Community Projects

[TritonJapan]

In another thread, the topic of community projects came up.

With your assistance I would like to put together a web page of Wood workers community projects.

The sales man in me wants to limit it to Triton based community projects, but he is being shouted down by the part of me that should speak up more often. After any wood work related community projects.

Rough details, photos, Where, When, how much it cost, who funded it, how long it took, what problems you had, what you would do differently next time.

If you could post a brief outline and PM me for an address to send CD or photos to I will have my staff compile these into a pages in both English and Japanese.

I will send this to the other Triton Distributors as well. No reason to not share ideas with other countries.

I see many woodworkers who have collected their tools and made their bread boards, book cases, sheds and toys and are wondering what to do next. Also, through Rotary and other NGO's I sponsor I see organisations with needs.

Visited TADVic a few years ago. They do wonderful work (Look them up if you are interested).

I Intend for this page to be a part of the Triton Japan web site, highlighting what you can do and to encourage community service through your hobby. Thought I had better mention that before a conflict of interest issue or anti capitalist sentiments divert what I hope will be a useful contribution.

Steve

[doug the slug]

With your assistance I would like to put together a web page of Wood workers community projects.

The sales man in me wants to limit it to Triton based community projects, but he is being shouted down by the part of me that should speak up more often. After any wood work related community projects.steve

Hi Steve,

Ive been involved in a few community woodwork projects. I was a member of our local Lions Club, which is now unfortunately defunct as a result of lack of community support (aspparrently we were trying to escalate development in the local community from the 1940's to the 21'st century too fast for the local yokels, but thats another story).
Anyway, First community project. about 5 years ago our Lions club built a set of timber steps for access to our local beach and a coppers log fence to keep people off the dunes as it is a sea turtle nesting area. We also made a wheelchair access walkway at the other end of the beach. The Lions club got a grant from Coastcare for these projects. This was in my pre-triton days, but i routed out signs stating that the work was a lions club project on pieces of hardwood marked out for me by another club member who is a signwriter, all freehand over his markings. the signs look brilliant, more due to Ralph's marking out than due to my routing!!!!

Second project:
In May this year i was approached by the Activities Corrdinator of our local Bunnies to involve our Triton Club in their display at AGROTREND, a local agricultural field day. ALSPINE, from this forum, who is also our club coordinator and i went out for the 3 days and other members filled in when they could and we made quite a few items from materials donated by bunnies, which were raffled for the benefit of the kids ward at the local hospital. we made a few hundred bucks and iut was good publicity for the club too!

Third and fourth projects:
For my sins, i am chairman of the board of our local community club, The Blue Water Sports Club, at Burnett Heads (YES, THIS IS A BLATANT ADVERTISEMENT. dont let me catch anyone off this forum coming past and not calling in for a drink and asking for me. we have the best meals in queensland if not beyond! ) In that capacity, ive taken the triton gear to the club to build a wall to separate the noisy pool players from the diners and i am about half way through building a set of shelves in the stock room to increase our effiency and stock holding capacity so we can take advantage of bulk orders, and better offers from suppliers. Should finish that tomorrow.

Steve, talk to local service clubs, they know that the local community needs, i believe Lions and Rotary are both big in Japan. Service clubs are often looking for guest speakers for their monthly meetings - this could be your opening, and they will probably give you and your wife a free dinner for addressing their meeting, but im sure that you arent asking this for a free feed.

I would appreciate any feedback on how you go with this

[TritonJapan]

Thanks Doug.

So far in Japan as a hobbiest I have made a few custom pieces for a widowed mum who has an 8 year old kid with cerebal palsy.

Will take the tangent with her story......
In a 12 month period this lady 1 - got married, 2 - conceived, 3-Husband diagnosed with cancer, 4-Child born with severe cerebal palsy, 5- Husband died and to top it off, 6- Mother in-law tries to sue for the insurance on the husband as he was supposed to look after her in her old age.

Getting back to the story.
This Japanese lady whom I shall call Mrs. Smith (Not her real name) approached me to see if I could make a frame for her son. He spends hours a day doing physio so he can learn to move by himself etc. So his leg muscles don't waste, she was told to aquire a specific frame that the boy could be strapped into. It had to be able to incline an a range of angles and have an adjustable bar in front so he could practice gripping. Also needed to clamp his feet in roughly the correct angle so the muscles could do whatever it is they do to get used to that position.

Took me ages and heaps of dud runs before I completed the final version. Trying to avoid pinching, splinters, choking, ease of access.....most difficult thing I have built to date. I say this after having built my house in Australia.

In the end we came up with a unit that is not pretty, but works as it was designed to.

I accepted payment from Mrs. Smith for materials only. Told a white lie and said that the BOM was cheaper than it really was and naturally put all of the dud models down to experience.

"You callous Ba$&#rd" I hear you say. "How dare you take money from someone in this position!"

