# Is it my imagination, or is this a damn expensive hobby?



## mummykicks (Jun 19, 2013)

I'm new to this hobby, but it sure seems like I can't make much progess on projects because every time I start getting somewhere I find I need a jig or fixture, or some hardware or tool and yet another trip to HD or order from amazon…It's like there is this black hole that sucks money out of my wallet, but no completed furniture comes out the other end. I look around my garage and just can't seem to grasp where all the money went.
It also seems to take a very long time to get very little done. I mean on an hourly 'entertainment' basis I'm certainly getting a lot of hours for the money I've spent, but it's just amazing to me how little I seem to accomplish after 6 hours in the shop.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

I'm not sure you're looking for suggestions or just needed to 'vent' a little, but it sounds like you might need to re-consider the projects you're tackling. Lots of things can come from the shop in little time, using very few tools.

From a hand tool perspective, check out The Anarchist's Tool Chest for a study in how few items are truly required to do a wide variety of furniture projects. For power tools, though, I'm not much help but I'm sure the various router bits alone (for a single example) are expensive. But for either, quality = $ is the rule.

In the end, though, it is a hobby and if you're getting hours of entertainment, you're doing well! And if you're buying quality stuff, there's a certain return level you can expect should you every 'sell out.' But that won't happen because this is a Great Hobby, right?

Good luck!


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

It is your imagination …. it is all relative!!

Compared to a bar or strip club habit… woodworking is pretty cheap.

Compared to meditation or a Jane Fonda Workout… woodworking is expensive


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## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

It could get expensive in a hurry but then so is photography. The camera gear in my avatar pic cost over $8500 (Canon 1DMKIII and 300 f/2.8). 

I sold the lens after I retired and that let me upgrade or add to my tool inventory in a lot of ways.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

it is all relative in more than 1 sense.

one tool could be considered expensive to one person, while not that expensive to another person.

It also is what you make it to be - some people need all the store bought jigs they can get their hands on, while other people make custom jigs according to their immediate needs out of scrap wood or someone else's garbage (so to speak)(recycling). Some people need the latest and greatest machines and lots of them while others plan what they intend to make, and just get those tools required.

But… like any hobby - the beginning also draws the most money out until you have at least the basic set of things required for you to make the things you plan on making. once you have those, expenses will change to materials and hardware mostly.

Start small, grow as you need - look at local listings for used tools, don't be afraid to buy old beat up tools and restore them or clean them up to make them usable - a great way to acquire great tools on the cheap.

And Welcome to Lumberjocks, and to woodworking in general.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

You aught to try astro-imaging, if you really want a money hole… Just sayin'...

http://www.horizontalheavens.com/

THAT's my other money hole… *;-)*


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## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

"It's like there is this black hole that sucks money out of my wallet"

Apparently you have never owned a boat!


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## Woodmaster1 (Apr 26, 2011)

Just think in 50 years you may not have to buy very much. I have been at it for over 40 years and still buy things and make new jigs. I have enjoyed every minute of it.


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## doordude (Mar 26, 2010)

it does take awhile and lots of money to build a tool collection "that you actually use" but you'll always have them.
some things don't ware out and some do. that's the fun in it…


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## mummykicks (Jun 19, 2013)

I'm in Tucson, so it's not boats, but it could be quads. Same idea though. Buy the quad, then the trailer, then the truck to tow the trailer, then the gas for the truck, then gear, etc..

I've heard many people's astronomy hobbies get killed once they try to get into astro-imaging.

I guess I expected the bleeding to stop sooner for some reason.

This thing is like gremlins in the swimming pool lol. Buy a miter saw and then all of a sudden have a pressing need for 16' of cabinets. Every tool I buy seems to spawn a cabinet or organization requirement that didn't exist before. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

At least it gets me out of the house and I don't have to worry about sunburn.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Definition of "BOAT" ... A hole in the water into which money is poured.

This CAN be an expensive hobby, but only if you make it that. Buying from Craigslist or Ebay might make some folks turn up their nose at "Buying someone else's USED STUFF", but I call it "Getting a BARGAIN"

And besides, I dont hang out at the bars, I dont play golf, I dont play poker with the guys, I dont go to the casinos, I dont own a boat, nor a 4-wheeler. All things considered, this hobby keeps me in my shop, AT HOME, and the wife is fine with that! Plus she gets first dibs on most any of the little "projects" I make that she likes.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Although I agree it can be expensive, I don't agree it has to be. I'm not a fan of Swartz's writing, but I do agree with his concept. I don't follow it, but agree its a viable option.

Learn to work with the tools you have.

That all said, it doesn't sound like you're having fun. If you're not having fun its not worth it at all.

You're going to have to expand on the time frame topic. We all work at different paces, so you'll need to define your interpretation of "not getting much done".


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Yup, it's expensive. With all those tools out there, and all those magazines telling you you need all those tools; with all that beautiful wood and all those websites showing you what you can do with that wood… well… it's hard to keep the ol' wallet in your pocket sometimes.

But with some self control, and some creativity, a woodworker can do a lot with just a little.

