Efficiency!!!

[bobbin]

You remember correctly, Sofa.! 3 machines that had interchangeable feet and only one set of welting feet.  Only a right zipper foot.  One binding set up, not complete, that had to be Gerry rigged every time you needed to bind (it wasn't even a right angle binder).  And there was NO proper binding set-up for the zig-zag, even though we did a lot of awning work.  I don't miss that crap, at all!

It was nearly impossible to walk around any table in the shop.  I feel your pain with respect to that, Kody!  The "it's too much work" response is all to familiar, too.  Sucked! because it was just so DUMB.

Dull scissors.  Like your mother, Sofa., my former boss was too cheap and too unorganized to get the shears sharpened on a regular basis.  I used to bring in my own shears when I had to cut something I knew would be frustrating with the shop shears.  Drove me nuts!  Don't even get me started on the lack of good straight edges.  All the numbers were worn off the 2 60 rulers.  How can you measure anything if you can't read the numbers???  I have 12", 18", 36", 60", 72", and 96" rulers (with numbers!).  I have a square, a French curve, and several retractable tape measures, as well as soft tape measures.  If I can't measure accurately how can I do anything??

In nearly every large job I was assigned I'd spent 15 minutes "planning my attack".  Boss used to look up and ask, "your just standing there... what's the problem?".  The problem? umm... your crappy shop, lack of equipment, and unwillingness to change even the smallest thing because doing so would wound your tender ego.  Lol.  "Nothing is wrong, I'm just thinking and planning the work". 

I was all about breaking work down in to "bite size pcs.".  That's how you deal with alteration work.  You organize all the ripping down/taking apart and you do it all at once.  Then you sort the work into piles based on the color of thread required to do the work.  You then move to the next machine required to complete the job (overlock, or blindstitch).  To the casual observer it looks like a lot of piles; but the less time spent moving between machines and changing thread the more efficient the operations become!  Drove my boss nuts that I would tear out stitching/zippers and then pile up the work, boss was never able to grasp that my "master plan" would come together by the end of the day, and the billing would be very profitable.  No trust, no confidence in the how a skilled worker looked at the hours of the work day.  No appreciation for the notion that different people tend to look at things differently, but that doesn't mean that the work won't get done and won't be done in an efficient manner. 

My biggest beef was lack of a good work order.  One that spelled out the details and allowed me to plan my layout and the work I had to perform.  I ended up using a spiral notebook. I would patiently take "dictation" from boss and make my own notes for each job.  When I left I took the notebooks with me.  Boss was freaked out because they contained the only notes on every project I'd been assigned! (duh).  The first question I was asked after my last day was, "where is your notebook?".  I replied that I had it here.  "Can I have it back?".  I said yes, and promptly had it copyied, and returned the original.  I have the other 5 volumes safe in my own shop.  I did, afterall, write them!

[sofadoc]

Three sides were completely blocked. That is now changed but I've always wondered how can anybody cut a pattern from one side of the table?

I swear, around these parts, I've been in lots of shops, and I don't recall ever seeing a cutting table that wasn't up against a wall, and flanked on each end by sewing machines or fabric racks. Mine included.

Does it make more sense to have access on all sides? Of course it does. Kody, you've inspired me to take a serious look at remodeling my work area (cutting table in particular).

But one thing I can say proudly.......all my yardsticks have numbers on them! :D

[bobbin]

When I set up my own shop the first thing I did was put my tables on casters.  I can move them around with one hand.  I can walk around them.  I put padded covers on the two tables that I planned to use for drapery work... and I installed a long ceiling track that allowed me to use my gravity feed iron for the entire 16' length of the table.  There are electrical outlets in the ceiling!

I'm not a neat freak by a long shot.  But the accumulated grime in Boss's shop was incredible.  There was no way to clean under the tables and aside from me no one ever bothered to clean up the debris from whatever job they'd been assigned.  I knew that if you're ever going to clean the shop you have to be able to move the benches so you can clean under them relatively painlessly.  I've never been in a canvas shop that wasn't a total -hit hole.  Sorry.  They're always cluttered and downright dirty.  Why? because they are never set up so they can be cleaned!

I knew I wanted to work for interior designers and I knew that would mean working on expensive fabrics... who, in their right mind, would feel comfortable leaving yards of expensive fabric in a dirty shop??  (duh)

[MinUph]

I have to say most all shops I've been in are a mess. Seems Upholstery shops are noted for this. I't a shame. I always tried to keep mine neat. Must be my fathers teachings. I think I've been in one other shop my whole life that was kept up. It isn't hard to do if you stay on top of it.
  Sofa, It is so much easier to be able to walk around a cutting table then to be stuck on one side. Good exercise too lol.

[sofadoc]

I've seen shops that had crap piled a mile high everywhere. Many upholsterers don't believe in ever throwing  away even the most obscure item (ya never know when ya might need it).

I try to weigh the value of an item against the perceived cost of the space that it will occupy long term. If I don't think the item will "pay for itself" in storage......out it goes. I'd rather just buy another one when I need it than trip over it for the next 20 years.

