My focus, as a relative beginner of 1 1/2yr, is to build Mission Style furniture. I have several old pieces in the home and just love the simplicity of the utilitarian design. I am starting with bookcases and will follow up with small tables and such.

I guess a close second would be making/using tools and jigs to do other things. I always find it fun to have to figure out new things.

 

I guess I'm in the general catagory. I see something that looks interesting, I build it. I'm also into scrolling and carving. Haven't tried turing yet but that will come in the future. Sometimes the project turns out okay and sometimes I consider it so,so. But I like the challenge.

 

I lean towards colonial reproductions. I do like Mission much like Mike. I occasionally do smaller pieces like cutting boards, serving trays, etc., for Xmas gifts, but I spend most of my time building larger pieces.

 

I also enjoy coming up with the idea and the pattern for different items. Lately I have been making a lot of small cedar boxes and some intarsia and other wall hung items. I have my lathe packed away for over 5 years now. Turning does not interest me…..at this time.

 

^Like Wayne, I like colonial reproductions but I'm yet to really execute a massive piece. I plan to, would love to, need to, but I just haven't bit the bullet on a massive highboy, etc. When I got a lathe, I was fully prepared to get sucked in. I found that I don't really enjoy it all that much. I like straight, flat, and strong joinery; so it's a bit surprising to me that I don't like Mission. Weird.

 

""How about you? Are you a "general practitioner" or a "specialist"?""
richgreer

I you're in woodworking for a living long enough you can't help becoming some of both. The market eventually demands you attempt most everything and you discover you're actually much better suited at some things over others.

 

I LOVE Mission style, Live Edge, and sometimes even Modern!

 

I agree with miles125, the market mostly determines what I am working on. While I get to accept or reject any project, the customer usually determines what they want. (Usually, I am making cabinetry, or fine furniture.)

I have projects I do that are not for income, but most of those are made to give to someone else, so what gets made is usually determined by thier needs and not my preference of projects I want to make.

It seems I never have enough time to just make something of whimsy for the fun of it. Sad, I know.
Perhaps, when I retire I'll get to make lots and lots of those things.

 

"Perhaps, when I retire I'll get to make lots and lots of those things."

There you go! That's just how/why I started doing this. I wonder just how many others are retiree newbie woodworkers?

GRAY POWER! ;-)

 

My projects tend to be mid- sized tables to small items as weight can sometimes be a issue for me… but it doesn't limit me to bigger items just means I need a helper from time to time. My shop is also in a basement with a door width of 28 " wide so I am limited to the size I can build in my shop.

 

I guess I fit into the "general" category. I built larger projects when I was younger and have done some very small ones lately. My recent focus has been on marquetry I like to carve too. When I was working much of what I built was to plans by necessity. Now I like to design my own stuff. To me woodworking is a journey and I'll go wherever it takes me.

You'll have to excuse me. I just learned how to use the "link" button. I'll settle down soon

 

Rich - you have started some very good discussion threads lately. They have been enjoyable to read.

I am very much a general practitioner. I have enjoyed making furniture, boxes, frames, shop jigs, cabinets, carvings, scroll work, lathe projects, boat building and carpentry.

I am looking forward to trying out techniques such as intarsia and segmented turnings.

I would like to build a Maloof style rocker and some furniture with a Greene and Greene influence at some time.

I almost always design my own pieces and sometimes just work by eye and skip plans altogether.

 

I have a wide variety of woodworking interests. Most of my projects tend to be small because that's what works best with my small shop and limited materials budget. But I enjoy making a larger functional item, like a bookcase, just as much as I enjoy making a small decorative box. Turning is another area that I really like, because it is very different from other types of woodworking. And then there is the joy of jig-making…. Well, I think you get my point.

 

I would say very wide. About the only woodworking that doesn't hold personal interest for me is intarsia. I have some favorites though. I have the most fun turning on my lathe, but then again, I also enjoy more carpentry type stuff like building sheds and the like…

So far I have only been the "help" on larger scale fine woodworking projects (team effort, 4 of the men from my old church made a desk, credenza, and book case for the pastor's office… I did most of the cutting, and routing profiles, other guys did the joinery, and still another did most of the finishing… Aside from shop projects, the largest project I have done for myself is a step stool for my wife that she loves…

 

Just starting as a rookie, tinkered about 20 years ago and then bought a new home and wanted to do more. Currently I am doing a project for my granddaughter (toy chest) then like to work up to bigger projects. Small shop and not a lot of tools yet plus like I said learning more and more every day from LJs. I guess you could put me in the newbie general catagory.