I take the money happily and recommend others to. Reason, she then had no pangs of guilt when coming back and asking for further pieces of equipment.

The commercial version was going to cost her about $AU4000.00. I think the materials came to about $150.

Mrs. Smith saved a fortune (given that she lives on a pension). Master Smith now gets better physio and exercise and I get a warm fuzzy feeling that money cannot buy.

This example is very specific. Will still but it up as there may be other kids with similar needs.

I love the example of Dune protection and wheel chair access. Community project that benefits the community and the environment.

The club making toys of local hospital/fundraising in a hardware store again sounds like a good all round project.

Do you have any pics or plans of the toys you made?

Steve

[TritonJapan]

This one is slightly different.

I have supplied a set of Triton equipment to a facility that has both resident and day care clients with special needs.

This facility has a number of workshops where the clientel can manufacture craft items that they sell to raise money for their care. (Don't get me started on the levels of funding for mental health care in Australia or Japan!)

Have full time supervisors, fully equipped workshops and a number of willing intelectually impared workers.

First impression sounds scary, spinning machinery and special needs. In reality, these guys are amazing. Takes them about three months to learn one process (Depending on the client) Once mastered however, they work like men posessed, and love what they do.

With this project the thing we are lacking most is ideas for saleable simple items.

At the moment they make buttons out of Japanese Cherry. Also ake clocks and key tags.

They also are working on kit Canadian canoes.

Any other suggestions most welcome!

Steve

[doug the slug]

Thanks Doug.
............
The club making toys of local hospital/fundraising in a hardware store again sounds like a good all round project.

Do you have any pics or plans of the toys you made?

Steve

Steve, we were actually in a tent at an agricultural field day and we were making small items of furniture, not toys and they were raffled off and the money went to the kids ward. i was making bookshelves and small tables. the plans are in my head. other items made included a blanket box and a stand for ornamental spoons, that kind of thing. we were selling raffle tickets for $2 onsite then Bunnies put all we had built on display in front of the store with a sign for a few weeks then it was drawn. hopefully we will do it all again this year.

[doug the slug]

For my sins, i am chairman of the board of our local community club, The Blue Water Sports Club, at Burnett Heads (YES, THIS IS A BLATANT ADVERTISEMENT. dont let me catch anyone off this forum coming past and not calling in for a drink and asking for me. we have the best meals in queensland if not beyond! ) In that capacity, ive taken the triton gear to the club to build a wall to separate the noisy pool players from the diners and i am about half way through building a set of shelves in the stock room to increase our effiency and stock holding capacity so we can take advantage of bulk orders, and better offers from suppliers. Should finish that tomorrow.

While i still had the triton at the club, our courtesy bus broke down on the day before new years eve. the tensioning screw on the alternator broke. i found an offcut from the shelving project and cut it to an appropriate shape to wedge teh alternator out from the block so the fanbelt would turn the alternator and water pump and we were back on the road again. fortunately the trtiton was at teh right place at the right time

[TritonJapan]

Doug,

Interesting use. Wonder what page I should put that in the manual?

That style of thinking "how can I get this to work" is one of the fantastic traits that I love about Australia. Not saying it is Australian as such, just seems to be a bit more prevelant down under than it does in "modern" Japan.

Steve

[Stu in Tokyo]

Hi Ya Steve!

After you and Sugita San invaded the Dungeon today, I decided to come look around here, as I've not been back in a while...

I just wanted to say "Good On Ya" for helping out the lady with the frame thing, and to second you thought about taking some money in payment. I think those who truly need charity will accept it, and be grateful, but in most people it will wound their pride, in this case you were able to help her a lot, and she was able to hold her head up and pay her way.

You done good!

Now where are the pics that Sugita San took today........ Slacker!

BTW, stand closer to that razor, you are scaring the natives


Cheers!

[TritonJapan]

Stu,

I hope you don't mind I contacted JTB and Lonely Planet and asked them to add your Dungeon to the list of "Must See" venues on the Japan Tour Route. Figure you could park about 3 or 4 coaches out the front.

Sugita-san kindly put the photo onto a floppy disk for me. Now gotta find a dinosaur of a PC that has a slot for a Floppy.

Will ask our CG Staff to air brush out the southern facial insulation. Am off to Hokkaido next week, minus 15 to 20 where I am going, or so they tell me. Doesn't feel warmer when growing the beard, feels freezing the day it comes off so I figure it must do some good.

Thanks for letting us drop in.

Steve

[Stu in Tokyo]

Hey that is great, I'll charge an admission and be swimming in new tools in no time!!

Hokkaido, man you are going to freeze BOTH butt cheeks off :eek:

Wear a hat!

Nice to see you and Sugita san again, funny the guy only lives a hop and a skip from me, but we never seem to find the time to stop by each others shops, our schedules are so at odds.

Well, then next time you are in town..... FREE BEER!!!

Cheers!