Do you make anything? Personally, I mean 75/25

Well now. I can honestly say that I don't "personally" know most of the people I deal with on a daily basis. Mostly because every day I'm in a different location (truck driver).

That being said, however, I am fairly handy around the house. And I think between my SO and I we've got most things covered.

I can ....

• Cook from Scratch
  
• Grow a Garden
  
• Fish
  
• Sew clothing and quilts (used to do it for a living!)
  
• Crochet
  
• Carpentry work (from basic shelves to cabinets) although nowhere NEAR professional grade!
  
• Repair most plumbing
  
• Some "building" ability (i.e. drywall, repair, etc.)
  

I want to learn or am in the process of learning ...

• Foraging/Identifying Wild Plants on our Land (already identified a few things we can eat!)
  
• Basic Electrical
  
• Growing an Orchard
  
• Soap/Candle Making
  
• Canning
  
• Hunting
  

My SO knows most of the things I "want" to know with the exception of foraging/identifying wild plants and Soap/Candlemaking. He's also very "mechanical" and is able to perform almost every basic repair that needs to be done to our many vehicles (including our semi-trucks). He understands hydraulics and can manufacture from scratch most of the hydraulic parts we may need (seen him do so with our back-hoe) and is fairly profficient with a gun. He spent much of his younger years in the Military so ... .... He also grew up on a farm, so he knows much more about gardening and larger scale food growing than myself.

Being as we aren't home much it's extremely difficult to get to know our "neighbors" except those that live right next door. The fellow to our west is an older gent that my SO has known ever since before he purchased this property. The fellow that lived behind us passed on a couple months ago and his house now sits empty waiting for vandels to destroy it. Our next nearest neighbor is about a mile away.

All in all, assuming we are HOME when TSHTF I think we'll do okay for a while. Since both of us are getting up there in years and both of us are in fairly poor physical condition, I don't know that we'll last too long. He depends on pharmacutical's for his heart condition and I know if anything happens to him it's going to be nigh impossible for me to continue alone.

reply to post by hardamber



upholstery is exactly what I'm talking about, it's a skill and marketable and unlikely to be off-shored.

ps. I actually have a great link for safe seeds (that make plants that reseed)
www.whitehillfarm.com...

reply to post by Miraj




Sharpening knives is another non off-shorable trade that is very useful and marketable. Of course - now so many knives are cerated (sp?) that doesn't work for them, or does it?

If one sold knives and the service to sharpen them (and the explanations of which knives were best for what ...) that's a good business. If one made the knives in the first place, even more so.

reply to post by trusername


Lemonbalm & brandy

recycled plastic bag rugs

garden humor

And none of these things are bringing in a paycheck. But hopefully they are helping to curb some spending.

I'm also making crochet blankets, potpourri, soap and lotion, essential oils, and homemade paper.

reply to post by Remixtup



I think that kits (making kits) for kids on how to things like make candles or bone a fish or make a fire or make a quilt or crochet a scarf etc. are a good idea.

Making the kit with the explanation and providing the supplies and refills is a good product.

The US has learned over the last few decades how to explain things with pretty pictures and simple language. Making kits for kids for useful things (instead of just hair braiding with plastic ponies) could be a great product that teaches a new generation manufacturing with non-toxic materials.

And provides a young generation with a sense of pride and dignity to skill sets like these.

reply to post by Hazelnut

Originally posted by Hazelnut
reply to post by trusername

 

Lemonbalm & brandy

recycled plastic bag rugs

garden humor

And none of these things are bringing in a paycheck. But hopefully they are helping to curb some spending.

I'm also making crochet blankets, potpourri, soap and lotion, essential oils, and homemade paper.

NOW WE'RE TALKING!

when you make these things how do you make sure that you're not effected by any toxins? are you not using any? Or are you just very careful?

Have you written anything up on how to be careful - and on your trial and error with this work?



[edit on 9/1/2009 by trusername]

I make Soy candles, soap, lotion, mineral makeup. I can cook and sew but not my favorite things to do.

I could make a shelter, fish, build a fire. I am good at first aid.

Hubby is an engineer (not his job at this time) and can fix or build just about anything.

We both (use to) hunt and he still shoots on a regular basis.

We could be self-sufficiant if need be.

I also make something I call "BooBoo Balm". It is a combo of aloe, Emu Oil, lavender, ginger, wheatgerm oil and other healing ingrediants in a base of beeswax and canadulla wax.

Friends swear by it for bug bites, scraps, burns, well - booboo's

[edit on 1-9-2009 by mappam]

reply to post by Hazelnut



sorry - I got your post mixed up with one making soap. Your's are totally non toxic and wouldn't have any worries. But very clever!

I am wondering how people making soap are dealing with the toxins.

Originally posted by trusername
reply to post by Hazelnut

 

sorry - I got your post mixed up with one making soap. Your's are totally non toxic and wouldn't have any worries. But very clever!

I am wondering how people making soap are dealing with the toxins.

We were posting at the same time...

What toxins are you talking about with the soap making??

Originally posted by mappam
I make Soy candles, soap, lotion, mineral makeup. I can cook and sew but not my favorite things to do.

