Like the illusion of Wall Street, with its vast and powerful investment banks, now shuttered, China too is an illusion perpetuated by the Globalists that gave us the 15,000 mile Caesar salad, poisoned cat food and lead based paint on babies' pacifiers. Like the illusion that money would come from thin air to always push housing prices higher, China has spent a generation pursuing its illusion. Pursuing an unattainable dream to be like the West, while 6000 years of its carefully shepherded top soil blows into the sea.
Information: teaching, knowledge, science, data, the nature of things
10%
[ 8 ]
Other, tell us about it
4%
[ 3 ]
Not a damn thing
12%
[ 9 ]
Total Votes : 75
Author
Message
Pops Moderator
Joined: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 7024 Location: My Grandkids' Farm
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:43 am Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Thanks guys!
Just in case anyone is interested, wood expands and contracts with humidity changes much more radially than with the grain and since I used 12in. wide flat sawn oak on the table the boards would have a tendency to cup so the need for a breadboard edge. The ideal would have been quartersawn oak but I cant imagine what that would have cost for a 4' x 8' x 5/4 top!
Like kp noticed (good eye and knowledge) if one were to glue that edge tight, the difference in movement of the top (across the grain) and the breadboard edge (with the grain) would have caused one or more parts to fail.
The solution is a housed mortise & tenon joint at the edge attached only by several dowels placed in holes in the edge (having the mortise) through slots in the top (the tenon) and glued only to the edge piece (except a single hole through both pieces at the middle) which allows the top to move independent of the edge.
As much as 3/8 on each side from summer to winter on this table.
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 13191 Location: naive idiot fantasy world
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 12:33 pm Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Now that's practical knowledge and application, Pops! _________________ "...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow." - jboogy
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:14 pm Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Anyone can slap a table together. It takes a craftsman to produce a table that will last for decades, through the kids, their kids, dinner every night, laundry, cards, grocery day, and everythig that goes on in a home. I usually have an assortment of power tools on my kitchen table.
The same sort of skill applies to any cottage industry, be it blacksmithy, candlemaking, cobblery, or making pigments from locally grown plants.
Much skill has been lost to the factory and big box store. They can be recovered, but it will take time. Just sticking with a hobby and moving on to the next level will teach you the tricks of the trade. It's the subtle nuances that turn a mediocre project into an heirloom.
Get deeper into your hobby. It's not work if you like what you do.
The day may soon come when your hobby becomes an asset to your family. _________________ If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
-George Orwell, 1984
Joined: Oct 23, 2005 Posts: 1851 Location: East of Eden
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:47 pm Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Looks beautiful Pops. Thanks for sharing! _________________ "If a path to the better there be, it begins with a full look at the worst." — Thomas Hardy
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:43 am Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Excuse me, but half our problem is that anybody can't slap a table together. We are so far behind in basic skills that a lot of re-learning of the basics will have to take place before quality craftmanship becomes widespread again.
That said, that table is a quality piece, and demonstrates technical knowledge beyond the basics. _________________ Build your soil
Build your skills
Build your community
Joined: Oct 27, 2004 Posts: 675 Location: Salt Spring Island, Cascadia
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:49 am Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Kfish wrote:
Excuse me, but half our problem is that anybody can't slap a table together. We are so far behind in basic skills that a lot of re-learning of the basics will have to take place before quality craftmanship becomes widespread again.
This is why I keep harping on the importance of community. We've grown so distant from each other that our contacts for "mutual provision" come from the yellow pages and advertising, rather than direct contact, personal experience, and word-of-mouth.
Except for a few outstanding generalists like Pops, you can't "do it all." So why not work on enduring relationships with other who have skills you lack, instead?
So, to get back to the topic, I see a great need for a "cottage industry" in education -- both on how to do things like build a wonderful table, but also at the meta-level: how to build community.
To that end, if any of you are in the Pacific Northwest, EcoReality is hosting this fall:
• Tree Bresson, for a weekend workshop on consensus and facilitation.
• Owen Thomas and Ivan Tucakov, a weekend workshop on compassionate communication (a.k.a. non-violent communication)
• Diana Leafe Christian, author of Creating a Life Together and Finding Community, for a weekend workshop on community building.
Dates are not firm yet for all but the first event, but will be posted on our website when we have them nailed down.
It's all too vast to try to handle on your own. Get some help; come back home to the community. _________________ :::: Jan Steinman, Communication Steward, EcoReality, a forming sustainable community. Be the change! ::::
Last edited by Bytesmiths on Sat Aug 16, 2008 2:10 pm; edited 1 time in total
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 13191 Location: naive idiot fantasy world
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:11 am Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Bytesmiths wrote:
I see a great need for a "cottage industry" in education
I believe this is how most ecovillages make their income. _________________ "...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow." - jboogy
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:51 am Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Kfish wrote:
Excuse me, but half our problem is that anybody can't slap a table together. We are so far behind in basic skills that a lot of re-learning of the basics will have to take place before quality craftmanship becomes widespread again.
I agree that widespread craftsmanship will take a considerable time to become commonplace. In the meantime, those with a head start on a craft will be ahead of the learning curve. This would present opportunity.
--
I have found that many basic skills are exactly that-basic. I have done repairs on homes which were as simple as changing a light bulb, changing a door knob, or swapping out a flapper valve. The issue is often not a person lacking skills, rather, it is a person lacking the will to try or not wishing to be bothered. The act of trying to fix something can often be all that is required to do the fixing. The fear of the unknown must be overcome. If someone with no previous training had the tools and materials, as well as the will, I think they could build something which could serve the function of a table. It won't be grand, probably have screws or nails sticking out, maybe uneven legs, but will work until it collapses. At that point, they either give up or try something else. Trial and error has its place. Having a little help from someone with a clue would surely be helpful.
