I'm doing a bathroom remodel and wanted to get some tips on installing crown moldings so I went on youtube and found this video. It was helpful, but it also got me thinking about how little improvement has occurred in the methods we use in our industry while others have sailed right past us. I think it's sad.
Take a look at this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKiud3MOSkY
Why has this happened? I have my own thoughts, but first, what do you think?
Rich
The question potentially draws several comments, to name a couple perhaps:
What we do is still more of an art. There is a lot of judgment to this work. Judgment is executed best from experience, something that can't be easily taught. Except in a very modern, automated environement that takes the art out of it.
Of course on the marketing side, there is more money in supporting updating and such as you are doing.
Some do it yourself endeavors can be more easily grasp with the neat toys of today.
As stated this is just one perspective of probably many.
Doyle
Your link was fun. If I was a company installing crown molding to 5 or 6 houses a day with 10 employes, I could see investing in those high tech tools.
Check out this laser fabric cutter
http://www.rdlasercutters.com/laser-fabric-cutting.html
Seems like there were some folks here who spent time in lean manufacturing that might have more insights than I do.
There is probably not a process that can use some optimization or improvement, either to improve time, reduce error, or produce repeatable results. Generally, the first step in this is to determine the process procedure. you can't improve something if you don't do it consistently.
Sometimes it can be as simple as:
- workspace organization - do you know where your tools and supplies are? are they were they use them most often?
- redundant tools - have the same tool at each workstation to avoid running all around
- more efficient tools - produce repeatable results or in less time
- workflow organization - organize your work along the "kitchen triangle" What are your most three common tools / workstations and how are they organized relative to each other?
Obviously, upholstery can be done more efficiently -- otherwise they could not do it in factories, sometimes with semi-skilled machine operators. I think treating it as "art" could be a disservice and excuse.
For a long time, I worked in an environment where there was an acknowledged 10 fold factor of production from the most to least productive person. That did not count number of errors introduced, where it was also acknowledged that for each step in the process (specification - design - build - release) for each step along the way, the cost of correcting a defect went up by a factor of 10. For example, to correct a design error once released was 100 times what it would cost to fix it while still on paper.
Interesting Hammer. The furniture collage in Hickory NC has whole classes in manufacturing work flow. From the first stick of wood coming into the wood working shop. Flowing smoothly all the way to loading the finished product on to the truck.
An interesting discussion indeed.
I couldn't agree more about the work area set up! When I'm working in my own shop I'm always pleasantly surprised at how quickly a project goes; I know where my tools are and I never have to clean off a place to start working. But it has taken a lot of time to figure out what sorts of work stations are most useful for the variety of things I do here. I have a large padded cutting table that can be used for pressing (drapery work). I have good tabling around my machines (no dragging fabric up and over the machine bench). And I have an area that allows me to work on a piece of furniture if I want to. I have a number of time saving attachments and I can instantly put my hands on them. Knowing you have the right tool and where it is is KEY. This is especially important if you do a lot of "one of" jobs.
"Hunting" for something that wasn't put away eats up time quickly. Sure, the item usually "turns up" but while it's gone the use of it is lost as well, and you can't recover lost time. It has taken a lot of years and some expensive lessons to ram home the lesson of cleaning up and putting my tools away when I finish a project. The project isn't finished until the mess has been cleared and the customer called/billed.
I would add that it's equally important to be open and receptive to ideas/suggestions/innovations to make your special brand of work as easy as it can be. Working smarter not harder! A lot of people don't do that... they look at their spaces and figure it's one way and it has to stay that way; as though changing something is an admission that they "got it wrong" the first time around. I am always jotting down something I could change to make a project easier (piping the air from the compressor, for instance, instead of dragging around a hose). Sometimes it takes awhile to get it done, but even little things can make a big difference.
While I was out driving today, I remembered a book I read a couple of years ago.
http://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right/dp/0312430000/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324935346&sr=8-1
It was an interesting read. The author is a surgeon and did research on mistakes done in surgery. He (or someone else in his group) developed a one-page checklist fur surgery and implemented it against control groups. Their research was done in USA, Europe, and a number of third-world countries. In all cases, surgical mistakes were dramatically reduced by the use of this checklist. It included the obvious things: correct patient, correct procedure, correct side of body, all instruments accounted for before and after closing up, etc. But there were also some not-so-obvious things like everyone in the operating theater introducing themselves prior to the procedure. They believed that this degree of familiarity allowed anyone not to be too reserved to point out issues during the procedure.