 

I'm definitely in the generalist category, even though I like doing projects from large to small. What I really like doing, is thinking up a design to fit a particular situation. However, going from design to execution of the design is sometimes (insert a very long sigh here)....another matter.

 

I just tinker… though I guess a few projects I have donr in th epast (not all posted here) wouldn't be counted as tinkering…

 

My original goal, two years ago, was to build my shop in order to have a place to build cabinets and furniture for a major kitchen makeover and to have a place to be creative and productive when I retire in 5 years.

About the time I got most of my tools and was just starting to set up my basement shop, Obamanomics caused me to become unemployed. Thank you mister Hope and Change.

Now I am working 60 hours a week for 3/4 of the salary I used to make and am struggling just to keep what I have. And forget the retirement; I'll be working till I drop.

And you know what is really ironic, my former employer now pays my present employer $130/hr for my services.
But I only get $22 of that.

At least I have talent, and drive and I think my wood working will become a bigger focus going forward. That, at least, is mine.

 

I am a few years away from retirement,... maybe, but thought I might supplement it a bit with making a Duduk. These are traditionally made in Armenia out of Apricot wood. But, from looking at some pictures and videos on how these are made over there, it does not seem to be all that difficult to make at home.
Picture of one from an open source (Wikipedia)

Basically it is 13.5cm long with a 12mm bore down the center, and finger holes placed at various distances from the mouthpiece on both sides. 2 holes are on the bottom of the instrument:

Using something like one of the midi lathes available, either PSI or Rikon 70-100 with a Spindle Steady for drilling out the center hole of 12mm I think it is possible to put out a decent instrument.
Basically, at this point, that is all I am concentrating on. The duduk music is very pretty when one hears it. It has a sort of middle eastern sound to it like something you might hear on TV like Gladiator, or Passion of The Christ (which I know the duduk player in LA that played the duduk for that score).

 

Generalist. If I can make it I want to try and make it. Always expanding my capabilities. Sometimes I wish I specialized as I think it would greatly reduce the money I spend on a hobby/addiction.

 

I only make stuff with walnut, harvested in the month of August. No, seriously I am too much of a beginner to have a specific focus right now. I have a list of projects for the house to build, each one I try and make a bit different to expand my skill set.

 

Generalist by nature, but I REALLY like building tables. I like the idea of folks sitting at/around/on/touching/using stuff I build. I'm into tactile woodworking. (Sounds sick doesn't it?)
Oh! I never heard of duduk either.
Bill

 

I like designing projects that use the current tools and skills that I have, but also as I gain new skills and tools being able to D and B other things I couldn't have done before. In terms of types of projects, I don't have the confidence or patience yet to do a lot of very fine projects so I think that would say that things that are overly complicated or detailed are not for me. Sorry Gibbs but no flute for me!

 

I agree with sras (Steve) Rich, you've brought up some pretty good topics.

I'm in the category of "whatever it takes" I've done everything from home remodeling and construction to whittling,so I'm a generalist (comes with the Physics degree, really, or did the generalist in me go to physics? hmm). I'm adding shelves and drawers to a kitchen cabinet we bought used awhile back, and my 1/5th of a garage isn't up to the task- I had to set the thing on the short workbench, so some of it is above, some below reach. Next time I buy new from a Borg or new from scratch, not modifying. That's really just more work than I want to tackle, especially with all the OT at work.

 

Rich you are a great topic leader, thanks..I have made a living at remodeling lots of houses, built lots of addons. Everything from escavating thru finish, in rural montana there is not many laws or permits so if you take a job on, you do it all. For the last ten years or so I have ben able to concentrate on our house and have really enjoyed working with my honey, completly redoing our house. Also put together a great shop in the process, and have slowed down on house. So now all my time is going into gifts, home furniture and learning to really do it for the love of woodworking and skill building.