# Woodworker Demographics



## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

Well I posted this in the wrong section earlier so here it goes again.

Not to long ago I saw where someone said woodworkers were a dying breed. I think woodworkers are a shrinking breed but never a dying breed. I can't really call myself a woodworker yet since I haven't made anything good yet but I plan on it.

Anyway I want to know who you are such as age, sex, education level, anything that you think might identify yourself with and why/who got you started in woodworking.

Me, age 36, single male, bachelors and masters degree, and I got into woodworking for a couple reasons namely I like to make things and my late father really liked it and I have started to want to make stuff from wood like he did. I also want to be self reliant in case of a drastic shift/breakdown in society ever occurs.


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## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

I'm not shrinking, thanks to my wife's good cooking.

Age: 55
Sex: no! married (male)
Secondary education + "Paper trainied" carpenter by trade
Built wooden and metal graineries, garages, etc. with my Dad and little brother beginning at age 14 (we HAD to help).
They didn't have shop class in my small town school
Never in my life thought I would be a carpenter.
Married a carpenter/farmer's daughter, here I am.
Have a small shop in the loft of our barn.
Manage staff for construction company, manager of landscape division, HR, etc.
Raise horses… too much info?


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## docholladay (Jan 9, 2010)

Age: 45 tomorrow
Sex: Whenever possible - Married
Education: Bachelors Degree and some post graduat work.
Ocupation: Corp Sales Rep for Sprint (I sell cell phones)
I took shop class in 8th grade where I learned the basics of many different handy skills but not a lot of woodworking.
As a kid, the guy that lived next to my Grandmother had a wood shop. I used to hang out in there and he would give me scraps to "create" with.
My father did a little bit of woodworking.
Then, I came into possession of a couple of old Stanley planes that belonged to my great uncle who had been a carpenter and cabinet maker back in the day. That kind of sealed the deal of getting me hooked on woodworking.
My shop is a 12×24 1 car garage.
I make lots of sawdust and firewood and on occasion, I actually complete a project worth posting.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

If you really want to be self-reliant when it falls apart, buy land to grow your food, and a gun and lots of ammo. Also, buy the US Army survival manual, now, and study and follow it. If it gets that bad, lead will be the precious metal. I hope it never gets that bad, though. I likes my creature comforts.

Anyway, I'm male, 57, married for 29+ years. BSc in physics, with some post-grad work in physics and electrical engineering. I work as a mechanical engineer for a company that makes communications equipment. I worked construction for a few years in the early '90s and have built code-approved additions to my own homes. Somewhere between 1970 (graduated from high school, served 4 years in the US Navy) and graduating from college (1984), I got 10 years under my belt as a mechanic- everything from bicycles to semi tractors.

I took 4 years of wood shop and 3-1/2 years of machine shop on top of my college prep classes in high school. This involved a lot of summer school in a small town with a blue-ribbon school district. They were big enough to have it all. Very nice. In addition to my woodworking tools, I have a metal lathe and access to a milling machine.

If any of the British contingent would like to weigh in, I understand that woodcarving is a gentleman's past time there. Any truth to that? Or was my friend feeding me a line?


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

I'm 58 and retired from a professional career as an actuary. My designation as a fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) is considered by most, who are familiar with the designation, to be equivalent to a PhD.

I'm married (39 years) with 2 adult children.

I began my life as the son of a struggling farmer and his wife and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities that have come my way. I'm financially self-sufficient and I view woodworking as something I do to "give something back". Well over 50% of the woodworking that I do is for a charitable purpose and I enjoy it immensely.


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## russ960 (Dec 22, 2009)

I'm 37, Married (7 Years this month) with 1 child. I got into wood working out of a desire to build something. My wife requested a bed for my son which I'm still building but near completion. The bed was way large and maybe a little out of my league but I'm doing it.


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## Moyer (Jul 25, 2010)

I'm 30 yo married male who is the loving son of a jack of all trades craftsmen. I'm the loving husband to generously patient wife. I'm the tinker "da-da" to a beautiful 9 month old. The rest of the time I'm an air traffic controller at potomac tracon. Our facility handles the operations of every airport in the washington Dc. area including Dulles, Regan National, BWI, Adrews AFB, Richmond Int.

