ClayCoyote@aol.com on tue 7 may 96
Here's a question for production potters.....What do you estimate (or
measure) your losses at as a handthrowing production potter. On 7,100 pots
thrown, we measured losses at about:
Trimming 400
Drying (Warpage, cracking, broken or hit in handling) 300
Handling 100
Bisque Firing (Overfiring) , 250
(warping, cracking) 250
Glaze Firing (Glaze run, warping, cracking, overfiring,
glaze malfunction) 500
Hired Help 200
for a total of about 40%. We know several ways to help these numbers, but
I'd be interested to know what others experience, and what steps they've
taken to minimize loss.
Tom Wirt
Clay Coyote Pottery
Hutchinson, MN
ClayCoyote@aol.com
Jonathan Kaplan on tue 7 may 96
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Here's a question for production potters.....What do you estimate (or
>measure) your losses at as a handthrowing production potter. On 7,100 pots
>thrown, we measured losses at about:
>Trimming 400
>Drying (Warpage, cracking, broken or hit in handling) 300
>Handling 100
>Bisque Firing (Overfiring) , 250
> (warping, cracking) 250
>Glaze Firing (Glaze run, warping, cracking, overfiring,
> glaze malfunction) 500
>Hired Help 200
>
>for a total of about 40%. We know several ways to help these numbers, but
>I'd be interested to know what others experience, and what steps they've
>taken to minimize loss.
>
>
>Tom Wirt
>Clay Coyote Pottery
>Hutchinson, MN
>ClayCoyote@aol.com
Yo Tom...these numbers are way high!! For my two cents....
if you can break down the numbers as you have done, why not break down the
steps in all these areas and take charge. We all say that clay is cheap.
Not true, especially if you have these kinds of seconds. Trimming,
handling, etc all are technique and skill related. Firing seconds can be
brought way down with a computer on the kiln, an oxy probe, glaze
reformulations, etc. Hired help can be made better with proper training
and supervision. Not that you don't do these things, this is not what I
infer, but you have a very very high rate of loss in your production. If I
can help you with any specifics, please call me.
Good luck!!
Jonathan
Jonathan Kaplan
http://www.craftweb.com/org/jkaplan/cdg.shtml
(aka "Scooter)
jonathan@csn.net
Ceramic Design Group/Production Services Voice:
970-879-9139 POB 775112
FAXmodem: same
Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80477, USA CALL before faxing
"No matter where you go, there you are!"
behrends on wed 8 may 96
Tom,
Your losses seam high. We have been doing production pottery for some time
now. One thing that helped us a lot was useing a deairing pug mill. No more
S cracks or air bubbles. I also try to put insentives out for employes, like
going out to dinner for perfect kiln loads.We work as a team, when a problem
comes up we work togather on it. My employes have a sence of ownership and
pride in their work.
We use a clay body that does not have problems. I use elecric kilns. I don't
use glazes that are risky, on production pots. We have had a lot of problems
over the years, but know we have less than one% loss in production.
Reg Behrends
Drummond, Wi. >----------------------------
Bob Kavanagh on thu 9 may 96
It seems to me if you pass 10% your losses are too high. Mine are currently
between 3-7 depending mostly on my own stupidity and absent mindedness.
I found that when apprentices first started the losses went up but that
was just a learning problem.
Get in touch off the list and we'll talk about what causes specfic
losses and see what changes might help.
bob kavanagh bkav@vax2.concordia.ca
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