At that time, I got started on a new process and developed a checklist for myself. I found later that if I was missing things, I would just add it to my checklist and it became part of my regular procedure.
I posted a video a few weeks ago (maybe on Carr's web site) about the guy who has each of his employees make a twenty second improvement in their work every day. He is fairly fanatical about this. I ended up labeling a few of my tools so I could see easily from their storage position which was the 1/2" chisel and which is the 1/2" chisel, for example.
This is frustrating. I posted a several paragraph reply earlier today and now I don't see it.
Anyway, I'll do it again (and copy to notepad as well).
Kody, I think the tools in the video would pay for themselves even if a lower level of work were done. The link to the cutter was an example of something that would be helpful (maybe a necessity in today's world) to a manufacurer who makes multiple cuttings of the same layout, but for most small upholstery shops I'm quite sure the cost would be too high to justify. It is the point I'm trying to make though.
Hammer, your point number three, is the only one that we have very little control over since the better efficiency tools are not being made for upholsterers as they are for other trades.
QuoteWorking smarter not harder! A lot of people don't do that... they look at their spaces and figure it's one way and it has to stay that way; as though changing something is an admission that they "got it wrong" the first time around.
bobbin, that's an interesting observation. If I figure out or hear of a better way of doing something, I can hardly wait for the time to rip it out and build a better mousetrap, but I suppose there are some who stick with the old "tried and true" methods out of pride.
Hammer, thanks for the link to that book, I want to get it. I've been a believer in checklists for a long time, my only problem is sticking with them!
I do like the part (I skimmed a few pages on Amazon) where he says "Much of the world and universe is-and will remain-outside our control." It's a great reason to believe in a higher power, but that's another topic.
Rich
Quote from: byhammerandhand on December 26, 2011, 01:44:00 pm
While I was out driving today, I remembered a book I read a couple of years ago.
http://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right/dp/0312430000/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324935346&sr=8-1
Thanks Hammer. Just reserved it at the library. On CD
Here's a 'copy and paste' copy of my Procedure List that I use. The actual word doc is two columns on 1 page, and has boxes for writing the info and boxes for check marks. This gives you all the data that I collect and try not to miss for my jobs.
New Project Information
Date:
Company:
Contact:
Address:
phone #:
fax #:
email:
Where did they get my name?
Reason for contact?
Project?
ESTIMATE PROCEDURE
Gather all info needed for quote.
Estimated number of hours: __________.
Put company / personal info on QB?
Create ESTIMATE on QB
and then send to customer by:
phone: in person
(always send written Estimate)
fax snail mail: email
Staple copy of ESTIMATE to this sheet
and file at shop.
INVOICE PROCEDURE
When ESTIMATE becomes an order:
Collect ½ amount due. Scan check.
Record on QB. Deposit into
bank.
Create INVOICE in QB from ESTIMATE.
Actual number of hours: _____________
Take picture of project.
Print 2 copies (1 copy if faxed or emailed.)
Give INVOICE copy to customer at time of my delivery or their pick-up.
Collect TOTAL remaining amount due.
Scan check or money order on computer.
Record all transactions on QB.
Deposit money collected into bank account.
Attach copy of INVOICE marked "PAID"
to this sheet.
File alphabetically in file drawer.
Over the years I've worked in a number of shops and in various aspects of the "needle trades". It has been my observation in those years that the majority of those shops placed little value on innovation. I don't know if that's part and parcel of the "small business mindset" or not, but rarely have I found an employer who was genuinely interested in what I could bring to the table.
