Retirement Projects
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d_thomas02 wrote: »Question for the group.
Having seen a few of the items I've forged, would you be more likely to buy one if it was forged using a renewable 'green earth fuel' like corn as apposed to fossil fuels like coal and propane, or a deforresting fuel like charcoal?
Is 'Green Earth Fuel' a selling point or not?
In marketing terms, I think it could cut both ways, depending on how you convey the information.
For sure, the "green earth fuel" featured in big letters someplace would be a selling point for some people. But it would make others eye-roll (darn hippie freaks and their self-satified greeniehood!
). Presumably, you'd like to sell to anyone and everyone. Not knowing how you plan to market (web vs. shows vs. placement in retail venues), or what kind of area you live/sell in (lots of environmentally oriented people or not), it's hard to evaluate the value of that as a selling point.
One thing I might suggest is somehow sharing your process with people (pretty easy on a web site, but maybe a poster if you're doing booth sales, hang tag mini-brochure if consignment or wholesale?), and embedding the fuel in it as a point of goodness. You could then emphasize it in in-person sales by talking with people if they seem receptive (or let people learn more by clicking through, or it's one of several bullet points in a mini-brochure, or whatever).
For in-person or web, what I'm thinking would be interesting to most people is an overview of the production cycle, maybe from finding your materials (I gather you're often upcycling), then the heating/working the metal, (where at the overview level you could mention using renewable fuels, or green fuels, or whatever you choose - link to more info about that if it's on a web page), then follow the process through to a finished product.
Your whole story of your scrounged/home-built shop is fascinating to me, and I suspect would be to a lot of people, so that could be another click through for more depth on a web site.
I'm thinking there's a way to present this so that it would appeal to the gritty get-it-done kind of people (via the whole DIY/old-fashioned ingenuity angle) and the more crunchy granola kind of people (via the salvaged/repurposed shop, recycled input materials, environmentally conscious fuel, handmade product angle).
If you're doing booth sales or the like, featuring the process along with the products is a way to talk to potential customers more - "happy to answer questions whether you buy or not" - with the understanding that making that connection with people will move a few more of them along from interest to purchase even without a hard sell.
Just my thoughts.
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Thanks for the responses.
@UncleMac Most of America's bread basket is located in the great plains area where only native grass sod was turned under the plow. Other than that, my only comment is... SHH! X-nay on the ossil-fay uel-fay. Next thing ya know, people will be finding out the nearly all feed corn is GMO.
@AnnPT77 All I can say is, Wow. Much more info than I was expecting.
I'm not really interested in starting a business selling my forged items. I was more hoping to sustain my hobby by selling off what I don't give away.
I won't be doing booths, might do demos if asked. Most interest has been word of mouth. Mainly from my wife posting images on her Facebook groups.
I was just curious if using corn as a fuel would add to the overall appeal of repurposing scrap steel.1 -
My lips are sealed.d_thomas02 wrote: »Thanks for the responses.
@UncleMac Most of America's bread basket is located in the great plains area where only native grass sod was turned under the plow. Other than that, my only comment is... SHH! X-nay on the ossil-fay uel-fay. Next thing ya know, people will be finding out the nearly all feed corn is GMO.1 -
d_thomas02 wrote: »Couple of summer storms have past and flue is still standing.
Managed to get out and start a fire in the forge this morning using feed corn, a renewable "green earth" fuel (rather than fossil fuel coal) and knocked out this blacksmith knife with my son. He then did the grinding on an old Craftman belt/disk sander.
Not bad as a first attempt at a knife shaped object.
I love seeing Alert Diver in the background.
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d_thomas02 wrote: »Couple of summer storms have past and flue is still standing.
Managed to get out and start a fire in the forge this morning using feed corn, a renewable "green earth" fuel (rather than fossil fuel coal) and knocked out this blacksmith knife with my son. He then did the grinding on an old Craftman belt/disk sander.
Not bad as a first attempt at a knife shaped object.
I love seeing Alert Diver in the background.
I read that cover to cover when I get it. I’m a DAN member for some years now, been diving since the 70s. Mostly resort diving in Jamaica now, but did fire service recovery work for a time.1 -
I'm a DAN member, too. I am a volunteer diver at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and my next little vacation is a five-day trip to the California Channel Islands with Truth Aquatics.
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Actually did this last weekend. Using corn as forge fuel (note flames in background are being drawn sideways into forge hood).
(Wife took this while I wasn't looking.)2 -
@d_thomas02, you're doing some fun-looking and wonderful things! Just to offer a whacky alt-crafts view of retirement projects, here's a necklace I have in process.
The stylized skull is made from polymer clay (Sculpey, IIRC) with fluid acrylic color and a bit of mica powder, plus a protective finish. It's tab set on a 26ga copper backplate (tabs cut from the backplate). The backplate was textured with what amounts to a jewelry cross-peen hammer worked radially (on a teeny palm-sized anvil ), then oxidized with liver of Sulphur gel.
