this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2024
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Woodworking

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A handmade home for woodworkers and admirers of woodworkers. Our community icon is a planter box made by @Captain Aggravated, the winner of our summer '24 woodworking contest. Congratulations!

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[โ€“] [email protected] 25 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

As someone who used to sell handmade wood products in the past: Don't do it unless you know what you are getting yourself into. It takes the fun out of making. You need to work within a budget and with time constraints and any flaw or mistake means lost time and lost money.

It started as a hobby for me, then people around me asked to make them some things, which I did. Then it snowballed into people who had heared from a friend of a friend kind of thing. At first I liked the attention/praise and was honored people liked it enough to have me make it for them. I also liked the idea of making and instead of it costing a lot of money it would be cost neutral or even make a few bucks. Then as time went on I started to hate it, gave me a lot of stress and I gave up on making for a couple of years.

Only recently I once again made a piece and fell in love with it again, it's an eyecatcher in my office and I love it. Everyone who sees it comments on it. Some people have asked for me to make something after seeing it, but I've said no. Only said yes to my best friend who asked without any deadline and only to pay for the materials and not the hours, so it wouldn't be a job, just a shared project kind of thing.

But if it works for you, more power to you, good luck!

[โ€“] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago

I've lost two very serious hobbies this way. If you love something, don't turn it into work. I actually just recently got back into one after >10 years away.