creative machine funding ideas

terrywerm said:
I quit smoking almost six years ago now.
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Congratulations, I've never had to fight breaking addictions but those close to me have so I know how hard it is. Thats great you have been able to stay away!
 
i do smoke and wow would it be great if quitting would stick .... lets hope it does one day soon . but believe it or not smoking isnt a huge expense for me , i rarely buy ready made cigarettes , i am a thrifty person , i roll my own , costs me around $15-20 a month .
but that adds up if i ever manage to quit .

not being a coffee drinker thats out ... but i can easily give up the pepsi cola for awhile ... theres a few bucks a week .
just dont ask me to give up me iced tea :panic:

no pay tv here , electric, phone and internet are my only bills .... and theres been many a time i'd like to quit the telephone .

i have seen those crowd funding sites , i am not sure how i feel about that idea , im not against asking for help when i need it ... but is that asking for help or as aptly put "begging"

darkzero is speaking my language though .... i like the idea of making gadgets and stuff to sell , i like that idea a whole lot .
i wouldnt mind hearing what kind of things you made , and some good ideas for myself .

i am not afraid to admit im not a creative person in that regard , i am just not an idea man , slow witted and plodding am i .
 
Do you have a clean decent vehicle to drive? If so post an ad on craigslist as a personal driver. Heck its possible there are people who can't drive anymore but still own their vehicle and just need a driver to get them to and fro. That's about the best idea I could come up with for someone who has some physical limitations. I think you could build up a client list of repeat customers in short order.
 
Curious as to why you have set a budget of $2000 when there is zero in the kitty to start with, why not set you're sights a little lower to start off with?

I realise that location can be an issue in the USA when buying machinery, but maybe if you look hard enough there might be a scruffy or unloved mill somewhere close by for scrap money or less.

Even if you initially get a machine that doesn't actually fit your needs, you could do it up, move it on for a profit and buy something that does.

It's surprising what can fall out of the woodwork when you start asking around.

Also I have to say when funds and space were tight, I managed for many years with just a decent lathe, mounting a boring table on the cross slide when I needed to mill something.

Good luck with you're quest.
 
well i can explain that easy enough , it is nothing more then a nice round number , a goal to reach .
i find that if i do not set a goal when trying to accomplish something things tend to fall off track for me .
and $2000 would get me a mill and enough basic tooling to get started .
this was how i managed to get my go602 lathe .

i live in the rust belt , finding used machinery is rather easy ... bridgeports abound in my area , i bet there is at least 25 of them on craigslist within 100 miles of me at any given time , and if a person looks finding one rather cheaply is possible . there is one in pittsburg right now for $900 as an example
but i have ruled full size machines out for a pretty common reason ... space , i have the room now but i have other machines i want to add in the future and it does not take long to run out of room in half of a 2 car garage .

and my kitty is no longer at zero ... i broke out my carhart coat this morning and found $37 in the inside pocket ... woo hooo
 
oops i missed coolidge , a nice clean car ... actually i dont . my ratty old buick died a fiery death a few weeks ago .
thats part of the reason i need to fund this in a more ... creative way .
but the car problem will be solved in a few more weeks , so i dont have any more worries there .
i also have a few other things happening this year that are going to suck up my extra money ... i have a slate roof that needs a fair bit of repair and the usual home repairs that get put off .

so simply put , if i want a mill i have to fund it outside my usual source of income .

i dont expect it to happen over night , if it takes me two years to get like my lathe did .. then by golly i will keep plugging away at it for two years
 
Ive seen alot od people say a full size mill doesnt take up much more space than a table top one. Think of it like this, a mill will take a bit of real estate no matter what. It can be on the floor (full size mill) or on your work bench, but then you have less bench space and need to get another bench (more room and money).
 
Check to see if you have a plasma and blood donation center near. If your desiese free you might be able to make a few bucks, and help save lives to boot.
 
AMAZING! I was the same way. A year ago, I had no machines and no shop. My health was horrible and I was in a wheel chair. I been a machinist all my life but being on Social Security didn't let me buy anything cause every penny went to support myself. A friend called and told me about a lathe for $650. I had a loan I was paying on so I added it to the loan for a few bucks more a month. First problem. Now I got a machine and no tooling and no shop. I cleaned out the 8 foot by 8 foot shed for a shop. Now need tooling but no money. Well, I learned years ago, God provides what is needed. Nothing more, and nothing less ( yea, he works that way). :dunno:
To make a long story short, I now have a lathe, a mill, a drill press, an air compressor, a band saw, and a mess of tooling which I made 80% of. I also have an 8 foot by 22 foot shop and it is some what heated.
The moral here. " lf it is meant to be, it will happen" . If YOU work at it , God will help when he knows you are serious AND there is a purpose.

Many here are familiar with my work. Most don't know me, but know my work. That is my purpose. " To pass on my knowledge and show the less financially blessed, how to have quality tooling cheap , but mostly to pass on the knowledge"

I have noticed, when I stumble and can't go on , something always happens. A few know what is happening now to me, but I keep going because I am not finished yet.

So hang in there, it will happen. :))

Mark Frazier


EDIT: I also, even though my health makes it difficult, unselfishly help a number of people with help they need and cannot do. I also help anonymously with some things and enjoy the wonder on someone's face when their problem is solved and they don't know how or why. This is what makes life worth living and it comes back to you. Maybe not right away,but it comes back to you!
 
Hi Bosephus,

Here's a method that may help you out, take a stab at buying and selling on EBAY.
it will not be the fastest method of accumulating wealth but it is very effective.
start off by taking the $37 you found in your Carharts' and buy something(anything) that you believe you can turn a profit on.
set the price higher than you want to because there are a couple fees involved with doing business on EBAY.
Sell the intended item, collect proceeds.
Buy 2 items, if possible, with the proceeds and list and sell the 2 items.
Buy 4 items, if possible, with the proceeds and list and sell the 4 items
ad infintium

i know it sounds simplistic , but have no fear it is effective.

Another idea along the same lines,
Buy items cheap on Craigslist and sell them for profit on EBAY, or Vice-versa

Trading or bartering for stuff is effective too-
if you buy unwanted but desireable items on CL you can trade for other items that you can in turn, turn into cash or other items to trade or sell to others

With a little discipline and planning, you can fund your very own Machine Shop!!~

good luck-
Let me know how i can help you.

mike:))
 
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