It's the same thing now. In over 12 years the only thing that's changed where I'm presently employed are the faces. Not a new tool, not an efficient binding set up, and there is but ONE 1/4" welting set up for the 3 machines that all use the same feet. An honest evaluation of the tabling and how to improve (add!) useful workspace for two machines? no way. The rulers are so old the numbers have worn off and of the two retractable tape measures neither will lock the tape at an extended point... . But they aren't discarded or replaced. I have asked and my requests have fallen on deaf ears, more usually they're met with condescension and a dismissiveness that I suspect is merely a manifestation of insecurity. Whatever the reason, the point is all those little things add up to lost time and needless duplication of effort. And inevitably lead to the loss of competent and skilled employees (difficult to find and expensive to train).
As I struggle toward independence I have tried to come up with ways to make things easier in my own little shop. I have mental check lists, but both 'hammer and Gene have gotten me thinking about committing that checklist to paper and and a proper "form". Interestingly, I have always written procedures for the work I do. I am able to go back and find a procedure for something I do only occasionally with ease. And my notebooks have been a great time saver for me (and my employer) over the years.
So I work at a used car superstore and we use standardized work. standardized work is close to a check list but it is to the next level in the detail shop in the wash bay all the work is broken down to every step. The steps are as small as walk to cart or pick up wash glove and brush. This sounds crazy but does help to have all the cars look the same when finished and have the same quality. We also take it a step further by having time studies. Those are how long each step takes down to the second. all this stuff works for repetitive work but I think some stuff could be taken and used in a trim shop. One of the things that would really work is the Kan Ban system for ordering supplies ( http://www.ehow.com/about_6299631_information-kanban.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask ) We make a 3x5 index card with the name of the supply, cost, how long it takes to receive it, how many to order, and a minimum of how many should be on hand. once the minimum is reached we turn the card in and order the supplies
The kanban system sounds like an inventory system I've seen used in small hardware stores. Does the card get marked every time an item is taken out?
Rich
Technology eliminates the need for craftsmanship.
Look at the boom in the 1970s to 1990s with home wood work shops. You no longer needed to spend years learning how to work with wood. You only needed to read the instructions on how to use the technology. For example, instead of years to learn how to cut dovetail joints, you spend an hour learning how to run the machine that will cut them for you.
Upholstery has had it's share of technology:
You don't need to spend years learning how to spit tacks. You only need to learn how to pull the trigger on a staple gun.
You don't need to spend years learning how to 8 way hand tie springs and mold horse hair and cotton. You only need to learn how to cut foam with an electric carving knife.
You don't need to spend years learning how to hand sew panels of fabric onto furniture. You only need to learn how to use curve eaze and tack strips.
Technology is about mass production, which is all about competing on price. Anything that can only be done one or two at a time, such as reupholstey, will always need craftsmanship because it will never be cost efficient to create technology to eliminate the craftsmanship.
It's not "too bad we've been left in the dust". Because we have been left in the dust, our craftsmanship is still needed and we still have jobs - as long as there is a desire or need for our services.
Just my thoughts on an interesting topic.
gene
So Gene, would you say that the carpenter swinging a hammer is more of a craftsman than the one who uses a nail gun? Is a cement mason more of a craftsman if he mixes his cement by hand rather than in a machine? Would you pay either of these people for the extra time it takes to do it that way because their using old world craft techniques? Does it produce a better looking, or longer lasting job?
I'm thinking you've answered no to all these questions, b/c what I'm talking about is machinery that enables the job to be done more quickly w/o sacrificing quality or workmanship. Now, if youwould say that the better tools enable the early adopters to make more money until everyone uses the same tools and that then the playing field is level again which results in no economic advantage, I'd have to agree with you. When that happens, we may all have to produce more work to stay competitive. But, as the cost of an hour's worth of labor has gone up, a smaller customer base exists for this work which means either more upholsterers chasing after more affluent customers or many closing their doors altogether (which is what has happened). I'd rather see the upholstery trade keeping up with the times and having the option of staying competitive. Actually, factories have made the decision for us by adopting techniques that enable them produce furniture so much more quickly that there isn't as much reason for a customer as there used to be to choose reupholstery over new. True, so much of what is factory made is not as good as what they may be discarding, but that doesn't seem to have played a big part of their thinking. Why not? I guess they don't realize the difference in quality or just don't care. Maybe more time efficient tools would've made the difference? I don't know, but when so many people don't even consider reupholstery anymore, that can't be a good thing in my opinion.
