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jyreene

jyreene

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For those that don't know what it is Kickstarter is a crowd sourced funding site for people's ideas. I know a few on here know of it. It runs the gambit from funding movies, food products and even pens. I've seen a few successful pen projects and a few unsuccessful ones.

What I am curious about is one specific one. I like the idea and it almost seems like a way to sell the pens at what I perceive as regular or close to regular prices. But this project is specificity driven to help the individual equip his shop to further his hobby/job. I'm not morally against it mostly but I also am jealous that I didn't think of it first!

So opinions. Is it wrong to use that site to fund buying more/ better equipment? Would you view it as using an existing site just to sell pens? Other thoughts?

Thanks
 
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I have seen several kick starters that seek to outfit their shops. Do search for pens and you will see a HUGE variety of pens. This means, give it a few months and you too can do a kick starter to outfit your shop.

A member of this forum did a kick starter that served a higher purpose, was a good idea, and people here through their weight behind it. He has also turned it into a small income for himself. His is the type of stuff I imagined kickstarter to be meant for.
 
I don't see a problem with it as long as the person receiving the donations holds up to their end of the bargain. I'm not 100% familiar with kickstarters guidelines (if any) or if there's a mission statement type thing.

I'm pretty sure you're talking about Shawn's program with pens for students. It's a great idea and I can't see any fault in using kickstarter funds to progress what's being done. It helped get everything needed for what he wanted to do and has help up to what he started out to do the entire time. I donated a bunch of blanks and parts to him when he first got started. Even sent a couple of pens to give to students. I got a thank you note from each student that got one of my pens. I keep each one in my top desk drawer.

On the flip side...he is doing all this to make a bit of $ to. But if that's what kickstarter is all about then I say find yourself a project and give it a try!
 
I don't think it's wrong if it's used for the purposes that are presented in the appeal for a kick start. I want to say more about this subject.....but something is telling me NOT to.
 
I think I will do it but I want to wait for the current ones to end and there will likely be a large gap in my turning time coming up and I wouldn't want that to affect it.

My overall goal/vision is to get the tools I have read about and believe are necessary to try and make new/different blanks and even be able to produce my own kits. So it would be a long term goal being set in the right direction.

But that seems to be the crutch. I want to do it to try and introduce something new or even see if my ideas would work. The part that bothers me is using other people's money to do that even if their reward was a finished pen.

Anyways I appreciate the comments do far. More are appreciated.
 
I am not sure I would go that route. I have been perfecting my craft for a bit over two years now. I have worked very hard and spend a lot of time creating and experimenting. My sales show this work. I would love to upgrade my shop and as I get better and better at what I do I will be able to. People always want to take shortcuts to get up and running. Why not just learn as you go and wait for the right time for upgrades. I would love to upgrade my bandsaw and as I get to the point where I am getting all I can get out of this one I bet I will have made enough out of my pen to get another that will by that time make my work better than I am doing now but until that time I am not underwater skill wise with my current saw. What is the point of getting a better one? So I can say I have a better one? I don't think so. Same with my lathe. My lathe is not as fancy as some but better than others. What purpose would a better one have? I would not make better pens on it and it works fine. So I can say I have a better one? Again I don't think so. I will continue to make my pens the best I can and let them do my talking not my pride.

You cannot purchase your way into experience or talent. They both take some work.
 
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dalecamino said:
I don't think it's wrong if it's used for the purposes that are presented in the appeal for a kick start. I want to say more about this subject.....but something is telling me NOT to.
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I'd agree and I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble I was just sounding it off everyone here because I respect the judgement of a lot of the members here. If you're not comfortable doing it here I'd appreciate your thoughts in a PM. It's not going to make me angry but it might give me other insights.
 
mikespenturningz said:
I am not sure I would go that route. I have been perfecting my craft for a bit over two years now. I have worked very hard and spend a lot of time creating and experimenting. My sales show this work. I would love to upgrade my shop and as I get better and better at what I do I will be able to. People always want to take shortcuts to get up and running. Why not just learn as you go and wait for the right time for upgrades. I would love to upgrade my bandsaw and as I get to the point where I am getting all I can get out of this one I bet I will have made enough out of my pen to get another that will by that time make my work better than I am doing now but until that time I am not underwater skill wise with my current saw. What is the point of getting a better one? So I can say I have a better one? I don't think so. Same with my lathe. My lathe is not as fancy as some but better than others. What purpose would a better one have? I would not make better pens on it and it works fine. So I can say I have a better one? Again I don't think so. I will continue to make my pens the best I can and let them do my talking not my pride.

