# How Supportive Are Family and Friends Of Your Woodworking?



## Cricket (Jan 15, 2014)

I am curious if your friends, family, and significant others are supportive of your woodworking?

Is this a challenge for you?


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

My wife is supportive of me making her furniture, not so much for buying expensive tools.


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## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

VERY !! As long as what I'm doing is for them


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## MyChipCarving (Nov 4, 2009)

All my friends and family are very supportive. The only part of it I'm puzzled by is that they don't hire me to carve commission pieces. Maybe they like my work but don't like it enough to want to pay for it .


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## MrFid (Mar 9, 2013)

I'd say yes my wife supports my woodworking. Now that I am getting better she is even asking for some pieces. I consider the fact that she'd allow something I made in the house as a ringing endorsement.


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## Cricket (Jan 15, 2014)

I have a feeling most folks would prefer their spouse to be hanging out in their shop than away from home on the local golf course every day, or in the local bar. I may be wrong though. LOLOL

I would be like…

"Can you make me this?" 
"Can you make me that?" 
"Could you build a tiny house???"

LOLOLOLOL


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## OldWrangler (Jan 13, 2014)

My wife always seems amazed at the stuff I turn out. Whenever we have company, she shows it off. The rest of the family collects logs and pallets in exchange for things I make them. Some of them buy cutting boards to give at Christmas. One of the joys in my life is my family and how they react to my hobby. I am a blessed man.

Sometimes my grandkids come and clean grandpa's shop, pick up all the scraps I trip over and vacuum up the dust. My daughter as well as my wife have from time to time gone out there and cleaned up for me. Now I pay my yard man to spend a couple hours after mowing to clean my shop. That is a really big help. It's only once a week but only cost me $25 and he is happy to have it.


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## Pono (Mar 10, 2012)

Woodworking is my only source of income most times they are supportive.When times are slow my wife would rather have me working a steady job with a pay check at the end of the week.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

I have to lie to my family and tell them that I am going out to gamble, drink and chase women. Then I sneak back home and into my shop. So far, the cover is working!

Really my wife is the greatest supporter of my hobby. I am a very lucky guy.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

I'll quote what ChuckV just said: "Really my wife is the greatest supporter of my hobby. I am a very lucky guy.", with this added note. She's a gal who likes the tool dept as much as me. Don't throw tomatoes at me, just be happy for me… LOL


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## GrandpaLen (Mar 6, 2012)

She's very …. (what was the question again?)
Been Married for 35 years…
Been Retired for 5+ years…
Been trying to stay out of her way for 5+ years…
When she has her Girl Friends over she's reeealy happy I have a Shop. ("Go to your room, Please!")
When I make gifts for family/friends she usually gets the prototype,,,I mean the first one.
She has a tendency to abuse the 'free labor' policy often extended to family.

back to your question… Yes she is supportive, at least that's my interpretation.

Work Safely and have Fun. - Len. ;-)


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## whitebeast88 (May 27, 2012)

my wife is very supportive"even lets me buy whatever tools i want,without complaining".
the only problem is she has a list for me a mile long and everything she see's on pintrest she thinks i can make.
she has more confidence in my ability than i ever will.


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

my family is very supportive, i can go out to my shop any time , my sweetheart loves what i do and so do my friends, they ask for me to make them things from time to time…so i have a very supportive network.


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## kdc68 (Mar 2, 2012)

Ditto. Very supportive and most everything I do is for them. Birthdays, Christmas, or just because.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

50/50. Some think I am nuts for doing what I do, some think it's wonderful. Either way, I don't let it get to me. I fully intend to make it regardless.


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## TedW (May 6, 2012)

My friends and family fully support my woodworking, especially since most of what I make I give to them. Okay, so they may be a little biased.


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

Yup, surrounded by support! :-D


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Ellie Mae is very supportive of ANYTHING her Papadoc does! The rest of the family, could care less.


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

I guess I would have to say the support from my family and friends is a welcome feeling. Probably cause they get things for free. LOL


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

Cindy is very supportive. Most stuff that I build is commissioned. I do most of my woodworking when she is at work and the boys are at school. When I post things on Facebook that I have built she always shares it with her friends and offers for me to build more. She's supportive of me buying tools when I need them for doing projects that I'll be paid for. My 7 year old is very supportive and likes to be in the shop gluing all my scraps together. "How long do I have to wait for this? When can I play with it? Has it been an hour yet?"


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

My wife is and always has been terrific!


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## cdaniels (Apr 16, 2014)

i'm really surprised at how much support I'm getting from people here on okinawa. I'm getting interviewed on the armed forces network next week, that is a lot of support! just need more people to buy my work lol


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## cdaniels (Apr 16, 2014)

my wife is also very supportive in that my workshop is in my living room!!!


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Phyllis is supportive. So are my sons and their wives. Our dogs are curious and bring me cutoffs from the floor. I really don't care if anyone else even notices. Like Monte, I'll just keep keepin' on.


