# hobby --> obsession



## ghudspeth (Feb 15, 2009)

You know it's getting ridiculous when your neighbor across the street cuts down a couple of dying trees, piles the wood by the road (to presumably be hauled away to the dump), and you sneak over under cover of darkness with your child's little red wagon and haul back several choice logs to turn into bowls and cut up into pen blanks (three trips).

And furthermore when you spend as much time at work as you can reasonably get away with building stuff in Sketchup as a surrogate to working in your workshop at home.

And I won't even mention the tool buying because I know that topic has pretty much been beaten to death here already.

I am pathetic and should be ashamed…


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## mark88 (Jun 8, 2009)

you know its getting rediculous when your next door neighbours are sweepin sawdust out the frontdoor of their house…mine complain all the time


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

My name is Charlie, and I'm a toolaholic.


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

You know it is getting rediculous when you convert your living room into a permanent spray booth with hanging plastic and moving blankets laying out all over the floors. Then when the great deal table saw comes on sale but we have no room for it in our 2 car garage shop, my wife says lets store it in the dining room. But truly, our woodworking has made my family so unconventional I think even woodworkers would look at our life style like we have two heads on our shoulders.


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## TJ65 (Jan 19, 2010)

It's bad when you go up to complete strangers and ask if you could scavange through thier 'off cuts' firewood pile. Then they get out and help you do it!!!!!


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## Eagle1 (Jan 4, 2010)

In my small town. It would be no problem with that at all, I helped cut up a couple of trees from a storm we had. She had no fireplace I do. She said you cut it up you can have. It funny when my neighbor howllers out at me and asks if i'm doing anything today. Were both retired and he just turned 83.


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## MrHudon (Aug 11, 2009)

It's not pathetic, It's a way of Life!


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## ShawnH (Mar 30, 2007)

I nearly crashed my work truck the other day staring at an enormous maple that a park cut down because it was not safe. So many trees, so little time.


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Is it weird to drive 180 miles one way, rent a motel room and pay $7.00 a bf for 50 bf of mesquite?


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

We are forming a Woodworkers Anonymous support group here. We plan to meet on Saturday mornings … the only problem is, the meetings will be in the backroom of the machine shop where most of us buy our tools.


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## Raspar (Oct 12, 2009)

The first step is admitting we have a problem…. I am not ready to do that.


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## ghudspeth (Feb 15, 2009)

Nice to know I'm in good company. I don't feel so bad now.

Funny that now we are staring at trees on the side of the road. I seem to remember a time when it wasn't trees I was staring at. i believe the actor william h. macy said on the tonight show, after being asked what "fine woodworking" was, "it's the penthouse for men over 50." he had been interviewed earlier that day for an article on bowl turning.

I almost drove 200 miles to Hot Springs to buy 250 bd ft of cypress for $2 a bd ft. Problem was, i didn't know how i could use all that cypress. i realized i was just buying wood to buy wood.


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## rtb (Mar 26, 2008)

Problem ? What problem ? I don't see a problem, do you see a problem ?


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## kolwdwrkr (Jul 27, 2008)

It's the simple things in life like the kids at home and a loving wife, that you miss the most when you lose control. Everything you love starts to dissappear, the devil takes your hand and says no fear get another shop, just one more year, I've been there, that's why I'm here.


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## ashahidan (Dec 1, 2009)

Where I stay everything is concrete. If I want any free timber for woodturning I must be willing to go into a logging area and dig out the tree stumps. The loggers sometimes left three foot high stumps . Do you think it a waste of good resource? Those tree stumps are valuable wood but who really cares.

If I have the means I would go into the forest and get out all the good tree stumps and turn them into tables and chairs or cut them up into blocks and export them as woodturning blocks.


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## Dadoo (Jun 23, 2007)

What's pathetic is that you waited till dark to get your wood. I normally catch it as it is cut off the tree…gets less dirty that way.


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## mark88 (Jun 8, 2009)

my problem…slivers EVERYWHERE!!


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## Padre (Nov 5, 2008)

Is it pathetic to look around for a hoist for the back of your pickup truck since you (I) can't physically lift the logs from the side of the road since my accident? 

Or suggest to a neighbor that their 100 year old maple looks a little sickly and should get it checked out in case it needs to come down?

Or cause a traffic slowdown looking at the logs piled on the side of the road?


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## PineInTheAsh (Jun 14, 2009)

You know you really got it bad when you totally understand all of the above.


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## pete57 (Jan 22, 2009)

You know you have it bad when you get up from the table after eating a great big bowl of spicy chili and fart a big smoke ring of sawdust that smells like cabage.