I just started into to wood working and I'm very excited about it. I finished two projects so far and have a few in the works. Until then, I'm thank for to have a site like this to inspire and guide me in something that is refreshingly slow paced and relaxing.


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## Uamsclay (Jul 20, 2010)

29 year old nuclear pharmacist, son of an agri teacher. Married with a 5 month old son. Helped make a crib for him and since then have added more cheap tool crap to my garage than you can think of. Built a workbench to work on, but then filled it up with drill press and bandsaw, so now I don't have anywhere to work again…...starting with wooden tethers, toys, and bandsaw boxes.


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## TJ65 (Jan 19, 2010)

It looks so far as the age thing has quite a range, so even by the looks of this so far, it certainly isn't a dying art. 
I am


> ?


- (do I really have to say) oh, Ok - 45
Married 20 years, have one daughter
Self employed and working part time in Aged care- time to spend in the workshop!!! *YAY*
Started woodworking early- dad was a carpenter, I helped!!! him sometimes. Made some interesting things at school and when my daughter was little picked it back up a little. Now I have more time on my hands I am really into it. Make nothing substantial like furniture, more interested in the small stuff.


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## Eagle1 (Jan 4, 2010)

I turned 51 last month. Married to a wonderful woman. We have 4 kids between us, none togther. I did a few things in highschool shop. I didn't get back into it till I had to medically retire. I got tired of setting infront of my computer all day. I love working with my hands, and the smell of the saw dust. It really helps me get through the day, do to all of my health issues.


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## Eric_S (Aug 26, 2009)

28 and married for almost 2 years. Born and raised in Maryland, went to Indiana University for college, met my wife there, and have been here ever since (10 years). I have a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree. No kids yet, but I don't think those are too far off, for now though our kid is just a 4 year old Chow Chow/Black lab mutt named Ninja. I've always been a crafty guy and took woodshop in highschool but I only really got into woodworking a year ago and I don't think I'll ever get bored of it.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

I'm 60 going on 80  and my first memory of working with tools was in the house I spent my early childhood in. There was a small basement and there was an old work table and a few simple carpentry tools and when I was around 10 I made some things like box traps for squirrels and rabbits and sling shots etc. - maybe even a soapbox derby car. In my early teens I had a close friend whose father owned a lumber yard and my friend usually had to go to work on Saturdays and I was allowed to tag along. His father was a mechanical engineer and had run the machinery with a steam engine which was still there but it had been replaced by large diesel engines. He had a small work shop at the lumber mill with a table saw, band saw, drill press, a jointer, and radial arm saw. He also had a small maintenance shop and a little blacksmith shop. I loved that place and loved to go there and help. It made a lasting impression on me in so many ways. My friend also worked on cars and hotrods so I helped him with that. Shortly thereafter my mother started an antique shop and I had a very small shop upstairs above the shop where I would do a little refinishing and small repairs. In my late teens my father started a table factory with some other men and I worked in it and learned a lot. I was married when I was 21 and during the first year of marriage I bought $1000 worth of tools from Woodcraft. I still have those original tools along with many others. Then I went to UGA for 2-1/2 years and transferred to GA Tech and went there for 2-1/2 years, dropped out after our 2nd child was born, and went to machinist school for 6 months and dropped out of that and have been working in furniture plants ever since. I'm now in business with my brother in an architectural moulding plant where we have five Weinig molders to keep running. I have mostly been in the engineering and maintenance end of the business and I have always done hobby woodworking on the side.


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## TulsaWoodSmith (Mar 17, 2009)

I'm 53. I've been married occasionally, but finally got it right! Been married 3 years to Cynthia, and it is like a great date that never ends. I have a couple of undergraduate degrees in business and an engineering degree
post graduate. I owned a small oil company in Texas for almost 20 years. I sold it and did not do much that would be considered productive for a few years. I started Tulsawoodsmith last year and have been quite busy designing and building custom furniture and cabinets. I started woodworking almost 30 years ago as a vent for creativity and as a way to just relax in the evenings.

I still learn something about it everyday.

Michael Smith


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## ClayandNancy (Feb 22, 2010)

I'm 57, lost my dad when I was 5, so I had to learn most fatherly things on my own. Chrysler Master Technician for 36 years until the government got involve, now I play in the workshop and volunteer time at my church maintaining the building. Married 27 years to a saint, (Has to be to put up with me). Love to make anything out of wood and give away to someone. But life at our place ceases when my 3 year old grand daughter comes to visit, Lily what a trip. And I love checking out LJs.