[edit on 1-9-2009 by mappam]

When you make the soap and candles and lotion - what is the most worrisome ingredient and how do you deal with that?


What is something you make that you would like to sell (make more than you need and sell the surplus)

Originally posted by cnichols

All in all, assuming we are HOME when TSHTF I think we'll do okay for a while. Since both of us are getting up there in years and both of us are in fairly poor physical condition, I don't know that we'll last too long. He depends on pharmacutical's for his heart condition and I know if anything happens to him it's going to be nigh impossible for me to continue alone.

If you used to sew for a living, would you want to do that again to make money?

If not, why not or what would make it more appealing?

I try to use as many natural ingrediants as I possibly can.

Preservatives are Usually NOT natural but something that is really needed!

I don't really worry about any of the things I use but have a Very Heavy Respect for the lye in the soap making.

You do need to make sure that some of the colorant and fragrance items are 'skin safe' and to warn people that may have allergies to be careful the first time they use something.

reply to post by trusername


The quilts my mother taught me to make will last a good 50 years or more. I still have the quilts my mother made for me when I was a baby and they look/feel as good as new.

Believe me if you want a comforter for your bed, find a quilt maker and get one that will last you generations!

reply to post by mappam




Could you see a way to make kits for kids to make soap or candles or would the lye just be too problematic and unavoidable?

Maybe they could be for high schools or trade schools.

I really think there needs to be more trade schools or emphasis on making things for people of all ages. Actually, maybe the kits should be made with baby boomers in mind.

Originally posted by Tentickles
reply to post by trusername

 

The quilts my mother taught me to make will last a good 50 years or more. I still have the quilts my mother made for me when I was a baby and they look/feel as good as new.

Believe me if you want a comforter for your bed, find a quilt maker and get one that will last you generations!

I believe it!

It's so destructive that there is a culture tease about quilt making and everything productive and wholesome really. It's a ... conspiracy

I have been a professional craftsman/artisan for over 25 years making furniture, guitars, pottery, metal goods from fine gold jewelry to pewter boxes, leather from sandals to rope soled boots, soap, handmade paper and weavings on a handmade loom.

A second vocation has been as a flyfishing guide/outfitter, tieing all sorts of flies that work, hand made graphite fishing rods and canvas covered canoes.

Sadly all these businesses are now in the tank, thanks to the economy.

Now I am working in the entertainment industry as an assistant Director, cameraman, extra/actor/standin, editor, and guy that makes the coffee and goes and gets the pizza. PA [production assistant]

I would much rather be in my studio making things but handmade things are not appreciated as they once were.

The other thing that would help is if RECYCLERS met up with MANUFACTURERS and CRAFTSMEN more.

Now, so many people are buying supplies new and so many recyclers are selling their surplus over seas.

It's all in the sorting. If you look at a pile of garbage you want to walk away.

If you look at stacks of same type materials - it becomes useful.

A home depot after a hurricane / flood looks like a pile of garbage, but it's the same stuff that looked useful a week ago.

it's all in the sorting. Asia has such an upper hand on us here, we've really got to take a page from their book. then re-write it without the slave labor and ewaste toxic handling.

Actually you can buy something called "Melt & Pour" soap base.

All you need to do with this is melt it and add color/fragrance then stick it into a mold. The mold can be something as simple as a Pringle Can - then just cut off the ends and slide it out - cut into rounds.

There are a few that are made with natural ingrediants and if you want to U2U me I can send you some links.

You can also buy lotion, liquid soap, and other items in Base Form to create your own.

Soy candles are pretty easy and hard at the same time.

It is really easy working with the soy - comes in 'pellets' or granuals and you just melt - add a wick and pour into a container.

Hard because it is HARD to get the wick the correct size. You don't want the candle to burn too hot (can cause a fire or break/melt the container) or too cool (burrow down the middle of the candle - wasting a lot of the wax).

Soy is also Water Soluable - so you can - well say - make a candle in a ceramic coffee mug. Burn the candle. When finished just scrape out the Big Pieces (with wooden spoon or something Non-Metal) then stick into the dishwasher or wash with hot soapy water. No residue left over.

Soy also is clean burning and doesn't give off toxic fumes.

To be honest - I mostly make the Melt & Pour soap now as it has gotten SOOOO hard to get the lye. My hubby actually prefers the lather

Originally posted by whaaa
I have been a professional craftsman/artisan for over 25 years making furniture, guitars, pottery, metal goods from fine gold jewelry to pewter boxes, leather from sandals to rope soled boots, soap, handmade paper and weavings on a handmade loom.

I would much rather be in my studio making things but handmade things are not appreciated as they once were.

Is this true?

You've tried selling things on line I suppose? I know it's very hard, but I'm just wondering if you've tried. And at fairs? I'm guessing that's an expensive and time consuming way to sell.

I personally would much rather buy things hand made, but I have trouble finding them. Especially paper ... guitars... if you have a web site please u2u me - I'll buy hand made paper from you!

reply to post by mappam




Good to know so that is a kit solution. a good way to ease people into the joy of it.

Then for the making from scratch - where do you get your ingredients?