Chris Campbell Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 I noticed in the sidebar section that Joseph and Marko were saying they were in the process of trying to figure out their production schedules ... so I thought a thread on the topic might help. Production Schedules ... as always,"it depends".... What are you making? ... obviously some forms and clay bodies need a longer interval. You need to take real time to sit down with pencil and paper and do the math ... how long does it take to complete the objects from start to finish? How many can you reasonably throw/build in one day? How long does it need to dry? How long to glaze? (This number needs to include making the glazes too) How long to fire it? What is your realistic loss %? How long to get it ready to ship out the door? Which brings up the core issue of production ... How many times do you touch it? In order to make the work efficiently, you need to cut down the times you touch the piece. So this part will always be a learning and improving process ... find ways to do the job with the least amount of picking up and putting down. Find your optimal production number for the day ... more is not always better. When you start making mistakes and cutting corners due to fatigue you lose money. TIME ... this is a crucial part ... how many days can you expect to be able to work at it? How many hours a day? You cannot just multiply one week's output by 52 and hope it works out. Life steps in to gum things up. Appointments, sickness, family issues, service breakdowns, disaster kiln loads ... etc, etc, etc ... give yourself wiggle room so you can keep rule #1 ... 'under promise/over deliver'. Then ... you leave time for marketing the work, billing and accounting, packing and shipping or just packing/unpacking shows. Everybody else, please hop in to mention all the stuff I am forgetting .... ( as a side note, one of our A/C units, the water heater and the refrigerator broke down yesterday ... an appliance trifecta ... guess how much pottery I will be making for the next couple days ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 The best studio poster I ever saw read "Deadlines amuse me"! Bummer about the appliances. Last year my washer and dryer both died within 2 weeks. Dryers are an easy fix, the washer had to be replaced. Did the water heater 2 years ago. That's another one to deal with yourself if you're handy. At 17 1/2 years old, our fridge is in hospice. Any day now..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Just put a new pump in an 6 year old front loader washer-Got to be handy. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Thanks for writing all this out Chris. It is good to think about what all I need to think about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 chris, the workshop i attended over the weekend was very good. the presenter was explaining her schedule and that she works to a specific timetable for soft leather hard, leather hard, etc. i asked if life ever interrupts her and she said she does not allow anything to interrupt her studio time. aaaahhh, youth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted September 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 chris, the workshop i attended over the weekend was very good. the presenter was explaining her schedule and that she works to a specific timetable for soft leather hard, leather hard, etc. i asked if life ever interrupts her and she said she does not allow anything to interrupt her studio time. aaaahhh, youth. That is hilarious! I cannot even imagine making a statement like that ... Seems too much like poking Fate in the eye and daring it to do something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerdry Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Chris, this just serves to pound more nails into the production potter coffin. Well, maybe not coffin since it never did have a life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted September 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Chris, this just serves to pound more nails into the production potter coffin. Well, maybe not coffin since it never did have a life. ... could you explain ... I know many production potters with full lives ... I am probably misunderstanding your words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Just count the times you handle the clay from the day you pick up the box from your supplier until you wrap it and hand it to a customer. Make this as few as possible and then just then will you make any money at it. Mark PS I move my 10 tons a year more than I want to. Working with lots of clay makes you think about being more effectient than using only small amounts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 I have been thinking about this and what I plan on doing. This is a summary of my current thoughts: 1. Make as many pots as I can within reason. I am a stay at home dad, but my son is in preschool now. So I have 8:30-2:30 free every day, then he goes to bed at 8:30 and I can probably work in the garage another 2-3 hours while my wife studies for her second degree. I usually make 30+ pots a day at my own pace, spending time with my dog, eating lunch, and taking a break, I could probably ramp that up a lot more, but at this point that is as fast as my kiln can go, so I just enjoy it. My kiln is definitely my bottle neck at this point I can fill my kiln in a day of throwing no problems. My kiln is 2.7CuFt. Once I start selling lots of pots, this is the first thing I plan on upgrading. I have been working to make entire shelves of things that fit together well, and I have been trying to figure out an object to place under my bowls to use that space up. I have been thinking about shot glasses. 