Pro Tip of the Day 2....effiency

[Horsewright]

There's the old axiom that time is money. If ya work for yourself it really is true. In a craftsman's shop how can we be more efficient? As many of ya know I tend to work in batches. Having made LOTS of sheaths now and other leather items I've found that how one works is just as important as what one does. This little tip is about how one works.

If ya actually look at working on a leather project, how many times do you pick it up, move it around, do something to it, pick it up, move it, do something else. I've realized that while working in batches this kills ya, time wise.

Got a little trick here for strap work or belt work. I can't say that I do this when I'm working on just one, should though. But multiples like when we were making all those belts in that Beltathon thread or when I make a martingale (that has four straps), I do use this trick and holy cow it saves ya time!!! Like a lot. So what it is, is a method of handling multiple straps while edging to save time. In our example here of two belts we've got water buffalo on top (for a BF member) and a basket stamped belt on the bottom.

I'm gonna be using a number 2 edger. I'm gonna edge the top edge of each belt first from center point to center point.

Once I have the top edge done on the second belt or the 4th or however many you are working on, roll them over towards you so the bottom side, the lining of the belt, is facing up. Now do the top edge again of all your straps or belts.

Once you have that done, flip them end for end. So in our example here the buckle end is now to my left instead of on my right, lining side is still up. Edge the top edges again.

Once ya got that done, roll the belts back over and do your top edge again.

Congrats, you just edged multiple straps or belts in about half the time it would of taken you to do all four sides of one strap, then all four sides of another strap etc. the more you do at once the more time you save. The more you handle each strap individually the more time you waste.

Nothing left but to finish sanding and then rub them edges.

Hope this little trick will be of help to some. Questions and comments are always welcome.

 

[Ebbtide]

I've been saying "The fewer times you touch it, the faster it goes" for ages in the art studio...
Scoring and folding 200 cards with a coworker, a hundred each.
I was done way ahead of him because I didn't turn each sheet over to score the inside, I flipped the pile over.
After each was scored and folded it was stacked right side up with the rest.
The other guy tossed them all over the table every which way, then had to go chase them down and put them in order.
Those little tricks, like Dave's above, make all the difference.
I've always felt that everyone should have to do "piece work" for a while...

Thanks for the topic Dave... Good stuff

 

[golfer1]

I don't know Dave, won't work for me cuz you're doin it with the right hand, I'm left handed. LOL. Great tip thank you.

 

[Horsewright]

Good deal Ebbtide!

golfer, years ago I was helping a buddy to learn to ride and work cattle. He'd been at it several months. He had some natural ability and had proceeded to some more advanced things. One day we're down helping a neighboring ranch. They are processing all their cows and they've got a bunch. I'd go into the herd and cut out about 10 cows and bring them to him in a smaller pen where I'd run them forward into a smaller holding pen that fed into the alley and the sweep leading up to the chute. As I got to the gate I'd fade back and he would side pass (side passing is riding your horse side ways and doing it well takes some ability on your and the horses part) over, closing the gate behind him. He would then push the cattle into a smaller pen further up. I'd go get another ten and by the time I'd get there with them he'd have the gate open and the smaller pen ready. After several hours of doing this we take a little break. He says" Dave, man I've getting really good at side passing to the right. How do I work on getting good on the left?"

"Just turn around John, just turn around" and I went and got 10 more cows.

 

[golfer1]

Amen Dave, Amen, Love it. You might just make a right hander out of me. LOL

 

[Horsewright]

and I should of said: I went and got 10 more cows before John threw his not yet empty beer can at me! Seriously in my small circle of close friends I know three lefties that all rope right handed. Go figure.