How much money to save before proceeding to forge a new life?

Jeff,
Many craftsmen had tool boxes that were man portable and allowed them to create beautiful pieces of furniture, carvings, cabinetry, jewelry. My jewelery studio now has many thousands of dollars in tools inside but when I started my tools fit in a large tackle box. By starting with hand tools (because I had little cash) that required me to perfect the craft with old proven skills, I am better for it. Your interest in making bows and carving pipes is not something that requires a huge outlay of cash in either tools or material. Neither require the need for a large studio. There were many flatbows made under open skies in the US and longbows in England were not done in studio settings. Take stock of what you have right now. Pepper plants? How are you going to market them? Where are you going to sell them? What are they worth? Your in Fla. people are already planting. You have inventory, don't let it go to waste.

Robert Ray wrote:Jeff,
Many craftsmen had tool boxes that were man portable and allowed them to create beautiful pieces of furniture, carvings, cabinetry, jewelry. My jewelery studio now has many thousands of dollars in tools inside but when I started my tools fit in a large tackle box. By starting with hand tools (because I had little cash) that required me to perfect the craft with old proven skills, I am better for it. Your interest in making bows and carving pipes is not something that requires a huge outlay of cash in either tools or material. Neither require the need for a large studio. There were many flatbows made under open skies in the US and longbows in England were not done in studio settings. Take stock of what you have right now. Pepper plants? How are you going to market them? Where are you going to sell them? What are they worth? You're in Fla. people are already planting. You have inventory, don't let it go to waste.

I am going to get started this week. I have unpacked my tools... My first build is from the classic "Anarchist's" works. Luckily the Anarchist's Workbench book was available as a free download (normally $20-$30 for the book!). Then I will tackle the Anarchist's Tool Chest.

Where will I put my new workbench? I guess in my room. Perhaps I will have to shift everything over and reside in a 5x10 space partition with the remaining space as a workshop.

I can't say that tobacco pipes are my main goal, they do require a messy lathe, nor can I say that bows are my main goal, those are just two of my interests. I, of course, have to go where the money is first, more traditional items such as furniture and dressers. I have already become inspired through a Colonial Cuban woodworking book long ago, displaying some of the early Spanish influences using only tropical hardwoods.

It's just that to be efficient if this is to ever become serious, I will need a bandsaw at least, preferably a miter saw, a chop saw and drill press... I suppose the band saw can be smushed into the partitioned workshop because it just can't be kept outside under cover.

I don't know anymore, I am just going to move forward and do my best, there isn't a whole lot more I can do.

That’s the spirit!

Jeff Steez wrote:I don't know anymore, I am just going to move forward and do my best, there isn't a whole lot more I can do.

Jeff, you've cracked the code. That's how we all got started! And then we learned and adapted along the way. Start moving, and keep going! :-)

Pipe blanks, rough cut material to carve a pipe are available. Shoot you could make blanks as well as finished pipes for sale. Humidors, a much smaller cabinet project for a small workspace. Kitchen utensils? A beautifully carved spoon, coffee scoop, ad that to possibilities.
You're on a start up budget, think Saturday Market/Etsy in the beginning.
Take a look at 18th century cabinet makers and their tools. No bandsaw, no miter saw, no chop saw, but beautiful high quality furniture exists from that time.
By using simple non electric means you would be prepping for many homestead endeavors. A Richard Proenneke in miniature, until you are ready/able to make that homestead move.

Humidors are a little tough with their double walled Spanish cedar interior. They will be difficult to cut by hand but that is no excuse, they been made for many years by hand.

Spoons…. Isn’t green wood best for spoons? I do not know how to find green wood where I live. I have no access to felling trees. I am the one that posted the link to the online shop where you can buy green wood spoon blanks though long ago.

Having removed the TV from my room and reading early American novels I must say I personally believe America is in great decline, if not at its death-knell. A little disheartening but if anything, more material for giving up worry.