Rich
Quote from: Rich on December 31, 2011, 12:08:30 pm
Maybe more time efficient tools would've made the difference? I don't know, but when so many people don't even consider reupholstery anymore, that can't be a good thing in my opinion.
You can say that about a lot of things. It's definately a "throw away" world.
In High school, I had my sights set on being a TV repairman. Took vocational classes, got a part-time job at a TV store. People bragged about their favorite brand of TV. They prided themselves on choosing one that lasted 15 years or more. If my 55" boob tube went kaput right now, I wouldn't even consider calling a repairman. I'm out the door to Best Buy in a New York minute.
People used to consider putting a new motor in a 10 year old car to be a viable option. If I needed new seat covers on my 2005 Pathfinder, I'm tradin' that sucker off so fast, your head'll spin.
Remember when most towns had a Fix-it shop that worked on toasters and the like? My wife buys a new vacuum cleaner every time the old one gets dirt in it. You got a choice, You can buy a $1,000 vacuum cleaner that will last 10 years. Or you can buy a $100 one every year.
For us shop owners, what's our worst enemy? Is it technology? Or is it sweat shops paying slave wages that we can't compete with?
So why are we all still in the reupholstery business? Because we love it so much we'd do it even if we had to give it away? There ARE no more TV repairmen, my Dad got out of that business in the mid 60's and became a vocational school teacher. I've seen 100 year old furniture that was still worth reupholstering. I can't say that for TV,s or toasters, but I have two Chevelle's, one with an engine I had rebuilt, the other will get a big block when I have the bucks.
Some things are worth restoring, but it has to be the right thing and it has to owned by the right person. My point is that if it's worth doing, it's worth doing as efficiently as possible, but I don't think the tools available to us have kept pace with technology in general.
Rich
A couple years back I found a company in China demonstrating two separate setups/machinery used in upholstery manufacturing. One was a station designed to attach elastic webbing to sofa decks. A frame rolled down a conveyor, a foot pedal fed the webbing and tightened it front to back and it was done in around 60 secs or less.
The other device covered tight seats. Imagine a drill press of sorts...Fabric, foam and a plywood seat deck were put down on a bed and a hydraulic ram squished it all together while a operator ran an automatic stapler along the sides only. About 25 secs later in was thrown into a large pile for the guy that did the corners only.
It simply isn't possible to compete with that. The second example does have some potential in a small shop and I believe it could be a DIY project with some thought. Can't see it working on a stripe.
While on the topic of dining seats, have you noticed how the shape of the corners has changed ever so slightly over the yrs? And why do some plywood decks take about a 3/16'' dip on the sides approx. 1 1/2'' from the front corner? It's not following any shape that coincides with the chair frame itself....
In the last few years I've been staplin' a small, triangular pc of carpet pad at the corners of my tight seats. It's an innovation that doesn't save time necessarily but it does make for a superior looking corner (especially when old foam is reused) that's not all smashed to a sharp point like the vast majority of manufactured dining seats. Many which have direct contact between the plywood deck and the fabric. The foam never made it's way over the edge, no buffer what so ever. Sorry, just a rant.
There have been several good suggestions mentioned in this thread. It's got my head working in the right direction.
Shoot y'all! Ain't necessary to go to China. Lots of really GOOD innovation right here. Check out the array of stuff on these sites.
http://www.glennsewing.com/customization/
http://www.atlatt.com/
http://www.clintonind.com/
Amazing innovative machines and attachments! :o
June
Thanks June, all geared to the manufacturer, of course.
Rich
The initial topic was that technology has left us reupholsterers in the dust.
Technology is not in itself about quality or workmanship. It's about being competitive in business. (There are other reasons for having new technologies but we're talking about business here.)
Lowering quality is also about being competitive. And lowering quality may or may not involve technology.
My primary point is that I don't think that reupholstery has been left in the dust. We have gotten as much technology as we can absorb to be efficient as possible.
If a machine is made that will cut the amount of time to remove old fabric in half, but that machine costs $1,000,000.00 because it is made on a per order basis because there is not enough demand to make these machines on a volume basis, then any upholsterer who buys this machine will indeed be able to reupholster furniture in a lot less time, but he/she will not be able to make more money overall. Therefore, technology, in this example, is not efficient for our work.
