What an accomplishment! Manythanks. What a forum, Hugh?
What an accomplishment! Manythanks. What a forum, Hugh?
Predictions are risky, especially when it comes to the future.
Thanks for these videos, they are helping a lot with my projects!
Fulfillment is living a life that makes the lives of others worth living.
DIY is addicting and fulfilling!
"If guns kill people, then pencils mispell words, cars cause people to drink and drive, and spoons made Rosie O'donnell fat."
LOL, just watched part 4. I loved Grizz's section
Thanks RamblinRev
Life is hard? Compared to what?
Kudos and much gratitude to ya Rev!
That is a fine series of videos and I can't imagine any DIYer not learning a thing or twenty from it.
Happy Trails to all...
Thanks Rev for the series and filling in some of the gaps my survival sewing skills have left me with. Why I didn't take this home ec class when I had the chance, well, I didn't. I thought Pre-Calc would be more important.
I do take issue with a statement you and others make. Will you save money wiith DIY gear. The common answer is "NO, not when you figure in your time."
Time, is the one thing I DO have, and it's not worth that much. I could use it to watch another documentary on The Hitler(History) Channel or REALLY waste it with an episode of Snooky¹ vs The World(which I've never seen.)
The second thing listed is the quality of items produced by the manufacturers. No doubts there. With few exceptions (Yugo) the manufacturers of all products excel in what the DIY guy can do. However, the difference between having a mosquito netted tarp with a zippered side, rainfly, and, for the sake of a patent Spinaker Sleaving (you didn't think HE came up with that did you?) for the cost of a few yards fabric compared to dang near 4-500 dollars?
Let me rephrase that. However, the difference of making everything for the cost of a few yards of fabric and hours of maybe even enjoyable creating to NOT having any gear. Well Sir that is just Priceless. Will my stitching be as even and as fancy as the manufacturer? Nope. Will it get the job done? Ya Buddy.
Make no doubt, I know that given the tools and time my version of a Mercedes would make a Yugo look like a Lincoln. But if it only cost me materials and a little time, I'd be driving the Clean-mobile. I'll never pay that kind of money for a car. (probably never HAVE that kind of money)
You've added to my knowledge base sir, thankee. I hope to actually get out there and create with that knowledge. That's worth more than any 500 dollar, lookie what I bought, sleeping system ever could be worth.
Sides, I haven't seen one of those manufactured Hammocks come in Bright Red and Yellow. It's not like I want to get shot during deer season ya know!
¹ For posterity as her 15 minutes should soon be up, "Snooky" refers to a character who "stars" along with the rest of the cast on a "Reality TV" show on MTV. Here, various individuals are gathered in front of a camera, given a "plausible" set of circumstances and told to "Act Natural". TV Execs in their desire to make as much money possible with as little money expended decided to fire most of the writers and staff and do away with things like, plot, substance, mental abilities over Howler monkey. (normally say Chimpanzee but it turns out they are relatively smart. At least they choose not to watch "Reality TV".
The Execs and most of their now waining audience failed to take into account two things.
1. Act Naturally. Normal people not only do not "Act Naturally" when they know a camera is on them it has been proven to be contrary to the laws of both Newtonian and Einsteinian space, and 3 or the known 14 higher dimensions. There are or rather were, a specific breed of human who COULD "Act Naturally" in front of a camera, they were called actors. They are also, unfortunately, a dying breed, so much so that if you can find an Actor that is any good at their craft, they are automatically paid outrageous sums of money to perform, achieve status that could never be achieved if Joseph Stalk and Jesus, the son of God himself, miracled a direct offspring. They there-upon develop a Super Ego complex and generally set out to solve all of the worlds "problems" while neglecting their acting skills. Usually convinced they poses project decision capabilities regarding the cloning of Human dedicated intellect with Deity offspring.
At least they don't achieve Sports Hero status.