A lot of those early craftsman had access to their own timber though, no? Specifically from Dick’s Handcrafted book. I have a great collection of hand tools but wood is a bit difficult to find around me. Hence my previous desire to leave Florida. I have axes that have never touched a tree, an adze that’s has never hewn a log.

I purchased a solid maple door years ago from a recycle store. That maple door has made staves for cider presses, many, many spoons, cabinet handles I'll have to think back on the list of items that have come from that door and I still have 3/4's of it left. I sourced from my brothers cabinet shop and local cabinet shops where I live now have let me snoop in the throw away pile. You have an inventory of pepper plants is that inventory going to go to waste? Buy a spoon blank or pipe blank off line and add that expense as a learning expense. What is your next move towards taking control. You don't need greenwood. A pipe blank is readily available. You don't need an adze or an axe to start. You're thinking too big again, start small. I want to celebrate a success with you, sell some peppers or begin a carving project.

The horticulture program at our local community college had a plant sale every spring. Lots of veggie starts and colorful flowering plants. The plants that sold out the quickest were the expensive ornamental peppers. The colors of the ripe peppers on the plants were brighter and more shiny than the flowers on the flower plants. There were four varieties with either yellow, orange, purple, or red fruit. They grew all summer in our yard and had peppers all summer. They were also "edible" and extremely hot. I guess you would have to interact with people to sell them at a farmer's market though.

I do not have a ton of space as you all might imagine... I will be honest, I do not know if all of this work is worth whatever meager monetary sum I could get providing a small amount of pepper plants from a minuscule plot, versus having exceedingly rare peppers to eat and dry myself that nobody else does, perhaps selling excess of the actual peppers. I was too ambitious with my desire to sell them.

I figured since I barely have any space, I will tackle the one vegetable I love most and call it my own, trying to never buy them from the store again, while starting land races. I think it far wiser to sell the seeds online of the peppers I eat.

The amount I have is barely suitable for make a couple hot sauces since I can't pot each one up to 3 gallon or so. I forgot to mention the entire second half of my aforementioned first sow failed. The 140 plants I mentioned recently is a smaller attempt at those same seeds. They were from Sandia Pepper, which specializes is New Mexican peppers, drier region than Florida. I watered the seeds too heavily the first time.

Notably, on the first half of that batch (seeds from Strictly Medicinal) I had a 95%+ germination rate, I had less than 1% germination from the Sandia seeds in the same span of time and with the same amount of water. On my second sow now, in drier conditions, I already have far more germinated than I did in two months, and this is within just a few days. So I will have many of my favorite peppers to come.

Trust me, I want to sell them, I love them, it's always such a joy to see a rare pepper plant to me, they are like the unbearably spicy candies of the vegetable world in my heart, with their shapes and colors.

Also, though potted up at the same time, peppers benefit greatly from excess space, they truly love it. I thought that developing a nice rootball in small pots would be good, but apparently not, these were all sown at the same time and you can see the difference. I have to get more large pots.

I would not mind interacting with people if I am "the boss" and my product can stand on its own two feet, no different than with my sourdough bread. There would be nothing left to discuss other than my knowledge. In that scenario, I am not trying to convince anyone of anything, to deal with social dynamics in a workplace, to make small talk or listen to many conversations at once where I need to get work done, I am there for business to sell something I believe in which is already "completed".

Below are mostly rare Japanese and Korean peppers, though some traditional ones like cayenne, Anaheim... These grow just fine here in tropical conditions, I did my research and also tried to push the boundary of growing desert based peppers and starting a landrace, which I failed at and am now succeeding at. I imagine nobody sells them simply because... nobody grows them!

Good luck in your endeavors I look forward to hearing about your successes.
A local retired fella makes planter boxes out of 6in x 6 ft cedar fence boards. The material is relatively inexpensive compared to what he sells the planters for. He builds to suit. Make a few and pot up a pepper for that maybe?
As Steve said peppers can be an ornamental plant as well as a produce plant.