I read somewhere that you should never buy anything for your business unless you know exactly how it will help you make more money. The same would be true for folks who make new technologies. They are not going to make a new widget for reupholsterers when there just aren't that many around to buy it.
gene
Actually, the word I initially used was methods. But the video showed workers using tools designed to produce a good result with less effort and time invested. That's what I'd like to see, but I think that not only are there fewer potential buyers for these tools compared to other trades, but I personally have found a resistance among upholsterers in general to spend the money needed to purchase tools they haven't used in the past. I think it was bobbins boss who didn't even want to replace his old, worn out tools. So, I really can't blame tool makers for not wanting to do the R&D, marketing etc. that would be involved to introduce a product that will sit in their warehouses unsold. And that is sad.
Maybe some examples would be helpful to make my point. When I glue vinyl or fabric to a board, it has to be notched at the corners to lie flat. Why should I spend the time making each side of a V cut with shears when a tool could be developed that would either make the complete V with one cut or better still, make a series of them with one action? Four corners, four squeezes of a handle and your done! The Hoover tool was a big improvement for installing Dot fasteners over the old hammer and die method, but it still takes much more time than a fully automatic machine like Stimpson produces. However, these machines are beyond the reach of most small shop's pocketbooks, so why not a manually operated version that would speed up the process by feeding the snaps as needed? Something that would cost less than the automatic machine, but still be faster? I know you can buy a decorative nail gun like the manufacturers use for a pretty penny, but what about an attachment for a small air hammer that would line them up and set in much less time than holding each one and hitting it with a hammer?
QuoteMy primary point is that I don't think that reupholstery has been left in the dust. We have gotten as much technology as we can absorb to be efficient as possible.
Do you really think there's no room for improvement?
Rich
Saying upholstery has not been "left in the dust" is hardly the same thing as saying there is no room for improvement Rich.
I don't think this is anything new. The small "one man" shops have always lagged behind, simply because they can't justify the cost of more efficient but more expensive machinery.
Back in the 60's, it took my Grandmother several years to save up for an electric stapler (as opposed to spitting tacks). It wasn't until the 80's that she finally sprung for an air rig.
In the other thread, I posted a pic of a Hartco pneumatic clincher that I bought off E-Bay for $75. It has made no-sag spring repair infinately easier.
But if I'd had to pay a new price for one ($800), I'd still be without one.
Much of the technology is geared toward high volume production, which is something that the average small "one-at-a-time" shop doesn't need.
This reminds me of a History Channel episode about earth moving machinery the Greeks and Romans pioneered over 1000 years ago. But the
technology disappeared for nearly 500 years because they had something more efficient....slave labor.
I was just sniffing around Carr's Corner (a member who's forgotten her password) and saw the Youtube video Keith posted about "improvement walks". Very interesting (although that guy could drive me up a wall in about a week!), and while I'm by no means that intense about it, it IS something I do routinely. And I don't think my shop has been "left in the dust" by a long shot!
I have an impressive arsenal of machinery that's been acquired over many years and always in response to a clear need. Same thing with presser feet and attachments. Lately, I've been adding hand tools that are specific to certain aspects of my work. If I have any "beef" with tools it's with tools that require squeezing and muscle power... I find that my hands are just a little to small to be able to span the open handles of some squeeze tools and it's hard for me to use them. If they were sized for women's hands it would be a lot easier for me. Maybe they're available, but I've not seen them.
I've made the move to pneumatics. My brother helped me get the PVC piping installed from the compressor to the shop last week. No more flourescent orange hose winding its way to the second floor! Next step is to cut that hose into more manageable lengths with the male and female fittings.
So, I think small shops are frequently clever and innovative but in smaller ways, not necessarily in terms of automation.
Quote from: bobbin on January 01, 2012, 03:48:07 pm
If I have any "beef" with tools it's with tools that require squeezing and muscle power... I find that my hands are just a little to small to be able to span the open handles of some squeeze tools and it's hard for me to use them. If they were sized for women's hands it would be a lot easier for me.
