On Aug 11, 10:36 am, mac davis wrote:

I've got a bid in with a golf shop for 200 pens that I really DON'T want to do,
but if they accept my price I'd be crazier than usual not to..
It's going to be incredibly boring and very hard to keep the quality up when they're all pretty much the same... *yawn*
The worst part is that 100 of them will be plastic..

Be careful, Mac. You are now entering into some deep water on your
pen making.

About 30 years ago I went into construction as a carpenter full time
after doing that kind of work for a couple of summers. I loved it. I
learned all manner of flat work, and was very proud of where my skills
had gone (up!) after many years of 8 - 10 hour days of doing it.

I will build furniture, shops, sheds, built in cabinets, anything to
do with wood now.... for someone else. But almost all the enjoyment
is gone. I have done so much of it over the years that building a
custom vanity is no different to me than replacing rotted fascia.

But being self employed for so long, I tend to put $$ on my time. So
when I started making pens, lamps, etc., I started turning out a lot
of them to pay for new tools and to pay for a new lathe. After all,
it was a hobby, and an expensive one at that. So I got busy making
the lathe carry its weight and to earn its keep.

After a couple of years, I noticed I was starting to lose interest in
the lathe as it became "what I do to make money". I started taking
orders, put together a brochure, had cards made, all the moves you
make when you are trying to make a venture a viable business.

Then one day I just decided it was no fun. I had made it a business.
And in my mind, I make more from hanging a front door in labor
(average about $325 without finishing) for a 6 hour day than I could
at the lathe. Why would I work at the lathe?

So the lathe sat for two years while I went after more profitable
ventures. It joined the routers, bandsaws, table saws, radial saws,
drill presses, and everything else that I have to make a living as a
carpenter/remodeler, used as needed.

Then one day I decided to make a big wood knob for a jig, and I dug
the stuff out and made the knob. Fun! I made a couple of mushrooms
with my parting tool, and then decided to make a few Christmas
ornaments and lamps. I will sell a few so that I can buy a new chuck
or something along those lines.

If you truly enjoy turning and that is your hobby, don't make it a
"for profit" venture. You will hate the fact you took your own hobby
away from yourself and it will become a 'ho hum" activity. It takes a
while to get the enjoyment back, if you ever do.

Just my 0.02.

Robert