I keep my work area fairly uncluttered. But I don't do a thorough sweeping until after I finish one job, and right before I start the next one. But let's face it....stripping couches is a dirty job. My 3 AC filters are completely clogged every couple of days.

Getting back to efficiency, I think that keeping "too clean" can be as inefficient as trying to work in a s___hole. There should be a happy medium. 

[Mojo]

Let's see.....take  or keep my shop clean....... I always choose cleaning. I typically clean every other day but there is little to clean up. I throw scraps into the trash immediately as my OCD wont allow me to throw it on the floor.

I vacuum twice a week if nothing more then just to keep the dog hair off the fabric. German Shepherds are noted for shedding alot and both of them wander into the shop, lay down and sleep while supervising me.

I have a bench across from my cutting table that I keep all my tools on. If any of you wants to drive me nuts, sneak in and re-arrange my tools. Yes I know I need professional help. :)

My cutting table is against the wall because I have no room to move it into the center. I wished I did have the room though as I would move it so I could walk around it.

Chris

[byhammerandhand]

I think you've got quite a ways to go.   I think working for this guy might drive me nuts.   I'm organized, but I have a limit, but I have adopted a few of his ideas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OEePS7Oh_g

I have a bench across from my cutting table that I keep all my tools on. If any of you wants to drive me nuts, sneak in and re-arrange my tools. Yes I know I need professional help. :)

Chris

[sofadoc]

I think you've got quite a ways to go.   I think working for this guy might drive me nuts.   I'm organized, but I have a limit, but I have adopted a few of his ideas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OEePS7Oh_g

I'll bet those employees get tired of thinking up silly little "improvements" just to placate their boss.

I wonder how many times the new idea merely nullifies a previous new idea.

[Mojo]

I would do well there......for the first week. Then the boss would come up missing and they would find him gagged and bound in a closet somewhere. I am OCD but not that bad.

A daily walk through ?????? Screw that. If he wasn't bringing me coffee and donuts every morning then I would tell him to piss off and move on to the next station. :)

Chris

[sofadoc]

A daily walk through ?????? Screw that. If he wasn't bringing me coffee and donuts every morning then I would tell him to piss off and move on to the next station.

That guy would probably fire me after the first week, when all of my innovations only served to streamline the break room. ;D

I had a boss at Texas Instruments back in the 80's that did that silly stuff. I think that by involving the "hired help" in daily workplace improvements, he thought that he was making us feel important. But we knew the truth.....we were just a name and a number.

He showered us with all kinds of little medals, certificates, and  loud vocal "Attaboy!" recognitions......... everything except a pay raise. I always hated cheerleader bosses, with all their perky "Rah-rah" crap.

There's a reason why I'm self-employed.

[bobbin]

The basic concept is a good one.  But that guy would drive me nuts, too.  I've always loathed management who have clearly been trained to use "we" instead of you.  Do they seriously think that makes people feel as though they're part of the team?  Sometimes it does, but more often it becomes the basis for break room jokes.   

I like the idea of streamlining the break room, BTW.

[sofadoc]

This is MY sanctuary (The fridge is well-stocked):


My daughters both work nearby. They come to my shop for lunch everyday. Sometimes, they bring their friends. They all say that my break room is better than theirs. I think they just like it better because everything is free. ;)

[bobbin]

I'd come over for lunch, too. 

I'm drawn by the "steam-lined" look.  ;)

[byhammerandhand]

If I remember right, and I don't want to suffer through the video again:   They have a "morning meeting" every day, then spend about 1/2 hour to come up with a 2-minute improvement.   Finally, they get started and work another 6 hours doing productive work.   Doing math, doing math... every 30 days (six work weeks), they'll save an hour's time each day. So in 36 work weeks (about 9 months), they'll save enough time that they won't even have to work that six hours. Wink.

One of the managers in a related group where I used to work (and I thank God that my group never reported to him) was a big stickler for details.    When he left the company, the facilities management people cleaned out his storage area.   They dumped out the contents of over 1500 three-ring notebooks into a paper recycling cart, boxed up all those notebooks and donated them to a group that gives school supplies to inner-city kids.

[byhammerandhand]

Tsk, tsk.   I'd suggest several improvements:
- A sign that says, "Water"
- A sign that says, "Microwave"
- Visual controls on the outside of the fridge.   For example, take empty Shiner cans, flatten them out, and paste them on the front of the fridge for all the shelves that hold the beer.   You may need a beef jerky label on the bottom right.
- Likewise, take empty ice cream cartons for the freezer, alphabetical order left to right - Buttered Almond, Chocolate Chunk, Moose Tracks, Vanilla
- Label and visual control on the red cooler -- your choice "Beer +1" or "Just-in-Time Beer"

There.  Now you're all set for next week's morning walks.

This is MY sanctuary (The fridge is well-stocked):


My daughters both work nearby. They come to my shop for lunch everyday. Sometimes, they bring their friends. They all say that my break room is better than theirs. I think they just like it better because everything is free. ;)