How Many Hours Turning Do You Do

[edbanger]

I was thinking the other day what my life was like before I started wood turning at the end of December. Sadly my wife has been very ill over the passed couple of years having to have a couple of major opp's so there been a lot of sitting in front of the TV and not doing anything. Since I started turning I've barely watched TV so much so that she had been recording everything on the sky box that I used to watch and the other week the sky box was so full see asked if there was anything that I wanted keeping, when I said not really she deleted all the stuff she had recorded for me and it free-up nearly 70% of the recording space!!!

So I then thought of how much time I spend in my new workshop turning and it work's out to around 35 - 40 hours a week, this is part-time as I still work full time, still play golf and so on so this was just TV time.

How many hours do you spend in your workshop, and is it your full time job.

Ed

[Les Symonds]

Ed....I'm a full-time special needs teacher, so the amount of time that I spend in the workshop is closely linked to the cycle of school holidays. On school weeks, it's usually an evening or two and several hours most weekends. On school hols I probably average a few hours a day, unless we're away or SWMBO has other ideas!
Les

[Bryan Milham]

Ed,

Like you and Les, I also work full time, so only manage 2 or 3 hours in the garage workshop each evening and most of Saturday and Sunday. That is tempered by shopping and taking SWMBO as necessary (for a quiet life!) so on a good week 30+ hours, on a bad week 20 ish.

[Eric Harvey]

I go out to the workshop and contemplate doing something alot !!

[bodrighywood]

When I went full time my hours spent actually turning went down. Now I have to do shows, demos, tuition, promotion. I still average between 20 & 40 hours a week actually turning depending on what commissions I have to do as those obviously get priority.

Pete

[Derek]

I can spend up to 3 - 5 hours a day in the workshop I'm in and out all day depending how I feel. This is not my living and unfortunately do not work through ill health.

 Not all that time is turning as I also enjoy other forms of woodworking like making wooden toys and carving which I am only just getting the hang of (not that it is much good).  

[John]

I spend about ten hours a week teaching turning three hours clearing up afterwards and if I'm lucky maybe four hours to myself. I'm also Chairman of our allotment association and takes up a fair amount of time each week as well tending one and a half allotments. I'm supposed to be retired!!!
John

[malcy]

I spend a fair amount of time in my workshop, but not always turning. As segmented work is a lot of what I do. there is a lot of time in sawing, planning, sanding, gluing and designing before I get to the lathe. Overall I suppose  spend about 15 hours a week on average, but the last few weeks have been nothing as I have been refurbishing and decorating the hallway and landing areas of my house. Done now, so I can get back to some fun turning this weekend. Malcolm.

[hughie]

I also work full time and so Saturday is my main day and I probably get 3-4 hrs there on a weekend and  an hour or so a few nights a week.

[ColWA]

Not enough

Col

[George Watkins]

It varies allot, some weeks in the winter I might do 40 to 50 hours but then in the peak summer months I sometimes can't do any 

[seventhdevil]

as a self employed turner i should actually spend more time working than i currently do but i'm just lazy really.

when i do have things to do i'll spend about 6-7 hours a day turning or processing the wood ready to be turned but then i can have a few days when i do nothing.

i estimate 35-45 hours a week.

[TWiG]

In winter I often spend the entire weekend in my shed , rarely in the evenings . In summer same  as George says above , very little indeed , so many other pleasant things to do , also I turn mostly green wood and warm dry conditions play havoc with my work . Some of you do an awful lot of turning, what do you do with it all ... I know it sells ... but you must have a lot of outlets for your work or are you stock piling it ? 

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Well Ed, apart from eating and sleeping all my time is spent in the workshop. I am never happier than when I am in there doing something.

[edbanger]

Bowler I understand I spend all my spare hours in the workshop, now finding work is getting in the way, hopefully I can do this full time within the next year, I've already started pushing through my plans to achieve this so watch this space