# Shop Time?



## jeff (Jul 27, 2005)

How many hours per week do you spend making pens?


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## dubdrvrkev (Jul 27, 2005)

Lately its been directly related to temperature. Not too mention I've been working on [gasp] flatwork, but its to support my turning habit. So I'll have to vote for an average.


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## Dario (Jul 27, 2005)

Does this include all prep work?  I mean, I mill my own pen blanks too should that count?


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## jckossoy (Jul 27, 2005)

With my life being so hectic lately, if I get more than 5 hours a week in the shop, I'm lucky.  Plus, I may be selling my house and moving closer to my synagogue (1.35 mi down to .2 mi)[].  It will make life easier on Shabbos.  And the garage has a separate heating unit so I could have my workshop in the garage[].

Kol Tov,


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## ctEaglesc (Jul 27, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Dario_
> <br />Does this include all prep work?  I mean, I mill my own pen blanks too should that count?


Of course milling your own blanks counts!
you have a choice to buy a ready made blank and get started with drilling tubing milling.
If you mill your own wood blanks, csat your own resins whatever is needed to turn raw material into a pen should count.I even counted time trying to come up with different ideas for laminating, materials,methods techniqes.
The the physical turning of the pen on the lathe is a mechanical excercise.
Even the finishing aspect can get to be mechanical when you start doing things by instinct learned from experience.
I can be working on a pen while watching TV or standing in the shower.
Lou and I make pens on the phone all the time.


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## tinker (Jul 27, 2005)

I also spend more time on other projects. The pens are during glue ups or other down time while in the shop. I also have other activities that keep me out of the shop more than I would like. I am retired, but sometimes wonder how I ever had time to work a full time job.
I get about 20 hours in the shop during the week. With the heat and humidity I take a lot of cool off breaks.


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## mrcook4570 (Jul 28, 2005)

I am lucky - at least during the summer months.  I get as much shop time as I want, when fishing doesn't interfere anyway [].  So for now, I'm in the more than 20 category.  Once school starts back, that job thing gets in the way [].


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## cigarman (Jul 28, 2005)

I'm with you Tinker, in fact thats why I retired.  The blasted job was interfering with my hobbies[].


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## ashaw (Jul 28, 2005)

6 months ago I was in the 20+ hours a week.  Due to an illness I am just getting back into the shop.  I also scroll saw as well a turn I had to make a clock for the picnic this year so I was working on that.  Hopefully by September I will be back to make pens like I was six months ago.


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## MDWine (Jul 28, 2005)

last nite, ZERO!!!

Thunderstorms took our power from 6 to 8, no shop time at all... I could hear that persimmon calling to me, but it's too dark down there without power!


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## alamocdc (Jul 28, 2005)

I hadn't really thought about it before, but I'd guess I'm in the 10 - 20 range so that's how I answered. It seems that's all I do with my free time these days. I'm just slow. Sometimes I hate being a perfectionist.


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## Thumbs (Jul 28, 2005)

Good thing he didn't ask how many pens per week!


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## Paul in OKC (Jul 28, 2005)

Shop Time, what's that!  I am lucky to get 5 hours a month[]


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## btboone (Jul 28, 2005)

Never enough.  Although I work in my shop as a job, not enough time for fun stuff.


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## Dario (Jul 28, 2005)

One thing for sure...I spend more time here (at IAP forums) than my shop time. LOL  []


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## woodwish (Jul 28, 2005)

I probably get to spend and average of 10-20 hours per week in the shop, not bad for a full time teacher, taking courses 1 night a week, teaching another course on another night, and a big fan of high school sports where I teach.  But to be honest I probably only spend 10% of my time making pens instead of other stuff. [^]


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## Bill Collier (Jul 30, 2005)

It depends on whether I have a large pen order. I often get orders of between 25 to 100 pens. I use any other free time to cut blanks and post them for sale. In all, I spend about 25 to 30 hours a week on these activities. I would spend more but I also have a very busy full time job.


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