I've been a bad woodworker, some might say. It's the hottest time of the year, and while I did just get A/C added to the shop, it still doesn't beat being inside the house. We've also been doing a major non-structural remodel of some rooms, and there just hasn't been time or want to build the things I needed to. I had ideas of building myself a new dresser, but bought one. I needed a new bookcase that day, so I went and bought one. I was feeling guilty, but then found a good resource as to make decisions about building vs buying, and felt a bit better. I needed those things long before I could build them, and for cheaper. They don't have to last forever, and they aren't in a public area of the house.
Now though, it's time to replace a bookcase in the main part of our house. The bookcase now is a standard one, and what I'll need going forward is one that has quite a great many shelves all of different heights. Better storage of video games has been long overdue. But now the question again comes down to building vs buying, and I just don't know. I feel guilty about not using my tools, even though I do need one other tool to make things a lot easier - a very long rail. My shop will also be very cramped in all three dimensions doing something large, and there's not a lot I can do about that.
Thought process was this: wife wants a white bookcase and use the walls for color, so buying the white Billy bookcase from Ikea, then adding additional shelves would be simple and easy. Figure about $110+tax for what I need. If I build, then it's $50 for the plywood, $xx in pine/poplar if I do solid edging (call it $20 to be safe), $20 to rent the truck to get the plywood home. I'm nearly at cost and I haven't made anything, much less painted it. I did put this as a project I was looking forward to, but now can't decide if that excitement was making it, or the end result of having things around the house look nicer. I was able to transform my bedroom in the course of a week by buying and assembling two pieces of furniture, and the subsequent moving stuff around. It's made an absolute difference in our lives, and I'm a bit addicted to getting the whole house in that sort of order.
Summer is usually when I get into a funk anyway, due to my shop and the weather. The A/C has been one of the biggest upgrades I've ever done, and I do have the tools available. The 8' cuts can be made on the table saw, so I don't have to run out and buy a 3000 rail or parallel guides. I spent the last two years back in school, and I was looking forward to doing more stuff in the shop, but now my desire to live in nicer conditions might be superseding that.
Put yourself in my shoes for a minute and tell me what you would do. A hobbyist, I have a 12x12 shop, well fitted out but not much assembly space. It would probably take you about two weeks to complete the project, or you can take a trip down to the Swedish LEGO shop and be stocking your shelves in about three hours. Cost would be roughly the same, but your effort would be better built at the cost of not looking quite as nice. You'd gain pleasure using your tools, at the cost of not being able to spend time doing other things.
Our house breaks down into roughly thirds: hand-me-downs, Ikea, and stuff I've made, so any option would fly. Projects tend to take me much longer than most people would for some reason, so while I have been proud of the stuff I've made, it's not by any set schedule.
Now though, it's time to replace a bookcase in the main part of our house. The bookcase now is a standard one, and what I'll need going forward is one that has quite a great many shelves all of different heights. Better storage of video games has been long overdue. But now the question again comes down to building vs buying, and I just don't know. I feel guilty about not using my tools, even though I do need one other tool to make things a lot easier - a very long rail. My shop will also be very cramped in all three dimensions doing something large, and there's not a lot I can do about that.
Thought process was this: wife wants a white bookcase and use the walls for color, so buying the white Billy bookcase from Ikea, then adding additional shelves would be simple and easy. Figure about $110+tax for what I need. If I build, then it's $50 for the plywood, $xx in pine/poplar if I do solid edging (call it $20 to be safe), $20 to rent the truck to get the plywood home. I'm nearly at cost and I haven't made anything, much less painted it. I did put this as a project I was looking forward to, but now can't decide if that excitement was making it, or the end result of having things around the house look nicer. I was able to transform my bedroom in the course of a week by buying and assembling two pieces of furniture, and the subsequent moving stuff around. It's made an absolute difference in our lives, and I'm a bit addicted to getting the whole house in that sort of order.
Summer is usually when I get into a funk anyway, due to my shop and the weather. The A/C has been one of the biggest upgrades I've ever done, and I do have the tools available. The 8' cuts can be made on the table saw, so I don't have to run out and buy a 3000 rail or parallel guides. I spent the last two years back in school, and I was looking forward to doing more stuff in the shop, but now my desire to live in nicer conditions might be superseding that.
Put yourself in my shoes for a minute and tell me what you would do. A hobbyist, I have a 12x12 shop, well fitted out but not much assembly space. It would probably take you about two weeks to complete the project, or you can take a trip down to the Swedish LEGO shop and be stocking your shelves in about three hours. Cost would be roughly the same, but your effort would be better built at the cost of not looking quite as nice. You'd gain pleasure using your tools, at the cost of not being able to spend time doing other things.
Our house breaks down into roughly thirds: hand-me-downs, Ikea, and stuff I've made, so any option would fly. Projects tend to take me much longer than most people would for some reason, so while I have been proud of the stuff I've made, it's not by any set schedule.
