#Manufacturing Machines for Small Business

[newbusinessideas]

Top 15 Must-Have Manufacturing Machines For Small Business

🤖 Dive into the world of efficiency with our Top 15 Best Small Machines for Manufacturing Business! From idea to implementation, these machines are your ticket to success. 🚀 Hit that follow button for more innovative tips! 🛠️ #ManufacturingMachines

Starting a small business can be an exciting journey, filled with numerous opportunities for growth and innovation. In today’s fast-evolving industrial landscape, small machines have become crucial for both large-scale manufacturing giants and emerging small businesses. From startups to established companies, these compact yet powerful machines provide the perfect blend of technology and…

[june-gdprototyping]

Low Volume Manufacturing of CNC Machining

CNC machining low volume manufacturing or small batch manufacturing is the process of producing small batches using computer numerical control (CNC) machines.

Why Choose Low Volume Manufacturing? When the development of new products are in the testing stage, 1-2 samples are not enough to test, and can not meet the conditions of mold opening, or the number of products customized itself is not much, customers often choose precision CNC machining of small quantities. During new product development, small batch production can shorten the R&D and production cycle, and do FMEA to predict the risk before mass production, which is conducive to test market sales, and can also quickly adapt to changes in customer orders and market demand, to achieve inventory minimization and production system flexibility.

What Are The Advantages & Features of CNC Low Volume Manufacturing? 1.High precision Products of CNC machining low volume manufacturing with a high precision of +/-0.01mm, finish up to Ra1.6, suitable for oxidation, sandblasting, painting and powder coating, electroplating, polishing, silkscreen, laser engraving and other surface treatment. 2.High flexibility CNC small batch production is highly flexible and can respond quickly to market changes and customer needs, especially suitable for customized products and prototype development. 3.No MOQ CNC machining is flexible for the quantity, 1~1000 pieces can be processed, we have various types of CNC machining machines (3-axis, 4-axis, 5-axis, imported machines) to meet the customer's customized product needs. 4.Rich selection of materials A wide range of materials can be CNC machined, including metal and plastic materials. Commonly customized materials for small batch production are: aluminium alloy, stainless steel, titanium alloy, magnesium alloy, zinc alloy, nickel alloy, copper, steel and so on. 5.Higher production time and cost Small batch manufacturing usually involves more model changeovers and programme setups, which increases production lead time and results in lower productivity. Higher unit costs due to lower production quantities and fixed costs such as depreciation of equipment and maintenance costs that cannot be spread effectively.

Applications for CNC Low Volume Manufacturing 1.Customized products For parts or products that need to be customized, CNC small batch manufacturing allows for a quick response to customer needs. 2.Prototyping During the product development phase, CNC low volume manufacturing allows for rapid prototyping to help designers validate designs and make adjustments. 3.Small batch production For products that are not in high demand, CNC low volume manufacturing can provide flexible production methods and reduce costs. In short, small batch manufacturing is suitable for customized products, R&D trials, medical devices and other areas where uniqueness and flexibility are important.

Matters Needing Attention for CNC Low Volume Manufacturing 1.CNC machining of small batches has two main purposes, one is the product itself has a low demand for customization. The other is the small batch trial production before large-scale production, which can avoid economic losses in large-scale production due to flow design errors and product design problems. Regardless of the type of product you have, it is important to choose the right manufacturer and determine the number of units to be produced in advance before producing small batches. 2.In addition, it is equally important to pay attention to the quality of the product. Generally, these pre-produced products are not put on the market, but are mainly used as trial products to examine whether the actual production matches the design expectations. If the difference is relatively large, it is necessary to make changes to the original design or even overturn the whole design and re-plan it. Therefore, in the small batch trial production must not try to save trouble, the use of materials are best in the actual production will be used.

In summary, CNC low volume manufacturing or small batch manufacturing offers significant advantages in terms of customized products, prototyping and production of small quantities, but there are challenges in terms of cost control and production efficiency.

