You know you've arrived when...

For the things that don't fit neatly into the other categories.
Massis
Posts: 938
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2010 9:05 am

Re: You know you've arrived when...

Post by Massis »

sandahlpipe wrote:I have a wife and 6 kids with #7 due in about a month. It took a few months to train the kids to go to bed on time, but I usually have a couple hours in the evenings to work on pipes and especially in the winter, I turn on a movie in the shop and can work while they watch cartoons on Saturdays. If I made only simple classics, I could maybe make 40 pipes a year, but then I take on complex shapes that take forever to finish to my liking. I'll be lucky to hit 20 pipes this year. The nice thing about that is I'm able to sell most of what I make in fairly short order. If you deliver a quality product at a fair price, exposure will come in time.
7 kids? Rather you than me, I've got my hands full with just 2 :lol: Then again, you can have the elder ones assist in taking care of the younger ones I suppose, I even do that with mine. As for watching video in my shop: there's too much noise, dust and clutter, and too little room :-P

The kids go to bed on time though (youngest at 7pm, eldest at 8pm), but I also have a wife who likes to see her husband every now and then :-P That plus the fact that I can no longer stay up past midnight during weekdays without getting a migraine the day after, which is terribly annoying (especially for someone who used to stay up to 1.30am and later) and not very appreciated at my full time dayjob...

Other than that I'm surprised, I though you made heaps more pipes, but I expect (and hope to see eventually) you're right about the exposure.
User avatar
sandahlpipe
Posts: 2106
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:49 pm
Location: Zimmerman, MN
Contact:

Re: You know you've arrived when...

Post by sandahlpipe »

Yes. I grew up in a big family and thought it was something I wanted my kids to experience. You should see the looks we get when we go shopping together....

I’ve put the sandblaster and dust collection in a sound-insulated closet off the shop. It keeps the noise down considerably. The only machine that drowns the TV now is my belt sander, but my kids don’t seem to care as much what they hear as long as they get to watch more... my day job is flexible with hours, so if I sleep in the next day because shop time was productive, it’s no biggie. I am starting to get too old for staying up late though and it’s annoying.

I have made a lot more pipes in the past, but I’ve slowed down so I can become satisfied with the level of detail I put into each pipe. Not that the average customer notices the difference, but I do. I still see things I want to improve on the next time.
---
Fail early, fail often. Your success depends on it.

Jeremiah Sandahl
http://sandahlpipe.com
User avatar
RickB
Posts: 378
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 1:56 pm
Location: NC

Re: You know you've arrived when...

Post by RickB »

Man oh man you guys have hit the nail on the head with the staying up late business - I just can't anymore. I used to find that time so nice and quiet and productive, and now 9 (!) rolls around and I am OUT. I do get up at 5:15 every day, so that gives me some of that quiet time on the other end (especially on weekends if the wife and kiddo sleep in a little), but still.
Chronicling my general ineptitude and misadventures in learning pipe making here: https://www.instagram.com/rustynailbriars/
Post Reply