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## Pdub (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm will be 44 this Sunday. Married to my wonderful wife Jacquie for 22yrs. and have two kids. I spent 22 years in the Air Force before retiring to work Civil Service at the same Base. I have a High school education and Technical school thru the AF.

I'm a self taught woodworker. Got into it, because my wife saw something she wanted and I said " I can build that with the right tools". That was 20 years ago and my poor wife still doesn't have it, but I have the right tools now! I'm still learning and trying new things in hopes that one day I'll be as talented as So many of the LJ's on here.


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

I am 61, divorced, with two children. My daughter is 23 and my son is 27.

I am a program manager for a very large communications company, overseeing project managers putting in light fiber networks for large clients natiionwide. I am still single but have had a great and very supportive girl friend for several years now.

I always have loved to build things, and did take carpentry/cabinet making classes for a year after graduating from high school. My degree however is in electronics. I also love amateur radio, antique collecting, gardening, and guns/hunting.

Once the divorce occured years ago, I had the entire house to myself so I started to build the shop and have been after it ever since. One of my Grandfathers was a cabinet maker from Denmark. I also had a Great Grandfather that was a cabinet maker from Germany.


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## Wolffarmer (Jul 14, 2009)

Will be 60 next month
Sex. I am a guy
Single
Have BS in Agriculture
Grew up on a south Idaho farm and operated my own for a few years. As a family farm we fixed and built much of our stuff. Seemed like i was born with a wrench in my hand and my butt in a tractor seat. Was running a small crawler by the time i was 12. I recently spent 8 years in a computer warranty call center. Only had one major mental issue there. Now doing various small jobs trying to keep working until I am 70 ish. Took wood shop in High school and just started back in wood working in 2007. Love hand planning wood. As long as i don't have to do it for pay.

Randy


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

I am 26, be 27 next month I am single and still living at home. I have a AAT degree in building construction techology, no one seem to be willing to hire. So right now I am unempoly. I got off into woodworking and construction because my dad works at lumber yard and he always use to begin scraps of lumber by house and I would always try to build something. My first project was a Vegetable Bin for mom, I built it with a Skil Saw and few hand tools. I been building every since then.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

My data,

Age 41
Gender. Male
Relationship status. Married, divorced, then remarried to the best wife ever.
Education. 2 Associates degrees, and a filing cabinet full of professional certifications in 2 different career fields. Auto repair, and I.T. (yeah, I started one career and decided I didn't like sweating that much…).
I got into woodworking in Jr. High wood shop decades ago, and was able to indulge as much as I could afford materials since the tools were readily there in school. Out of high school, I got married too young, and had an ex that hated it when I spent any money on my hobbies. I put off woodworking beyond what I could do with basic carpentry tools (house fix it stuff, circ saw, hammer etc…) for about 16 years. I got back in to woodworking as that relationship changed, and I moved up my career ladder. Finances got better, and nobody was there constantly telling me no. After marrying the good wife, she encouraged me to actually dive in and enjoy, just make sure projects that came out were stuff she would like… I think there was an ulterior motive there, who knows?

I somewhat suspect my interest in woodworking might be genetic… My father was a woodworker, as was my grandfather, and great grandfather. My family line comes from groups of people well known for their skill and care in woodworking, as well as other DIY endeavors. And I hate to put it this way, but I think I was raised with a slightly sexist point of view, being a man I was raised to despise cheap, poorly made things in the home, and that I should be able to fix, or build whatever I needed. But then again, come to think of it, no girls in the family, and us boys were taught to cook, do our own laundry, whatever… I guess Mom & Dad were prepping us for Armageddon, bachelorhood, or carrying our own weight in a marriage, who knows?

For the most part, many of my DIY endeavors are simply house chores, where I find working in the shop, and working with wood to be far more than that. It is a great de-stressor.


