Time and wishing for more time. - Woodworking Talk

**joasis** · 07-04-2007, 03:09 PM

I just read the post about we need more posts....so:

I need more time....it is a wonder I have time to read the posts, and yes, I read every post, on this site and 3 others in our family, (contractortalk.com, diychatroom, and saw&timber.com).

Just so you guys know, I haven't posted anything in awhile since I haven't been near my woodshop or my mill since last winter....never enough time, especially since as a general contractor with a 6 month backlog of work, it is hard to get time when you aren't dead tired to get out in the shop. I was down watering the horses today and looked at my log pile (would make you drool, Daren) and thinking I have a weeks worth of sawing to get done. I am clearing timber for our new home site, building two new custom homes currently, and five steel buildings, plus a few remodels and commercial projects. I expanded our construction work by adding an insulation service and wrecking buildings, as if I didn't have enough to do...oh yeah, backhoe and bobcat service as well.....

Now, if I had time, this is what I would be doing:

I have some beautiful black walnut that I sawed 2 years ago, ready to go, 8% moisture, and I need to build three grandfather clocks, mission style, for gifts for Christmas.....three more cedar chests (and Daren, I have boards like you do, 16 feet long and clear, makes beautiful chests), plus the trim work for our new home, and the 4000 board feet of cedar we are going to panel parts of the interior with...all to be rough sawn. I was given 4 cottonwood trees, 4+ feet in diameter by 30+ foot long sawlogs, to go and get, and I have a lead on a bunch of walnut trees that I can't even get the time to go look at.....geez!

So, if you guys had the time, what would you be building?

**Daren** · 07-04-2007, 04:33 PM

J, when I was a contractor myself I was in the same boat. The $ was good, but quality of life was not so hot. "I will be caught up tomorrow", but tomorrow never came. I got stressed out

. I had the money to do whatever I wanted, but never the time....now I have all the time in the world, but you know how the 2 seem to be mutually exclusive

. It's a hard thing to balance unless you are doing something you truly enjoy. Walking away from the rat race has been very therapeutic for me.
Is that circle mill just setting there rusting ? If you were closer I would come over and blow the cobs out of it for you. I could show those cottonwoods who's boss in a hurry

.

**joasis** · 07-04-2007, 05:55 PM

I am using a new computer, and don't have the pictures to load, for those of you woodworkers wondering, what Daren is referring to is my '68 Meadows Circle mill, 54 inch blade, 125 hp Hercules engine.....and no Daren, it isn't rusting.....but If you were closer, you could have a great time with it...after all, we all know real saw mills have big blades!

After the new home is built, and we are debt free, then will come the slow down for me. I am 46, and feel 66.....some days I get home at 5pm, and my tail gets there an hour later.

**Nathan** · 07-05-2007, 12:10 AM

Hopefully you read all the posts on all of those sites because you enjoy it and not because you feel you have to. I don't read all the posts on contractortalk.com and I dont' expect the moderators to either.

**joasis** · 07-05-2007, 08:53 AM

At least I don't miss anything!

**TexasTimbers** · 07-05-2007, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nathan

. . . . and I dont' expect the moderators to either.

That's a good thing or else you would have had to fire me by now. But this way, I still get to find lost little treasures I didn't know existed. Like the thread about Burlkrafts Woodmizer lathe. I just stumbled across that last week!.

**Daren** · 07-05-2007, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasTimbers

That's a good thing or else you would have had to fire me by now.

He DID already, he posted it about a week ago...you must have missed it

**Daren** · 07-05-2007, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joasis

what Daren is referring to is my '68 Meadows Circle mill, 54 inch blade, 125 hp Hercules engine..... real saw mills have big blades!

.

This is it isn't it ? And you are correct on the right logs I would have fun with it. An old feller 3 miles out of town has a circle mill I can use, he has made the offer more than once. He is retired and so is the mill...for now

. I like my little bandmill for what I do with it, but for production I could make some bft with a circle mill. By comparison my mill has 13 h.p...and me

.

**joasis** · 07-05-2007, 08:13 PM

yep, that is it.......

formula462 · 07-05-2007, 09:24 PM

[quote= !

So, if you guys had the time, what would you be building?[/quote]

A Stairway To.........