The Woodworking Bucket List

One of the things that I enjoy most about working in the woodworking industry is the opportunity to meet and talk with woodworkers from all over the  world.  Woodworkers have a passion for what they do that is different than any other industry that I have worked in.  Woodworking is more than a hobby, it's more than job or an occupation, it's a combination of passion, art, architecture, design, craft and self expression that has been with us from the beginning of history.  Recently I spoke with one of our customers who stated that the reason he was purchasing a Legacy CNC was because he figured he had about ten good productive years ahead of him and he wanted to get the most out of that time.  As I thought about what he said, I began to make a mental bucket list.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that woodworking played a major role in what I wanted to experience and accomplish in my life.  I decided to create a woodworking bucket list and here is what I came up with.

Build an heirloom quality crib for my grandchildren:  The list of toys, rocking horses, blanket chest and projects that I would like to build for my grandchildren goes on and on but something about a crib is special.  I remember when my first grandson was just a few  months old and I held him in my arms as he slept.  That's a feeling that is hard to forget or replace.  An heirloom quality crib is a part of me that my children can pass onto their children and my grandchildren can pass onto their children after I'm long gone.

Remodel my home:  I don't mean move a door way and paint the walls.  I'm talking about custom moldings, trim, architectural columns, built in cabinets, kitchen cabinets, kitchen island, architectural columns, staircase, fireplace mantels, and built in book case with a hidden TV compartment.  My office will feature floor to ceiling wainscot, coffered ceilings, built in book cases and a desk that looks like it belongs in the while house.  The entry way will give way to the staircase that features a carved newel post and custom spindles.  When I walk in the front door I will stand in awe and ask "Wow!  Did I really do this?"  Every room will offer a tremendous sense of satisfaction and pride.  I can do it myself for a fraction of the cost of hiring a contractor and add tremendous value to my home.  It will be a place when my wife and I will grow old together, where children and grandchildren will meet and where memories are made.

Start a family business:  I love to work with my children and would like to help them create extra income.  Possibilities include the following:

• Building custom fireplace mantels and surrounds that anyone can order online.  They simply measure the opening for the fireplace and choose from a selection of designs that include beautiful moldings, carvings and turned columns.  The components are shipped directly to the customer who can install them or hire a contractor to do the work.

• Create a line of walking canes, candle stick holders, pepper grinders, Christmas tree ornaments, wooden pen and pencil sets, and any number of custom products.  These products could be sold through a store on EBay or through local businesses.

• Build custom mailboxes that feature hanging carved address or name signs.  It would be easy enough to use the same basic design to make beautiful real estate signs that you could rent out or place for real estate agents that deal with large custom homes or commercial real estate.

• Custom long boards.  They were called skate boards when I was a kid but now their larger, faster and very cool.  I could offer a line of long boards where the customer could choose the design that would be carved into the surface.  They could be personalized with their names or favorite rock band machined into the board. 

The small business possibilities are endless, and the potential is unlimited.

Teach:  I love to teach the things that I enjoy.  What could be better than teaching people about woodworking.  I would like to start a school that teaches CNC.  Students of all woodworking levels and interest could learn how to maximize their experience and raise the level of the projects higher than they ever dreamed possible.  CNC is the ultimate equalizer.  I could spend the rest of my life learning how to turn with a lathe or I could use CNC to turn a spindle and carve intricate designs that I would never be able to do by hand.  CNC is the ultimate tool, if you only have one, make it a CNC and your only limitation will be your imagination.  I could easily start small, teaching classes in my home shop.  I could teach woodworking basics or offer a library of projects complete with plans and hands-on instruction.  I could offer classes on using the software or programming in G Code.  The possibilities are endless and would be a great way to create an additional income.

I could easily add more items to my woodworking bucket list but this list will probably keep me busy for a long time to come.  Fortunately, my Legacy 5-axis CNC allows me to dream.  Between the traditional 3-axis milling capabilities and the 5-axis turning capabilities, my Legacy 5-Axis CNC allows me to pursue everything on my list.  It is an investment in my quality of life, dreams and my woodworking bucket list.

Do you have a woodworking bucket list?  Please share it by posting a comment (click on "Post a Comment" at the bottom of this article.)  Legacy would like to post your ideas and dreams to share with others.  It will also help us plan the types of projects and training that we offer.

