[TheForge] OT rant (armor)

Tue Dec 14 15:34:45 EST 2004

Hi guys,
Before I ritired from the Federal Gov't, I was a representive on the 
inter-agency armoring committee. We designed and tested both personnel armor 
and after market vehicle armor. I do not believe the committee even exists 
anymore. Their are several good companies that have contracts for developing 
and installing armor for the U.S.gov't, both civilian and military. All of 
them have more capicity for production than they are using. The problem is 
U.S.procurment is not writing contracts that will require the companies to 
increase production. You could start another company but it would just be 
another one to compete for the same inadequate contract requirements.
Bob M.

>From: Justin Fellenz <sunironworks at yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>To: Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: Re: [TheForge] OT rant (armor)
>Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:44:49 -0800 (PST)
>
>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.
> > > > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> > > > Version: 7.0.296 / Virus Database: 265.5.2 - Release Date:
> > 12/13/2004
> > > >
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