Lead Supply is Drying up, got to find another way to Supplement income.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I wished I knew more about ebay. A buddy of mine in town goes to yard sales and auctions. He buys stuff to sell on ebay and makes out pretty darn good. He says that you have to know what people are looking for and be able to take great pictures of the stuff. He said that the pictures are the main thing. We know what ebay gets for "vintage" casting and loading equipment. The better it looks in the picture, the more bids. Some guy in the back of his plumbing shop cleaned up an area and is selling "vintage" molds and lead pots for more than the price of new......

[WILCO]

I can't believe this was posted on a public forum!

Nothing surprises me anymore. Just one more thing wrong with the system. Best of luck to you Sam.

[jcwit]

Any good flea markets near where you live?

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Any good flea markets near where you live?

About 50 to 60 miles, I live in the Boonies.

Sam

[arjacobson]

Sell the tools. That will be more than you will see for years as a hobby shop.

That said I am setting up a hobby shop. BUT, I understand it will cost money not make money.

Plus one

[jcwit]

About 50 to 60 miles, I live in the Boonies.

Thats a thought then, fuel expense for a van would run 20/30 bucks. Have no idea what rent would cost, but shouldn't be too much. And if you could do crafts you're even further ahead, just find something that sells good.

I've got close friends that did this for 20 years before they retired.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Here is my two cents worth. Many decades ago I was talking to a friend and fellow shooter about buying a lathe. After linstening for a while he said"you know there is something to knowing how to use it when you get it". Many years later I learned what he meant. I was able to buy a lathe and mill at the same time. While I did manage to learn to cut threads and do some work , I was never good enough to take in work for others. I just never had enough fire in the belly to really learn the trade of a machinest. Now contrast that with Buckshot. I sold him a lathe several years ago and I am amazed at the work he turns out. I call him on occasion as late as 10 pm and he is still in the shop. I don't try to call him before 10 AM however. I would like to add that I was lucky enough to obtain a large amount of tooling and accessories for next to nothing. Like for free. I had everything you coud ask for in the way of tooling. If memory serves I had over twenty chucks plus collet closer, turret, toolpost grinder, surface grinder etc . Every cutting tool for mill or lathe but not the urge. I began to feel guilty for not using the equipment. When we sold our home I had no choice. It had to go. I went to see the man who bought all of it and I was sorry to see he has pilled it all in a very dark trailer. I doubt it will ever be used again. Sam, it takes a great deal of dedication and study to become even a novice machinest. I think you might be better served by selling the equipment as mentions before. I hope you take this advice in the spirit it is given. Good luck with what ever you decide...

[tinsnips]

Sam to become a good machiinist take a very long time ,that being said i know a lady who comes to all the gun shows that makes a living by selling home made soap. Her husband is also disabled but still able to help her produce the soap. I will travel to gun shows just to buy her soap.She lives in Mile City Montana an sells her soap in a store downtown also it could be something you could learn quickly an hopefully make money. I wish you all the good luck in the world what every you can figure out.

[Jim]

I think Sam is tryin' to stay under the radar.

[NSP64]

Sam, it all depends on what your able to do. Being disabled isnt being dead. pm me if you want to tell me what you cant do, and maybe figure out what you can do.

I dont work for the man or obamma.

[garym1a2]

Start with the lathe. It easy to learn and you can watch youtube videos on it plus internetresearch. If you cannot learn to use one than sell allthe equipment. I made guide rods forsome glocks and an Xmd on the lathe at work. These cost about 20$ if you buy them. The rod on my Rsbs was bent and I made a new one from a bolt. I made my glock guide rod froma 1/4-20, 4 inch stainless bolt. It cost about $1 in materials.
Better yet, hang out on the AR15 forum.those guys always over pay.

[Blacksmith]

Sam,

I just thought of one I used to do which isn't too hard and the equipment is reasonable. Since you have a boat I assume you are near water so make custom made fishing rods. I took a class years ago but could have learned it from a book. A custom rod is way better than one out of the rack and custom thread work can be like engraving on a gun.