2. Most importantly for this discussion EVERYONE, Sports Heroes and Wild Amazonian Natives in breech-clothes and face paint alike not only have a flip cam, but they've got Twitter and You-Tube accounts. They unintentionally and accidentally produce "Reality TV" without pay or profit, and produce it not on a Weekly basis, not on a Daily Basis or even an Hourly basis. They produce, edit and deliver sometimes with really rocking stolen music on a Moment to Moment basis. Thereby eliminating the need of Studio Executives and their non-acting, self-proclaimed celebrities and undercutting their outrageous profits. They've eliminated the need for TV itself, now relegated to the task of viewing movies delivered on disk by mail or over the internet itself (might as well, nobody would pay to watch this junk in a theater) but also given the option of displaying Twitter and You-Tube Videos. Its thought that by 2015 the demand for TV usage will be so low that the lack of current draw to power now unplugged tv's will eliminate the need to upgrade the worlds electrical grid.
So it ain't ALL bad.
Side note: The former writing staffs have been located now living in Bora Bora and having a "Splendid" time. They were found due to a rather unfortunate, self-gloating moment in which one of them, not to be named, shared by sending a postcard to a former and now suicidal TV Executive with the simple caption of, "Absolutely Enjoying Life. Glad you're NOT here."
They always were a cheeky lot.
Last edited by MrClean417; 01-01-2011 at 06:49.
MrClean417.. The reason I put it that way is so many people think DIY is going the cheap way to get a good product. It can be. You are correct about that. IF you already have the equipment and the skills to do it then yes you _can_ save some money. But I have found for myself that by the time I buy all the notions at retail and pay retail prices for the yards of fabric used I really haven't saved that much. If you have the time and the inclination to build the skills then you are not _really_ doing it to save money. You are doing it to escape snookie and the rest of the tripe on the idiot box. There's nothing wrong with that... and if you really wanted to watch snookie and Let's Make a Deal you can still have the TV on while you work.
So not to pick your comment apart... But you are saving money. But _that_ is not your primary motive. That's all I'm saying.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
True, I base my evaluation on already having the necessary equipment and some materials. I can't imagine living in a house without a sewing machine, not that I use it all that much. But I've always had at least one. My mother had two, one we used and a portable that evidently 'wasn't that good'. My wife has had at least one plus the hand me down Singer from her Grandmothers porch. It's just like any one of the other 4 million Singer pedal sewing machines out there. Worth 5 dollars towards the purchase of a new machine at Sears. Plus a portable of the same model with electric motor. Her first machine, the machine I bought her when we were just married and both the current machine I bought her and the more expensive one that's actually my daughters, but she doesn't have a place to use right now.
Heck, I'm typing on a cabinet and if i reach up in it, egads, theres one in there! Don't know which one but it's probably in need of a good servicing. I'm tripping over the things.
Could use a good pair of Pinking shears though. Always thought that was to put an edge on pinking tape used on fabric covered aircraft to give the Dope a better edge to hold onto. So it's a ravel stopper. Something else I didn't know.
We're a nation of doers. Given a couple of hours and some just empty beer cans we make stoves. O sure, some make them for others just because they didn't think they could BUY a Foster's and pour it out, but that would cut down on the cost effectiveness.
I've got that one whooped though. I pour it on my compost pile. It aides in the breakdown of clippings to Gardenin Gold.
And while I did vent my dis-approval on your thread, it was meant for a couple other mentions I've come across already. You just got it in a rather long winded, insomnia inspired, back handed compliment.
Ya done good and Thanks.
hey, I actually dosed off there. I might just get a nap in before little miss sunshine wakes up.
Thanks RamblinRev for the fine, huge collection of DIY videos. Great project I'll put to good use for many many moons.
You and some of the other DIY'rs out here are what got me motivated to put together some of my own little items I can't find for sale. Projects in motion...
Still getting used to a newly purchased older model Kenmore. Love the time and learning I'm getting spending time in front of the "Thread Injector". Your collections of how-to's are a great resource.
Good luck on getting situated in your newest home & corner for your gear.
Happy New Years' to you and your family.
Thanks for all you do here on the forum.
I enjoy the DIY aspect of making gear. Sure, I have less than $200 total invested in materials for all of my gear I made, which in my mind most of it stacks up pretty well against the store bought models, but to me it's the sense of learning skills, applying these skills and passing them along to others that are the true rewards of a DIY project.
Thanks to folks like Rev, Grizz, Shug and a bunch more for sharing their knowledge in the most entertaining ways imaginable.
Happy Trails...
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