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.kaleosworkshop.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.

-- 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

-- "Functional WoodArt" by 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.

-- The opposite of war isn't peace. It's creation. -- Wood T's: http://www.printfection.com/snbcreative

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/

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. Profisher50@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.

-- The opposite of war isn't peace. It's creation. -- Wood T's: http://www.printfection.com/snbcreative

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!!

-- Dick 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!! :)

-- "Functional WoodArt" by 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.canterburybaptist.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!!!!!!!!

-- "In dog years - I'm dead"

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.

-- "Functional WoodArt" by 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).

-- Hey ! I was born in IOWA .... don't blame me

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 in Norway) 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!

-- "Functional WoodArt" by 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

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

-- "Functional WoodArt" by 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, Owyhee Design, Oregon

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

-- "Functional WoodArt" by 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