[aerofibreseo]

Superback Carpet Backing manufactures

superback carpet backing

[kirbyagainstvore]

My controversial opinion is that people need to get way more comfortable with the idea of diy binders. We shouldn't be relying on companies to sell us the resources we need to survive. I shouldnt have to be paying upwards of $50 just to leave my house.

[jayamindustries-sambranimachine]

Revolutionizing Small Scale Businesses: Jayam Industries' Latest Chalk Piece Machine

In a world where technological advancements shape the way industries operate, small scale businesses often find themselves seeking innovative solutions to enhance efficiency and productivity. In a notable stride towards aiding such enterprises, Jayam Industries has introduced its latest creation — the cutting-edge Chalk Piece Machine. This remarkable innovation holds the potential to revitalize the chalk production sector, providing a significant boost to small scale businesses.

Streamlining Chalk Production: A Game-Changer for Small Scale Businesses

Chalk, a ubiquitous tool in educational institutions and various industries, might appear mundane at first glance. However, its production has historically been a labor-intensive process, especially for small scale manufacturers. Jayam Industries’ Chalk Piece Machine is poised to transform this landscape by automating and optimizing the production process, subsequently benefiting businesses in several ways.

1. Increased Production Efficiency: Traditional chalk production methods involve manual labor at multiple stages, from mixing the ingredients to molding and drying the chalk pieces. Jayam Industries’ machine automates these processes, significantly reducing the need for human intervention and increasing the overall production speed. This boost in efficiency translates to higher output, allowing small scale businesses to meet demand without compromising on quality.

2. Enhanced Product Quality: Consistency and precision are paramount in producing high-quality chalk pieces. The Chalk Piece Machine ensures uniform mixing of ingredients, accurate molding, and controlled drying conditions. As a result, the end product boasts consistent size, shape, and texture, meeting industry standards and satisfying customer expectations.

3. Cost-Effectiveness: Implementing automation through the Chalk Piece Machine leads to long-term cost savings. While the initial investment may seem substantial, the reduction in labor costs, minimized material wastage, and increased output justify the expenditure. Small scale businesses can achieve economies of scale without straining their resources.

4. Technological Accessibility: Jayam Industries’ Chalk Piece Machine brings advanced technology within reach of small scale businesses. The machine’s user-friendly interface and intuitive controls make it accessible to operators with varying levels of technical expertise. This democratization of technology empowers businesses to harness automation’s benefits without extensive training requirements.

5. Sustainability: With an increasing focus on sustainable practices, the Chalk Piece Machine aligns with eco-conscious production. By optimizing material usage and energy consumption, the machine reduces the environmental footprint of chalk production. This aspect can appeal to environmentally conscious consumers and open doors to new market segments.

6. Adaptability: The Chalk Piece Machine’s design allows for customization and scalability, catering to the unique requirements of different businesses. Whether a small workshop or a growing enterprise, the machine can be tailored to match the production volume and specific needs, ensuring a versatile solution for a diverse range of businesses.

Paving the Path for Progress

Jayam Industries’ latest innovation, the Chalk Piece Machine, marks a significant stride towards revitalizing small scale businesses engaged in chalk production. By optimizing efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness, this technology empowers businesses to thrive in an increasingly competitive market. As automation continues to shape industries worldwide, embracing such solutions becomes crucial for not only sustaining but accelerating the growth of small scale enterprises.

For details: https://camphormachine.in

Contact No: 096597 82821

[maczen78]

Business Now A Days: Small Business Ideas to Consider

Starting a small business can be challenging, but with the right idea, it can be profitable. Two popular small business ideas are paper plate machine and agarbatti machine. These machines are affordable, easy to maintain, and have high demand in the market. Investing in a paper plate machine can facilitate the production of eco-friendly disposable plates, which is an excellent alternative to traditional plastic plates, while an agarbatti machine can produce incense sticks that are widely used in religious and cultural activities. Both of these machines offer significant potential for growth and can be a profitable business venture. So, if you're looking for a small business idea that requires minimal investment and yields high returns, do consider these options.

