[TheForge] OT rant (armor)

Tue Dec 14 13:13:20 EST 2004

I can see the news articles now. "Ancient Trade Steps Up to Protect Our 
Troops'... "Blacksmiths Provide Armor"...

Mike Graf

rw wrote:

> Justin,  my wife has "adopted" a soldier in a K9 Unit.  She corresponds and
> sends "stuff".  Both seem to have received a lot from the exchange.
> I do not believe there is any money to be made but one could certainly adopt
> a soldier or unit that needs armor.  Buy material. Make it.  Send it.
> Ron
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Justin Fellenz" <sunironworks at yahoo.com>
> To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 11:44 AM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] OT rant (armor)
> 
> 
> 
>>One mouth needs a lot of hands, not the other way around. Thanks Chris.
>>Basically, my thinking is that if I can say to someone, somewhere
>>(finding that person'll take some doing, but...) that there exists a
>>group of skilled smiths across the country who are willing and able to
>>build what needs to be built--a production force that can look to the
>>government like "an entity"--someone might see a need. As a small group
>>we can be more nimble and responsive than the enormous bureaucracies
>>that lie at the heart (if you'll forgive the inaccurate metaphor) of
>>huge companies. Productwise, I just kinds stole Reis's idea of making
>>armor for trucks. The shapes are pretty simple, a bend here and there,
>>a weld or two, a few holes for bolts. I'm thinking an armor kit that
>>you can box up and ship over to fit on a given truck. We'd need a truck
>>of a given type to make a blueprint that could be distributed to the
>>group. COuld be that certain shops have certain abilities and not
>>others--one with the material handling equipment to manage big pieces,
>>one with machining ability, one with an ironworker, one with TIG for
>>aluminum, maybe. Maybe everybody does whole pieces, or some of both.
>>But thats getting WAY ahead of where we are. Mostly, if a few of you
>>actually have the time and interest and facilities to participate, then
>>it's something I can try to shop. No point shaking the tree if there's
>>nothing behind the plan.
>>
>>JRF
>>--- Chris Kilpatrick <crimsonkil at lycos.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Justin,
>>>     I'll lend a hand, but I have not the skills to be the head or
>>>mouth.
>>>
>>>-Chris K.
>>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Justin Fellenz" <sunironworks at yahoo.com>
>>>To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>>>Subject: Re: [TheForge] OT rant (armor)
>>>Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 06:04:22 -0800 (PST)
>>>
>>>
>>>>You know, guys and gals...
>>>>
>>>>(this is semi-serious)
>>>>
>>>>Reis got me thinking, and Frosty got me thinking bigger. It seems
>>>
>>>like
>>>
>>>>there are a few of us on this list who are either underemployed,
>>>
>>>with
>>>
>>>>skills but no shop, or who run their own shops and maybe are
>>>
>>>looking
>>>
>>>>for some work. Just talking off the cuff, it occurred to me that we
>>>>could sort of band together in a loose coalition of sorts and make
>>>>armor for the boys across the pond. Like Reis said, many of us have
>>>
>>>the
>>>
>>>>equipment to do it, and there are hands that could help. There
>>>
>>>needs to
>>>
>>>>be a head to the beast, some point of contact with the government,
>>>
>>>ok,
>>>
>>>>that's not too tough, I live here in the navel of the political
>>>>universe (ugh) and have a little time and like doing that sort of
>>>>thing. Or maybe someone else is more qualified and connected--if
>>>
>>>so,
>>>
>>>>please step forward. I am a little bit familiar with small business
>>>>regs for contracting and tricks like 8a (woman/minority-owned
>>>>businesses). The problems as I see it are 1. figuring out a way to
>>>>actually get product to the people who need it, which means finding
>>>
>>>the
>>>
>>>>decision makers here in town; 2. getting everone organized and
>>>
>>>working
>>>
>>>>out who does what and how everyone gets paid; and 3., a lesser
>>>
>>>problem,
>>>
>>>>figuring out what to make and developing standard templates.
>>>>
>>>>It's real possible that all these are, singly or together,
>>>>insurmountable problems. But I am curious, just kinda woodshedding,
>>>
>>>if
>>>
>>>>any of you would be interest in such a venture. All of us together
>>>
>>>are
>>>
>>>>still only going to be able to produce a pretty small amount of
>>>>stuff--there's no replacement for a huge foundry. But if the guys
>>>
>>>are
>>>
>>>>scrounging scrap piles, maybe it would help. And there is a place
>>>
>>>for
>>>
>>>>"small business" in government contracting, by law. It might
>>>
>>>generate
>>>
>>>>some work in the good ol US of A, put some government money in the
>>>>hands of us citizen-types, and it would allow us to actually *do*
>>>>something for our guys instead of just bitching or *saying* "I
>>>
>>>support
>>>
>>>>our troops".
>>>>
>>>>I dunno. Maybe it's too big to organize, maybe there's no point in
>>>
>>>it.
>>>
>>>>There's a good chance there's no real way into the government, the
>>>
>>>war
>>>
>>>>will be over before the first piece of iron ships. If everyone's
>>>
>>>busy
>>>
>>>>or y'all think I'm nuts, then there's no product. But I think we
>>>
>>>all
>>>
>>>>agree that work is good, money is better, and whatever you think of
>>>
>>>the
>>>
>>>>war our troops deserve everything we can do for them. Seems like
>>>>everyone wins. Thought it might be worth a try, anyway.
>>>>
>>>>If any or enough of y'all are at all interested I can go sniffing
>>>>around here and see if I can actually get connected to the right
>>>>people.
>>>>
>>>>Thoughts?
>>>>
>>>>JRF
>>>>
>>>>--- Andrew Vida <osan at netlabs.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Justin Fellenz wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>Always thinkin big, Frosty. Gotta respect that.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I'm a gummint contractor...it's our job to generate bloated
>>>
>>>prose
>>>
>>>>>for
>>>>>
>>>>>>money and then go to meetings about it. Oh, and occasionally we
>>>>>
>>>>>build a
>>>>>
>>>>>>thing or two, but mostly it's bad prose and meetings.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Maybe we can get haliburton to build it. Put us all to work
>>>
>>>for the
>>>
>>>>>>next 5 years. Please post salary requirements offlist. New
>>>
>>>tools
>>>
>>>>>for
>>>>>
>>>>>>everyone!
>>>>>
>>>>>It would serve them right, given they stole all the rest of the
>>>>>jobs. :)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>-- No virus found in this outgoing message.
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>>>
>>>12/13/2004
>>>
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>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>It is I who formed the blacksmith,
>>>who fans the flame into a fire and
>>>fashions a weapon fit for it's work.
>>>
>>>-- 
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Find what you are looking for with the Lycos Yellow Pages
>>>
>>
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>>
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