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## bayspt (Apr 4, 2008)

Age: 29
Sex" Male
Education level:High school grad some college
Profession: Field Service Technician for a bakery goods packaging equipment manufacture (I travel all over the world working on machines)


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## NathanAllen (Oct 16, 2009)

Age 35
Sex: Male
Edcation Level: Bachelors Degree
Profession: Project Manager in the Event Planning Industry

From a hobbyist viewpoint; most people will have had some interaction with woodworking in the past, either a family member or a shop class. The largest factor in re-finding the hobby will be purchase of a House/Townhome which finally gives you the dirty space needed to build a shop. Generally younger woodworkers either live at home or have access to a shop at their parents'/grandparents' house.

This is in my opinion why most "new" woodworkrs are in their late twenties to mid-thirtes, hard to have a shop in an apartment or condo.


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## FordMike (Nov 23, 2008)

49 Married 32 years (she up for sainthood) Male 2years College no degree, 20 experience logging and forestry certified Arborist for 10years, a fascination with unusual grain, tiger curl, streaking, chatoyance, collected burl all my life finally found an outlet for it in woodturning. My father was a master of creating the yard art that everybody loves but won't admit to liking. Currently utilizing urban trees that would otherwise be ground for mulch and compost.


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## makedust (May 31, 2010)

Age: 65
Sex: Male
Education: High School and Post HS Tech School
Profession: Department Head of Diesel Engine Training in a Post Secondary School
Recently retired.

When I was a young boy there was a man who lived across the street from me. He was a carpenter by trade and had a wonderful workshop in his garage/shed. I used to love to spend time with him when he allowed me to and he taught me a lot about word working. I since have been an avid woodworker for about 40 years now. I absolutely love to spend time in my workshop, and of course, buying new woodworking tools.

I think LJ is the greatest site on the internet and still learn new ideas and tricks all the time…Thank you all.


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## boyd8 (Aug 23, 2009)

57 years young, mostly retired. I almost became a carpenter when i was young but my dad got me into the teamsters when the pipeline began. I love working with my hands and making stuff. even when i was cooking it was all about technical expertise and great products. my last job was a great economic boost so i spent the last four years accumulating wood working tools and now the time has come!


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## wstokes (Mar 20, 2009)

30, male, BS in Computer Science, MS in Computer Graphics, software developer for a tiny biotech startup by day, sawdust generator by night/weekend. Wish I could have taken a shop class in school but they got rid of those before I came along. Last year of grad school I learned of Tom Cook's Wood course at Cornell and took it, built a bed, and have been having fun making stuff with wood ever since. It's really sad how these shop/wood classes are being taken away left and right. The one I took is gone now too. :-(


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

30
male
married
BS in Business Management 
Director of Demolition Services
Bypassed wood shop in high school to take Auto repair class. The first thing i built was a lofted bunk bed for my college apartment. I have been inspired by my late grandfather who was a diesel and heavy machinery mechanic but always had the knack to rig something up when what he needed wasnt around. He created a 14' long table when the family Xmas eve party overfilled the table he had, we still use it to this day. I have always enjoyed working with my hands and love all things old and mechanical. Ohh and repairing cars was too frustrating so i chose wood instead.


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## darinS (Jul 20, 2010)

Let's see….
Age:42
Sex: Like others, as often as I can get it (married male)
Education: BS in Civil Engineering

I've always liked building things just to see if I can. Started with one of my cousins hammering boards together or welding something. What really brought the woodworking forward was the purchase of a house built in 1942. Let's just call it a "handyman's special". Figured out that a lot of the things the project manager wanted or needed could be built at a lower cost than buying it or having someone else do it for me. This is also how I got a few of my tools…."Honey, I would love to make that for you, but I need a (fill in the blank) to do it. I priced them out and it is only $ (Fill in the blank)." Usually she fell for it, some she changed my mind for me, and rarely said "No". (I vote for her for sainthood at this point). Recently moved and haven't been able to get the shop set up to build anything yet, hence the reason for no pics. Hopefullly that will change soon.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Male
51
Married 30 years to my high school sweetheart, two children
BA in Drama and Communications with minors in Political Science and Sociology
Work in facilities management at a private university

My dad was always the handyman type, so I grew up around tools. I always handled the usual around-the-house type projects like building basic shelves, but I didn't really get into woodworking until January of 2005 when I bought a cheap Ryobi table saw on a whim while walking through Home Depot one day. As soon as I got a taste of ripping lumber to width and all the possibilities that opened up, I was hooked.


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