[mayakern]

Why....why are the sweaters 3/4 sleeve??? Personally I would totally get a black sweater (or white tbh) but I can't vibe with a 3/4 sleeve (for a few reasons, mostly various sensory/attention problems) so i was wondering why that choice was made and whether there's any chance of a full length sleeve being made in addition or instead? But also I'm curious as to exactly what kind of fabric it is? Is it an anti-pill material? (Pilling is one of my fabric enemies)

so first off, this as is about the lace collar sweaters that will be hitting the store later this year. you can watch the full video here, but i’m including screenshots as well for those of y’all who don’t want to watch the video.

2nd, i get that everyone has personal preferences, but this was unnecessarily rude. you’re not going to like every decision we make, and that’s OK, but if you’re old enough to use a credit card to buy things online, you’re old enough to realize that product decisions you dislike were not made to personally gall you.

there were a few reasons we chose to do 3/4 sleeves, but the primary reason was that 3/4 sleeves work better for a variety of arm lengths. a 3/4 sleeve will look good whether someone’s arm is shorter or longer than average, whereas a full length sleeve can easily be too long or too short for the person wearing it. we also didn’t want to do short sleeves because at the time the only other shirt we had in production was the wrap top, which has short/cap sleeves.

we do have some full long sleeve shirts/sweaters in planning/in production that we have not shown off yet, but currently we do not have plans to make a long sleeve version of this particular sweater because we have no idea what sales will look like. if these sweaters sell well and there’s considerable customer demand, we’ll consider doing long sleeves. if these sweaters sell poorly they will not be returning to the store, period. we are a small business with limited funds and we cannot throw infinite money at the wall.

last, the fabric composition is 62% polyester, 33% viscose, 5% elastane. we tested a lot of fabrics for this sweater, and this was the only one that felt right. its appropriate thickness (not super thin, but not super thick, so that it can easily be layered under warmer garments or worn solo without causing you to overheat), the cute ribbing, and the texture/feeling (which don’t aggravate my textural sensitivities as an autistic person with very sensitive skin) were all just right.

we’ve also done a number of wash tests and did not encounter any issues with pilling. in general, if you take good care of our garments, that is not going to be an issue from our current manufacturer, who have demonstrated time and again that they prioritize quality labor and material that is made to last. the reason shein products fall apart isn’t because they’re made of polyester: it’s because the sewing is rushed and the fabric fibers are low quality and often have a looser knit or weave, which makes them more prone to damage/falling apart on a structural level.

as for pilling specifically, pilling is actually the fabric breaking. looser weaves/knits are more prone to breakage because they are more open and cheap fabrics are often made of looser weaves, which results in more pilling. but even a high quality material can pill under the right (or wrong) circumstances. when fiber is wet, similar to hair, it is more vulnerable to breakage, and washing machines with agitators (the big thing in the middle of some washers) are really really good at breaking your fibers, thus resulting in more pilling.

anyway tldr the sweaters shouldn’t have any pilling issues if you treat them right and full length sleeves are not likely to happen but are not totally impossible.

[genericpuff]

re: your tags on the rowling / musk post, specifically villains on saturday morning cartoons > wondering why we hate those who emulate it

idk if you ever played toontown, but i’ll always find it hilarious that disney released a game all about fighting big corporations from taking over small businesses, where the enemies (aka cogs (in the machine)) are all named after idioms / insults for types of corp employees (i.e. pencil pusher, ambulance chaser, big wig, loan shark, cold caller); esp considering disney is the Perfect example of the types of corporations that the game teaches you are evil and soulless. honestly, it’s a game i hold near and dear to my heart, and i recommend trying out toontown rewritten if you ever feel like it

i have NOT played toontown but i remember seeing the commercials for it all the time at like, the end of DVD's n junk and REALLY WANTING TO PLAY IT but ofc we didn't have a computer most of the time growing up and when we did it was hooked up with dial-up that my parents always got really clutchy over (idk if this was just a circumstance of the time period but like. did anyone else have a parent who acted like it was a life-or-death scenario if they missed even a single phone call ??? because my folks definitely did LOL) so something like toontown was just not in the cards LOL but I didn't know Toontown Rewritten was a thing so... maybe it's time for me to make another one of my childhood self's dreams come true (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

but that is really ironic, it's wild (and sad honestly) how so many accomplished writers and creators can become disconnected from what they originally represented and wrote about through... the disillusionment of fame and wealth i guess ??? or maybe it was just mold on the walls the whole time ?? 💀😆 i mean shit even rowling herself told a story about a boy literally living in the closet who finally escaped and went on to fight against an organization of literal fucking wizard nazi's, and yet now she seemingly missed the entire point of why kids resonated with her books so much and why they saw it as an inspiring message of hope and acceptance and love and persevering and standing up against literal fucking fascism ??? hello ???

