Originally Posted by
mwalach
Shipping
(UPS Ground)
(Residential/Farm Address) $15.53
Total: $41.53
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Shipping was almost as much as the steel!
Very ambitious of you mwalach. I wish you much success. :cheers:
Regarding the 'Shipping', why don't you have the material(s) shipped to the school and save the extra charges for 'Residential/Farm Address' delivery. No need to pay extra for items you're going to donate.
Here's another (maybe dumb) thought, why don't you have the 'local high school Technology Education Program' students make several projects that could be sold for a profit? They could use their existing equipment to help offset the cost of the CNC router? They will have helped 'earn' the CNC machine and learned to use their existing equipment better and more effectively. Several projects that can be done on equipment that they should already have include turned pens, wall/mantle clocks, spice racks, chess/checker boards, trivets, scroll sawed key chains, CD racks, laminated-turned-finished-wooden-Easter eggs, etc. By picking a few choice projects that they think they can sell (or PRE-SELL) locally costs could be minimized and the goods could be set up to be 'mass' produced. Get the Metal Shop involved by having them produce a branding iron of the school mascot/logo so that some of the projects could be spruced up with a little creative 'wood burning'!!! Material costs could be further reduced by receiving wood (or scrap hardwood - great for pen turning) donations and by purchasing materials from retailers/wholesalers that give a discount for educational institutions.
While they're at it they can get a group from the business department to help track sales revenue, profit (or, hopefully not, loss), expenses and produce all of the accounting reports they are being taught to generate.
Maybe that's kind of idealistic but the students would learn something beyond what most schools can, and do, teach.
BTW, the Screen Printing Department in the High School I attended was always the most profitable and had the best equipment out of all the Industrial Arts taught there for the reasons cited above. The students designed and printed all of the T-shirts and sweatshirts for the school and its associated athletic teams. Printed items were sold throughout the school year or the sports 'season'. So the idea is 'doable' and not altogether far-fetched. For some unknown reason the other Industrial Arts departments never caught on to the idea.
Where's charper and the rest of the CNCzoner's that hang out here in the 'Teacher's Forum'??? Maybe they can chime in...
Just my 2 cents,
HayTay
Don't be the one that stands in the way of your success!