How many mugs can you throw in an hour?

[Emirii_kya]

How many roughly 1 lb mugs of the same size and shape can you throw in an hour?

I'm looking to hire an assistant to do piece work for me and I need to get a realistic baseline and expectation of what I should expect and how much I can pay per piece. 

[Babs]

How many can you?

 

[Emirii_kya]

@Babs about 10 if I’m in the zone

[Babs]

:-)))

Well a few more than that !

Clay pugged and prepared by someone else?

Just throwing?

Paying by the mug or by the hour?

Topic has been raised before.

@Mark C. would hwoulgoid idea but he may be immersed in bookwork at the mo.

[shawnhar]

If everything is perfect, the clay is not too stiff, it's not too cold, the balls are ready and at my side, clean water, don't have to get up to put anything on a shelf, etc... I can do 20 an hour.

 Basic mugs, no fancy foot work or anything.

[Emirii_kya]

@shawnhar how long have you been throwing?

[Emirii_kya]

@BabsI’m hoping to pay by piece so whoever I have throwing for me can make more per hour if they’re really quick. But I gotta have a baseline price so even if I get sometime not quite as fast they make a reasonable wage. 

[shawnhar]

4 years,  but I throw about a ton a year.

[Emirii_kya]

@shawnharimpressive! I hope I can find someone that can throw as fast as you but I’m not holding my breath 

[Mark C.]

I professional potter (one who has been throwing for decades) can throw 20-30 mugs an hour . Prep included -clay cutting- ware boards and bats. No handles just mug bodies. Bowls are faster 1 every 2 minutes 

Most throwers with less time at it will be far less than 20 an hour. Also once you only throw one form you get better pretty fast.Finding piece work throwers is pretty hard in itself.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I’m on the slower end of what Mark mentions, because I can’t get the prep done in that same hour. For mugs, I weigh out clay, but I don’t mess around with wedging for small amounts like that. My slower timing  likely has more to do with my transitions between tasks than the actual making. According to video footage I’ve taken for social media, I can do a 1 lb mug in about 2 1/2 minutes from smack down to cutoff. I don’t do bats for mugs, just a long ware board that holds 23. 

 

[neilestrick]

If the clay is ready to go, simple mugs, I could do 35-40 an hour. Trimming those  with a nice foot would be about 30-35 an hour. If I was doing production work like that I would expect to get paid by the piece, not by the hour. For other studio work, those tasks that aren't directly working with the pots- mixing glazes, loading kilns, etc.- an hourly rate may be more appropriate, unless the employee is responsible for the entire process and you can figure a fair per-piece price for completed pots that includes all the secondary tasks.

[LeeU]

I would ask myself what I would need to be paid, at a minimum, to throw mug after mug after mug, including maintaining consistency and any associated prep that is bundled into the job. Don't offer anyone less that what you would do it for, if you were hiring yourself out for that type of work. 

[Emirii_kya]

@LeeU @neilestrick

definitely asking because I want to make sure whoever I hire is able to make something like $20/hr minimum but will be paying per piece. My first idea was $2/mug and I think that’s looking about right. I’d want to make at least $20/hour so I think that’s pretty fair for an assistant. 

[shawnhar]

I think that's fair. I have charged $5 per mug including handles when throwing for someone else. 

[Pres]

In the day, repetitive mugs 25-30 with clay prepped. Now days 10-15 an hr. stamped,  or faceted in various manners. Your $20 an hr. for straight mugs is a pretty good figure as it would match up to 10 mugs per hr. Realizing that a thrower in the first hour is not nearly as fast as in the second or third hour.

 

best,

Pres

[Babs]

Found this a.m. i can throw 18 mugs and a couple of jugs in a second!!!

Carrying a board of 18 mugs and 2 jugs to finalise drying before kilning, one wobbled.. were upside down and handle a tad over the lip, went to rescue wobbler...yip whole boardful bit the dust.

Murphy and reflexes working well.last bunch before the break.

Figures really.

[Min]

1 hour ago, Babs said:

Found this a.m. i can throw 18 mugs and a couple of jugs in a second!!!

Carrying a board of 18 mugs and 2 jugs to finalise drying before kilning, one wobbled.. were upside down and handle a tad over the lip, went to rescue wobbler...yip whole boardful bit the dust.

Murphy and reflexes working well.last bunch before the break.

Figures really.

Oh shoot Babs, sorry to hear this, not good. 
Just when things are chugging along smoothly Murphy decides to show up.

[Babs]

A positive with clay work is it is all back in recycle bin.

Wasn't totally happy with mugs , a bit clunky.  

Murphy been lurking, busy in a few areas, had already moved on in brain to other jobs...caught me!