actually there was a great video i watched a while ago about how despite the messages we took away from those books growing up, the HP books were also completely manufactured through the lens of capitalism, like not just as a franchise but on a narrative level. def give it a watch because it really kinda blew my mind and opened up a whole new perspective on the series for me LOL

[seat-safety-switch]

"Are you going to finish that?" I ask the person next to me, and then immediately start tucking into their LSG Sky Chefs Catering® ready-to-serve meal. Today, it's beef bourguignon, because while the entire history of capitalist achievement has conspired to prevent me from sitting in first class, it didn't keep the guy who used to occupy this seat from getting up and using the bathroom. And so, here I am.

We make small talk, which is the usual reaction that regular people have when they're trapped with me. Not just in airplanes, of course. Any enclosed space. Elevators. Cable-cars. Ski hill gondolas. And someday, Mord willing, escape pods from an ill-equipped, lowest-bidder orbital space station. They tell me that they are a corporate liability lawyer, all about those class actions. I would respond, but I am too busy plowing through some lukewarm potato-like mash.

It's strange how in our society, it's your job that defines you. Oh, I'm a teacher. I'm an astronaut. I'm a lumberjack. Without this pretext, nobody else has any way to relate to you. It's understandable to a certain extent. Your innermost soul is often unknowable even to yourself, much less to some rando in the 35 minutes left before this baby lands at Newark. What would I even tell this guy, that I'm a degenerate who builds poorly considered nightmare machines and turns them loose on a populace too afraid to stop me?

Luckily for me, I don't have to answer. I see that the dude who is supposed to be sitting in this seat is returning from his trip to the gender-neutral Boeing-manufactured toilet. For a moment, I wonder if the first-class shitter is nicer than the one we have back in coach, but I slip out quickly before he can become irate.

As I pass my temporary seat-donor in the aisle, I whisper into his ear: the law-talking dude sitting next to you fucking knows what you did last quarter. Tell him nothing. I hear a short gasp, but I am already halfway through business class before he can turn in the tight space and ask me more questions.

No liability lawyer is going to get a free case out of me, not if he eats the peach cobbler first and leaves me with the wrinkled freeze-dried arugula. That's just rude.

[newbusinessideas]

Top 10 Best Machines for Small Business with Low Investment

🎬 Want to be your own boss? 🚀 Discover the Top 10 Profitable Small Business Machines with Low Investment! 💼 Turn your passion into profit with these game-changing ideas. 💰 #businessmachines #smallbusinessideas #newbusinessideas #businessopportunity

Small business owners in today’s dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship are always seeking innovative solutions to maximize their efficiency and profitability. Investing in the right machinery can catalyze success, enabling businesses to streamline operations, meet market demands, and generate significant returns on investment. And, small business machines play a pivotal role in improving…

[apas-95]

why do usamerican anarchists even want to cook bathtub insulin like regulations on drug manufacturing just arent exploitative relationships

the only reason anyone ever does anything incorrectly is the profit motive. if you took away all safety regulations and threw a bunch of random people into a machine shop and asked them to build medical equipment they'd do so perfectly safely and correctly, because why would they Want to do otherwise?

i joke, obviously, but that's the thought process - it's fundamentally an extension of idealism: for a politics that otherwise completely ignores the material necessities and restrictions placed on political organisation and the measures they require to apply to the real world, in favour of, essentially 'if everyone just agrees with us our ideas will win', it shouldn't be that surprising that that extends to production.

