David Hendley on tue 10 may 11
Hank, I enjoyed a little chuckle as I read of your excursion into=3D20
small-scale
pottery tool manufacturing, marketing, and selling.
I am in a similar race with time with my extruding videos. One thousand D=
=3D
VDs
is the minimum quantity that a manufacturer will cost effectively produce=
=3D
.
My set is made up of 3 DVDs and 1 CD - so that adds up to 4,000 packages.
I never did the math to calculate the volume, so I was somewhat shocked
when I picked up the order and it filled both my pickup truck and a small
trailer.
Believe me, when I got back to my studio, I was stashing boxes of DVDs
in every nook and cranny I could find.
I also still have about half of the DVDs (the music CDs have sold more an=
=3D
d I
am down to about 250 copies) after about 5 years, so I'm wondering which
will last longer, me or my supply of DVDs.
It is a standard joke with my musician friends - where do you store all y=
=3D
our
unsold CDs? Some have produced 3 or 4 CDs and have no room for their
clothing since every closet is full of CDs.
Hank, by the way, graciously agreed to swap his tools for my DVDs when
I asked him about purchasing the RingBat tool. I regularly use the RingBa=
=3D
t
and use the Roller Trimmer even more often. I don't use it for plates as =
=3D
he
does, as I extrude foot rings for my plates (see the DVD!), but use it on
just abut everything I trim except plates and some bowls. As he mentioned=
=3D
,
see my website for a demonstration of how I use the RingBat to trim
bowls with delicate carved rims - http://www.farmpots.com/oven.htm.
David Hendley
david@farmpots.com
http://www.farmpots.com
http://www.thewahooligans.com (more CDs for sale here! After one year,
inventory is down to probably 700, but close to half of those 300 "sold"
were actually promo and friend & family give-aways.)
----- Original Message -----=3D20
Here is how that came to be. I developed the tool(and others) for myself,=
=3D
=3D20
and thought it might be useful to others. So, after making around 25 of t=
=3D
hem=3D20
by hand, I decided on an exercise in small manufacturing and wholesale=3D20
pricing. I ordered up 1200 of the stainless frames from a job shop in=3D20
Portland, OR. Their machine spits out one each six seconds from a hydraul=
=3D
ic=3D20
bending machine loaded with a 500 foot spool of 1/4" stainless wire. My=3D2=
0
fabricator notches the ends, and we both turn the s.s. twisted wires on a=
=3D
=3D20
Shopsmith machine in 40 foot lengths. these are crimped at the correct=3D20
lengths and then separated and packed with the tool, 4 to a set, each wit=
=3D
h a=3D20
different cutting pattern. So far, so good....... just wait for the order=
=3D
s=3D20
to roll in!
After two articles showing their use, and a hundred workshops demonstrati=
=3D
ng=3D20
them, we still have half the original box of frames..... so we are in a r=
=3D
ace=3D20
to see whether the last frame sells before I die. I am 72 now, so my=3D20
relatives may have to throw out some frames after I cash my ticket. Prett=
=3D
y=3D20
much the same r=3DE9gime for the CutOff Wires, the RingBat, and the Roller=
=3D20
Trimmer. The Doorless Fiberkiln is pretty much one to three at-a-time, so=
=3D
no=3D20
fears there for my relatives.
It's been an interesting exercise in development, manufacturing, and=3D20
marketing for a right brain artist such as I. 'Tools4clay' bombed several=
=3D
=3D20
years ago, so I am the only source for all my tools.
Hank Murrow on tue 10 may 11
On May 3, 2011, at 3:14 PM, Ronald Pippitt wrote:
> Thanks - a check is in the mail (no, really).
> =3D20
> An eamail feature called Ceramic Arts Daily featured the use of the =3D
tool, but surprisingly did not mention how to get one. I Googled "hanks =
=3D
wire tool" and came up with www.tools4clay.com/wiretool.htm and tried to =
=3D
buy one, only to get a message "we are not accepting orders now". Very =3D
strange.
> Looks like a clever, fun tool. I am surprised that it is so hard to =3D
get one.
Well, Ron;
Here is how that came to be. I developed the tool(and others) for =3D
myself, and thought it might be useful to others. So, after making =3D
around 25 of them by hand, I decided on an exercise in small =3D
manufacturing and wholesale pricing. I ordered up 1200 of the stainless =3D
frames from a job shop in Portland, OR. Their machine spits out one each =
=3D
six seconds from a hydraulic bending machine loaded with a 500 foot =3D
spool of 1/4" stainless wire. My fabricator notches the ends, and we =3D
both turn the s.s. twisted wires on a Shopsmith machine in 40 foot =3D
lengths. these are crimped at the correct lengths and then separated and =
=3D
packed with the tool, 4 to a set, each with a different cutting pattern. =
=3D
So far, so good....... just wait for the orders to roll in!