I inadvertently included Information in the poll. Teaching would be an important cottage industry now, as well as in the future, in all its forms. Simple instruction one-on-one, formal classes, even apprenticeships. Further development of the idea is showing that teaching would be an essential core industry as the need for cottage industry grows.
What sort of classes/instruction would you people be able to offer, and what sort would you be interested in learning?
I could teach:
composting
organic gardening
greenhouse construction and operation
chicken raising
cooking
food storage, dehydration, canning, packing
cooking
solar hot water heating
woodworking
I'd be interested in the fundamentals of:
basic household organization
pottery
biofuels from waste vegetable oil
sheep raising/wool harvesting, from lamb to yarn
maple sugar production
I think that demand for many of the teaching/instruction skills exists now, with further demand to be seen. In the event of economic collapse, I'd think demand for instruction would spike. At that point, the teaching incentive would be high for those people in your network, but for a smaller scope of interests (gardening, food storage, composting). _________________ If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
-George Orwell, 1984
Joined: Oct 27, 2004 Posts: 675 Location: Salt Spring Island, Cascadia
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:25 pm Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Pops wrote:
Don't worry about we - just you.
Normally, Pops and I agree on most everything, so I think this is more a matter of phrasing, and I plead guilty of taking it out of context.
I think a big part of the mess we're in has to do with I thinking, so lest anyone take that too seriously, I'd want to add that part of worrying about you is part of being involved in a collective we.
Perhaps I'm wrong, but I imagine Pops didn't learn woodworking in a vacuum, or strictly from books. Sure, it's possible to learn a lot on your own, but it tends to be very inefficient, compared to finding someone who already has those skills and hanging around with them for a while.
As Ludi pointed out, a big part of ecovillage income is education, but Permaculture stresses multiple functions for each element, so education is not necessarily sitting in a classroom or watching Power Point presentations; it's more working together with someone to experience the ins and outs of a particular skill or discipline -- a sort of apprenticeship or internship. The student benefits from knowledge gained from a real-world learning experience, the mentor or skilled master or ecovillage benefits from having extra hands to accomplish a task.
Again, apologies to Pops for quoting him out of context to make a point. I don't see his quote as something we disagree with so much as an opportunity to get on my particular favourite soap-box that we're all in this mess together, and together is how we get out of it. :-) _________________ :::: Jan Steinman, Communication Steward, EcoReality, a forming sustainable community. Be the change! ::::
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:21 am Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Bytesmiths,
Apprenticeship in several forms has a long history of producing fine craftspeople. The classic apprenticeship to a blacksmith, carpenter, plumber, or machinist, was preceded by the family style teaching of farmers, seamstresses, shopkeepers, weavers, and cheesemakers. For most of history, I think that a person's vocation turned out to be the luck of the draw, that is what was available for them to learn from those near them, usually family.
We have both more skills to learn today, and more urgency to get it done. Thankfully, we also have more learning opportunities, because I'm convinced we are going to need them all. Just as there is no one silver bullet energy source to replace oil, there will be many and varied means of learning, not the least of which is the school of hard knocks. Necessity will motivate people.
This forum is one of the best teaching/learning assets around for what we face, because few people have nearby experts. Step by step processes, taught in answer to questions from the truly motivated and using pictures to illustrate, is the best classroom experience available now, next to hands-on with a master. I would encourage anyone with knowledge to share, to post as others have, in threads here, or personal blogs.
By all means, access the many sites online that teach what you need. I would encourage all to network with skilled people, participate in any hands-on opportunities, get classroom education, and learn on your own, coached from any source you can access. As Pops said, help yourself, and do it every way you can. The worst mistake is to do nothing _________________ Local fix-it guy..
Joined: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 7024 Location: My Grandkids' Farm
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:54 pm Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Bytesmiths wrote:
Pops wrote:
Don't worry about we - just you.
Normally, Pops and I agree on most everything, so I think this is more a matter of phrasing, and I plead guilty of taking it out of context.
I think a big part of the mess we're in has to do with I thinking, so lest anyone take that too seriously, I'd want to add that part of worrying about you is part of being involved in a collective we.
Yea, Jan I wasn't clear.
The point I was trying to make is concentrating one's energy on discovering and perfecting as many skills as we can, as opposed to throwing up ones' hands at the many things each of us can't.
To be of value in such a collective/community/neighborhood as you mention, regardless of it's particulars in the post-specialist time I imagine ahead, one must be capable in many of the basic skills we now call a specialist to provide.
Otherwise we become either a drain on the whole or just flat poor. _________________ Make a plan and work it:
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
MarkL started a thread: [Skills] Mechanic
It is along the lines of this thread to some degree, thought I'd link it in. _________________ If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
-George Orwell, 1984
I remember watching it way back in the day. Found it on youtube. It is a fascinating view of how technology progressed through history.
From the view of collapse, the series shows some remarkable insight into many of the problems we have discussed around the boards.
Have a look.
Connections, Episode 1, part 1 of 5
There are other episodes, have not yet eplored to see if the entire series on on youtube, still watching the parts _________________ If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
-George Orwell, 1984
Joined: Aug 03, 2007 Posts: 4590 Location: Boston Suburbs
Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 4:44 pm Post subject: Re: Relocalization and Cottage Industry
Kfish wrote:
Excuse me, but half our problem is that anybody can't slap a table together. We are so far behind in basic skills that a lot of re-learning of the basics will have to take place before quality craftmanship becomes widespread again.
If we just used the stuff we already have instead of being so quick to dump it into landfills and rushing off to Ikea we'd be all set for a long while. _________________ http://doomsteaddiary.blogspot.com/
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