Off Topic: Anticipation

tryppyr

tryppyr

Joined
Feb 5, 2010
Messages
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Okay, not THAT far off topic.

These days it seems I spend a lot of time waiting for things... both in my day job and my knife hobby.

Because I can't do my own HT, I wait weeks for each single blade to make the round trip to Meadville. A few weeks ago I sent two batches of wood to Iowa for processing... and still I wait. Anxiously waiting to see what my double dyed pieces look like in comparison to the clear stabilized pieces from the same batch.

My wife will tell you I have the patience of Job. It's an act. I check the mailbox every day, hoping to see things arrive. Often, I forget exactly what I'm, waiting for, and when it FINALLY shows up I'm pleased, but not entirely sure I've gotten everything I'm waiting for.

I live my life in anticipation of things to come. Just like the Carly Simon song.

- Greg
 
Greg, I TOTALLY get what you're saying. I've been working 60+ hour work weeks for around 10 months and just keep buying tools and material for when I can slow down. I'm looking for a new house and when I get it nobody'll be able to pry me outa my shop for weeks! Because I know you love wood, I posted it when I got it but, I
scored 80# of blocks for knives. Thuya burl, spalted Birdseye maple burl, cocobola,wenge,and a bunch more. I'm heading south in the next couple weeks to have Mark help me cut it into knife blocks.
 
I know patience and how it is to want to make knives but not being able to make knives.
I got in to this hobby and made my first knive. Then I started a small batch.
My appartement burned down.
Got a new house and took my time setting up shop.
Worked a little on knives and then bought a 100 yo house.
Renovated the house for a long time before I could start on the old barn that I am setting up shop in.
Got pretty far, but while fixing one thing you run in to something else that needs to be done first.
Then I became a father. Yes, that's beautifull but leaves very little spare time.
So now about a year later finaly things are coming to an end!
(just have to do the electrics, build one more wall and alter my 2x42grinder in to a knive making grinder)
Can you imagin how many idea's I have in my head!? How much inspiration I have gotten playing with all the blocks of handle material I have and in my head combining them together and figuring out what styles of blades would suit them best?
I comfort myself with the idea that this is the last time I set up shop and that it is bigger and better then the 3'x 7' shop I started in.
 
Everyone that is a local friend of mine says, "When will your new shop be done?" I say, "We will build no walls before their time." They all think I am a laid back slow moving person. Like Greg, I am in serious anticipation of getting to the construction of this shop. After Ashokan, I am going to take a few days off and get the plans downtown and approved. Once actual construction gets started, I plan on making that my main time consumer, and you won''t see me on this keyboard nearly as much. I fill the waiting time by drawing equipment plans, making layout sketches, and boxing up things for the new shop.....but the anticipation is intense. Sometimes I go out and walk around the spot where it will be and imagine what it will look like.
 
Greg,
Here is a trick that works for me.
Every week send a box of wood out for stabilizing.
On the other days buy stuff from different places online.
Mix in some purchases from different countries.
This way something new is arriving every couple days.
It's all in maintaining the flow.
 
I have heard that if you drink too much and order stuff online while under the influence, it will come as quite a surprise when it shows up.
 
tryppyr said:
Okay, not THAT far off topic.

These days it seems I spend a lot of time waiting for things... both in my day job and my knife hobby.

Because I can't do my own HT, I wait weeks for each single blade to make the round trip to Meadville. A few weeks ago I sent two batches of wood to Iowa for processing... and still I wait. Anxiously waiting to see what my double dyed pieces look like in comparison to the clear stabilized pieces from the same batch.

My wife will tell you I have the patience of Job. It's an act. I check the mailbox every day, hoping to see things arrive. Often, I forget exactly what I'm, waiting for, and when it FINALLY shows up I'm pleased, but not entirely sure I've gotten everything I'm waiting for.

I live my life in anticipation of things to come. Just like the Carly Simon song.

- Greg
Click to expand...

Same here. Placed an order at three different supply houses 9/6 just before noon. Still don't have anything I ordered. Evenheat has been building my KF18 since 8-30, and told me to call again mid week to see if it is done. I had planned to work in the garage all weekend, but with no supplies, it's kind of hard. Now I face a week of 13+ hour days, so I will be unable to get into the garage until next weekend.

No patience here.
 
Still more weeks have passed with nothing coming back from Iowa. I don't recall it ever taking this long before. I'm starting to wonder if they've goine out of business, leaving boxes of unprocessed wood piling up at some tiny podunk post office.
 
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