Fourth Quarter Shop Notes

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DWSmith

DWSmith

Still Plays With Blocks
Joined
Feb 28, 2011
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Since October I have had two shows and a ton of orders. So much so in fact I have been working 5 1/2 to 7 days a week, 12 to 15 hours a day just to try to keep up. I finally was able to hire a part-timer but he left after two days beacuse he wasn't able the stand the dust. The week after Thanksgiving was a record sales week, the best in the 9 year history, and the first week in December was right close behind. So I am extremely far behind in orders, the lumber supplier has been making a weekly delivery, I am at the shop more hours than I am at home and I am looking forward to after Christmas so I can relax a little. Did I say a little? Not much rest though.

So if you are waiting on a order or know someone who is please be assured that I am working as hard and as quickly as I can to ensure all the orders that need to be received prior to Christmas are received.
 
Your success is well deserved David. Your large Lazy Susan lives on our kitchen table. I hope you can find some quality help in the new year.
 
I have two of your boards. And I want moooooore! Congrats on the business, being too busy is much better than the opposite. Here's to hoping the new year finds you some reliable help in the shop.

Cheers,

- Josh
 
Great soon Dave's boards are going to be like Kramer knives, 5+ year waiting list, then after you wait 4 years he will close his list only to see his boards sell on ebay for 10k
 
congrats... i just had a customer in today who ordered from you recently and we were talking about how awesome your boards are... glad things are going well
 
David,

That is great news!! We are enjoying our Cherry board daily, but I want a bigger board - don't worry it can wait until after Christmas:biggrin:
 
Busy. What a word! My back aches, my feet are sore, my knees protest at the end of the day, the back of my hands are cut and bleeding, my hands are sore and the finger tips are so so slick I can hardle grip anything. Ever tried to pick something up when the finger tips are slick and worn? Makes for interesting lifting! But being busy is far better than the other possibility! The amount of orders I received was far and above what I could have predicted. I hope to plan better next year.

Thanks for all the comments guys. Having friends make nice comments helps to make the day brighter.

I hope to never have a 5 year waiting list. A three to four week wait is bad enough.
 
I have a little time before I leave for the shop. Have to wait on the windshield to defrost.

I ordered a larger disc sander from Grizzly recently. The one I have is a little to small and underpowered to do what I want it to do. Under use it heats up so much I am worried it will burn up. So UPS Freight called and said it was at the terminal so I drove over to pick it up rather than wait for delivery. The crate was destroyed, the top of the sander looked like it had been in a fight (crushed) and the table was at a funny angle. So I refused it as damaged. That was Thursday.

On Monday a UPS truck backs up to my dock and tries to deliver the same damaged sander. So I refused it again!

Grizzly customer service was great. After the refusal, the promptly sent another and this one was almost as damaged as the first. So I refused this one. Grizzly immediately said they would send another. However, two days later I receive a call from their customer service stating I was to receive a refund, they were now out of stock with no more due to arrive until March.

So I search the internet for a large disc sander and finally settle on one from Baileigh Industrial. Priced right, 20" diameter and the features I want. Only they won't have any until after 12/16. Oh well, I guess I will have to wait.

So I'm working hard in the shop and finally finish up a batch of planed boards only to have the planer start to moan. So rather than sink money into repairs for a planer that is already overworked, I ordered a new one with more capacity and stronger as well. We will see what UPS Freight can do to this one.

My dog is highly confused by the early morning departures and the late night arrivals. I can tell when 5 pm rolls around without looking at the clock. She is usually sitting in front of the door ready to go. I believe she is smarter than I give her credit for.

Windshield is clear. Time to go.

Forgot. CONGRATULATIONS to Jon and Sara! I know you will be terrific parents. The child will be a qualified sharpener by age 5 if not earlier.
 
UPDATE

After the DC show in early Nov, I thought I was somewhat ready for the upcoming Christmas rush with the left overs and what was ready in the shop. Wow was I wrong! Within 10 days I was completely out of stock and then the avalanche started. The week before Thanksgiving was exceptionally busy and the week of Thanksgiving was busier than any week I have ever had. Just the week of Thanksgiving alone blew out any quantity I could build in Dec.

So, after tomorrow (Thursday) I will have shipped out 76 boards this month with another 10 or so going international Saturday which leaves the 50+ ordered this month to be built. I'm not complaining, really. Just dead tired after working 7 days a week 12 to 15 hours a day for the past few weeks. No rest for the weary, I will have to get down to busy again on Monday to fill the orders that I have for Dec.

The planer I had was overworked and ready to be retired so I ordered a new one from Grizzly with a higher capacity and work load. At 909 pounds it isn't a light weight. Currently it is at another shop that had forklift service and will be brought over here on Friday. Then it will be put to good use. (It looked like UPS Freight tried to stick a forklift fork through the crate and blew out a small hole on the other end but they missed all the working parts and left the machine untouched.)
 
Wow what a tough year you have had. sounds like everything is going strong. sometimes when you want to settle down you have to kick up the gear some more. Sounds like Feb. you may get some time off.
 
Dave, you now truly fit in with all the restaurant pros who are completely and utterly slammed from just before T-Giving until just after New Year's. :D
 
My wife says I am the hardest person on earth to purchase a Christmas present for. She doesn't share my enjoyment of power tools, cameras are a foreign subject, computers scare her to death even though he job required the use of one 8 hours a day, she doesn't really know what kind of a vehicle I drive and on and on and on and on... So each year I accept what I am given with gratitude and graciousness and buy what I want anyway.

This year is no different. The direction of the shop/business is changing so I have to adapt and upgrade or get left behind. The photo below is the first of the two presents I have given myself this year.

DWS_0703.jpgDWS_0702.jpg

20" planer with what looks like a Byrd Shelix cutterhead. At 909 pounds this is no lightweight and required a heavy duty mobile base to get into the shop. This afternoon I will finish setting it up and it will be in heavy use on Monday.

BTW My jerk boss will finally let me have a day off on Sunday. The first in weeks!
 
Glad you did not just get coal this year. Congrats on the new equipment; I hope it speeds things up a little so you can spend a less time in the shop and still be highly productive.
 
My 9 y old dreams about the US, maybe I should apply to be your apprentice and fulfil both his and my dreams :)
 
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