Stijl Cycles

[Stijl Cycles]

As long as we can still listen in...

That is the whole point for me David. I feel like there is a "big picture" part of our community that is sorely lacking.

While the flow characteristics of differing combinations of braze rod and flux types or the wetting characteristics of a specific weld rod are very important topics, so is the reasons why to choose direct sales or dealer networks as your main sales methodology, or knowing whether sponsoring a team is a good idea and what is reasonable to expect on the ROI.

I'm just not sure that the general discussion area is the right place? Maybe i'm wrong, I just feel like it's not that far from trying to have a serious conversation on Facebook.
Like it needs to be vetted or something.
All I know is there are more and more new builders out there that are looking for answers and I kinda think it's our responsibility to help guide them. It keeps the bar high.
Anyway- I'm happy to share all of what I know to anyone that is truly interested. cause that's how I role.

[e-RICHIE]

That is the whole point for me David. I feel like there is a "big picture" part of our community that is sorely lacking.

While the flow characteristics of differing combinations of braze rod and flux types or the wetting characteristics of a specific weld rod are very important topics, so is the reasons why to choose direct sales or dealer networks as your main sales methodology, or knowing whether sponsoring a team is a good idea and what is reasonable to expect on the ROI.

I'm just not sure that the general discussion area is the right place? Maybe i'm wrong, I just feel like it's not that far from trying to have a serious conversation on Facebook.
Like it needs to be vetted or something.
All I know is there are more and more new builders out there that are looking for answers and I kinda think it's our responsibility to help guide them. It keeps the bar high.
Anyway- I'm happy to share all of what I know to anyone that is truly interested. cause that's how I role.

That's how I roll (role...) too. But I get you with regard to conversations that get mired in vagaries. There one or two now on the Facebook group page in which every or nearly every piece of advice is from someone who has never worked full time, or for any length of time at all. If you have a point you wanna make and seek the wisdom from those who are truly your peers at the bench, make note of it in the thread you might start and hopefully the replies will be from people who have the genuine experience.

[Stijl Cycles]

I'm game even if my spelling and grammar are suspect...

[Stijl Cycles]

A little snap shot of my $500 universal mitering jig.
I've made a few mod's here and there, sometimes I put it on a stool or a chair, sometimes the floor.
Tramming it in takes a few seconds, but I've figured out a couple tricks along the way.

2015-02-05 15.41.31.jpg
this is the set up I used for the XCr Breakaway frame, but it wouldn't take too much to reconfigure to say a 29'er if one wanted.

[Stijl Cycles]

And then there was that time that I
2015-04-09 21.51.09.jpg

but I was like - what?!

2015-04-10 10.30.01.jpg

in the end I just...

2015-04-10 15.16.10.jpg

I mean, you know?

[Stijl Cycles]

Been reading "The Goal" by Eli Goldratt again (third time) and I think I'm finally ready to work Theory of Constraints into my daily working life.
I was never able to figure out how to put it into practice solo, so I decided to buy a copy for everyone in my company.

The employees are into the idea, my business partners seem resistant so far...

[Stijl Cycles]

So this happened!

Dwell Magazine

[e-RICHIE]

So this happened!

Dwell Magazine

That's really nice.
So, what's the division of labor etc that Stijll Cycles plays in the larger picture of all these brands atmo?

[Will Neide]

. "Revealing the origin of material and narrative of the process is central to our life and our pieces,"

Preach it!

[Stijl Cycles]

That's really nice.
So, what's the division of labor etc that Stijll Cycles plays in the larger picture of all these brands atmo?

Stijl Cycles was a pressure relief valve for me and the furniture was the same for my business partner Christopher.
Now that the three brands are wholly owned subsidiaries of Tektonics, they serve as alternate revenue streams.