I'm working on the strap/chain, and there will be dangles below (from 3 holes at the bottom of the backplate).
ETA: The chain/strap has pyrite, Czech glass, agate, Carnelian, and some copper crimp covers.2 -
I'm not retired, which is why I'm covertly pouring over this thread at work. I am in awe of all the talent here.3
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Saturday we got an all day rainout from work (yes, we are still working 6 days out of 7), so I sat in my Lazyboy with my knee up on a pillow and watched Netflix all day long.
Couldn't take it again on Sunday so started working on a stand for my Portasaw. (Sorry, no pics yet.)
Also, for work, welded a broken wheel bracket back onto a push mower and fiddled with two string trimmer heads that had decided to get difficult about releasing more string when asked. All (including myself) are ready to go back to work.0 -
I’ve been taking it easy for a couple weeks to get through these damn shingles, but the inactivity, other than a daily five mile walk, is driving me nuts.2
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Haven't had a chance to get back to my Smithy projects as we are still working 6 days a week.
Weather is starting to transition into Fall, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.
And then there is the total knee replacement coming up, seven weeks and counting. This will definitely end my 2018 busy season. Fingers crossed I'll be able to stand in front of an anvil and swing a hammer 2 weeks after.3 -
Back to some carpentry work. Driving limo cuts into my play time. Cut the back profiles on the chairs and started glueing in the mahogany plugs to hide the screws. Each chair and footstool pair requires 120 plugs. Completed two chairs and then had to produce more plugs.
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Beautiful work Farback. Really like the contrast in woods.
Still working six days a week here. Just missed a killing frost last night.
Slow progress on Porta-saw stand. Still have to trim the vertical stand pipe down and then figure out a way to stabilize the lower end of the saw handle. After that I only have to add an on/off switch as these saws don't have a trigger lock.
Not had a lot of free time even on my one day off as I'm helping my buddy/boss rebuild and install a 4.3L engine in his boat. Getting close now. Another day, maybe two, to install the lower unit on the transom and then time the engine.
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Thanks d-thomas. It’s Dave isn’t it? I’m Kirk.
Drove a couple hundred plugs today in the cold. Used up almost all my stock, but all four sets of chairs and stools are done.
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That's a whack of plugs (yes, I went for the pun)1
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Kirk,
Got another Dave at work so, to keep the confusion to a minimum, I go by David.
I see 'Dave' and I now think of the other guy, not me.
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Fun with my own truck.
Headed home the other night and stopped at the local auto parts store to get a thermostat, radiator cap, and a couple of gallons of 50/50 for the old blue beast ('94 Toyota pickup /w a 22RE 4 cylinder) as she has been spitting up coolant lately (crossing fingers its not a headgasket... again). Turn down the onramp and gave her the gas. About halfway down, she shuts down like I had shut the ignition off. All the dash lights are on and she cranks good. But nothin'
My son stops on his way home and we cobble a short tow rope out of a couple of coils of 1/4" tiedown rope I keep in the truck.
Get home and start troubleshooting. After a couple of false leads, I find this...
That coppery rat's nest around the distributor shaft is the insides of the pickup coil, now on the outside. I've never seen one fail like this before.
$50 for a new one and then I can start troubleshooting the coolant issue. (Still crossing fingers its not a headgasket.)
Maybe its time to find a daily driver that doesn't have 300,000+ miles on it.1 -
I've never seen one fail like that before either. Bizarre!!1
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New toy in Buhka’s Buddhist Boat Shop. First project is a bowl for my tie clips, ring etc. This is walnut and basswood. That school teacher I live with tells me I’m making the Christmas presents this year.
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Had a whole day off. Made a place to keep my EDC (every day carry) stuff, and an apple for my favorite teacher.
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Really like the apple, Kirk. I've a favorite teacher as well. May have to steal your idea and try and blacksmith one when I get back on my feet after the knee operation.
New distributor pickup coil and my old truck runs again. But new thermostat did not cure the collant issue. Looks like either a bad head gasket or cracked head.
Either way the old beast is going into retirement. I may rebuild the engine and keep it as a farm truck but now looking for a new mode of daily transportation. Thinking small V6 4x4 truck w/ manual tranny... if I can find anything with a manual these days.
Thinking I'll hang loose, bumming rides off my family and friends for the next three weeks until the knee operation and then start seriously looking after mid-December with the plan to not buy until after the new year (saves a bit on property taxes not having a new horse in the stables on Jan 1).3 -
I need a bowl like that! Beautiful!1
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Couple new projects today. An apple for my friend Kathy, teacher, dive buddy and sister firefighter. the start of a vase project, used off-cut pieces from a table I shortened for my daughter a couple days ago, and some purpleheart strips from the off-cut bin. All re-purposed wood.
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vase completed.
I'm getting artsy. Maybe I need a beret. Or maybe a Stetson? Mac?
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A walnut bowl. Getting better with each project. Good thing too, Hollywood isn't calling.
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