Sometimes it takes inspiration, imagination, and a little luck. It also helps being clever, to truly create your own career.
But the efforts we each face today can be daunting. Sometimes all that "Heavy Lifting" necessary to a startup, i.e. the structuring of a new "Green Industry", can wipe you out! So, choosing your support team, may be best provided by those with unique abilities.

What I'm trying to say is, you probably have to consider, you can't do it all by yourself. So, by looking at your service training, and to other veterans like yourself, your combined skills may offer just what is needed help you jointly succeed.

Think about a COOPERATIVE, and plan ways to develop this "Green Industry" with other veterans.
Think about a marshal plan, to motivate each other and the community to creatively establish your skilled wood crafting careers with other veterans.
Think about and initiate this as your homeland mission.
Think about domestic markets, as well as international markets, for your products?

Those careers that will support a good pay and one to be proud of.
Think about learning those apprenticeship skills, to later pass on.
Developing a veterans cooperative nationally is feasible, if you think as a unit and by these sharing trade skills you can revitalize this American tradition. This can also provide the needed therapy for those disabled veterans, in a healing transition to personal independence.
This is what the we would like to see for veterans.

The Soldiers to Sawyers Project has much to offer to veterans, seeking new careers in a sustainable "Green Industry". What do you think?

Soldier to Sawyer project: timber inventory June 2013 from S2S on Vimeo.

Chris by Green Industry what are you referring too? The reclaimed lumber industry or the products that will be made or a combination of both?

Very interesting post. A veterans co-op of wood products? Or a veteran's co-op of lumber?

Thanks Chris!

---

John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

That's quite an inventory!

---

Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time Traveler and Purveyor of the Universe's Finest Custom Rolling Pins!

John Morris said:

Chris by Green Industry what are you referring too? The reclaimed lumber industry or the products that will be made or a combination of both?

Very interesting post. A veterans co-op of wood products? Or a veteran's co-op of lumber?

Thanks Chris!

---

John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

Hi John,

My vision of this S2S project is in flux. What I refer to as a Green Industry

is one that 1. Tackles an environmental issue, as a pipeline

process. Proper management of urban timber resources. Rather than chipping

and firewood disposal of our furniture grade natural resources. A campaign

to catalog and manage our city, village, town and township

trees. Placing them in a resource stream that provides

for their usage as the best possible options. Rather

than a clean up bidding after the fact, why not catalog our

beautiful timber trees for fine woodworking usage?

This is not my idea entirely. I have found that a

plan of action is currently in place in Great Britian.

Understandably, they have an abundence of 1/2 century old trees

in and around their cities. So, what they have done is,

2. Create a digital catalog of these live trees. So, later when they do have

to come down, there is a resource plan in place to manage

that tree for proper quarter sawn milling. The who, what, and where it goes. I was impressed

to take that further as part of a 3. U.S. veteran's

cooperative "Strategic Plan".

Does that kinda answer

you question John. As is my personal goal, I would like

veterans to forum these ideas, as they morph in a flux.

Offering veterans a rare chance for them to build up a career that

provides resource training and management of personal, and the

natural resources continually. Green can also mean = Sustainable!

What do you all think?

Chris,

I think it's a neat idea!

I wish you the best of luck with it.

 

Larry

Old Woodworking Machinery Forum Host

Thanks Larry, what are your Master woodworking skills in? What type of machinery do you run?

-Chris

Hello Lew,

I would wager that there are many young veterans who would be eager to apprentice under you. I have an idea to provide a " Master Artisan in Residence" program, at an adjacent veteran's transitional group home. See where I posted the photos of an 1890 Victorian presently in foreclosure. That could be quite spectacular! Eight car garage could be converted to the "Apprentice Studio Workshop". Master Artisans would teach to apprentices, while a video recording is made of each sequence, for a S2S Cooperative Online Library. What do you think Lew?

-Chris

Chris,

I'm one of those "Jack of All Trades Master of None" characters.

Retired Auto Worker (Plant Closure) Journeyman Pipefitter.

I did a stint as a Cabinet Maker  at Liberty Coach. They made custom motorhomes from Prevost busses.

Most of my machinery is 1930's to 1950's Delta machines that I rebuild Resto/Mod style due to parts availability, or lack thereof. I prefer the smaller machines due to my shop being a converted camping trailer.

I hope to add a little income doing craft faires when/if I ever get it and the machines completed.

It will be kind of a rolling museum of old machinery.

 

Larry

Old Woodworking Machinery Forum Host

 

Soldiers to Sawyers Project said:

Thanks Larry, what are your Master woodworking skills in? What type of machinery do you run?
-Chris

Thanks Larry, for sharing...