# Under pressure....



## Schroedc (Sep 8, 2017)

So we'll see how productive I can be. It's 10:42pm and I just got back tot he shop from frying fish. I have to be in Minneapolis to set up for a show before 7am (120 Miles away). Here's a bunch ready to go. Lets see how long it takes me to get them all turned and assembled......

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 2


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## Schroedc (Sep 9, 2017)

So it's now 2:30 AM, (Four hours later for those keeping score at home and don't forget, I took 40 minutes out to buy a lathe). 48 blanks turned and finished (I blew 2 up). I think I'll clean the shop later. Now we start assembly

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## Schroedc (Sep 9, 2017)

Ok, 4am and I need to head home, get my wife and get on the road. I got 40 assembled. I'll do the last few on Monday. (Wow, I apparently can't run a camera at 4am.....)

Reactions: Like 5 | Funny 1 | Way Cool 6


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## Tom Smart (Sep 9, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Ok, 4am and I need to head home, get my wife and get on the road. I got 40 assembled. I'll do the last few on Monday. (Wow, I apparently can't run a camera at 4am.....)
> 
> View attachment 133905


Jeez, you, sir, are crazy. 

PS good luck at the show.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 7


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## Lou Currier (Sep 9, 2017)

Whoa you're a machine! Hope you have some sleep in that schedule

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Ralph Muhs (Sep 9, 2017)

Good grief! I don' aspire to this. My goal is to make five pens some day in the future

Reactions: Like 1


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## Nubsnstubs (Sep 9, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Ok, 4am and I need to head home, get my wife and get on the road. I got 40 assembled. I'll do the last few on Monday. (Wow, I apparently can't run a camera at 4am.....)
> 
> View attachment 133905



And at 4 am, you can't count either. I see only 38 finished pens. Five hours and 17 minutes. You seem to have pen turning down pretty good. Hope you do well. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Tony (Sep 9, 2017)

Only 38??????

Geez Colin, you're as slow as a turtle!

That's an incredible amount of work in that time man, good luck at the show, let us know how it goes! Tony

Reactions: Funny 1


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## rocky1 (Sep 9, 2017)

He seems to have pen finishing down pretty good... Turning them that fast isn't tough, it is the sanding, finishing, and polishing that takes time.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 5


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## rdabpenman (Sep 9, 2017)

7.32 minutes per pen + time it took to cut, drill, mill and tube the blanks. What took so long?

Les

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Schroedc (Sep 9, 2017)

Nubsnstubs said:


> And at 4 am, you can't count either. I see only 38 finished pens. Five hours and 17 minutes. You seem to have pen turning down pretty good. Hope you do well. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)





Tony said:


> Only 38??????
> 
> 
> Geez Colin, you're as slow as a turtle!
> ...



Hey you guys, it was late, there were two more that didn't make it over to the tray before the picture.



rdabpenman said:


> 7.32 minutes per pen + time it took to cut, drill, mill and tube the blanks. What took so long?
> 
> Les



Les, don't forget to subtract the time I spent buying another Jet 1221vs last night around midnight. So it wasn't that slow

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 3


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## Nubsnstubs (Sep 9, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Hey you guys, it was late, there were two more that didn't make it over to the tray before the picture.
> 
> 
> 
> Les, don't forget to subtract the time I spent buying another Jet 1221vs last night around midnight. So it wasn't that slow



Midnight shopping, huh?? ........... Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Schroedc (Sep 9, 2017)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Midnight shopping, huh?? ........... Jerry (in Tucson)



Not that kind of midnight shopping


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## DKMD (Sep 9, 2017)

Amazing! I don't know that I could finish 10 in that amount of time.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tom Smart (Sep 10, 2017)

@Schroedc How were your sales yesterday, Colin?


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## Schroedc (Sep 10, 2017)

Tom Smart said:


> @Schroedc How were your sales yesterday, Colin?



Not too bad. Not a single vertex went but a dozen of the stamp pens sold and a fair amount of other things. I've been doing this show four years or so and for some things I might be hitting market saturation. Every year and every show send to be different on what people buy.


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## Tom Smart (Sep 10, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Not too bad. Not a single vertex went but a dozen of the stamp pens sold and a fair amount of other things. I've been doing this show four years or so and for some things I might be hitting market saturation. Every year and every show send to be different on what people buy.


I've experienced the same. Not knowing which way the buying winds blow each year causes me to increase variety but I'm running out of space within the setup.


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## woodtickgreg (Sep 10, 2017)

Man I wish I had 1/10th of your drive!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Tom Smart (Sep 10, 2017)

I keep telling myself "you can't sell it if you don't make it".


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## Schroedc (Sep 10, 2017)

Tom Smart said:


> I keep telling myself "you can't sell it if you don't make it".



Although this year with the time I've taken off for stuff with the family I haven't been making a lot of back stock until recently. One upside to that is that I've really purged a lot of older inventory out. The other day I sold the oldest pen in my inventory (for some reason it never sold, nothing wrong with it but it'd been on my shelves about six years). Now with several larger holiday shows in a couple months I'll go in with all fresh inventory. I also like to have a variety but I try not to have too many choices. Then the customers get stuck in a loop and end up not buying because they can't make up their mind.....

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Tom Smart (Sep 10, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> I also like to have a variety but I try not to have too many choices. Then the customers get stuck in a loop and end up not buying because they can't make up their mind.....


I get that.


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## barry richardson (Sep 10, 2017)

That was a heck of a feat Colin!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## cgseymour (Sep 11, 2017)

The pens look great! 
But I have to ask -- where can you buy a lathe at midnight?

Great job on the pens


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## Schroedc (Sep 11, 2017)

cgseymour said:


> The pens look great!
> But I have to ask -- where can you buy a lathe at midnight?
> 
> Great job on the pens



Craigslist

Reactions: Agree 1


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## blaineo (Oct 16, 2017)

Colin, I'm just south of the Cities in Le Sueur, what show were you doing if you don't mind me asking? I'm a single dad that doesnt get out much, so I never hear of any shows to go to. OH! And I work weekends....*eyeroll*...that might be a factor as to why I never get to any shows....LOL


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## Schroedc (Oct 16, 2017)

blaineo said:


> Colin, I'm just south of the Cities in Le Sueur, what show were you doing if you don't mind me asking? I'm a single dad that doesnt get out much, so I never hear of any shows to go to. OH! And I work weekends....*eyeroll*...that might be a factor as to why I never get to any shows....LOL



Centennial Lakes in Edina.


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## Gdurfey (Dec 30, 2017)

So, what type of finish are you putting on your wood pens??? I may give up CA except for special friends/gifts


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## Schroedc (Dec 31, 2017)

Gdurfey said:


> So, what type of finish are you putting on your wood pens??? I may give up CA except for special friends/gifts



It's a CA finish that's knocked back and buffed. I've got it down where it's fairly fast.

Reactions: Like 1 | +Karma 1


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