An example of batchwork

[bikermutt07]

I am always preaching small scale batchwork for beginners. Why do I push this topic so much? Because, I spent 2 years off and on stumbling along wasting time and materials. I would want to make this or that. I would start it, mess up, forget a crucial step, or just do an all around unsatisfactory job. 

I would get frustrated and put it to the side. Then I wouldn't do anything for weeks or months. It was discouraging. Then I would start another one off project and the same thing would happen. It was like a broken record.

Then one day @NVLeatherWorx saved my hobby. In one of the threads he mentioned make one thing. Over and over and over, until it's perfect. Then make something else, over and over, until it is also perfect. Thank God he said that.

I'm not sure if he actually said the term batchwork at that time, but I had seen it here before.

I started out with a single crappy Tandy shoulder and cut it all up into bracelet straps. Taking several of them thru all the steps together. I didn't complete all of them, but as I messed up one little strap, I put it to the side for testing the next step, and kept going forward with the others.

You gain a lot of experience with batchwork. Instead of burnishing one thing for 10 minutes, you have hours and hours to develop your technique. The same is true of every step in the process.

If you did one bracelet you would have one snap, maybe 5 decorative rivets or six inches of stamping, etc. ect. etc.

But if you do a twelve pack of bracelets you just cranked up your hobby experience by a factor of 12.

This gives you enough time to tweak on your technique. And it gives you more time with each step in the process. Driving the experience home in muscle memory and literal memory.

So, as many here know my hobby room has been turned upside down for months. And I am finally getting ready to get back into my hobby at a new level. I started with a plan for a better use for my space. Over the months that grew into more tooling to make room for and, well it has been a minute since I have made much of anything.

Well my brother wanted a new money clip, or rather a "notefold". Billfold has been taken for awhile.

I, nor he came up with this concept.  He found one and asked if I could make it.

It is simple and can be made from scraps. 

I made a pattern. A proof, and then a prototype that proved to be a little thick.

Then I made a batch of four to get his one.

The batch is 1–2oz horween horsefront from Maverick. I really like the look of this stuff.

Here is the proof out of 3 oz Tandy, the 5 oz cxl horsebutt prototype that was too thick, and the beginning of the batchwork.

I love to have a Knipshield knife in the frame when I can.

Doing for at a time I made each cut on each sequential piece. This helped with the muscle memory and sped up the process not unlike an assembly line.

(More in the next post).

[bikermutt07]

Here are the rest of the pictures.

 

I hope you all enjoyed this....

Edited January 11, 2019 by bikermutt07

[VYO]

I did enjoy this. Thank you. Makes perfect sense.

[bikermutt07]

6 hours ago, VYO said:

I did enjoy this. Thank you. Makes perfect sense.

My pleasure.

[fallequinox]

Thank you for sharing this concept. I had not thought about things this way but I see the benefit of it. I can see myself doing this now going forward. 

[bikermutt07]

52 minutes ago, fallequinox said:

Thank you for sharing this concept. I had not thought about things this way but I see the benefit of it. I can see myself doing this now going forward. 

That is awesome. So glad I could help.

[kgg]

I agree with Bikermutt07 doing work this way is the best way. With every project I find there is always one step that I will hate and I mean hate doing but by doing multiple copies in an assembly type process I get through that step all in one go. Get it out of my system so to speak then back to the enjoyment without thinking I got to do that _____ step again.

kgg

[SilverForgeStudio]

@bikermutt07 - Im a newbie still... Im in transition to the all-leather items from my original canvas/leather and learning sewing... This is a concept I respect and will definitely see this in my future learning... and the upshot is if you make and learn in batches... and sell- you are automatically "training" yourself to do production work- because with repetition and practice come speed and efficiency.

Thank you for sharing! 

[bikermutt07]

3 hours ago, SilverForgeStudio said:

@bikermutt07 - Im a newbie still... Im in transition to the all-leather items from my original canvas/leather and learning sewing... This is a concept I respect and will definitely see this in my future learning... and the upshot is if you make and learn in batches... and sell- you are automatically "training" yourself to do production work- because with repetition and practice come speed and efficiency.

Thank you for sharing! 

Exactly.

[bikermutt07]

After being inspired by @DarrelT this morning I jumped right in on some more batchwork.

Using a Wuta template I laid out and pattern cut 5 passport covers.

This only took about 45 minutes.

They are only rough cut for now. Next step I will dye them all at once.

Edited January 23, 2019 by bikermutt07

[chrisash]

I have dyed the leather first and then cut out , thinking that would make allowance for any shrinking so only have to cut once, but must admit i have not noticed much shrinkage if any on the little amount i have done

[bikermutt07]

They all have a little extra on them.

[DarrelT]

On 1/23/2019 at 4:41 AM, bikermutt07 said:

After being inspired by @DarrelT this morning I jumped right in on some more batchwork.

I inspired you @bikermutt07? That's pretty cool since I've just started.

I like the concept of batch work also. Repetition definitely helps to work out the bugs and also the learning process.

[Rockoboy]

On ‎11‎/‎01‎/‎2019 at 10:49 AM, bikermutt07 said:

Why do I push this topic so much?

I believe you push this idea because it is a great idea, and you are one of the good folk on this website/blog who likes to see people do well. You are quite often an inspiration to me.

[bermudahwin]

17 minutes ago, Rockoboy said:

I believe you push this idea because it is a great idea, and you are one of the good folk on this website/blog who likes to see people do well. You are quite often an inspiration to me.

Could not agree more, keep it up Bikermutt

[bikermutt07]

Nevermind

Edited January 26, 2019 by bikermutt07

[bikermutt07]

14 hours ago, DarrelT said:

I inspired you @bikermutt07? That's pretty cool since I've just started.

I like the concept of batch work also. Repetition definitely helps to work out the bugs and also the learning process.

Yep, my boss's son (future heir to the empire) is going on a paid trade show trip. He will bring going to Mexico down on the Yucatan peninsula. His woman won't leave the country and he is really not liking the  of leaving the country.

He's never been out of the country before and is trying to keep his cool about it. 

So, when I saw your post I thought it would be nice if he had a little bit of purple and gold in his pocket. He is a big LSU fan and purple and gold pretty much sums up Louisiana.

[bikermutt07]

 

5 hours ago, Rockoboy said:

I believe you push this idea because it is a great idea, and you are one of the good folk on this website/blog who likes to see people do well. You are quite often an inspiration to me.

Good gravy, you guys got me blushin.

Edited January 26, 2019 by bikermutt07

[VYO]

After creating a pattern and a prototype, I also do batchwork. It does make things go faster when you need to make more than one of something.

Prototype

Cut and Ready to Stitch

[bikermutt07]

4 hours ago, VYO said:

After creating a pattern and a prototype, I also do batchwork. It does make things go faster when you need to make more than one of something.

Prototype

Cut and Ready to Stitch

Love it.

[Treesner]

agreed, I find that making a batchwork product to sell really helps my craft. pushes me to make sure it's really nice rather than maybe letting some stuff slide if it was just something for myself. 

[VYO]

More batchwork on a Saturday. Going to get more use out of the CB3200 with these. Now if I just had one of those fancy dance clickers my hands would love me for it. Although in my small shop I don't know where I'd put it. 

 

[bikermutt07]

1 hour ago, VYO said:

More batchwork on a Saturday. Going to get more use out of the CB3200 with these. Now if I just had one of those fancy dance clickers my hands would love me for it. Although in my small shop I don't know where I'd put it. 

 

Nice, I suffer from the same problem.