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## paxorion (Oct 19, 2012)

My wife is the one who encouraged me to take up woodworking. She's glad I have a hobby, but I do hear the line "another one?" whenever I buy another tool/clamp/supply/wood/etc. She also doesn't like how I take over part of the basement with sawhorses and a sheet of MDF for a makeshift work table.


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## Earlextech (Jan 13, 2011)

My wife had a tool box of her own when I met her! She supports everything I've ever wanted to do! And I support her in her ventures!


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

I've been married to my wife for 43 years and she has always been supportive on everything that I do. However, even if she wasn't supportive I'm not sure how much difference it would make. I can't imagine myself not having a shop.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

My wife asks me daily why I'm not out in the shop yet…


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## DanLyke (Feb 8, 2007)

We're a progressive Northern California couple, met in a hot tub in Tiburon, lived over a decade in Marin, lots of friends with … uh … unconventional lifestyles. So I usually refer to my partner as partner, sweety, best friend, words like that…

Except when I'm telling stories about woodworking: "...so my *wife* says 'we came for the Domino, we got that, but we're not leaving this Woodcraft without a planer too…", or when she heard me out in the garage swearing at some tool, poked her head out the kitchen door and said "huh, didn't buy the Festool version?", or when we drove out into the hinterlands near Calistoga to buy a band saw off of Craigslist late one evening; she was supportive but there were a few "why do we need this?" eyebrow raises, until the next day when we got it set up and she started cutting some cherry branches with it said "ooooh, this is nice... it's *mine* now."

I'm super supported.


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## diverlloyd (Apr 25, 2013)

My wife doesn't mind as long as she doesn't have to stay in the wood or hardware stores to long. She also likes to come out and play with the tools. My inlaws(all of them) think I'm their personal indentured servent, always getting little time consuming things made.


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## Nindwood (Oct 16, 2013)

I am truly blessed with being surrounded with support from all my family and friends. Mostly from my darling wife who has always supported my obsession with wood and woodworking. 
Peace.


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## KarenW (May 29, 2012)

Since we're partners, yes, there's a lot of support for each other. He knows my ideas are as good and as viable as his. 
My extended family has also always been supportive-if someone wants something built, carved, burned or personalized they call me. Same with friends. I get the email and the picture with a "Hey, can you do this?"

When it comes to spending money on tools, lumber, hardware or anything else that goes into the shop, we have zero problems agreeing on it. There's been one thing in 15 years that I've not agreed with and that was a planer molder. Wade admitted later that wasn't something we needed but something he wanted. As in "But I waaaaaaant it" (lol) 
We used the footprint space for a big layout table and built in routing station instead-something we use nearly every day.

And I LOL'ed at ChuckV!


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## cdaniels (Apr 16, 2014)

I have finally convinced my wife to take an interest in my work, she even tries to learn a little bit every now and then


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## UncleStumpy (Jan 26, 2012)

I thought I was going to contribute something but everything seems to have been said - except that I usually have to keep reminding everyone that it is no imposition on me to actually ASK for something.


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

An irrelevant consideration. I do it for me.


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## Woodbum (Jan 3, 2010)

My wife is very supportive of my woodworking. The woodworking grew out of experiences in the remodeling and new residential building business. It all started with the simple statement "hell, I can build that ", and she said "that sounds good". And as they say, the rest is history. Friends are impressed with items produced from my shop, and I hear "you really made that" quite often. The only down side is that for some reason, a lot of people think that hand crafted items should somehow be less expensive than production items that are made from particle board and the like. That is why, when asked about building something for a friend, or even a commissioned item from a new customer, my first question is "what is your budget?" It helps eliminate the sticker shock when they set their own budget. I have learned to say no, when the budget is not adequate enough to cover what they want produced.

My wife makes fun of me when I struggle over a new tool purchase to replace an older model. When I was thinking about replacing my 24 year old Craftsman TS, she said "well I think that you deserve a new TS, you have probably gotten your money's worth out of that old one" So I got the new 3hp cabinet saw that I wanted. She never bitches about new tools or supplies. We have a deal. She goes to her rubber stamp/paper art/scrapbook stores and conventions, and I go to the woodworking and lumber suppliers and conventions. We don't force each other to participate in each others respective hobbies; and it has worked out great for 35 years.


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Love it, Clint!


> An irrelevant consideration. I do it for me.
> 
> - Clint Searl


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## moke (Oct 19, 2010)

My wife is very supportive, of course all of the furniture has an "expiration date" written on the bottom…..

She renews many woodworking magazines for me so she can see what furniture is in them!!!!
Mike


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## cdaniels (Apr 16, 2014)

Mmmmm


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## cdaniels (Apr 16, 2014)

Whoops wrong thread lol


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## MarioF (Feb 6, 2009)

My customers and friends have always been very supportive, my daughter always my inspiration and best critic…...maybe that's why she get's all the freebies, my wife…......well, now ex wife, not supportive…..she is gone


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

ha ! been married for over 30 years and woodworking as a hobby everyday. Wife never complains.


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