in reality, of course, there are factors outside direct human control, and the implementation of safety regulations and inspections are an incredibly obvious and necessary measure - *but*, once you accept that, the question is then 'what good are safety regulations without any form of enforcement?', which, for anyone concerned with simply the task of bettering life for the working class, would prompt a response of 'oh, you're right, we'll need some form of enforcement, then.' for a lot of people, that's the end of their relationship with anarchism.

however, the underlying motives that generate these politics - as, in general, idealist political philosophies disconnected from reality don't simply spring up by themselves - aren't about the task of bettering life for the working class. fundamentally, the interests of these worldviews are those of the small-producer, the middle class: they promote a utopia where everyone is a small business owner (whether in a commune or a 'free market'), and, providing no real method to achieve these utopias, function mainly to drive these middle classes away from their character as labourers, and towards their privileges. the question of 'authority', a nebulous concept, has always been specifically the existence of any authority *over the small-producer's enterprise*. it's for *that* reason that, when the idea of 'authority' comes into contradiction with the task of improving the lives of the working people, some *do* decide that 'authority' is more important.

there is no such thing as a definite 'left' and 'right wing' - there are left wings and right wings of individual classes, but they both share more in class interest than they often do with their counterparts of other classes. libertarianism, in all its forms, is a middle class ideology, and shares its flaws - any jab against libertarians works just as well, 'who'll build the roads', 'would you need a driver's license', 'how will you ensure medicine is produced safely', etc.

when faced with these problems, people not married to the need to avoid 'authority' will simply accept the ideology is flawed - there are people who are pre-emptively 'anti-state', but fundamentally, their opponents are not 'pro-state', just practical. the anarchists are the only people coming to the table with a pre-existing, overriding position about 'authority' and the role of the state, and they're willing to abandon all practicalities to support it. functional regulations on medicine production *have* to be considered authoritarian, because that's the point of the ideology.

[simply-ivanka]

Germany Should Have Listened to Trump

Tuesday 2.27.2024 Wall Street Journal

By Walter Russell Mead

Trump was right about Berlin’s self-defense and risky energy dependence on Russia.

The lower house of Germany’s Parliament voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis last week. It was a timely move. Germany’s leadership class is going to need all the mellow it can find in a world that isn’t going Germany’s way.

Russian advances in Ukraine and American paralysis over the next aid package are reinforcing the reality that Germany needs to defend itself but lacks the power to do so. So are developments in the Red Sea, where German manufacturers must cope with shipping delays as the Biden administration fails to keep the vital waterway clear.

Forget the 2% of gross domestic product that Germany has repeatedly promised and failed to spend on defense. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius shocked many observers this month when he said that in the new world situation, Germany may have to spend as much as 3.5% of GDP for defense.

The economic news is also grim. Last year Germany’s GDP shrank 0.3%, and last week the government slashed 2024 growth estimates to a pitiful 0.2%. Economists expect negative growth during the first quarter of 2024, placing the country in recession. The outlook for housing is bleak, with business confidence reaching all-time lows. The news in manufacturing is little better. This month the widely followed HCOB German Flash Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 46.1, the eighth month in a row that the index has pointed to decreasing economic activity.

Energy prices are a particular sore spot. The chemical giant BASF announced €1 billion in spending cuts in its German operations, blaming a mix of weak demand in the German market and “structurally higher energy prices.” Enormous U.S. subsidies under the so-called Inflation Reduction Act are leading German companies to look across the Atlantic.

Chinese competition is another massive worry. China long ago passed Germany as the world’s largest car producer. Increasingly, especially in electric vehicles, it is challenging Germany as both a low-cost and high-quality manufacturer. Beijing aims to marginalize German capital goods and automobile companies in China while Chinese exporters challenge German dominance in world markets.

With the associations representing the small and medium-size Mittelstand firms that make up the heart of the German economy warning in a rare joint open letter about Germany’s loss of competitiveness, Economy Minister Robert Habeck isn’t mincing words. The economy is in “rough waters.” The “competitiveness of Germany as an industrial location” is in doubt.

