Sunday morning coffee

[Bobby Hatfield]

Memories from time past, anyone remember ?

[Patrick McCarthy]

Oh yeah, it was what helped draw me in to this vortex.

[Jim Becker]

While I was never a participant there...SMC came into being before I got involved in the forums...I know that BP was "the" place where many folks still here today first met.

[Keith Outten]

Bobby,

I remember Badger Pond, its where I met Ken Salisbury and large number of the people here who are plank owners.
Jim is right, when the Pond dried up The Creek came to life......its just that simple.

I believe somewhere in our archives you will find the original Badger Pond graphic.
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[Bruce Page]

I drank my morning coffee out of one just like that. I forgot to bring it home when I retired a few years ago and lost it. The graphic on mine was almost completely faded out.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I remember it well. I never bought the mug but I still have my Badger Pond baseball cap. This became my new home after the pond "dried up."

[Brian Tymchak]

I wasn't here during the "pond" days, but I sure would like a "creek" mug... hint, Keith, hint, hint, Keith, hint ....;)

[Keith Outten]

Brian,

We purchased a mug press and were making SawMill Creek coffee mugs for awhile. We stopped when 20% of the mugs we received were broken and about 30% of the mugs we shipped were being damaged by UPS. I tried every way I knew to pack the coffee mugs in an effort to keep them from being damaged during shipping. Our markup was so small we were losing money on the mugs so I stopped offering them.

I still have a few coffee mugs and I would be glad to sublimate them if anyone can tall me how to protect them from the knuckle dragging apes at UPS who throw packages like they are baseballs. The UPS managers are quick to access the damage as improper packing so you can't win. I could drop by the UPS office and see what they would charge to pack and ship mugs, that way they would be responsible for any damage but the cost would be horrible.

I recently stopped selling my Laser Engraver Vector Tables because of shipping damage so I have given up shipping anything that is fragile.

I really like the 15 ounce coffee mugs, they have a large handle that is easy to hold and the dye-sub lasts 2 to 5 years if you use them every day.

I will be making some Dupont Corian coffee cups very soon, these will be tough enough to withstand rough handling but they will be expensive because of the time, material and dye-sublimation costs involved. My thoughts are to make just a few.....one for me and some to give away as contest prizes. If I can't find a way to dye-sublimate them because of the seam I can laser engrave them and fill the engraving with Dupont adhesive so they would be dish washer and microwave safe.
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[Dan Hintz]

Not sure how to help, Keith... I've watched the IAP mug sales the last few years and haven't noticed anything close to that. The biggest problem was Jeff getting so overworked he mixed up a few orders, but I never saw mention of any being broken in transit. Shipping was a small 6"- to 7"cubed box with cardboard preforms on the top and bottom of the mug holding it in the center of the box. How are you packaging yours, with peanuts?

[Mike Circo]

One step further. I remember a late Ponder member, Phil Kosin (sp), who used Badger Pond to setup "Ponderpalooza" here in the western Chicago Suburbs. Met a bunch of nice folks at breakfast, went to Kirkland sawmill to watch their 56" blade saw up trees. Then went over to Sycamore IL to visit the woodworkers store there and get a demo by Rodger Cliffe. Great group of folks.

[Dennis Peacock]

Oh yea, I remember very well. I was even talking to Wayne Miller about taking over Badger Pond back in the day, but I didn't have the money to fund the bandwidth.....so I moved from Badger Pond when it closed over to SMC and have been here ever since that time.

[Todd Burch]

I was at "the pond", although a latecomer. I even remember, after it closed, and Keith started this, when this one member, Bobby Hatfield, would post here on SMC!!! (Hi Bobby!) ;)

[Frederick Skelly]

I remember the Pond fondly.
Fred

[Jason Roehl]

I remember it well. I never bought the mug but I still have my Badger Pond baseball cap. This became my new home after the pond "dried up."

Yep.


I was at "the pond", although a latecomer. I even remember, after it closed, and Keith started this, when this one member, Bobby Hatfield, would post here on SMC!!! (Hi Bobby!) ;)

And yep. ;)

[Steve Jenkins]

Also the annual BBQ/get-togethers. Sophie and I started the first one and he hosted 8 or nine that I went to and I hosted I think 4 or 5. They carried on into the SMC days. Got to meet a lot of really nice folks. Many people couldn't understand how we could send out an open invitation on a forum but it worked well and there were quite a few across the U.S. for awhile.

[Keith Outten]

Not sure how to help, Keith... I've watched the IAP mug sales the last few years and haven't noticed anything close to that. The biggest problem was Jeff getting so overworked he mixed up a few orders, but I never saw mention of any being broken in transit. Shipping was a small 6"- to 7"cubed box with cardboard preforms on the top and bottom of the mug holding it in the center of the box. How are you packaging yours, with peanuts?

Dan,

Jackie and I tried everything to eliminate shipping damage. We started with the cubed boxes, then tried peanuts, then foam then the air bubble sheets.
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[Keith Outten]

Steve,

I hosted a SawMill Creek SwapMeet here in Gloucester County Virginia. We had 50 people attend and everyone had a great time. I wish we could host a couple gatherings every year but my schedule and the amount of work involved makes it almost impossible.
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