Aaaaaagh! The requests people make!

[DMGill]

Spent the day at my sister-in-law's yesterday. She had asked me at Thanksgiving about making a chess set for her husband. Since I have never done anything like that I told her I'd look in to it, but did not commit. Well, yesterday they were showing us the antique folding chess table and chairs he bought from his brother. They start telling us the things about it they wish were different, like the chairs being bigger to be more comfortable to sit in. And proceed to tell us how "easy it would be to make". They are not woodworkers!

So, the request went from a chess set to a COMPLETE new table & chairs plus the playing pieces! Good thing is that they will pay for it, unlike other family members who want stuff for free!

 

[bluwolf]

I don't understand the why of it, but I've found the general mindset is that, if I don't know how to to do it, it can't be that hard. Maybe ignorance is bliss?

Mike

 

[wiset1]

Funny, but true...

Oh...you make pens and work with wood...can you fix my turn of the century blah, blah, blah. It's out there I guess. At least they are willing to pay, cause that's a huge order

 

[wouldentu2?]

If I am not drawn to it I just say no. It doesn't matter if they pay for it or not, to easily the hobby becomes just like the job.

 

[DurocShark]

I've been wanting to get into chess sets. Hand carving the pieces, only using the lathe for the base and maybe a "head".

Someday I'll have a shop again...

 

[TellicoTurning]

A chess set is on my ToDo list... maybe item number 169... as Pa Kettle says, "Gonna get to that one of these days"..

 

[Rob73]

Sounds like my buddies wife that thinks all work can be done in five minutes. She bought a 4 drawer cabinet once.. asked me to sand it down and re-finish it... will only take five minutes.

 

[Holz Mechaniker]

Here, a wood turners solution, as designed by Leonardo Da Vinci his bad self.

http://youtu.be/c0_8Fu0KGQ0

 

[Chatham PenWorks]

Here, a wood turners solution, as designed by Leonardo Da Vinci his bad self.

http://youtu.be/c0_8Fu0KGQ0

Beautiful set. Should only take about 15 minutes to make, right? :wink:

Donna, be sure to post pics in Other Things We Make, after you finish it up tonight.

 

[SDB777]

Here, a wood turners solution, as designed by Leonardo Da Vinci his bad self.

http://youtu.be/c0_8Fu0KGQ0

I'm so use to playing chess with pieces as they are now, I'd be trying to move the 'pawns' like they were 'queens' with a set like that!



12.5 minutes to make the set, not 15 minutes!! And maybe you should do it for half price since it's a hobby.................WRONG!






Scott (hobby does not equal job) B

 

[DMGill]

Donna, be sure to post pics in Other Things We Make, after you finish it up tonight.

:rotfl: I'll be sure to do that!

Fortunately they gave no time frame. Although SIL was telling her neighbor about getting a handmade chess set (I still have not commited to it) and the neighbor thinks that would be great for her husband too! They certainly have more confidence in my abilities than I do!

SIL ordered a dozen bottle stoppers for Christmas gifts. Made most of them from a box of exotic cutoffs we had gotten months ago. They decided the cocobola and yellowheart would be good for chess pieces!:laugh: That won't happen!

In June, my father-in-law asked for a hickory pen/pencil set. I made him one for his birthday in July. Then, in November he asked for a mahagony set (just because he'd been thinking about mahagony). He hasn't gotten it. I've got the wood but I'm avoiding it. My husband caved on the wishing well planter request, though.:frown:

 

[Smitty37]

Worse for me

Worse for me is my wife offering my services to do things that I can't (or don't want to do). "Oh Smitty can do that for you." seems to be one of her favorite statements.

 

[DurocShark]

LOL!

My wife used to do the same thing. With cars, bodywork, house repairs, computers, etc etc etc.

I've finally trained her to NOT do that. Took 20 years though...

 

[Glen Schumann]

My problem is the wife's "honey do" list is too long to ever get to my own. I guess I should be happy she doesn't add in other people's lists.

 

[DMGill]

Worse for me is my wife offering my services to do things that I can't (or don't want to do). "Oh Smitty can do that for you." seems to be one of her favorite statements.

Guilty!! :redface:

But you guys really don't mind, do you? After all, it does give you plenty to complain about. Besides, when she stops asking, you're probably in trouble.

 

[tokyotank]

The real problem is the majority of people do not put value to a tradesmans abilty to design, build , and execute a project to completion. Whether it is construction (my profession) or pen turning people no longer appreciate someones abilty to make something from nothing. It is way to easy to go to IKEA, Wal Mart, Target or wherever box store and get it for a quarter of the price. I wish everything would go back to the barter/trade system when talants were appreciated and sought after. OK I'm off the soap box, it just frusterates me when I quote a job to someone and they ask why it costs so much. After all it's only a 3 day job. Correct it is a 3 day job and the 20 years of experiance before those 3 days.

 

[wolftat]

My favorite is when someone asks me to make a pen for them and can't understand why they saw it done on "How It's made" and wants me to do it in less than five minutes while they wait......I love telling them to stand there and wait while I go get started and watch them checking their watches.

About once a week I drive down a street by my house and they were building a new house there, I go by about once a week like I said and it didn't look like it was too hard, I may build one myself in a couple of weeks...How hard can it be???....LOL

 

[John Pratt]

"hey John, Can you make me some nice cabinets?"

"I can't make any promises, but if I get some time, we can work on putting something together. What do you want to make them out of?"

"Wood."

"Okay, I got that, but what kind of wood?"

"I will take care of that part."

"How will you know how much to buy?"

"I'll Just bring extra."
..................................Time passes.........................................

"Hey John, here are two sheets of pressure treated 1/4" plywood for the cabinets. Think we can knock them out this weekend. I really want them to look good since they are going in the kitchen. Can you also help me install them?"

"Uh............"

 

[Smitty37]

.....hmmmm.....

"hey John, Can you make me some nice cabinets?"

"I can't make any promises, but if I get some time, we can work on putting something together. What do you want to make them out of?"

"Wood."

"Okay, I got that, but what kind of wood?"

"I will take care of that part."

"How will you know how much to buy?"

"I'll Just bring extra."
..................................Time passes.........................................

"Hey John, here are two sheets of pressure treated 1/4" plywood for the cabinets. Think we can knock them out this weekend. I really want them to look good since they are going in the kitchen. Can you also help me install them?"

"Uh............"

Direct them to watch a few more episodes of the New Yankee Workshop....

 

[tokyotank]

The better one is when you give a kitchen remodel price of Oh say 45k which includes moving walls everything new custom cabinets so on and blah blah fill your blank whatever. And they say I saw the remodel and entire house on HGTV for $5000 and did it in a weekend why are you so High. Meanwhile I am thinking the same thing, you must be high!!!