It isn’t all doom and gloom. The outlook for the service sector is brighter than for manufacturing, and as the Journal reported last week, the Ifo Institute’s business-climate index improved slightly this month. The best that can be said for the outlook? “The German economy is stabilizing at a low level,” according to Ifo’s president.

Meanwhile, Germany’s dysfunctional three-party coalition government is paralyzed by internal struggles. The largest party in the coalition, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), is deeply divided over foreign policy, with many nostalgic for good relations with Russia and allergic to military spending. The SPD also wants Biden-like government spending initiatives to revive the German industrial machine and expand social benefits. The Greens, the next-largest party, are by German standards foreign-policy hawks but continue to press for a rapid energy transition that drives up costs for business and consumers. The third party in the coalition, the Free Democrats, wants to hold the line on government spending. As if this weren’t enough trouble, the conservative opposition parties have a blocking minority in Parliament’s upper house.

This is not where Germans thought they would be. Sixteen months ago, I visited Berlin and heard from a stream of government officials, think tankers and economists that everything was working fine. Russia was failing in Ukraine. The energy transition would boost German competitiveness and employment. Germany’s Mittelstand would handle anything China could throw at it.

Under the circumstances, it’s no surprise that antiestablishment parties are growing in Germany. The far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) currently has more support than any of the governing parties, with one recent poll showing the AfD at 19%, the Social Democrats at 14%, the Greens at 13%, and the Free Democrats at 4%.

The most bitter pill of all for Germany’s establishment may be the realization that on the most important issues facing Germany, Donald Trump was right where they were wrong. Getting in bed with Vladimir Putin for cheap energy was both foolish and deeply disloyal to the West. German defense policy was self-defeating and dangerous. China wasn’t a reliable partner.

“Ich bin ein Berliner,” was President John F. Kennedy’s message to Germany. If Donald Trump returns to the White House, his message will likely be “Das habe ich gleich gesagt,” or “I told you so.”

[deramin2]

All Clothes Are Handmade

As a sewist with access to a lot of fancy commercial-grade equipment, I think about this a lot. People have this idea that there's a lot of automation in making clothes, that robots do most of the work. They do not. Very low-wage humans do.

The machines can make fancy stitches, but they can't guide them. Cloth takes fine dexterity and constant adjustments to work with. Any sewist who's tried to sew a straight line but had their thoughts stray know how fast it goes tits up. The 2+ pieces need to be carefully pinned together (expert sewists can use very few pins, but still need some), and then carefully guided and managed so they stay exactly together as the same tension without wrinkles. And if there's any kind of curve, it takes great skill to do all of that while turning at precisely the right angle at the right time while keeping everything together. And then a human has to detect the end and change the stitch appropriately to secure the ends.

And then there's fabric management. A the front the fabric bunches in your lap and tries to fall down at weird angles. At the back in bunches up and tries to pull at weird angles. So you're constantly having to manage where all that fabric is going that you aren't currently sewing. And if you're sewing in the round (like putting on a sleeve), you have to manage bringing the back around to the front. All of this twists the entire garment, which has to be managed even when most of it is sitting next to you. In home sewing this is sometimes a 2-person job.

A machine cannot do any of that that. Automating clothing manufacturing is a holy grail people have been working on for a couple hundred years and are nowhere close to achieving. It takes the kind of very precise and constant adjustment with a sharp mind and keen eye that humans are very good at and machines are very bad at. Machines only sew in straight lines.

But people look at fast fashion prices and assume robots must be making their clothes. But they aren't. Highly skilled human beings in horrific work conditions at breakneck speed and brutal hours are being paid pennies to make even the cheapest and most low-quality garment. The entire commercial and consumer chain has simply dehumanized them into "must be robots."

This red swimsuit is selling for $10.99 from Walmart. It probably cost $2-$3 to produce.

This striped swimsuit is selling for Beefcake Swimwear for $99. This is the fair price for a swimsuit made with ethical labor.

Beefcake is a small Portland, Oregon company that uses local labor, local materials, and doesn't have a high markup. They cost $49 to manufacture (maybe more now with inflation). (With business expenses, trust me that margin is really slim.) Beefcake talks about "The real cost of American-made swimwear." Half the cost to produce is labor costs. I'd wager half the cost of the fabric is also labor costs. This is why clothing isn't typically made in the US, except using prison labor that's pretty literally slavery.