Robert Ray wrote:Good luck in your endeavors I look forward to hearing about your successes.
A local retired fella makes planter boxes out of 6in x 6 ft cedar fence boards. The material is relatively inexpensive compared to what he sells the planters for. He builds to suit. Make a few and pot up a pepper for that maybe?
As Steve said peppers can be an ornamental plant as well as a produce plant.

I am doing my best for being entirely alone. I have walked my dog every day for 5 years around the entire suburban neighborhood and have not had any meaningful interaction besides waving at people driving by after they run the stop signs... Nobody I know finds interest in the things I find interest in.

The reason I don't just go live in the woods and try to make it as a pioneer-type is because of loneliness, it takes more than one to live that lifestyle.

However, again, maybe I just need to take the plunge like Richard Proenneke... He is an inspiration if anything to live alone starting after the age of 50, in Alaska of all places. I don't know, as usual, I just have to take it one day at a time. I know that I am sick of the lifestyle. I do not know how much money will help at the end of the day, investing is enough for me, I barely need any actual money to live, even more so if I could grow more food or hunt... and I don't know how much avoiding taking a plunge into a new lifestyle will help... circling back around to this thread's title. I guess money is the best bet to buy the land I want for now.

Jeff,  

Having removed the TV from my room and reading early American novels I must say I personally believe America is in great decline, if not at its death-knell. A little disheartening but if anything, more material for giving up worry.

This may well be the case, and I agree with you with my observations from afar.
But that does not mean you have to adopt the same attitude.
You can have an influence in the area you live no matter how small it may be.
Just work with that in mind and it will not be over whelming.

John C Daley wrote:Jeff,  

Having removed the TV from my room and reading early American novels I must say I personally believe America is in great decline, if not at its death-knell. A little disheartening but if anything, more material for giving up worry.

This may well be the case, and I agree with you with my observations from afar.
But that does not mean you have to adopt the same attitude.
You can have an influence in the area you live no matter how small it may be.
Just work with that in mind and it will not be over whelming.

I don't want to live in this area... People in the suburbs will never get together, this is Florida, this isn't some hipster town in Oregon or Cali. It's all retirees and staunch political devotees that only have interest in lawns and pesticides.

As I've stated multiple times, it's hard for me to put effort in here when I just don't want to live here.

The only thing I have anymore relative to forward thinking is the ability to someday afford to move... the tiniest speck of hope as I review Dick Proennekke's work and forever feel the shame of not being able to pull it off. He was one of the first people I learned about because I buy most of my wood tools from Lee Valley, and Lost Art Press sells a 400+ page book on him. I have yet to purchase it because it's $50, but someday I will.

I didn't read other responses yet, just hit reply, but one thing I can say - think in cashflow not just savings.  Even your ability to DIY stuff might work until you get injured or disabled (ask me how I know) and some change in bills going out, to include a property tax change which is totally beyond your ability to predict or influence, could seriously screw up or affect your plans even if your land was paid for and you do it all yourself.

Ten years ago I started trying to figure out ways to do everything myself, now i'm trying to think a little more 'capitalistically' in the sense that I need to do something skilled, that gets a good hourly wage, that lets me hire help to do the jobs I dont want to, or cant anymore do.  If you get paid $50/hr then paying someone $25/hr is like doubling your time, paying $16.60 is like tripling your time.  This can be easier said than done but is the best advice I can give since i'm basically starting over, way too late in the game, but with no alternative but to try to make things work.

If you run too close to the minimal spare income life situation you can be wiped out by increases of taxes, one unplanned medical bill, an injury leaving you unable to work properly for months like a broken bone.  Savings provides a buffer, but cashflow is an even better buffer beause it's usually cashflow that screws up your savings.  (if you had $2000/month coming in and bills of $1000/month, an unplanned 'new bill' of $500/month you could finance out wont put you under, if your income is $1200/month you're screwed)