|
After 10 years of conducting my own ceramics production
business, I decided to share my knowledge. The basis for my
business was helping others to succeed in their own. I produced
my own line of molds from my own designs and also helped my
customers by doing the same for them, using their design ideas
and producing molds for them. Mine was a tightly held copyright
secret workshop. It was tricky at times, but none of my
customers ever saw the secrets of my other customers nor did I
(nor ever will) devulge the designs or molds. My customers
trusted me and for good reason.
Starting out, the little
kid on the block, I faced all the so-called experts in the
field, the all knowing, over towering, tight lipped competitors.
Those that had the gall to step into my shop, in the pretense of
'getting to know me', in order to check out their own
competition, while they in turn stole from me by bootlegging my
own molds and undermining my own customer base.
Not only
was I on my own, when it came to education in mold making, I
also had to find ways to work around the need for equipment and
room, which I had none of. I learned. I also bought all those
expensive books on mold making and ceramics. You should see my
library.
I became such a good customer for my plaster
supplier, they invited me to workshops conducted by the regional
sales person and brought me loads of data sheets on every
conceivable plaster product. I learned things the 'know-it-alls'
never heard of. That's what I bring to you today.
Cont-
If
you haven't already done so, check out the pages where you can
buy a hard copy of my booklets. Below.
Pouring
for Ceramics for full details
Mold
Making for Ceramics for full details
Master
the Masterblock for full details
|
|
While I listen to all the woe stories about how ceramics
is on the downhill plunge and not doing so well, I scratch my
head. There is a mentality that can do nothing but bring you
down, causing you to struggle against the "ceramics world"
mindset while trying to make a living. There is no cause for
this, as the foundation of what you are after is called 'gift
wares' not 'ceramics'. It's the business world not the
clay.
Instead of seeing yourself as a ceramist trying to
sell product to make a living, how about seeing yourself as a
manufacturer? You're not out to make ceramic product, you're out
to make product that just happens to be made of clay. You can
use the same concept to make product out of anything:
clay,resin,plaster,paper pulp,what have you.
If you
happen to be a ceramist (and I'm speaking mainly to those
pouring molds), learn the poured clay world and then branch out
into all sorts of media. Once you understand the concept of mold
making, you can use that same mind to create molds for just
about anything. What difference if your mold is made out of
plaster or rubber? It's the same concept, except with rubber you
don't have to worry so much about undercuts.
I will be
happy to write yet another instruction booklet on the subject of
rubber molds to produce resin or plaster products, if the market
desires.
What I've written and illustrated, in these
first three booklets, is not only the basics but also the
techniques I've had to learn the hard way. When you're working
with limited space and equipment and you need to turn out that
product in masses with little or no help, you'll learn how to
multiply your efforts or you will drop off the map. It's China,
we compete with and we have to find ways to get down to the
nitty gritty of competition. We have to cut costs, cause our
efforts to multiply out of thin air on top of producing a
marketable product. Let's face it, that's the only way we will
make a living while doing something we love.
|