I've often wondered how smaller women do some of this work. There are certain aspects that I couldn't do without putting my "sufficient" weight behind it.
I've never worried much about having sharp button cutters. Because when I put 225 lbs. on top of the press handle, even the dullest cutter goes through the fabric like "buttah".
My favorite tool for removing fabric is a pair of modified tile nippers. But it would be useless if I didn't have a lot of gripping strength in my hands. As I get older, I'll probably gravitate more to the air chisel, or the Stripbit tool.
BTW I complained several months ago about "numbthumb" from years of cutting with scissors. Since I acquired the electric rotary cutter, the numbness has disappeared gradually, but completely.
Maybe I'm straying too far off topic here. Do we need a new topic about tools that simply give us more of a mechanical advantage?
Quote from: Rich on December 31, 2011, 06:44:48 pm
Thanks June, all geared to the manufacturer, of course.
Rich
True, but there's such a variety of time-saving devices. Check out this site for a large array of binders and folders.
http://www.jesseheap.com/index-folders-attachments.htm
I'm really tempted to get one of those that do the folded welt and cord so when I'm putting welt on a plate, all I have to do is sit there and guide it, not manually position all the parts and do 6" runs then stop/reposition.
http://www.jesseheap.com/Pictures/attachments/folder-1099.htm
Quote from: Rich on January 01, 2012, 01:03:06 pm
Maybe some examples would be helpful to make my point. When I glue vinyl or fabric to a board, it has to be notched at the corners to lie flat. Why should I spend the time making each side of a V cut with shears when a tool could be developed that would either make the complete V with one cut or better still, make a series of them with one action?
Rich
Sounds like you need a pig ear notcher. It'll do perfect "V" cuts every time with one squeeze. Less than $10 all over the web.
June
I was thinking of my pig ear cutters also, June.
Rich, technology is not always about improvement.
I do constantly look for improvements in my work processes because this is an area where I can help to increase my profit line.
Sometimes technology is indeed involved in improvements. I love QB. I love my strip bit. I love my vacuum dust cyclone.
Sometimes it's not. I'm left handed and I "force" myself to pull staples and cut fabric with my right hand. This is a great improvement in my ability to work longer because it does not tire my left hand out as much.
I use skin film and my shop vac to insert cushion inserts. I don't have a cushion packer because I can't justify the cost with the volume of cushions that I make. But this is an improvement over stuffing them in by hand.
If we were left in the dust regarding technology, it was only because there is not enough volume in reupholstery for folks to create new technologies like the ones in your video.
I don't think I am disagreeing with anything you've said, Rich. I think that the way I'm looking at it is that there wasn't really any opportunity for us to be left in the dust because there was never the opportunity for folks to make a lot of money from creating new technologies for the wild and wonderful world of reupholstery.
gene
These are all good responses. Maybe it's because we tend to be so resourceful that we aren't good prospects for the "new and improved". I have made many jigs and hand tools to cope with the unavailability of a good tool I could purchase. But I find it's usually cheaper in the long run to buy rather than design and build a one-off prototype when something is available. The purchased item usually (but not always) works better too.
I do believe that the dwindling amount of upholstery shops hasn't helped the matter any. Since the trend toward throw away has favored the manufacturers, they probably have enjoyed an increase in machinery that speeds production. But, as many have mentioned here, they can afford it, we can't. So I still stand on what I said before, that it's sad that we don't have more labor saving tools available to us that don't cost more than could be justified with the increase in profits they'd provide. Tools that fill the gap between basic and high tech.
QuoteBTW I complained several months ago about "numbthumb" from years of cutting with scissors. Since I acquired the electric rotary cutter, the numbness has disappeared gradually, but completely.
Sofadoc, that's along the lines of what I'm saying. You've probably also discovered that cutting multiple layers of the same shape that you couldn't do with a pair of shears is now a breeze!
Oh, and June, yes it sounds like I do need a pig ear notcher!
Thanks,
Rich
Speaking of jigs....I'll get a run of cornice boards every so often but never mastered cutting a straight line w/ a circular saw. Clamping rip guides are available but the cheapest I was able to find was $150. Hard for me to justify the cost for limited use. After a little web research I came up with a sensible DIY alternative: http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/4283497. A couple bucks for materials, a four pack of quick clamps for under $20 and even splurged on a new 40tpi saw blade. Not a miracle worker but it will make my life a bit easier. The hardest thing to do was finding a place to hang it.