You cannot purchase your way into experience or talent. They both take some work.
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I completely agree Mike and I really appreciate the feedback. My current shop has a lathe, a drill press (both nice and what I splurged on to start) a cheap but decent belt/disc sander, a slow speed grinder, and some hand saws. I'm not trying to make shortcuts and I want to learn through time and experience. However I think not having even a table saw or a working band saw keeps a lot of my ideas in my head. I can see how it would be viewed as a shortcut though and maybe that's what kind of bothers me. Again that's why I came here.
 
I'm curious what you would offer to those giving toward your shop upgrades?

Pens I assume?

So it's basically like getting an advance on
Pen sales? I wouldn't personally enjoy owing a whole bunch off pens to people in a hurry after getting some new equipment. .

If rather sell some pens and troll Craigslist and estate auctions. Oh wait, that's what I do now. :-).
 
Dan Masshardt said:
I'm curious what you would offer to those giving toward your shop upgrades?

Pens I assume?

So it's basically like getting an advance on
Pen sales? I wouldn't personally enjoy owing a whole bunch off pens to people in a hurry after getting some new equipment. .

If rather sell some pens and troll Craigslist and estate auctions. Oh wait, that's what I do now. :-).
Click to expand...

Pens would be one of them but I was/am rolling around the idea of display boxes, custom made holding bag (my wife is a seamstress but I'd only get a family discount!), backer assisted kit creation (of course that would require me to know how to do it first!), and custom segment creation. But in the end still advanced pen sales....

That's something else that kind of bugs me. It could make me want to step back a bit from what is mainly a hobby right now. I'm still torn because I like the idea and you do seem to have it right on that it would be like advanced pen sales!

I've done some Craigslist trolling but so far no good finds near me! Estate auctions might be worth a look.
 
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Check out auctionzip. Check out eBay by distance. . Ask around. Check out Craigslist in the 2-3 areas beyond your normal area.

It doesn't need to cost you a fortune to buy tools. Be patient. You will find good deals. Lathes are the hardest thing to find used. If you are happy with that, just keep a watch out.
 
Ty, you might check into the terms on kick start. I could be wrong, but I don't think you have to pay those funds back. You just need to have a worthy cause to get backers to support you. Just guessing here.
 
dalecamino said:
Ty, you might check into the terms on kick start. I could be wrong, but I don't think you have to pay those funds back. You just need to have a worthy cause to get backers to support you. Just guessing here.
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The ones that I've seen most don't involve repaying funds but do involve some product or service (money raised to manufacture a product, a band offering a t shirt) Etc.
 
Yes, you have to offer "rewards" to backers. You can also limit the amount of each reward level, so you don't get overwhelmed with hundreds of them to make.
I was considering doing a kickstarter project, (especially when I saw the one guy get $40,000 for a line of pens that wouldn't get much notice in the SOYP forum) but I have decided to go a different direction and try to get some blog mentions to help launch my new line, which coincidentally, didn't get much notice in the SOYP forum, lol.
 
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I do all my work on a old bandsaw that I tuned up to be the best I can get it. A low to mid priced lathe a good chuck and a jacobs chuck for the tail stock end. I have the pin jaws for holding my blanks, a dead and live center and that is about it for the main stuff. Don't forget as you learn and get better it makes you ready to use those more expensive items. Most of us don't even scratch the surface of what can be done with tools. Keep at your turning and learn. Don't rush it you will get there when the time is right. If you try to hurry you will fail. You will owe too much to pay back but you will have the best tools that money can buy but won't have worked your skills to the point you can pay for them. It takes a few years to even start to get established it doesn't happen over night.
 
You have to produce something, and it helps to have the prototype to show people. Remember that prototype is what you are putting into production. Kick starter is just the middle man. You enter into an agreement with the folks who give you money. My students were interested in how Kick Starter worked so one asked about taking the money and running. Typical 13 year old thinking. The person I was e-mailing said it becomes a matter of fraud. If someone does not complete their end of the bargain they would likely be looking at several counts of fraud. This is apparently strong incentive because they have not had someone skip town, or so they told me. keep practicing. Take one step at a time and get your prototype dialed in, then take the business plunge.
 
Sound advice everyone. That is what is holding me back. Ideas on paper are not ideas made real.

Mike, thanks again for the advice. I do agree I need to get better with what I have so I'll have to figure out how to make it safe(r) for me to use a hand saw and segment if I can't get it up and running again.

Tom, I did check it out thanks. I've got plenty to look at this weekend to try and tune it up.
 
It's gold! That's either more right? I mean it has nothing to do with how thin the gold is! Or the fact that the gold bolt action is only like a dollar more!
 
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