# How Often Do You Get To Play With Your Toys?



## Mark in Indiana (Dec 1, 2015)

Hi Friends,

It would be wonderful if we could run our machines when ever we wanted. However, life, job, family, etc. prevent this. So, the title begs the question of how often you get to enjoy using your machines:

Sometimes, my answer is whenever the wife is away. 

Opinions please?


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## carlquib (Dec 1, 2015)

Usually daily. One of the benefits of being self employed. Not always on a project of my choosing, but still making chips. 

Hello, my name is Brian and I'm a toolaholic!


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## T Bredehoft (Dec 1, 2015)

Being retired, and with other interests, I find that I can work for a while, walk away and fiddle with an entirely different  project, (perhaps scanning Hobby Machinist), and go back to my shop refreshed.


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## roadie33 (Dec 1, 2015)

Usually every night I go down to the basement shop and either do something in the metal shop or the other side in the wood shop.


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## mzayd3 (Dec 1, 2015)

Not nearly as much as I'd like. I might get 8 hours a week depending what's going on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mike837go (Dec 1, 2015)

Another vote of "Not often enough".

Priorityy order: SWMBO, looking after parents, employer's interests, keeping cars/trucks/tractors operational, tinkering, sleep, food.


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## David S (Dec 1, 2015)

I am retired and repair old clocks for people during the winter.  I specialize in repairing parts and components and perhaps making new ones if the original can't be repaired.  It also leads to making specialized tools, jigs and fixtures to facilitate repairs.  I work in the shop daily.

David


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## Mark in Indiana (Dec 1, 2015)

I voted weekly & other. Being retired, I'm either working on something other than machinery or buying/selling tools.


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## Dan_S (Dec 1, 2015)

I probably average 3 to 4 times a week.


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## Andre (Dec 1, 2015)

Whenever I want minus work and other obligations. Sometimes my shop is my workplace, so customers' jobs come before personal projects.


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## jpfabricator (Dec 1, 2015)

Not enough!

Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker


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## Dave Smith (Dec 1, 2015)

I am retired and lots of toys--so everyday I enjoy them---Dave


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## wrmiller (Dec 1, 2015)

Not retired just yet, so I'm pretty much limited to the weekends. Otherwise, there might be some 'discussions' about why I'm not spending more time with my better half.


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## Silverbullet (Dec 1, 2015)

carlquib said:


> Usually daily. One of the benefits of being self employed. Not always on a project of my choosing, but still making chips.
> 
> Hello, my name is Brian and I'm a toolaholic!


I'm a fellow toolaholic , I never have enough sometimes two or more of each.


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## savarin (Dec 1, 2015)

I'm retired but I get no where near enough. SWMBO takes up too much for things like shopping (but not for tools)
I get terrible withdrawal symptoms after two days of no shop time.


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## FOMOGO (Dec 1, 2015)

Well, I'm almost always 'in the shop" because I'm still building it. Another year of building for me and then for the wife, then I should finally get some time to play with my toys. Mike


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## Mark in Indiana (Dec 1, 2015)

Glad to see that most of you guys can play with your toys daily.


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## Ulma Doctor (Dec 1, 2015)

i'm surrounded by machinery almost every day i'm alive.
i get to play with lots of different machines, sometimes even when i don't really want to...
but sometimes, (read: most of the time) i get paid to play and have fun creating a way out of their predicament, using their money and my machines


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## Sandia (Dec 2, 2015)

I am retired as well, so I am able to work in my shop at will. I do have other interests so there is always something going on in the shop.


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## Micke S (Dec 2, 2015)

I crossed weekly but it can also be every night when there is an ongoing project that takes several days or more. It is only 12 more working days before retirement at the age of 62.   This means a lot more quality time in the garage, and time with wife and friends.  I cant't wait to December 19 ( first day off) .


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## Mark in Indiana (Dec 2, 2015)

Micke,
Congratulations on your retirement!
Remember: A working man looks forward to the end of the day. A retired man looks forward to the beginning of the day.


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## dirty tools (Dec 2, 2015)

Benning retired I get time to play with my toys.
this week I am making a heavy duty welding clamp. I am making it out of 4140 steel
1" X 2" by 16" for adjustments I am using 5/8" acme rod.
I busted my v belt on the lathe and haven't bought a new one yet (just lazy).


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## Cheeseking (Dec 2, 2015)

At least once a day.....even if its only for a minute since I am the sucker assigned to daily cat litter box duty in our house and both are downstairs!


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## TommyD (Dec 2, 2015)

I work in education in a community college, my boss is cool with me making stuff, mostly on my own time. His rational is if I find it broken, I will fix it.

My personal toys I play with on weekends but they aren't, currently, the precision tools I have. I'm educating myself in bodywork I'm mostly using my air tools and MIG welders, hacking, whacking and gluing. 

I also have heavy equipment out back, when I'm not in the gay-raj gluing something I broke, I'm busy trying to put in a yard. We grow rock for fun and profit here. I have dry laid walls, patios and all manner of rock stuff all over.  I'll never retire from 'work'.


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## chips&more (Dec 2, 2015)

I’m retired and it’s mind over matter with the spouse. If she don’t mind me in the shop then it don’t matter. So…I get a few hours a day to play!


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## dlane (Dec 2, 2015)

Retired is a hard job , you have to fix your own stuff then


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## eugene13 (Dec 16, 2015)

The secret to a happy retirement is separate houses, I spend 90% of my awake time in the shop, I only go to the house to eat, sleep, have sex, do "honeydo's" and get my cloths washed.  Building a shop and stuffing it full of tools was cheaper than a divorce.


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## minions (Dec 20, 2015)

At most, four hours per week, nag-free.  Usually on a weekend day.  But I have a 2 year-old and a 3 year old.


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## T Bredehoft (Dec 21, 2015)

Interesting, there are at least fifty of us paying attention here nevermind the total number of registered users.


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## coolidge (Dec 21, 2015)

I try not to make my time in the shop seem like a 2nd job so a couple times a week for 2-4 hours.


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## Dan_S (Dec 21, 2015)

coolidge said:


> I try not to make my time in the shop seem like a 2nd job so a couple times a week for 2-4 hours.



lol, some times I need that second job to de-stress from the first one!


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## wawoodman (Dec 21, 2015)

Not enough. I keep saying I'm gonna retire (I'm a cabinetmaker) but then the phone rings, and I say "yes."...


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## GA Gyro (Dec 21, 2015)

Not near enough...

My heating and AC business has been unusually busy this year...
So not much hobby time.  
Even the gyro is not flying currently... 

OTOH... headed towards retirement within the decade (give or take)... so need to pile up the cash.

Hope to get in the shop during the winter... usually a slow time for the business.


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## Bill Gruby (Dec 21, 2015)

Anytime I wish.

 "Billy G"


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