# I'm not out for hire any more.



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

I am sure a few of you out there agree with me. Working on projects for money sucks the fun out of the hobby and I am not going to do it any more. Recently a friend asked me to make a table for her, she wanted it made out of pine which I hate working with and a style that I hate. The project was like pulling teeth. I hated every moment of it, the wood, the style, the deadline everything. I decided after that no more taking on projects that I don't want to do regardless of the money. I have a 50-60 hour a week job, I don't need to fill my hobby time with another job.


----------



## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

amen!


----------



## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

Doing it for money certainly adds another feel to it. I can understand where you are coming from with not wanting to do it in addition to having a full time job. Since I often need the money to pay bills or finance more tool/lumber purchases, I find commissions almost impossible to pass up. i have been pretty lucky to have significant design input. I can see where that could make things difficult. Especially with pine or red oak involved


----------



## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

I'm with you. I do sell stuff but it's always after the fact. Something I've been caught with is doing stuff for free for someone….let me explain.. Our Church puts on a lunch for the school teachers & admin a week prior to the start of school. They give them stuff that can be used by the teachers during the year. They also usually give door prizes. Well, this year, the person that always gets the door prizes was out of pocket. So, I volunteered one of those boxes I made to be used as a door prize. Well, today I got a request from the school that they want me to build a couple of things for them to auction off to raise money. Well, of course I'm going to do it. But, now I feel like I'm on someone's mailing list. And, I feel guilty for that!!! Oh well…


----------



## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

I have a neighbor that owns over 100 rental homes. Very cheap. Always talking about how poor he is and that he is only in the property management business. Drives a 30 year old Toyota and always looks like a bum. He dropped by and not knowing that I know who he is, asks me to cut and route some door blanks from his wood. I do this and he offers to pay me $50.00 only he just doesn't happen to have it on him.

Just to be good neighbor I would have done it for free, BUT he offered.When he offered, now I expect it. Has to do with being a man of your word. It's been two months and I'm still waiting. I see him drive by almost everyday. I have a feeling patron is going to win the Publishers Clearinghouse $10,000,000.00 before I see that 50 bucks. lol

Now if that keeps him away, it worth it to be rid of him. lol


----------



## longgone (May 5, 2009)

I do some commission work but I am very selective about what I accept. I find it much more enjoyable to design and create my work and then sell it…what you see is what you get. This makes my work life much more enjoyable…


----------



## Brad_Nailor (Jul 26, 2007)

I have to agree with you on this one. I like to woodwork for fun and relaxation, and it seems anytime I am doing a project for money it really sucks all the fun out of the hobby. When I got my job at a cabinet shop I thought it would be my dream job…working with wood all day….well, boy was I surprised. It seems that building stuff the way other people want it, in the style that other people want, in the materiel other people want, on other peoples schedule wasn't that much fun at all. Throw in a cheap, over bearing boss, and a ton of menial, boring duties and it wasn't such a dreamy job after all…don't get me wrong..there was allot of fun things about it..I got to operate one of the coolest toys ever..a giant CNC router. My wife constantly bugs me to make and sell cutting boards. I like making them, but I am afraid if i start selling them then it will suck the fun out of it. Then if I have orders, I will feel obligated to work on them every nite….then what..the hobby turns into a chore…


----------



## tom427cid (Aug 21, 2011)

Hi,
weldig rod; I have had this happen before.My solution has been to catch the person in public better yet at church and hopefully there will be a couple of people around,and I ask(smiling of course) hey,so-and-so, did you forget about the job I did for you? Perhaps you can pay me now? Please and thank you. People like that don't like shoddy business practices broadcast in public. Remember,keep smiling.Then he won't know how serious you really are.
tom


----------



## andy6601 (Aug 23, 2011)

I am doing some refinishing work for a lady that I have done odd jobs for for years. Anytime you do ANYTHING for money it takes it to a different level. Yes, it can suck the fun out of a hobby in a hurry, however, personally I am tickled pink that someone wants to pay me to do something I would normally do for nothing or recreation. For me it is a mindset, not to mention I get to use the excuse to my wife "Well I have to get this done, and out to the garage I go." I also think that it is not for everyone, my father in law, refuses to sell anything thing that he makes, and he has an awsome power tool shop. I would chalk this up as a learning expirence and maybe just build what you want and then try to sell it. If woodworking is not your sole source of income you can afford to be choosey on what you do and don't do. Just my thoughts, it is a balencing act that you watch carefully.


