Does Your Significant Other Like Woodworking

[Rich Riddle]

Do you have a significant other who enjoys woodworking? Mine has started to ask lots of questions about it, and well it scares me. Shop time is a sacred time and happens in a masculine place.....

[Moses Yoder]

My wife knows enough about it to understand the process, which is a good thing. She would never be interested in building something so long as she can get me to do it for her. Having someone alongside would not be all bad, it would lead to a better understanding of each other. One thing I am learning is that I have zero control over my wife; the only control I have is over myself. I have taught my wife to look for rust and she is the one that found an A45 for me, the aluminum version of the #45 combination plane. She has actually found numerous tools for me, and is on the lookout for the #1 plane.

[Shawn Pixley]

My wife doesn't do much woodworking (mostly turning). She is interested though. She silversmiths / goldsmiths and other atristic pursuits. She doesn't mind my tools nor me, hers. We actually enjoy working on things together. We have restored / renovated a couple of houses together with her an equal partner in the labor. When we return from this trip, we will do a knife making class together. The class is focused on the scales.

So, in short, I am not bothered in the least about these things.

[Lee Schierer]

My wife has no interest in becoming a woodworker. She does however enjoy coming up with ideas for things for me to build for her. She loves having things made out of wood. That's okay because I have no interest in learning how to knit, crochet or do needlepoint.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Probably the only reason she'd have anything to do with me.

[Jerry Thompson]

My wife can do about anything. She re-built a carburetor on our Land Cruiser years ago. She wanted a book shelf and made it. She sewed our daughter's wedding dress and made most of out kids clothes. She reads plans/drawings with the best of 'em.
Now this is no foolin' you know wood workers do not lie. Once I bought 100 pounds of steel wool and she knitted us a stove.

[Bert Kemp]

Sounds like she better then a 3D printer

My wife can do about anything. She re-built a carburetor on our Land Cruiser years ago. She wanted a book shelf and made it. She sewed our daughter's wedding dress and made most of out kids clothes. She reads plans/drawings with the best of 'em.
Now this is no foolin' you know wood workers do not lie. Once I bought 100 pounds of steel wool and she knitted us a stove.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Does Your Significant Other Like Woodworking

Nope...
I give her credit for trying a lot of things, but, she shows little to no interest in using most of the power tools.
Once in a while she'll use the CMS, but, not often.

Honestly?

I'm glad she doesn't - from a safety standpoint. I don't think she fully comprehends how fast things can go from bad to worse once the ball is in motion.

[David Weaver]

No, she doesn't like it at all. It "makes dirt".

My daughter LOVES it, though (but she's only 5). She will be in the shop with me every second she gets a chance. I don't give her much other than scrap and some rasps and sandpaper, but she can really make that last in terms of fun.

(everyones' wives are different, but I wouldn't want mine in the shop, and she wouldn't want to be there).

[Dave Anderson NH]

My wife has no interest in wood or woodworking other than there being firewood for the wood stove and enough lumber for me to build what she wants. This year it was a new deck, a new patio, and some fence. On the other hand she can read mechanical drawings, operate a CNC milling machine, do mechanical part inspection, and other supposedly guy stuff. Many years ago when we were poor she replaced the pump in our washing machine after buying the correct parts. She's been around specialty manufacturing and machine shops all her life and when she comes down to the shop she makes sure I'm not performing any operation on a machine before she makes her presence know. She fully understands what can happen when you startle someone operating a power tool. Her mechanic skills are actually a good bit better than mine.

[Rick Potter]

My wife has designed all the cabinetry in two houses, and knows what tools I have. She has no interest in becoming a woodworker, but once when I was at work, she went in the shop and made a couple of basic drawers for a closet organizer. They are still in service after 15 years.

As mentioned above, she knows what tools I have, and I never try to hide them or buy secretly. Her standard answer if I ask about buying something is...."If you want it, and can afford it, get it.". Smart woman, she knows neither of us would spend money we don't have.

[Larry Edgerton]

My wife and I just moved in to a new replica of a one room school with every piece hand crafted in my shop, so ya, she loves it. I don't really want her to learn as she is the type that would get hurt, but she does relieve me of some sanding and painting chores from time to time. She never complains about the sawdust that I always carry in with me because she knows that is what pays for what we have. Love her to no end.....

Larry

[Jim Koepke]

My wife is stubborn about her wood working. She doesn't want anyone nearby watching. She wants to use all power tools. She is terrible about putting tools back in their proper place. She has a difficult time doing anything if I am in the shop. She also has a difficult time working on her own. She doesn't want any help when she is having difficulties.

So yes, she likes to do woodworking, but we would have to build a separate shop for her, besides there aren't many power tools in my shop.

jtk

[Steve Peterson]

My wife has no interest in woodworking. This is fine with me since I would worry too much about her safety.

The best part is that she lets me do anything I want in the shop. It is where I go to get away after a long day at work.

Steve

[Don Orr]

My wife is a gem-and I mean that seriously. She is interested in what I do in my shop, just not interested in doing it herself. We took a beginning woodworking class together because she though she wanted to be able to use my machines. She did great in the class but is not really interested in using the machines on her own. I will happily do anything she asks for her. She is very generous about my shop time and tries not to interfere. I did have to teach her to wait til I stopped with a machine before getting my attention-she scared the bejeebers out of me a few times coming into the shop with my back to her. The other thing she does is any time I show any interest in a tool or wood she offers to get it for me. Crazy, huh? I usually decline as she also never says anything about what I buy for myself. We are not rich but do OK.

Now to clairfy, my wife is a potter and has a COMPLETE pottery studio in the basement-and I mean COMPLETE. Most potters drool when they see what she has. She also does a lot of sewing like quilts and handbags and has a COMPLETE sewing room that includes several machines, 2 of which are computer based embroidery machines-each of which cost more the all of my machines put together. After I had my very basic shop built, she had a COMPLETE addition put on the house that includes a full basement. I call it construction envy. She doesn't really do anything half way. She is really an extraordinary woman and I don't know how I am so lucky to have ended up with her.

By the way, we have no children or pets, just each other. Life is good! (Except for not having kids)