My latest products on their way to Rovos Rail

[adrianh]

I currently sell about 300 different model types across the world. We have a production line with two people dedicated to manufactring. The biggest problem that I facemis that we are unable to deliver fast enough. Although our production methods are better than anybody else in the country they are simply not good enough. I wrestle mentally on a dail bases trying to figure ways to do things better and faster. I am going to start casting the models in White Metal in the new year.

If I had to charge the client in terms of hours and effort put in they would simply not bu the product. It's a terribly difficult tradeoff between time taken quality and generally acceptable price. The problem that I sit with is that I put quality first and price last. The implication is that the customer get a beautiful product for an unrealistic price given the time taken....maybe I just figurednout the mathematical formula for determining the appropriate price vs time vs quality triange...hmmmm serious food for thought...

[ians]

I find the same problem with wood crafting, some of the pieces that are built by the master craftsmen our group take almost the whole year to prepare for the end of year exhibits. When you ask the selling price and work out the labour hours, it works out to around R25 per hour, I pay the fella who cleans my workshop more than that.

[adrianh]

Exactly. The problem is that people today have no idea of craftsmanship. They compare stuff spat out by a CNC router in factory in China to a piece crafted by hand. Yes of course you can run off hundreds of items on a CNC router or lathe, but its only a craftsman that understands the nuances of the art of putting his soul in the work.

Why is it that a person who makes something and calls it art can make a lot of money yet a person who builds a beautiful piece of furniture is treated like an idiot who does woodwork because he couldn't pass matric. My dad used to make the most exquisite furniture. He never tried to sell it, he just did it for his own entertainment.

Yeah, its very sad. Any fool can fill his house with junk bought from game but very few appreciate craftsmanship!

[Trickzta]

WoW, very nice. Had an Uncle bitten by the 'steam engine bug.

100s of photos (pre-digital) & many visits to the original engine or coach.

He had a tiny little lathe to machine parts with.

He had a few working models, all to scale. One was big enough to pull three open coaches for kids to ride on.

It is painstaking work to make scale models by hand, from scratch.

I admire the patience, concentration and skill of those who see the project to completion.

Adriaan, you could say that trains were online before Bill Gates was, but some will argue about that theory too.

Have you built a Garret (I think this is how to spell it). I recall seeing many of them in the 60s?

[adrianh]

Those live steam models to years to build. Yea, it sure takes a lot of patience to machine each part by hand.

I haven't actually built a Garrett yet although I have one that I got 2nd hand. It's one of those models that got the better of the original builder and ended up in lots of damaged and missing pieces.

[iLLuDeano]

Looks really cool man well done!!