I've used these before with good results. I trust the factory edge of a piece of plywood more than a 1x4 for being straight though. In a pinch, I've just used the plywood, sometimes from the second sheet of plywood.
One caveat is to avoid sawdust pile-up at the edge of your fence piece. If your saw has a fairly square corner on its base plate, you should rabbet or chamfer the bottom edge of the fence.
Quote from: fingers on January 02, 2012, 02:07:48 am
Speaking of jigs....I'll get a run of cornice boards every so often but never mastered cutting a straight line w/ a circular saw. Clamping rip guides are available but the cheapest I was able to find was $150. Hard for me to justify the cost for limited use. After a little web research I came up with a sensible DIY alternative: http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/4283497. A couple bucks for materials, a four pack of quick clamps for under $20 and even splurged on a new 40tpi saw blade. Not a miracle worker but it will make my life a bit easier. The hardest thing to do was finding a place to hang it.
As a matter of fact I ripped off the factory edge of my plywood instead of the 1x4. I put a couple coats of poly on and next week I'll give em a coat or two of paste wax.
Thanks for the heads up on the saw dust.
I'm not sure if this is the thread I was looking for but it's in the ballpark. The topic of lean thinking was introduced by Hammer and I believe Kody went off to the library. Not to be left behind I did the same. Although geared towards large corporation the book can be an eye opener. In this same spirit I went pokin' around amazon and ran across the 'Shop floor' series. Anyone have any experience with the series? I've been making small changes in my work areas lately and am tickled with the improvements. Books like this can be a real catalyst for positive change.
We may not have state of the art technology in our small shops but the above philosophy has potential to be revolutionary on a certain level.
Thanks Hammer and especially Paul, aka Minuph
Quote from: byhammerandhand on December 26, 2011, 01:44:00 pm
While I was out driving today, I remembered a book I read a couple of years ago.
http://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right/dp/0312430000/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324935346&sr=8-1
Just finished this book on tape. Although the author refers mostly to operating rooms, pilots and the construction business I could see how his methods could be used in any business. His main premise (besides saving lives) was less mistakes more production. One checklist I use daily is a cutting diagram that I check off as I go along. Takes a few minutes to draw it up but saves many headaches in the long run. The author told some good stories. The last one being the US airways jetliner that was ditched in the Hudson river 3 years ago. I finished the 5 CD's in one day.
The thread started off on the subject of us smaller shops being left behind in terms of technology.
I believe Rich was giving the situation correctly and in discussion here several reasons for that have been expressed.
Gene, stated that the technology is there but if a small shop can't run the supporting volume for the technology, yes there is a disadvantage.
Some have pointed out the attachments available, but in review these are older technology that isn't new, these attachments were available many years ago. I, speaking for myself, would buy more or use my existing attachments more I was more specialized and ran a bigger volmume on the specific.
On the manufacturers side of the business, there are more efficient methods implement for the reasons of volume I suggested above. But, another factor in efficiency is how less detailed newer furniture has been made over the years. As I , most have observed how less detailed furniture new furniture is today. I see entire sofa and love seat sets with not a piece of cording incorporated.
Therefore, yes in a sense shops have been left behind for several reasons as being discussged. But, technology is there that would improve efficiency but it can only be brough into a production environment that has the supporting volume.
Smaller shops that customarily incorporate much more detail in their work, for example cording, buttons, channels, and tufting are a much more disparity with manufacturers because they aren't doing as much as that. They aren't typing coils, very little hand built padding foundations. To conclude if all that leaves us in the dust, yes we are certainly in terms of competing with the simpler furniture designs that factories produce with a lot less detail.
This is the issue that I interpreted Rich's thread to be more pointed at.
Good thread, appreaciating all the input.
Doyle
Kody, I was confused about the titles but in the end it did get me down to the library. You might want to check out 'Lean Thinking', it's on cd just not available at my public co-op.
My apologies if I misdirected the thread.
Bern