Stakes And Gates, Making Money From Being Self Sufficient, Easy Peasy..

I am going to open this by telling you about my SS (self sufficiency) fund. My budget started out at $3000.00 and I could only barter, trade, or sell to add cash to the fund. When I would do shows I would sell my homemade jam for $3 pint, and so forth. I will dumpster dive, barter, or even beg if need be to get anything as cheep as I can. I will even set up a veggie table at the flea market to sell my goods. A trick to do, or a few. Grow something that isn't common, take it to sell. Have a working cook station to share how the finish product will taste, take lots of the norm stuff, but having something different brings attention to your stand. Be active and say words like organic, heirloom seeds, and other words that will draw in people who know organic is wholesome.

So first I am going to share a project that I decided to spend my money on. I did a couple proto types, and some anchoring ideas. For years I have been tied up in knots with spending money on a fencing system I just can't get the nerve to buy one, the stakes alone, the thin metal green ones are 9.79 each. I can't see pounding them in the ground and expect a 20 year life out of them.

So I designed my own system, and picked up some plastic 48" fence from the flea market at 50% off retail a few weeks ago. Because my garden changes yearly, I wanted a removable system so when I want to change it, I can without removing dug in post.

These Medevil/Roman looking staff/arrows are my removable stakes. Although they cost me $14.79 to make, they will out last those cheap ones 10 to 1, making this a cost effective build in years to come.

This next project started out as a serous problem created by a truck driver who happened to be a few bricks shy of a load. Personally, his company solved the problem right away, but I think he was on something. He hit my ten foot gate, and driving  a big truck like he was, it didn't take much to destroy it. The post broke off and the bent gate was pushed onto the ground. Within 2 hours a new gate and post were up, and I saved the bent gate.

With my tractor, and a tree,  a couple slings, I took the gate which was shaped like a parallelogram tied one of the slings to the top, the other to the bottom, and pulled it slowly back into square. The pops and kinks while bending it back into place weren't alarming. So I took the gate into the shop, did some hammering, bending and some spot welding to increase the strength. I also welded some 3/16 by 1 1/2 flat bar to one side after I cut the gate in half with a cut off wheel. I now have two gates that I need for a couple projects in the planning phases.

Today was a good productive day for me and I am pleased with the amount of work I did, even thou it didn't get warmer than 34, the sun shinning made me do it... LOL...

If you might have read, or might not have, I am a Coppersmith by trade and own and operate a Copper manufacturing shop as well as metal fabrication company. So I do have more machines at my hands than the standard gardener.

I also wanted to share a picture of a lamp I built for my own house four years ago. The patina is correct and beautiful, the shades on the sides is amber mica, and the bottom is green/white/yellow stained glass. Its very pretty at night. Day and night photos