I'm on the countdown at the moment, I've only got one week left of being a stay at home dad until my wife breaks up from work for her maternity leave.
This means that I'll be going back to work full time until at least September next year.
So much less of this:
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| The girls enjoying the spoils of my jam making! |
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| Although hopefully I won't look this grumpy all the time! |
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| Some of the flooring I've been laying lately |
So I've got a week of play dates, meeting friends and last minute things to do before I go back to work, and a list of things I should have done as well. To be honest I've been working all I can in any spare moment, so to reduce my night time working (11 most night this week) might not be a bad thing, but I know I'm going to miss spending so much time with the girls and being here so much.
One thing I am planning on doing is to make more from home to sell on-line.
So any ideas of wooden things to be made to order that you've struggled to find in the past, let me know. I'm trying to build a list of items I can make in the workshop to keep me at home more.
Hmmmm.Honey dippers. I been looking for a local woodworker to make me a couple thousand of them for years. Every time I order some they are back ordered. Apparently here in the states they are a hot seller. Of course they are not expensive so you would have to make thousands of them to turn a good profit but maybe they would sell as well over there as they seem to here in the states.
ReplyDeleteI think to make a large quantity of those I'd need a copy lathe, although I'm sure I could make them in small quantities on my normal lathe, I'm a bit out of practice with turning at the moment though.
DeleteI guess life's always been a mix of good and bad.
ReplyDeleteGoing back to work isn't all bad. I do love my job but I know I'm terrible at balance and will end up working too much!
DeleteRIETVELD CHAIRS. Someone with your knowledge could make them with no difficulty at all, and they sell for around £500 each. If you don't know what I'm on about, have a look on line.
ReplyDeleteThey're some interesting chairs. Do they have copyright though?
DeleteI don't think so, they were designed quite a long time ago.
DeleteExciting times ahead as your family expands the girls are going to love have a baby around, great idea making things to sell, I keep looking for a lovely hanging shelf until you house my spice jars, but not those silly jars you get in the supermarket mine are a bit chunkier, I loved the blackboards you did last year I think they could be a winner :-)
ReplyDeleteHanging shelf unit? Not sure what you mean, do you have a link?
DeleteGood sized chopping boards are always great, if you can add peoples names as well would be great for gifts.
ReplyDeleteI've made some copping boards for here not so long ago so I think I'll add those to my etsy shop soon.
Deleteetsy shop? Have I missed something?
DeleteDolls houses for girls and castles for lads. Small occasional tables and Welsh dressers always sell well in country areas. I heard of a man in Manchester buying old floorboards from old cotton mills and making them into Welsh dressers. He left the nails in them to show their age. Wish I had your skills Kev.
ReplyDeleteThe castles is something I've been thinking of for a while but not just for boys. Watch this space!
DeleteThanks Dave
I 2nd this. My parents have a large fort that slots together and you can make it bigger or smaller. the kids fight over it.
Deletei bet the girls are going to miss you too! but having a new baby around sure will be exciting!
ReplyDeleteThey're so excited about the baby. The youngest is already trying to share her food with it!
DeleteI was going to say butter pats as, my antique ones got stuck down the back of a kitchen unit at the old place I lived. When I asked if they'd found them when they had the kitchen ripped out, they said ye, but because they didn't know what they were, they binned them! The othet but is, I bought a pair yesterday in Dunelm Mills!
ReplyDeleteCan't think of anything else not already mentioned just yet.
I like the idea of making some not off the shelf smallholder equipment and I was trying to think of a range of things like butter pats and maybe some things for home butchery. Thanks!
DeleteFor the last three years that I've done craft sales a retired woodworker has been next to me. He makes many beautiful things-all different sizes of bowls etc, but his biggest sellers at every show are cutting boards, large and small and rolling pins.
ReplyDeleteWhen people see the cutting boards we use here they want to buy them so I think it's somthing I should do. I did make my sister and future sister in law a rolling pin each a few years ago and hopefully they're still using them.
DeleteWe will miss you. Good luck as your family reshapes
ReplyDeleteGill
Hey I'm not going, going! I'll still be here blogging and being my usual annoying self!
DeleteKev, I love how it works out for you to be able to stay at home sometimes. It's easy to tell where your heart is.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly here! My dad was the same he always wanted to be working from home as much as possible.
DeleteMy mother in law searched for years for some new wooden laundry tongs but couldn't get any. Just an idea.
ReplyDeleteNot sure they're used much over here but might be worth looking into, thanks!
DeleteHow about a pipe rack. The one's they sell in stores aren't worth a damn.
ReplyDeleteWhat's a pipe rack?
DeleteI also agree with the black boards. shapes? hmm Tractors, trains, cars. Apples, pears. I would love a pineapple one for my kitchen! lol
ReplyDeleteIn vienna they were selling boards with the bark on for antipasti. I have always wanted one from the jamie oliver range that is I think 3 shelves.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jamie-Oliver-Antipasti-Platter/dp/B00V55QU9O
if you could make it so it could be taken apart to store in a cupboard that would be excellent. you could also make them for small spice shelves. these would be good for renters who arent allowed to attach things to the wall.
Having a brain dump here. what else would I like. ohhhh yes. You know those stair baskets...?
http://www.theholdingcompany.co.uk/rattan-stair-basket-prodpf_sta004/?utm_source=GoogleBase&utm_medium=GoogleBase&utm_campaign=GoogleBase&gclid=CjwKEAiA-s6zBRDWudDL2Iic4QQSJAA4Od3Xs7GY0OIln64aYCJORLrVcxkQZtsujnLtgKAisVHoQhoCKDrw_wcB
one of these in some form of wood or board would be really cool. they tend to break, things get stuck in the weave and they scratch at trousers and legs if you brush past them. A more solid one would be cool. And you could offer it as lime washed, shabby chic or just lovely as plain wood.
what else what else. Oh yes something that seems to be super expensive.... coat racks and hooks also peg rails. you can get them in Canada and The States easily but here not so much. I mean long runs. at least 2m. Sell them as organisers for utility rooms. and deeper ones where above you could stencil and burn the wood with the names of the family on to it.
I am sure I will think of more. but that is enough for now... lol I will have the longest comment else...
love the peg rail in this post
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heynataliejean.com/2015/11/this-is-post-about-soup.html
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