After two articles showing their use, and a hundred workshops =3D
demonstrating them, we still have half the original box of frames..... =3D
so we are in a race to see whether the last frame sells before I die. I =3D
am 72 now, so my relatives may have to throw out some frames after I =3D
cash my ticket. Pretty much the same r=3DE9gime for the CutOff Wires, the =
=3D
RingBat, and the Roller Trimmer. The Doorless Fiberkiln is pretty much =3D
one to three at-a-time, so no fears there for my relatives.
It's been an interesting exercise in development, manufacturing, and =3D
marketing for a right brain artist such as I. 'Tools4clay' bombed =3D
several years ago, so I am the only source for all my tools.=3D20
Except for the desire to put the tools in the hands of potters....... it =
=3D
has been sort of a minor Pyhrric Victory in the Grand Scheme of Things! =3D
The things they don't teach you in school..... after Latin, Greek, =3D
Calculus, Debate, etc. The Jesuit Blackrobes were innocent of the =3D
American Way of Industry!
Cheers, Hank
PS; would love to hear a report on how you used the tool, and please =3D
check my web tutorial for the way I use it. =3D
http://www.murrow.biz/hank/tutorials.htm & =3D
http://www.farmpots.com/oven.htm (scroll down to David's expos=3DE9 on =
=3D
the RingBat).
> =3D20
> Ron Pippitt
> 624 Park Ave.
> Delavan, WI 53115
>=3D20
>=3D20
> From: Hank Murrow
> To: Ronald Pippitt
> Sent: Tue, May 3, 2011 9:33:25 AM
> Subject: Re: Hank's tool
>=3D20
>=3D20
> On May 3, 2011, at 5:50 AM, Ronald Pippitt wrote:
>=3D20
>> I'm interested in getting a Hank's tool wire cutter. How do I buy =3D
it?
>=3D20
> Dear Ron;
>=3D20
> If you send me a check to 1215 Arthur St, Eugene, OR 97402-3509 for =3D
$32 along with your snail address, I will send one out pronto via USPS. =3D
Where did you see it?
>=3D20
> Cheers, Hank
John Britt on wed 11 may 11
Hank, very funny post! That is where reality meets the dream. I will pro=
=3D
bably=3D20
burden my relatives with the disposal of thousands of test tiles of "the =
=3D
best glaze=3D20
ever"!
In a last ditch effort to sell some...if you want.... I can post somethin=
=3D
g on the=3D20
blog:
http://ncclayclub.blogspot.com
If you want to unburden your relatives ...send me something,
Johnbrittpottery.com
J.A. Monk on wed 11 may 11
David, I just finished reading your post and I am curious about your DVDs.
May I ask you what they are about. I am always on the prowl for new
techniques to working with clay. Thank for sharing you website, when I get =
a
place of my own, I may just ask you for the instructions on building your
wood-fired brick oven.
I must say that I have not been following the conversation that closely, bu=
t
Hank and I interested in learn about your tool.
James
Lee on wed 11 may 11
Kinda comparing apples to oranges when equalling a fine fabricated
object to a digital copy on a DVD, =3DA0 =3DA0Simiilar to comparing a handm=
ade
object to a photo of one. =3DA0 I'd put the DVDs on one of the digital
archive sites.
Hank, =3DA0 I have been thinking about Legacy. =3DA0Steve (he took care of
Kintaro when I was back and forth to Japan), is back fron his year
working with Chris Gustin on the East coast. =3DA0My request to my wife,
if I should "go on" before her, is that she get Steve's help with my
pottery stuff. =3DA0Don't you have anyone like that?
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
--from my iPod touch
David Hendley on wed 11 may 11
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pam Cresswell"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 10:29 AM
Subject: Re: Hank's tool
> why don't you folks open up etsy shops to sell these things?
My extruding DVDs have been for sale at my etsy storefront
(OldFarmhousePottery) for a couple of years. I have yet to sell
one set through etsy. It varies, but I usually sell a few sets a
month from my own website.
I also sell very few pots through etsy (7 sales in 2 1/2 years),
but then I don't spend time making treasuries, joining etsy
sub-groups, or paying extra for promotion. Again, I sell much
more through my website.......
David Hendley
david@farmpots.com
http://www.farmpots.com
http://www.thewahooligans.com
Pam Cresswell on wed 11 may 11
why don't you folks open up etsy shops to sell these things?
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