This is the true cost of a product that attempts to not exploit its workers. It's a luxury most people can't afford because the entire labor market exploits workers to the point of being unable to afford anything but exploitative goods and services. Fast fashion has convinced people they greatly benefit from supporting the worst of that exploitation.

These swimsuits were made on similar machines with similar materials by people with similar skill. The same degree of automation went into both of them. But the Walmart manufacturer sewists got paid less than a dollar to make that one and live in abject poverty, and the Beefcake sewists got paid $22, which is livable.

But robots didn't make either of these. human hands did. Human hands made every single piece of clothing in your closet. Think of how to cherish and care for their work.

[bitstitchbitch]

fun fact - handmade, sustainable clothing is expensive for a reason! I just spent $90 on cheapish 100% wool yarn that is probably-hopefully enough for a crocheted sweater (I should have bought another 1-2 balls, but planned poorly). This is yarn from a good-sized company - it was manufactured, not hand spun or dyed to my knowledge. Hand-dyed / spun yarn is double that cost, easily. Again, this is just the yarn. A good crochet hook is around $10. Add another couple of bucks for stitch markers and other misc. tools. Patterns can be bought, found online for free, or you can make your own which is what I’m doing. Working without a pattern requires more time - I spent ~1.5 hours today making test swatches just to decide stitch and gauges. Now consider that higher quality yarn comes in hanks, not the pre-wound balls that you usually find in Michael’s or Joann’s. I wind by hand, so that takes 1.5-2 hours to do all six balls. And only once all of this is done can I begin to make my sweater. Which will probably take 20+ hours. So add in labor costs, let alone profit margins and other business expenses and you start to see why most people don’t sell large crochet items. Not many people want to pay over $300 for a sweater (and remember, this is cheapish wool yarn at $14 / 219 yards, not $30 / 150 yards of hand dyed cashmere, so double the cost if we’re talking premium materials).

Hell I made a crochet afghan with cheap cheap acrylic yarn (literally what you find in Michael’s). $75 materials, but it took me 120+ hours of work and the base cost (labor + materials) would be at least $1000 before profit margin. Then consider that it took me over 9 months to finish. I love that afghan. It’s going to last my whole lifetime. I have similar afghans that my great and great great grandmothers passed down to me - it’s literally an heirloom item. I have no regrets about spending all that time and money on it. But holy fuck, it would not be worth it as a business venture.

I guess my belated point is, consider this the next time you complain about the cost of sustainable, ethically produced clothing. And consider that sustainable clothing usually has more longevity if properly cared for. You can usually thrift for immediate needs and save up for those long lasting items! Just never buy crochet items from a store. It’s such a scam. If the price is affordable, it’s probably unethical (small items are still sketchy, but if it’s local business and not a chain you might be okay - some people can make money off crochet if they’re making small items). There are other methods of sustainable clothing production that can produce cheaper items (machine knitting for example, and even sewing is typically faster) but materials are almost always going to come at a premium and hand sewn/ knitted / crochet is going to be even more so.

[e-vay]

CC ORIGIN STORY by @lubedoo

Hello! I’ve been following your art for some time and really enjoy it! I especially like the Tails and CC threads and have been mulling just how CC came to be and how she first met Tails, given the brief outlines you’ve published. I scribbled out the first chapter of a fan fiction expanding on CCs origins which I hope you’ll like. Let me know what you think… I can write more if you like it. Hope to see more of Tails and CC soon either way!

Chapter 1: Walter’s Widgets

“No, this won’t work… the gear pitch is misaligned to the functional plane!”

The camera aperture on the small robot’s spindly head focused in and out on the tiny interlocking mechanism as its grouchy furred boss pointed at the offending interface with thin metal pick. Its pincer-like hands reached for the device, but it was quickly snatched away. The robot retreated a few feet on its wheelbase at the sudden movement.