I was talking to a guy the other day and he invited me to a Woodwrkers Paranoia meeting but he forgot to tell me where it was.

sorry, I could not resist ladies and gentlemen.


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## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

...or standing there at work holding a cotton swab and realize it has a wood stick and pull out the pocket knife and try whittling it…


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## asthesawturns (Aug 23, 2009)

I know I have it bad cause, I was running and errand one, while at work and in my chef clothes, a tree service truck passed me, and I followed him 9 miles to where he unloaded it. I talked to him for a few minuted and then left with my first 2 and unforunately last 2 Black walnut logs, then went back to work. Fortunately I am salaried, and no food was late.
I do scavenge the side of roads too, but pickens are slim here, some freinds told me I can just come over and cut down some of their trees, but the ones I want are are the cherry and they would like to keep them. Fortunately I don't know where they live. I told them to keep it that way, they should drive me there blindfolded.


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## bobbyt99 (Jan 16, 2010)

I'm guessing that I have it bad like so many others here. Today I was at the local "Canadian Tire" store, checking out their tool sales as I do every Friday. Now, this store has it's own brand of tools called "Mastercraft Extreme." I don't really buy much of this because it just doesn't "sound" like it's good stuff. However, I do have a Mastercraft 6" jointer that works really well for what I'm doing with it. I also have a Mastercraft lathe that more than suits my purpose. But back to today… they had their own brand of carbide 1.4" router bits… 20 pieces in all… on sale for $30.00. They usually go for $150.00. Of course I bought them. Here's where I have it bad; I bought the very same set last year when it was on sale. I just can't turn down a good sale.

-Bobby


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## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

OK, I have read all the stories in this thread, I am still trying to figure out if or what the problem is. Everyone here sound totally normal to me!


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## ShannonRogers (Jan 11, 2008)

Swiping neighborhood cast off wood is a badge of honor not something pathetic. I like to really freak them out and make a pen or bowl out of it then drop that back on their doorstep under cover of darkness with a note that encourages them not to throw out wood but drop it by my house.


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## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

I'm with you Dan. Evidently they don't have enough sawdust in their veins yet


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## dbeck (Jun 1, 2017)

I want to be nominated as one of the most pathetic… i got rid of my tv service and tv and now have a dedicated place for restoring tools… oh the mess lol(no im picky its clean). My washing machine/dryer are a finishing station. My bedroom has a workbench and all my hand tools. I am dissabled so i must do most stuff indoors due to my med issues in case you wondered. Oh and i want in that support group someone mentioned lol omg i need help and i to scrounge every stick that my nieghbors put out and tree that comes down since i know where the good trees are but i no longer do it in the dark everyone knows here comes the crazy ole dude and his service dog collecting sticks but man you find some nice stuff.


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## OleGrump (Jun 16, 2017)

I have literally gone dumpster diving to get some good lumber. (More than once!) I used to have an office on the third floor of a building directly above the Loading Dock. Contractors would use this area to stage open top roll-off dumpsters at the dock and start filling them. I had a bird's eye view of what went in there. I've gone down at the end of the day MANY times, and a few times during lunch if the prize(s) were good enough I didn't want to let them linger. Sometimes, I'd get "bonus" finds, like the brand new hammer with paper label still attached or the three step ladder/stool made of solid oak….. I ain't proud. I also don't like to see good material go to waste. The wife used to get upset about all the "junk" in the garage. Now, she sees it as a magic hat of sorts, and often asks if we have X,Y or Z, or if I have enough wood on hand to make such and such, is usually pleased when we do. (Sometimes with a variety of choices) As Mr. Haney would say "This is your LUCKY day! I just happen to have one on the truck!


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## OleGrump (Jun 16, 2017)

P.S. You can't beat getting material for "FREE-NINETY-NINE."


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## Just_Iain (Apr 5, 2017)

If it's only woodworking you are obsessed with, it's not bad. Add Camping Stoves, Camping equipment, Cameras, books, bicycles etc, etc and your apartment or house can get filled real quick.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

> I have literally gone dumpster diving to get some good lumber.


I used to tour through the construction site areas every weekend and picked up a goldmine worth of lumber and other stuff out of the dumpsters. It's amazing to find some of the stuff they throw in there. I eventually ran out of room to keep it all, so had to cut back to once every couple of months  Between that and all of the hardwood trees around me, I haven't bought lumber in …. heck, I can't remember when I last actually paid money for wood!

Cheers,
Brad


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

I guess I have woodaholicism, too. I'd go get it any time if it looks good. The trouble is my barn looks like a wood/log warehouse . I've got it bad!!

cheers, Jim


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## newwoodbutcher (Aug 6, 2010)

You people need help. Glad I'm not aflicted with that problem.


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