More time to Cast

[Jammer]

Well, Friday was my last day at work. Now I have nothing but time, and cold, and snow, or rain. I've got a lot of stuff to do around here to get the house ready to sell at the end of February, but I plan on taking some time to finish stalled projects and get a few things cast before I have to box up all of my foundry.
I did get a severance package so I have some insurance and cash for a few months. I'll have to start looking for work this summer, hopefully a little further south. They let me keep my PPE (Safety Equipment) so that's a plus for the foundry.

[dallen]

well you made out better then I did I loose my insurance end of the month. other then that I pretty much am not going to look for work think I have things figured out where I can sit at home and play with the toys. you get over towards oklahoma hollar we'll drink a cup of coffee swap stories.

[latzanimal]

Sorry to hear that Jammer. I was close last year until they decided to close another facility instead...

I hear there's money in bronze casting....

Good luck in whatever path you take...

[Jammer]

As in "Bronze Drums?"
Still rolling that around in my head, along with 50 other things.

[Harry]

Well that bites, I always got the impression you liked where you worked but then maybe its a good thing. I know getting laid off for me meant pushing into building my own business which is not doing too bad, FC made a good move too... just meaning to say keep a positive eye out and best of luck.

[F.C.]

Jammer... DAYUM... I had no idea you were about to get laid off. WTF? Between you and me, YOU have the wherewithall to do this busines on your own. I thought you did work out of your home already? If not, you should. If move'n is cast in stone, well.... give me a head's up where you land. I will share with you how I got lined out in quick bill pay'n work (cast'n) to get you started earn'n an income. With your skills, you should be able to draw between 30 to 60K your first year work'n out of your garage.

Stay connected to us, ya hear?


Frank

[Jammer]

Oh, I loved where I worked. It's just the politics of it all, favoritism, getting rid of the older experienced for the young and stupid, and the whole appearance of doing the right thing as far as Safety, quality and environmental. Then, in practice, doing what is the cheapest and easiest. They have totally destroyed quality control for the sake of a few dollars saved. I didn't want to be around when the customers start dropping away. I also don't want to be there when someone is hurt or killed because of not enough people there to do the work. I just couldn't handle throwing 80 to 100, 50 pound bags of stuff into ladles of molten steel over a 12 hour period.
I'm not going anywhere as far as this forum goes, I'll stick around. Just have to pack stuff up for a while until I land somewhere. I don't feel like I have that many skills, but I think it's because I've been try to save a buck and take short cuts. I think I know enough now, that if I get the right investment, petrobond, and good alloys I'll be able to make a couple bucks.
What does BobS say? "I used to spend time to save money, now I spend money to save time".
Thanks for the encouragement Frank, I'm not laid off, I'm on an extended paid vacation that will end sometime around this fall.
It's a shame we all live so far apart, if a few of us could work together we could probably make some money. I was actually looking at a closed foundry in southern Ohio, thinking about getting a Government Grant and opening it back up. All the stuff involved with a business is too much for me right now, and dealing with OSHA and the EPA wouldn't be much fun.

[dallen]

Like I said you get over this way hollar and we'll drink a cup of coffee, I'm not sure but the more I think about it the more I think the me getting laid off was a good deal, anyway it will get me out of the rut that I have been in for the last couple of years just sitting about waiting for them to call so I could go do the same ole thing. So I'm planing for some changes and start school for Wind Generators in Feb.

[F.C.]

Me... well, I ain't let'n up on my vision. I owned and operated a casting business from 1989 to 2006 working out of my own 30x30 studio connected to my own home. I did, of course, work a day job, too, in order to build and afford the effort to explore and experiement in developing the business. In 1997 I went full tilt on my own, though.... GAWD how that was FUN!! I miss it. Had I not packed it in to head south so's the wife could take care of her dieing mom I'd still have that studio today. Instead, after her mom died in 08 I've been re-establishing myself back home in Alaska and build'n on this new studio added to the new home we built a couple years ago, AGAIN, while work'n a damned day job. Geeze, I hate that. But there's hope on the horizon. For one, the shop is done, just need shelves, work benches, etc., and to build myself another bronze furnace. That can be accomplished by Spring, I imagine. But... something else reared its head lately, seems some rich folks in Alaska established a foundation to support the arts since I've been gone south. I found out about it yesterday and checked on it. They offer grants for a variety of purposes to support artists in improving, growing, or establishing themselves, and/or just to create a piece of public art. me thinks there's a genuine posibility here I can apply and receive between 12K and 25K to fund the upgrades I'd like added to my studio, or at a minimum, 12K to fund the completion of the 9 Ft Grizzly I started back in '06 and intend to finish in my new digs. The foundation is strictly for Alaskan artists that show promise and have the skills to grow but need capital to help them get past lack of tooling, training, facilities, etc. Judging by their qualification criteria I do believe I qualify for any of the grants they offer. Also... the people that initiated the foundation will recall my name when they see my portfolio and recognize some of the public works I've done over the years, most having been hand to mouth ventures offered solely to get my work out in public without turning a profit. A few, I did free gratus. The filing deadline is the end of this March. You can assure I will have my application in before that. Wish me luck. But on another note, the other dream I've had in my head and heart has been to establish an art foundry here in Alaska to support the arts that otherwise are dependant upon the lower 48 states to cast their work. If I call it a "studio" or Artists Workshop I avoid the hassle with the State, EPA and whatnot and avoid the excessive taxation. An artist can have any tool at their disposal, including a studio the size of an industrial giant foundry as long as they produce the owner's artworks as the main scope of business. And yes,... the owner can do for others whatever he wants with his tools, either for profit of his time and materials, or purely to sell his time to instruct others with intent to encourage those pursueing art. Helping folks create their art, eliminating their discouragement of being dependant upon lower 48 services thereby encouraging arts and art services to thrive here in Alaska, is what gets those otherwise opposed to industrial services to turn a blind eye. This is the end of the world up here. The work we do generates no harmful emmissions and far lower environmental waste than your standard dry cleaning services (which are not regulated, btw, at least not here). A typical diesel truck in this state pukes out more visual emmisions in a daily commute than my studio will do in ten years. Cars produce even more harmful emmissions than my blast furnace will. Non ferrous alloys typical of art projects are not hazardous materials either. None are regulated by the gubmint. Anyway... eventually, it's my hope to have that service in operation and I'd be look'n to bring in others to help make it grow. Enuff for now. It's past quit'n time and I'm jones'n for a cold beer. Cheers, fellas. Keep the faith and keep cast'n Jammer. Like moths to a flame, it's what we do... gawd help us all, HAHAHA.

[Jammer]

That sounds great Frank, Go for it.

There's an arts center in Columbus OH. that has a casting class, well more of a sculpture class that casts at the end. You make a wax figure and then cast it lost wax. I'm going to sign up for the class, missed this months starting date so, probably in March. They make some nice bronzes.