----------



## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Being a professional hobbiest, I can sympathize with you, agallant.
I dislike anything that causes me to take time away from my chosen field of endeavor. 
I have invested bunches of time, effort and money to build my rep as a dedicated hobbiest and even the mention of "WORK" makes me physically ill.


----------



## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

Ok, IMO I think you are looking at it the wrong way. Every commission regardless of what you think of it is an opportunity for you to learn something and might represent a challenge. I wish I had your problem, here in Mexico, people go to a furniture store, look at something they like, like an 8 seat dinning table that is being sold for $5000, they take a snap shot with their cell phone and then come to you and want you to make it for $700. This just happened to me last week. 
Of course this is my business, you have a job already, so I understand you wanting to do only those projects you like.


----------



## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

I am retired and set up the woodworkshop as a hobby to keep me out of trouble and off street corners, now
I find I can make rather nice projects with rather expensive toys. If I charge by the hour for use of tools and
materials, I can not let a bowl sell for $50 that is worth $200.00 minimum and I can not see selling something
for less than it is worth. I just make what I want and give it to family and friends, someday, I may change my
procedure. The extra income would be nice, but that would make it work, not fun and I retired to get away
from work. It was fun giving a nice turned bowl from a breadboard to the woodworking friend who had given
me a basket case Delta cross slide rest, and telling him that it was his fault for getting me started on the damn
thing in the first place.


----------



## Roger Clark aka Rex (Dec 30, 2008)

I guess I am the lucky one. Nobody likes my crude attempts on projects and nobody in their right mind would commission me to make anything except firewood, for which there is a growing market. .
My wife thinks otherwise, saying items I make could be marketed as "Shabby Chic" and make a fortune, but I am happy in my little world making Chinese knock offs where quality, fit and finish does not matter, and the best part is that it burns giving out good heat, something to consider as winter draws near.
I'm a WINNER.


----------



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

I am glad to hear that I am not alone. It is always tempting 'if I take this job then I can buy this toy for the shop' kind of thing but I have discovered in the end it is not worth it.


----------



## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

If you have a job it's best to keep woodworking a hobby where you can do it for the love of it.


----------



## sandhill (Aug 28, 2007)

amen to that brother! Do what you love and love what you do.


----------



## cjwillie (Sep 6, 2011)

Most of my projects are gifts, made by my choice. One way to keep people from always wanting you to do those PITA jobs is to price them so high that they won't want you to do them and if they do, you'll be making so much money you'll have to use a prybar to get the smile off your face! I try to keep it fun and as long as I can keep it on MY terms, it's fun!


----------



## EandS (Aug 29, 2011)

Doing it professionaly I understand where you are coming from in a way. 50% of the pieces I end up doing are not in a style I like and often not in a wood I like. But this does challenge me and I enjoy that. If its a style I dont like I usualy havent gotten much experience with it. Being forced to do it so to speak allows me to learn skills that might come with that style that I might not have learned had I not taken on the project. As well as wood, It helps you round your finishing skills with all sorts of woods and also to know how different tools effect different woods hands on rather then just reading it somewhere. I have learned to enjoy it. It has helped me to be more well rounded.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

I ran my own carpentry/woodworking business for 15 yrs, now its a hobby, so I've seen both sides. As a hobby I still try to avoid the "paying" jobs, but my advice is this. If it doesn't matter ( and I did this when it did matter) charge what YOU think the job is worth. If it was a job I didn't like, I charged more. If I didn't get the job I didn't have to worry about it. If I did get the job (and I got more of them than you'd think) I made good money on it.


----------



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

And like an idiot I saw $$$ and agreed to take on another project…............. Some day I will learn to follow my instinct.


----------



## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

And like an idiot I saw $$$ and agreed to take on another project…….......... Some day I will learn to follow my instinct.

OK, you made me laugh with this one, but c'mon, admit it, as much as you say you hate it it seems you are have at least *some* fun, and getting paid..


----------



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

Well the way I looked at it was that I am planning on buying a new Remmington 700 now with the extra cash from this job I can get the 700 SPS Police edition rifle.

OK new rule, money made from woodworking can only be spent on more toys.


----------

