Shop time in retirement

[Russell Sansom]

I retired 2.5 years ago from a fantastic job. Unfortunately, I had to take over my terminally ill father-in-law's business and the stress took away most of those couple years. As a reward during that time, I built up my tool set, brought in a small vertical mill and a lathe, and cleared the decks out in the shop. Late nights I stalked Craig's List for lumber and upgraded my 35 year-old lumber stash.
Finally, the business was restored and at Thanksgiving I set to work on several projects. It's the happiest I've been in recent memory.

Retirement has let me work in very focused bursts of a month or more, often from dawn to dinner. For me, the combinatorial puzzles of woodworking are much more enjoyable if they are uninterrupted. Having full days lets me adjust intelligently to arthritis, aging memory, diminished endurance, and faded lessons in safety. I anticipate being able to gradually keep up the match between my withering powers and what I want to accomplish as a craftsman and an artist.

A bit of a dark answer, perhaps. But I have found retirement very complex emotionally and I'm still stumbling around trying to figure how I fit in.

[David Larsen]

I am not retired yet. Just trying to look into that crystal ball to see if I am heading in the right direction. My shop is full of tools and I want to be ready when I get there.

I would hate to spend my time getting ready to find out that the grass on the other side is brown! lol

[Bruce Page]

In my mind the sweetest thing about retirement is being able to do what you want, when you want. I have spent more time in the shop but I have also been spending a lot more time doing yard work and catch up maintenance around the house.

The clock say’s it all:

[Jim Finn]

I retired from construction 11 years ago. I was working 32 hours a week the last 6 years I worked. I now play in my workshop about 5 hours a day 7 days a week. (life IS good)....hey! I am working/playing more hours now, than when I worked.

[Roy Turbett]

I built my shop before I retired 13 years ago. When I first retired I didn't use the shop as much as I thought I would because I had other projects like a cabin up north. That changed two years ago when I extended an open invitation to some friends at church to stop by once or twice a week for a little fellowship and woodworking we call "Shop Talk". I have anywhere from two to thirteen people show up for three hour sessions on Friday and Saturday mornings. My shop is 1200 SF and I have three lathes so there is enough room for everyone. I help my guests with their projects and save my woodworking for the other five days of the week. I really enjoy the company and it provides me with the social interaction that I used to get at my job before I retired. I also get alot of father and son teams that drop in as well as some home schoolers. And every other Wednesday night a group from my woodturning club take turns hosting each other for some woodturning and to share ideas. I'm having so much fun in the shop I've put the cabin up for sale.

[Bruce Page]

Wow Roy, that really sounds.....perfect!

[Carl Beckett]

Its not longevity of life that matters, its quality of life (at least thats my philosophy). So you dont want to always be 'waiting' to 'live', but enjoy your life as it is now (which doesnt mean you shouldnt prepare for a comfortable future).

Or as I once saw on a bar in Scotland:

If you give up cigarettes, whiskey, and women you dont live any longer......... it just seems longer.

[Richard Wagner]

I have been retired (completely retired) for nearly ten years. Except while in recuperation mode after knee surgery, I have spent about 6-7 hours a day in the shop on week days. Even before retirement, I spent a good part of the week ends in the shop. I don't build a lot but I spend my time doing whatever tickles my fancy in the shop. These are truly the "golden years".

We have even considered selling the camper because we don't use it all that much - just not as fun as it once was. No argument from me, I'd just as soon hang out in the shop.

[Don Selke]

Retired 15 years ago after 32 years as a firefighter. I spend as much time in the shop as I can but have to shut down the three car garage shop for four months due to the heat here in AZ. Make room for the car as it is no fun getting into a car that has been sitting in the sun in 115+ degrees during the day. OK, I know it is a dry heat! I tried to apply some finish to complete a project when it was 110 outside and the finish was drying before it hit the material being sprayed. Work all fall,winter and spring with the garage doors open. At 72 years young, I still get a high off woodworking.