Here is the premier organization, the guy that taught me was a mover and shaker in this:
http://www.rodguild.com/

Here are a couple of suppliers I have used in the past:
http://www.mudhole.com/?gclid=CJyDzK...FQXd4Aodu30OoA

http://www.flexcoat.com/

http://www.stcroixrods.com/category/rod_building

Just Google Rod Building for lots more.

Balcksmith

[ErikO]

I taught myself to use a metal lathe and vertical milling machine. Try finding some machine shop textbooks, at used bood store, local library etc. Get some scrap stock to practice on go for it. Just be safe. Machine shop course at a community college is another route, if you can find one. They are getting few an far behind is some parts of the country. All the ones I inquired about were teaching CNC only and practically required a degree in computer.
Good luck. and Merry Christmas

+1

Also, check into oxy-acetaline welding. Plenty of projects can be made with a gas torch, clean 55-gallon drums and angle iron. I have a buddy here in St Louis that supplements his fixed income with BBQ fabrication and it doesn't impact his VA benefits one bit. He's a secondary-exposure Agent Orange survivor and one heck of a torchman.

[Wayne Smith]

My brother is in Sacramento and volunteers in a gun store for store credit. Has for years and has hundreds of guns in his home. His "retirement plan" - most of them are unfired in the box.

[Bullet Caster]

Muddy Creek Sam,
I am a disabled veteran also and don't have a job at the present. Got fired from my job at Kodak at Dollywood in June of this year. While I'm not into doing any kind of machinest work, I do make crafts for Christmas. I also macreme and sew. I hand paint wooden spoons to look like Santa Claus. I make them individually for sale and I also incorporate the Santa spoons into a macreme Santa spoon chimes thingy that I use red and green wool (knitting wool) to hang the spoons on. I've only sold a few of the spoons and hopefully this time next year I'll have some products made up to sell. That's one way to supplement my non-existent income. I also cast bullets (boolits) for sale to anyone who might want them. I haven't done any reloads for anyone but I'm sure that will change in the near future. I've got several friends with guns that have approached me to make reloads for them. I might try this with a disclaimer about reloads. I'm also in the process of upping my compensation from the VA. I've already had the interview and now am waiting on the VA's decision of my case.
I wish you all the luck as you prepare to do something different in life to supplement your income. I wish I had the means to help you out but it seems that we're in the same boat without any paddles.
I've also put out the word to several CAS groups that I do gunsmithing on 3 screw frame colts or clones as I've learned how to do an action job on the trigger and hammer and polish all the parts coming into contact with each other. I've also mentioned to the clubs that I can reload .45 colt or make boolits to sell to the members that do reload. I try to keep several irons in the fire so to speak. Good luck with all your endeavores and I hope the machinest thing works out for you.
BC

[DLCTEX]

We have a local fellow who makes some extra income by sighting in guns, cleaning them, and doing minor repairs. He has also worked up loads for some who reload, but don't have/ want to spend, time to do it. He gets business by word of mouth, not advertising and works on a cash basis.

[Jamesconn]

There's the soap and my last job well technically I didn't work there and was paid in cash

[Jamesconn]

You can make tools or ingot molds bullet traps or the swaying press they have a sticky on how to build it I'd buy one.

You can make brass catchers too just go shooting reloading and casting and think of things that make it easier and/or efficient and try and do a group buy and if they are popular sell them everywhere

I could use a motor powered sifter for range lead

I don't know what to say about the machines but learn what you can if you can't use them or can't learn how to use them fast enought to stay afloat sell em

Read up on the Internet about selling on eBay and starting a website I would already be doing that but I'm handicapped because of my youth I can't do anything financially lucrative

[jcwit]

E-Bay sales are all reported.

[Moonman]

Isn't selling RELOADs, or giving them away technically illegal without a FFL?