2. I don't really make much repeat ware yet. Still searching for what I love the most, so my etsy shop will just be a lot of different bowls, mugs, yunomis, vases, etc, but are nicely made. I don't mind making things that are very close in size and looks, but I still like for each pot to be different. I have no plans to ever make identical wares. My example idea of identical wares would be 4 mugs very close in size with similar glaze techniques and differences in surface that are minor. So the mugs would look the same sitting together, but would still be interesting to look at all 4 of them each individually. I am not sure I will ever compromise on this idea. Something about always making things differently deeply appeals to my soul. 3. I touch the clay a lot more on some objects than on others. For example bowls, I throw them, cut them off and trim them then never touch them again until I glaze them. Mugs on the other hand, I throw them, attach handle, let it dry, smooth out any imperfections from attaching handle, then i pick it up the next day to check for any places i need to smooth over on the handle again, then I glaze it. Although I am getting better about making less imperfections as I attach the handles. I plan to charge a decent price for my mugs though. I love making mugs more than any other form. I used to love making bowls, but mugs man... there is something beautiful about making the perfect handle to fit each mug individually. 4. My glaze firing schedule takes a full 24 hours to heat and then cool. 14.5 hours to complete the cycle then about 8-10 hours to cool down from 1500 to 250F, sometimes more but I am sleeping by that point so I am not sure when it hits 250F. I have my bisque schedule on a very similar setup, but its a few hours faster. So its 2 days to fire a load. Which is why I don't stress making more than my kiln can hold in a single day. Single firing appeals to me if I had a sprayer or if I brushed my main glazes, but the problem is I use a very dark body full of junk so I am not sure that would ever work. I have single fired porcelain before to great success, but meh. I love my dark clay. 5. I am not sure of my losses as I have never made anything to sale. So far like 99% of my work has been thrown away, but I never made stuff to keep or sale until now because I wasn't happy with glaze surfaces. I finally have that down to near perfection, or good enough for me. My philosophy on surfaces has changed a lot since I first started. I went through a really odd cycle of things that has led me to where I am now, it's been a crazy journey, but a great one. Once I start selling and shipping. I figure I will do some type of schedule where I throw for 3-4 days straight. Then while the kiln is running take pictures of the previous stuff, get the listings posted on etsy, and ship any sales I have. Anywho this is all theory, I am sure it will be chaotic as crap and I will improve as I go. I need to do all sorts of stuff like get some business cards made, get some boxes ordered, get shipping stuff, but I am just going to let that stuff come as I get going. I don't want to spend all my time prepping and never doing. I eventually want to make labels for pots like Mea does, and go to galleries and try to get my pots included. But who knows. Only time will tell. I am excited to fumble through all this, and I think I will enjoy the challenges. I know one thing, I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am without all of you great people helping me with my little problems, posting all these great threads and ideas, and just the general awesomeness that everyone here has been. I have came a long long way since I bought my wheel back in April 2014. It has been a crazy ride. 1 year and 5 months later to the day actually since I bought my wheel. Kinda crazy how fast time goes. /wall of text Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 (get some boxes ordered, get shipping stuff,) just use recyled free boxs for shipping as well as packing materials-they are easy to find for free. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 (get some boxes ordered, get shipping stuff,) just use recyled free boxs for shipping as well as packing materials-they are easy to find for free. Mark Thanks for tip! I already have a bunch of boxes in my garage from shipments as well as packing peanuts. I will have to do some searches and ask family and friends to find other free boxes and shipping materials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerdry Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Chris, sorry, I probably shouldn't have chimed in on this topic. I just want to make pots, slowly at my own speed and not having to worry about all the things you listed. And that's what I'm doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted September 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 No problems Doris ... I just did not understand. We all do what we do ... : - ) Packing materials are easy to get at this time of year ... Go into a small commercial gift shop type store and offer to pick up all their boxes and packing materials for free if they phone you and let you know ... Often they can just put them out the back door if they are in a strip mall ... If you go that day as promised and pick them up they will keep calling. Right now they are all stocking up for the Holiday Season and you will get enough stuff for a year in a couple weeks. It's amazing how much packing material they get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 No problems Doris ... I just did not understand. We all do what we do ... : - ) Packing materials are easy to get at this time of year ... Go into a small commercial gift shop type store and offer to pick up all their boxes and packing materials for free if they phone you and let you know ... Often they can just put them out the back door if they are