[John TenEyck]

When I was younger I often wistfully wished that when I got into my mid-fifties that my company would fall on some hard times and offer me a buyout. Guess what? It happened. Trouble was I was having the most fun of my
32 year career right about then. But the offer was just too good to pass up so
I took it. The first year was a blur of emotions. Every day was like a
vacation and my wife and I traveled a lot. I missed work, too, especially a few
of my coworkers and the problem solving that we did together. Fortunately, I
got a couple of woodworking commissions right as I retired and that gave me some
much needed focus and outlet for my energies, and I spent a lot of time in the
shop for 3 or 4 weeks at a time. Turns out I really like getting paid - and
selling furniture and doing trim work provides a small income - at least enough
to buy whatever tool I want without having to justify it. Three years into
retirement now I've stopped missing my former coworkers for the most part, although I
still stop in occassionally to have a cup of coffee and see what they're up to,
but going back full time sounds too much like work to even contemplate.
My parents are starting to slip now and that has highlighted how many
potential good years I have left. I'm looking at the bucket list with a very
focused eye towards the ones I need to do real soon or it won't happen.
Woodworking will remain a good part of the list, but there are a couple of other
things that I've got to find time for soon or make peace with myself for not
doing.

[Ole Anderson]

I retired last September. Didn't really get into the shop until after Christmas. But then I had time to really clean it up, install a dust collection system, and start on my first substantial WW project in a while.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...stem&highlight

My shop time is usually seasonal, we live on a lake and yard projects and boat time as well as trips "up north" really put WW on the backburner for a while. But being retired, I am hoping to actually get into the shop this summer. Going to FL for 3 weeks in the fall and 6-8 weeks in the spring really cut into available free time as well as garage time working on my Jeep and friends and my boys cars. Oh, and both of my boys found themselves on their own in fixer-upper houses so I spend a good amount of my free time there, painting and whatever. But I am loving it! Don't know how I got everything done before. At least I am on my own schedule now.

[Forrest Bonner]

David, I agree with Myk about what to do in retirement. I was an engineer for forty years with the last many behind a computer or on an airplane. I had my heart attack while still working but was not particularly interested in exercise. I retired 6 years ago and suddenly exercise to extend my life and make working in the shop easier became important. I recommend joining a gym or the senior center (if they have equipment). I now go to Gold's Gym ($29 a month with AARP and in walking distance) 5 mornings a week for strength training and cardio. I feel much better even though it does cut into shop time what with house repair and lawn work. Heck, at 71 I can even manhandle 4x8 plywood up onto my TS - couldn't use to do that!
Forrest

[Dan Barber1]

I retired 2004 and have had some time in the shop but demands on my time do not let me get here as much as I would like. I live on a small farm and chores like grass and bush cutting, hours and hours of weed eating in the summer, having a garden and excursions to the nearest town-city for doctor visits and the wife's shopping excursions keep me occupied. Also, my mother is 95 and as an only child I have things to do at her house most days. Combine all that with the southern heat we are just now getting into and my preference for the air conditioning in the house (not the shop unfortunately) limits my shop time. Having said all that I'm now in the process of enlarging the shop by about 50%, doing a good bit of the work myself, which I hope indicates I will be there a lot more in the future. At 67 I wondered at the prudence of this but decided I would raher expect to be here and healthy for a good amount of time yet than to sit around expecting to die soon with nothing to do. I guess I think the increased shop time and the satisfaction it brings will help with the longevity issue. Within the next year or so I hope to really challenge my skills with a Maloof rocker. We'll see. Before that though my wife needs a cabinet for the utility room and I want to build a nice fancy cupola for the shop, as part of the remodeling and expansion. I think you can tell from this that, for me, woodworking and retirement are pretty nice bedfellows.

[Chris Cohick]

I am bringing back a dinosaur thread. Since joining the Creek, I have been doing more reading than posting, systematically going back in time to learn what I can. This thread in particular jumped out at me. I am 51 currently, and expect to never be able to afford to retire. However, reality is going to force the issue at some point. It is interesting to me to read about what some others have done in their retirement related to woodworking. There is some good advice in here.

[julian abram]

Chris this is a good thread, a lot of sage advice, glad you pulled it up again. I'm 61, thinking about what these members have said about retirement. I think about retirement but with a couple young daughters still at home not sure when and if it will happen for me. That being said, I started building a 16'x20' addition on to my shop this summer. I'm not sure I will live long enough to enjoy it during retirement but decided there is no reason I can't enjoy the extra space now.