“It has to be at the correct angle or it will bind and fail prematurely!” He looked sternly at the two droids standing in front of him, the second a more squat construction containing a platform and several manipulators. “Assembler, you have the steady table and precision arms. Can’t you work with Gear Placer to match these up?”

Assembler responded in a series of low hums and groan-like noises, while Gear Placer rattled off high-pitched squeals and beeps.

“Wait, whoa… one at a time.” The old woodchuck removed his glasses and grasped the bridge of his nose. “I can understand both of you but not when you talk over each other. Didn’t the interface chips I installed help with translating your machine languages?”

Gear Placer reached a pincer inside an opening in its head and plucked out a small circuit board, which clearly had been overtaxed. The melted wires and burn marks were testament to its overuse and failure. Assembler groaned about its being in a similar condition, but was unable to remove it given its location.

The woodchuck sighed as he examined the ruined electronics. “I suppose that’s what I get for cobbling you all together from different control boards and drivers. I never expected my Widget business to be so complex.”

Walter Woodchuck had built WW Widgets into a local phenomenon. It started as a hobby business, building little devices for himself and his friends in his garage workshop. But word spread about his clever and unique designs, and suddenly customers were sending in requests from as far as Reclusivia. It provided him with a nice retirement income and kept him busy for sure, but he knew he needed help if he was to keep building these devices to his exacting standards.

And Walter was by no means a “people person.” He tried hiring a few Mobian assistants but none lasted very long. He was very particular in how he wanted things done, and few of his hired help was willing (or able) to keep up with his demands. Even his nephew William could only last for short stints in the WW manufacturing area before needing a periodic “sabbatical.”

So Walter decided with the size and scope of his business to move out of the tiny garage and into a “Fabratory” he had built towards the back corner of his property. It was a moderately sized but impressive facility that functioned as a device development lab, a manufacturing floor, a warehouse, and a store front. The store was more of an Automat, with remote payment devices and clear-doored cubbies where his customers could pay for and retrieve their items. It was very rare that any of them met with or even saw Walter… and he liked it that way. There was even a small living space so he could spend as much time as he wanted in his own little world. He would send one of the robots for supplies as needed, and the store owners in town knew Walter was good for payment.

But as with Walter and the outside world, communication among his robots was severely lacking. He built them as the need arose, from Circuit Solderer to Chip Mounter and Metal Stamper to Test Aligner. Their names were childish but functional, as Walter didn’t see the need to personalize his creations, only to have them do their job as they were told. And since they were constructed over time, the parts available to build them varied as did their internal machine languages, resulting in a maddening (to Walter) Production Line of Babel. The robots understood everything Walter told them but little of what the others twittered and beeped. They were still effective in producing wonderful Widgets, but frequently also manufactured a lot of stress for Walter.

Walter turned back to Gear Placer and Assembler, impatiently explaining to each what needed to be fixed on the device they had presented. They both excitedly responded in their own languages and raced off to fix their mistake.

“There has to be an easier way,” the tired woodchuck grumbled. “Maybe if I built another robot, one that could understand all their code and interpret for them… and me…” His voice trailed off as he turned to his drafting table and began drawing up yet another design.

After a few hours of intense thought and technical sketching (and with a few interruptions from the Production floor), he looked at his newest blueprint. “Yes, this should do nicely. I’m sure Oscar has the proper processors, auditory inputs, and servo impellers to make this happen. It will be my most advanced creation yet. I’ll need it to be able to learn, accept and provide feedback, and adapt to our design changes.” His brow furrowed. “This is going to be somewhat expensive, but that latest Widget order from Spagonia should cover the cost. Well worth it.”

He looked over the plans again and leaned back in his chair. Walter crossed his arms, smiled, and relaxed a bit. “Yes, you will be a great help to me… Code Compiler.”

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Evay: Wow, this is amazing! Oh I sincerely hope you do write more! I know I've been neglectful in all of the details of CC's origin. I promise I do have a script written for a comic for her, but I love when you all take the initiative and interpret how you think things went. It's an absolute delight for me 🥰 I really enjoyed this read and I look forward to more. Thank you so much!