Tracy Anderson
Legacy Woodworking Machinery



Comments

[Richard Bennett]

Tracy:

I too have alot of unfinished desires. Many of these include woodworking. I have a small but adequate shop in my two car garage. I would love to have a CNC lathe but with two still at home and the oldest going to college next year, I have to practice delayed gratification. My current lathe is digital but still requires me to hold the tools and come up with the ideas. I make pens and will one day make segmented vessels. I work full time and also go to school full time. I dont recommend this for anyone at 47+ years old. It leaves little time to do more than dream... So hear goes...

My ideal shop would have a private area for my prefered layout but would also have 6-8 teaching stations. I would duplicate the tools in each station unless they were large enough they could be shared. I would like to have well known teachers come thru and help others realize their dreams. I would also like the shop to have a retail area for customers to buy the students work and introduce woodworking to others. Lastly I would like a small kitchen for guest meals. I really want to attend the classes at my woodshop and have the time to learn from so much talent still living. My hope one day is to build Windsor chairs. My old fear is that my wife will want me to build them for sale.

I would also like to have a submersable underwater home. Something in 30-40 feet of clear warm ocean water where the sun is visible during the day and the night life can be watched thru the large clear windows. My family and I could travel to the surface as needed in a personal submarine. We could even attempt to grow food on the ocean floor. Sound too much like 20,000 leagues under the sea? It doesnt sound like a place for a wood shop, the moisture and electricity would be a real challenge!

I would like to serve the needy in a 3rd world country for a time. I have much more than I need and have been on enough mission trips to know that I can give more and want less. This sounds hypacritical in regards to the dreams above, but hey... Cant I do some of both?

I want to see my children grow up to be faithful to what GOD has called them to be. What a joy to know you are uniquely talented and specifically called to work in a particular field. I want to see the years of family time poured into their children and hear the word "Grandpa!" when little feet come running towards me. It would be a real treasure to spend some time in my childrens wood shop with my grandchildren!

I want to travel and age gracefully with my wonderful bride. We grow ever closer each day and have truly begun to understand after 23 years, why, when some one dies, its so hard to live with out your mate.

Lastly, I want to stand in the presence of my maker and hear "Well done, good and faithful servant, I have been waiting for you."

[Dale Hellewell]

I thought about writing about my bucket, but it would take too much space. Every bucket fills as ones life passes. I think mine has a hole because it is never full, At age 68 and after 40-years of marriage, three children, 8-grandchildren, and a couple of great grandchildren and more on the way, I still have more to add to my bucket than I seem to be able to find time for.

Everyone seems to think that after retirement they will have more time to do the things they wanted to do but haven't. Nothing can be further from the truth. Families grow, neighbors want to learn woodworking for their retirement, and worst of all it take longer to get things done.

At age 45 I started working towards my retirement, I bought my first rental house. This time next year I will have all 18 of them paid for. My wife of 40-years and I built our own extremely energy-efficient house with and attached 5000 sq ft floor heated shop geared for retirement, and filled it with tools and materials. We've never had a mortgage on our home, paying for everything as we went along. Wood fill shelves along the walls, floor to ceiling. It took 10-years starting at age 52 but it was worth the wait.

Somewhere around 6 years ago I purchased a Legacy Woodworking machine model 1200. Around 3-years ago I beta tested and upgraded the 1200 to a performance series CNC then about a year ago upgraded the Performance series to an Artisan.

I've cut thousands of parts on the three machines, balusters, walking sticks, canes, toy cars, trucks & tractors, serving trays, trivets, carvings, signs, marble games, furniture, and the list goes on. I do it for fun. I have no desire to ruin a hobby by committing to sell products. My wife thinks I should make and sell some parts but I told her if she wants to make money off the parts she would have to sell them herself.

I figure that if I live long enough I will still never accomplish all the things I would like to do. Each year travel gets harder, designing parts on the computer takes longer, but I will continue to fill my bucket with as much as I can for as long as I can. If my family history has anything to do with it I may have another 40-years to try to fill the bucket that cannot be filled.

A dream is only a dream unless you act upon it. You will never fulfill your entire dream but the parts you achieve will at least cover the bottom of the bucket. You can only do what you can do but there will be no regrets save it be the fleeting of time.

My youngest son also bought an Artisan and started filling his CNC bucket before the age of 40. Perhaps his life and bucket will be filled with endless possibilities that were not available as little as 5-years ago.

Dale