On YouTube there's a great old video of a guy making a pair of wooden shoes with little more than an ax and a log. I think a guy who can make something nice without fancy tools has a lot more skill that a guy who needs a shop full of expensive machines. And that has to be far more satisfying!


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## Fresch (Feb 21, 2013)

I listed out a bunch of stuff and then removed it; America is great!!
It takes time to get all your stuff, buy right and the best you can afford at that time/ wait for the deals they come.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

after 50 years of buying tools
some more than once as they break down

i would have to say 
woodworking is not expensive
eating is

i have been broke the whole time

and i still am

and still buying tools too


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

If you are just starting, expect it to be expensive. Do you have any fix-up activities around the house that you can justify using those same tools to get them done? When you are done, the tools will still be there.


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## mikema (Apr 27, 2011)

when you start out buying the right tools, yes it is very expensive. However, if you buy good quality tools, your cost of woodworking will drop considerably over the years. In fact, this year is going to be the first year that I don't buy any big machines, as I have done over the last 3 or so years. In fact I think this will be the first year I will spend more on wood then I will on tools.

As for getting projects done. Don't worry about it. Keep doing what you are doing. For me, its not about getting a project done. Its about the work I put into the project. I typically only complete 2 or 3 larger projects each year, and I am okay with that. Speed of completing a project just simply isn't important to me. Developing skill is. That said, as I have developed skills, I have noticed I am able to complete certain task much faster then I have in the past. Not because I am trying to be faster at it, but that I have gained the confidence and skill that it just naturally happens faster.

In the end, if you enjoy what you are doing keep on doing it. Your costs will go down as you move forward, and your skill go up.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I already admitted that the astro-imaging was probably my biggest money HOLE, but my WW-ing only ranks 3rd place in the scheme of money HOLES. Number #2 is…....

*NOTICE THE HOLE IN THE CENTER ;-)*


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Nice scooter Mike. Are you BUILDING the motor for it, or RE-building it?


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

FOUR times in the first 100,000mi. Sometimes I tend to have TOO much fun on the bike. *;-)*


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

My brother has put over 150,000 miles on his BMW R65 without any overhauls or major maintenance.
Maybe you need to try an opposed twin on that thing.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

OR, maybe I should just slow down and quit accelerating so hard and redlining the tach… *;-)*

Funny thing is that all of my blown motors were NOT associated with any of my accidents. Just asking too much from all of the high performance parts I have installed. This last rebuild, at 100,300mi., hopefully is my last since I am making a commitment to take it easy on the bike. I even installed a second oil cooler inline with the first, and I now get some serious cooling during these +100F Summer days. I can pretty much keep the temps down to ~175F and that alone will help out quite a bit. I promise to be better! Honest!...*;-)*

All that said, I readily admit that beemers and rice burners are higher tech than the basic Harley design but the cool factor cannot be ignored. Look at all the rice burners who now copy the Harley V-Twin style motors.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Harleys are cool, but I'll stick with my ride…


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Anybody have an inexpensive hobby?


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

Napping! ;^)


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## mummykicks (Jun 19, 2013)

Origami, which has taken a serious back seat to woodworking, but takes about the same amount of patience, maybe a bit more for the more complex models. About $30 worth of supplies can last you a year or more. 
If you want high end paper I suppose you could spend $200/yr between it and books if you tried.
Of course you don't get anything functional out the other end…'it aint for eatin', it's just for lookin thru'...


__
https://flic.kr/p/5611800220

as an example. There are far more talented artists out there.


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## stevepeterson (Dec 17, 2009)

I used to be a weekend carpenter type person doing a lot of small projects using mostly a skill saw and a few hand tools. That changed after I picked up a used PM66 table saw for $1400. I decided to upgrade all of my tools.

I have probably spent about $12K on tools over the span of about 5 years. That works out to around $200 per month. I don't consider this to be very expensive as long as you spread it out to a rate that you can afford. Most of the tools were bought used and can probably be sold for near the same price that I paid.


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## debianlinux (Jul 27, 2013)

Nothing about woodworking is cheap. I won't use the word expensive but I would defy anyone to explain how it is cheap. Even the lowliest tools still require hours of labor to use and there ain't nothing cheap about that. Just getting wood from a tree isn't cheap much less what is to be done with it afterwards.


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand


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## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

Every time I see the title of this thread it makes me smile….


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## mummykicks (Jun 19, 2013)

$200/month sounds about right for my burn rate right now, maybe a bit more. This month was:
Incra miterv120 miter gauge - $84
Picture frame router bit set - $43
Whitside 3/4" router bit - $25
Freud 5/8" router bit & dust collector kit for router table $59
Musclechuck $77
Rockler mini glue brush set & igaging digital height gage - $37

$325 without even thinking about it. I was really surprised when I added up all the stuff like this, it represents about 40% of my total outlay so far, $30-$80 at a time. Just amazing. I keep thinking that I've got all I need for now, and something else always seems to find it's way into my cart on amazon.

However, my daughter is an artist and I can now save about $25/frame over buying something pre-made of equal or lesser quality. I figure about 400 frames and I'll have paid for the shop and tools lol…

So when the stuff in the garage is worth more than the car you park in it, does that mean it's time to get a new car, or time to park the car outside permanently?


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