in a strip mall ... If you go that day as promised and pick them up they will keep calling. Right now they are all stocking up for the Holiday Season and you will get enough stuff for a year in a couple weeks. It's amazing how much packing material they get. Thanks for the idea. I will look up some in my area and offer this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Chris I was reading your website and looking through your tips. One of the things you mention in your selling to a gallery is to have a line of work. Something that looks like belongs together not random pieces. A question to all you potters when you first started designing your lines. Did you just make a bunch of things different styles then go.. I like this, I am going to make all my work similar to this? Then later as you made more and noticed what sold you developed that style more? Just curious how people developed their aesthetic when they first started out, because you can't just develop aesthetic forever, you have to eventually say this is good enough and start getting real market input. I have a few different types/styles of pots that I make, and I am trying to decide if I just want to stick with one type/style and then develop that into a line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantay Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Great question Joesph. Life happens. I just cancelled the two fall craft shows I planned to do. Health reasons, Lupus. Hoping to pull it together for Christmas. I have been working on time management. Somethings I have started doing, I finish pot as completely as possible at the wheel, so having to Handel less later. Adjusting the size, diameter, of the bowls so they fit better on the kiln shelf. Be more critical of freshly thrown work. If it isn't up to my stadards, it goes into reclaimed before any more time is spent on it. Figure out what and how much will fit into a glaze load. By tumble stacking one bisque equals two glaze loads. I keep a to do list as to what my next step should be, especially for things only done periodically like kiln wash, mix glazes. Just some of what I've done this summer while to sick to get out and sell. "Deadlines", I don't need that kind of negativity in my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Hope you get better. I haven't taken into account kiln specific sizes yet as I don't even know what of my stuff will sell. I am starting soon on Etsy, I listed my first listing there yesterday. I plan on listing a lot more stuff as well. Right now I am just making all sorts of random stuff and I will adjust what I make as I learn what sells, if I get sales. I am not sure if my current aesthetic is to loose for Etsy. I used to throw everything very straight walled beautiful curves. I have since stopped leaving my pots like that. I still throw them very uniform, but I break them down into a more rough aesthetic. I just can't figure out how to proceed with my designs. I am hoping that the market will let me know which direction to go if I list enough pots of variety. I have attached some of my new ideas work ideas that I am going to try. 2 cups and a mug, and the bowl that is glazed is my first etsy listing. I didn't like the bowl because my iron marks came out darker than I wanted, but my friend said some people might like the darker marks. So I listed it anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Bridge Pottery Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 I really like the bowl, with the dark leaf. Some of the pots I hate the most sold the best. I found it is more expensive to list lots of 'random things' on etsy. Easier with a few repeat listings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 I really like the bowl, with the dark leaf. Some of the pots I hate the most sold the best. I found it is more expensive to list lots of 'random things' on etsy. Easier with a few repeat listings. Thanks, the thing about etsy is I want to spent time up front for information, then once I know what I am making that sales I can fine tune. So randomness I think might be required at first. I dont know for sure. I know what sells, mugs bowls sponge holder spoon rest etc etc, but what I don't know is what of my stuff will sell that is in that category. Once I know that I plan on abusing the crap out of repeat listing options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 It takes a while to develop a line. I'll share my process, because I'm building them as we speak. This year I've come up with two cohesive patterns that I'm happy with and are getting some positive customer response. Because I like making mugs, I start there. I'll come up with a form and a method of decorating it that I think I can get along with for a while. Then I'll try and make other items that relate to that in both form and surface treatment. I'll choose elements to repeat to keep a cohesive look, but just improvise off that first piece. While I'm making those other forms, I test the mugs at sales. Usually I make tumblers and steins next, serving bowls, place settings, and then other serving pieces (cream and sugar sets, butter dishes, other bits) kind of in that order. I came up with that list because that's sort of the order of the most popular sellers. In some ways, it simplifies my decision making process, because I have an "assignment" to work on, so to speak. It's a plan. I don't know if it's a brilliant plan, or the most efficient method, but it's working in my situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Thanks for the insight diesel. Sort of along the lines of what I am doing although ur approach sounds better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Cheers, man. Hope it helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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