or machine on my mini mill and lathe. I’ve also gotten it to spit out g-code from my designs – the language that CNC machines speak. I consider myself an amateur at most of this stuff still, however.

I love seeing the diversity of occupations in here!

-- Gary, Los Angeles, video game animator

I’m a field operator at a paper mill in Albany Oregon.

-- Michael,Oregon

I am an office manager in an automobile repair shop. The guys I work with are all toolheads, so I get to hear reviews of new tools all the time. Not always tools that I will need, but info that helps me decide if I should buy one or just borrow it from them!

-- djs

I’m the CEO for a trade association. Retirement comes in about 4 years and I plan to do very little but stay in my shop and make the full transition from arguing with people to arguing with a piece of wood that has a mind of its own.

-- If she asks please tell my wife that I can sell my tools for what I paid, okay?

I’m a retired millwright and I own a welding business

-- Wayne, Kentucky

I’m a patent lawyer – the big attractions are that I keep learning, and am constantly challenged. I’m also a happy father – I’ll be 80 when my youngest (so far) graduates from college! My wife is wonderfully tolerant of my (many) tool purchases and (much) time in the workshop.

lumberjock for the past 26 months

-- rob

Psychologist by trainng. Did work in the field for a while. Eventually ended up in the emergency management field. Last job was director of emergency management and security at a hospital. Taught at the University for a few years. Now, at 63, I’m still trying to figure out what career I should get into.

-- Gary, DeKalb Texas

I have a degree in Computing Science, and am part-owner of an oil and gas services company that is involved in complex structure seismic imaging, specializing in anisotropic depth imaging in areas around the world.

The shop is the place I go to build things I can touch, as opposed to dealing with mathematical algorithms and software development all day.

-- Dale, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Retired Speech Pathologist. Currently I supervise my dog whose in the witness protection program.
Woodworking is a long time hobby for me. I’m not good at it. I just have fun.

-- Gene

I am twice retired. Once from the USAF and the 2nd from Rockwell Collins. I have done woodworking as a hobby ever since high school. One of these days I hope to produce a wood project that everyone wants. Until then, I’ll just keep satisfying my own need to make sawdust.

-- Making Sawdust Safely

I design Theme Park attractions for a living.

-d

From my name you can probably tell I am a pilot for a very large airline

I am amending my previous entry. I am now a RETIRED pilot formerly of state government.

In a previous life I was a Computer Science professor. I left academia for the money
and am now a software engineer. I am very new at woodworking but enjoy learning
more about it.

Tom

Hello….....great site, I own a steakhouse and a seasoning company. I passed the addicted test so I guess Ill be seeing you around here….

-- best steak seasoning in the U.S. www.deccios.com

I am an emergency medicine doctor…everyone work safely….please, please, please

-- --It's not how long you live, but how you live that makes it a life.--

I am currently a student, once i finish i will be an “artisan”, ill be done in 7-8 months, then almost immediately after ill be serving my time in the military, for 6 months, but i think they are changing the minimum to 8 months… after that im probably gonna open my own shop, ive not decided if im gonna take a loan (dont like loans -.-) or if im gonna find a job somewhere at first, over here you can get a 50000 euro loan to help you open up your business

-- My signature is awesome.

I say I am just an old mechanic, but everyone wants to call me a technitian these days. I design, build, install, repair, rebuild overhead cranes and hoists. Worked on forklifts and heavy equipment for almost 20 years but my back couldn’t handle that anymore so I went into cranes and hoists about 20 years ago.

-- Dan-- Info for all @ http://www.hoistman.com

I notice Christian is an Air Traffic Controller. I did that in the Air Force for ten years (Radar; Hickam, Scott, and Luke). Been out since ‘99 and now I am an Airspace System Inspection Pilot.

-- Ed