Comments on: Window into my workshop 5 http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/2009/06/29/window-into-my-workshop-5/ A Blog by Karl Holtey. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:25:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John Coleman http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/2009/06/29/window-into-my-workshop-5/comment-page-1/#comment-30 John Coleman Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:25:25 +0000 http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/?p=121#comment-30 Karl 1900 hours is not part time anything more is overtime beware the boss has you brainwashed.Just like to add that is the cleanest looking workshop i have seen since the first year training school at British Areospace Preston in 1976 .Would love to see more pictures of your set up cheers john c Karl 1900 hours is not part time anything more is overtime beware the boss has you brainwashed.Just like to add that is the cleanest looking workshop i have seen since the first year training school at British Areospace Preston in 1976 .Would love to see more pictures of your set up cheers john c

]]> By: admin http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/2009/06/29/window-into-my-workshop-5/comment-page-1/#comment-29 admin Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:23:06 +0000 http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/?p=121#comment-29 Hi John 1900 hours! that's part time. Making less and charging more would be a good solution but a bit risky. Going from a sole trader to an employer I know it will not work. I am sure that outsourcing wouldn't work either. The numbers would never attract a subcontractor, and quality will be an issue. The thing I would like to do the most would be to spend all my time on R&D and let someone else do the manufacturing and that way it would be possible to achieve a high quality at an affordable rate. k Hi John

1900 hours! that’s part time.

Making less and charging more would be a good solution but a bit risky.

Going from a sole trader to an employer I know it will not work.

I am sure that outsourcing wouldn’t work either. The numbers would never attract a subcontractor, and quality will be an issue.

The thing I would like to do the most would be to spend all my time on R&D and let someone else do the manufacturing and that way it would be possible to achieve a high quality at an affordable rate.

k

]]> By: John Coleman http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/2009/06/29/window-into-my-workshop-5/comment-page-1/#comment-28 John Coleman Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:47:07 +0000 http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/?p=121#comment-28 Karl from the blog so far i get the impression you are doing to much ,striving for perfection whilst wearing so many hats.It is hard to admit that whilst being the companys main asset you are also a limiting factor.You only have one pair of hands if you did nothing else you have a maximium of say 1900 hours production per year. You need help to buy back time for you to do marketing, selling,shows etc. Three options i can see make less and charge more if your market will take it . Train or take on help but that then makes you an employer with all that entails. Three sub out some of the component parts water jet maybe. It wouldnt make any difference to me if all components were subbed because with you doing the QA and the fitting and finishing.The finnished plane would be a Holtey which we all know is the best plane in the world. cheers john c ps How many parts do Rolls Royce sub contact it is still a Rolls Royce because of there engineering skills. Karl from the blog so far i get the impression you are doing to much ,striving for perfection whilst wearing so many hats.It is hard to admit that whilst being the companys main asset you are also a limiting factor.You only have one pair of hands if you did nothing else you have a maximium of say 1900 hours production per year.
You need help to buy back time for you to do marketing, selling,shows etc.
Three options i can see make less and charge more if your market will take it . Train or take on help but that then makes you an employer with all that entails. Three sub out some of the component parts water jet maybe.
It wouldnt make any difference to me if all components were subbed because with you doing the QA and the fitting and finishing.The finnished plane would be a Holtey which we all know is the best plane in the world.
cheers john c
ps How many parts do Rolls Royce sub contact it is still a Rolls Royce because of there engineering skills.

]]> By: admin http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/2009/06/29/window-into-my-workshop-5/comment-page-1/#comment-27 admin Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:28:44 +0000 http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/?p=121#comment-27 Hi Aled Your comment is one of those that makes this exercise worthwhile. You are right to assume it is difficult to make a living from this and no doubt you can see that I am very sincere about the philosophy of what I do. I suspect that since I started plane making there are others making a better living from the bow wave I have created. Any available funds I have are spent on the workshop, leaving me little time/money for marketing, which is probably my downfall. One of the most important areas of making is the flatness. With the flatness I achieve my planes will cut a thou shaving by pushing the plane along with its own weight and no input. This is one reason that I am holding back from further posting for a week so that my last posting about flattening doesn’t get lost in the archives too quickly. k Hi Aled

Your comment is one of those that makes this exercise worthwhile.

You are right to assume it is difficult to make a living from this and no doubt you can see that I am very sincere about the philosophy of what I do. I suspect that since I started plane making there are others making a better living from the bow wave I have created. Any available funds I have are spent on the workshop, leaving me little time/money for marketing, which is probably my downfall.

One of the most important areas of making is the flatness. With the flatness I achieve my planes will cut a thou shaving by pushing the plane along with its own weight and no input. This is one reason that I am holding back from further posting for a week so that my last posting about flattening doesn’t get lost in the archives too quickly.

k

]]> By: Aled http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/2009/06/29/window-into-my-workshop-5/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Aled Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:44:10 +0000 http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/?p=121#comment-26 Karl What an absolutely fascinating blog. I've been a fan of your work for quite a few years now, and this insight into your work highlights the quality and precision that you're so renowned for. If I come across any doubtors again, just pointing them at your blog will be sure to convince anybody that your planes offer fantastic value for all the work that goes into them. I'm still not sure how you manage to make a living from this, running a toolroom like that must be a massive overhead. Keep up the good work and keep blogging. Cheers Aled Karl

What an absolutely fascinating blog. I’ve been a fan of your work for quite a few years now, and this insight into your work highlights the quality and precision that you’re so renowned for.

If I come across any doubtors again, just pointing them at your blog will be sure to convince anybody that your planes offer fantastic value for all the work that goes into them. I’m still not sure how you manage to make a living from this, running a toolroom like that must be a massive overhead.

Keep up the good work and keep blogging.

Cheers

Aled

]]> By: admin http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/2009/06/29/window-into-my-workshop-5/comment-page-1/#comment-17 admin Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:48:17 +0000 http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/?p=121#comment-17 Hi Liam I do know of a few professional furniture makers who are customers - of course not everybody tells me what their business is. I know that the biggest percentage of my customers are people in profession such as medical, law and financial. I do believe that there is a minority who just collect my planes. Nearly all my customers own more than one of my planes. k Hi Liam

I do know of a few professional furniture makers who are customers – of course not everybody tells me what their business is.

I know that the biggest percentage of my customers are people in profession such as medical, law and financial.

I do believe that there is a minority who just collect my planes.

Nearly all my customers own more than one of my planes.

k

]]> By: Liam http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/2009/06/29/window-into-my-workshop-5/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Liam Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:18:25 +0000 http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/?p=121#comment-16 Hi Karl, Many thanks for your blog, I have been an admirer of your planes for a number of years and I'm enjoying reading about how much work goes into each plane you make. A question for you, however I sincerely hope it does not come across as being disrespectful, I am curious as to how many of your planes are used by professional furniture makers as part of their work? Again, thank you for your time and excellent blog. Kind regards, Liam Hi Karl,

Many thanks for your blog, I have been an admirer of your planes for a number of years and I’m enjoying reading about how much work goes into each plane you make. A question for you, however I sincerely hope it does not come across as being disrespectful, I am curious as to how many of your planes are used by professional furniture makers as part of their work?

Again, thank you for your time and excellent blog.

Kind regards,

Liam

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