Possible to keep gift project a secret?

[John Hulett]

I just saw Herb Blair's Project Gloat http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=17342, and got to wondering, is it possible to keep a project intended as a gift a secret from one's wife? How does this work among the Creekers?

[Dale Thompson]

John,
Since my wife does not monitor my shop projects continuously, I've found one thing that works. Find a reason like a birthday, anniversary, wedding, etc. to give away a certain project. Then make two. One for the wife and one for the "special" occassion. If you want to be REALLY sneaky, just make one and "pretend" that it is for the "special" occassion.

The finishing part is the toughest to hide. For the home hobbiest, the parts must be "exposed" for a considerable period of time. Try finishing the project at a friends house. If I had a friend, that is what I would do.

Dale T.

[Frank Pellow]

Margaret does not come into the shop much and usually does not pay close attention to what I am doing. Once something is finally asembled, my next move would depend on the size. Something as big as a roll top desk, I would need to finish and keep at a friend's place. Something about the size of a bedside table, I could drape a cloth over or hide it behind a pile of wood

[John Miliunas]

I had to say, "NO", because my finishing room in the shop also doubles as general house paint & painting supply storage, so LOML is going out there on a real regular basis. Plus, she comes out to the shop evey now and again to make sure I'm not lying on the floor bleeding to death or something silly like that, so even work in progress is tough to hide. Maybe if I fired up the lathe and spun her a little bowl, I could get away with it, but that's not much of a project.

[Mark Riegsecker]

No way! When we bought our property a few years ago there was a 60'x80' pole barn and a basement. The previous owner had started a house on the basement but the wind blew it down. So goes the story. Anyway their marriage soon followed and like most of those situations properties get sold. They had a 21'x24' concrete garage pad off the house laid for two very small cars. I had one of those once, I couldn't get the door down if the trailer hitch was still attached to the car. We poured another pad 30'x34' for a real garage. The LOML, Carol, said I should make the original 21'x24' my shop. Guys, this kind of thinking is why I married her. It's just off the house easy to heat, don't need an intercom and not a bad size of a shop to start. So your question about hiding? She opens the door, "Hey that's pretty!"

I really don't mind though it beats, "aha". Well that was another life long ago.

By the way, We lived in the basement and fixed it up one room at a time. I don't recommend that.!! We built our house last year and have lived happily ever after. The end.

Mark

[Karl Laustrup]

John, I voted no, but I thought you should have a "maybe" or "sometimes".

My shop doubles as a garage that our vehicles are parked in. My shop is the part of the garage opposite the overhead garage door. Can't really miss seeing things as you drive into the garage. Right? Wrong!

I got my LT-16HD in July 2004. Now they are pretty hard to hide. It kind of towers over everything else in the shop/garage. LOML just noticed it about a month ago. "What's that big thing in the garage". And yet she can notice the smallest of things amidst a sea of clutter. I don't understand. I guess I'm not supposed to understand. It just boggles my mind. Oh, and she is apparently teaching our grand-daughter the same thing, I guess, or is it just built in at the factory?

We'll see how it goes, as I'm going to make her a jewelry case soon. I'll be making two or maybe three [Pesh] as I've found there is always someone else who wants one after I've completed a project and I really hate to re-visit a project right after completing it.

Spring, I like the idea of LOYL checking up on you. Maybe she could come by and make sure that I haven't fallen down and can't get up.

[Stefan Antwarg]

I could get away with it easy. She NEVER comes down unless I ask. Now that I think of it, she doesn't check the bank account - ever! Hmmm?

Stefan

[JayStPeter]

It would be tough for me, since she comes down to get me for dinner pretty often. But, I think until the very end I could say I'm building some shop cabinets.

Jay

[Jeff Sudmeier]

YES! I made LOML's blanket chest by telling her it was for my mom. You do have to LIE, so for some people, it would not work. LOML doesn't mind a FIB if it turns out in her favor

[Mark Singer]

Yes,

Just tell her its for your mistress....

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Yes,

Just tell her its for your mistress....

Well you wouldn't have to keep it a secret anymore

[Jim Becker]

I voted "yes", but it really depends on the project and the scale of the project...

[Michael Barry]

I voted no. There is no way I could keep a project hidden from my wife, unless I only worked on it when she wasn't home and it was small enough to stash away somewhere.
Whenever I'm out in the garage/shop she'll come out to see what I'm up to. She always wants to know what the project is, what kind of wood is that? , how come I need a new tool for every d*** thing I build? , when am I gonna have enough thingamajigs? don't you have everything already? why isn't there one tool that will do everything? I just try to get her to think of my tools as being the equivalent of her shoes. She tries but there's no way. Shoes are a necessity. You can't wear a band saw, and they don't come in enough colors..

[Doug Shepard]

YES! I made LOML's blanket chest by telling her it was for my mom. You do have to LIE, so for some people, it would not work. LOML doesn't mind a FIB if it turns out in her favor

Sometimes you just gotta be sneaky. I've told similar little white lies and even solicited ideas from the intended recipient. That way it ended up being custom made to their tastes without them even knowing it was for them.

[John Hulett]

She always wants to know what the project is, what kind of wood is that? , how come I need a new tool for every d*** thing I build? , when am I gonna have enough thingamajigs? don't you have everything already? why isn't there one tool that will do everything?

Michael - it sounds like your wife and mine could be SISTERS!