But more specifically, Stijl, like Fern and Roby, are the hooks that offer us to tell our much bigger story to a larger audience. Tektonics and LocoMachine are exciting to the initiated, but to the general populace they seem to fall short of peoples interests.
They provide the box or perspective in which to see the other companies. It wasn't until we had these developed that people started to show interest beyond their first impressions. "oh, yeah they're the guys that make railings" , "you're an ironworker, right?" ect... ect....
But this has just been a side benefit, not the aim. They are real companies making real stuff. But even if when we aren't making bikes or furniture, they serve as PR for the parts that are making money.

Stijl also is a way to do prototyping, product testing, and stay in touch with my market. Not that I am designing with only myself in mind, but I am a part of my own market.

[Stijl Cycles]

So... I came face to face with my journey into Theory of Constraints and screwed myself in the production of this last batch of Fatmo's.
Orders were building and I decided it prudent and most efficient to more than triple my previous batch sizes.
Hell- local efficiencies will sky rocket! right? yes, but....

it took me way more than three times the completion time, and i'm still trying to finish...
Batch of ten means, each step = ten of each part of each step before the next part can be done, every step of the way.
I realized the problem 6 weeks ago, but the constraint was the castings, powder coating, and grinding. It was too late, that ship had sailed.

bah! Never again Wilson!

[Stijl Cycles]

And then you think you back on the right track, located your Herbie and applied the new focus.
Then you find out your Blanchard Grinder decided to help you out by deburing your parts....

2015-06-08 11.21.57.jpg

[e-RICHIE]

Then you find out your Blanchard Grinder decided to help you out by deburing your parts....

Is that bad or good?
Can't tell from text only atmo.

[Stijl Cycles]

Is that bad or good?
Can't tell from text only atmo.

see gouge in photo = not good
needs to be reground.

[Stijl Cycles]

[Stijl Cycles]

a hump day thought and observation:

We are all in a fairly long lead time business, where some of us have many months to even years back log.
Even realizing that once the queue hits some of us spend less than a day on completing said order, I am still perplexed how many people order parts from me at the last minute.
I am not complaining, and am almost always able to oblige. I pride myself on my ability to turn around orders very fast.
Having a job shop as well means that tight deadlines are the normal...

I also realize that budgets are tight and we don't want to sit on a bunch of inventory if we can help it.
I am also guilty of forgetting to order something or not getting enough, ect... sure, there is always a need for next day air, right?!
But if the majority of orders are rush orders, some needing expensive shipping, isn't the money spent on expensive shipping outweighing the money saved by not tying up your money in inventory?

Again- not complaining or implying anything- Just a trend I have noticed.
That's all. Have a great day-

[e-RICHIE]

a hump day thought and observation:

We are all in a fairly long lead time business, where some of us have many months to even years back log.
Even realizing that once the queue hits some of us spend less than a day on completing said order, I am still perplexed how many people order parts from me at the last minute.
I am not complaining, and am almost always able to oblige. I pride myself on my ability to turn around orders very fast.
Having a job shop as well means that tight deadlines are the normal...

I also realize that budgets are tight and we don't want to sit on a bunch of inventory if we can help it.
I am also guilty of forgetting to order something or not getting enough, ect... sure, there is always a need for next day air, right?!
But if the majority of orders are rush orders, some needing expensive shipping, isn't the money spent on expensive shipping outweighing the money saved by not tying up your money in inventory?

Again- not complaining or implying anything- Just a trend I have noticed.
That's all. Have a great day-

I think I know what you mean - but an example would help.
PS I never worry about freight fees because they always get transferred back to the client, and the some.
It's call Shipping and Handling for a reason atmo.

[Stijl Cycles]

I don't really have an example per say.
It's the exception when I have a customer say, "a week or so is fine".
More often than not it's, "any chance I can get that in the next day or so?" "what's the cost on next day shipping?" ect...
I rarely charge anyone differently if I can do it, only if the shipping is expedited.

There is nothing wrong with it or anything, it just strikes me as odd is all.

[ParagonMachineWorks]

2000px-Project-triangle.png

You only get two.

[e-RICHIE]

I don't really have an example per say.
It's the exception when I have a customer say, "a week or so is fine".
More often than not it's, "any chance I can get that in the next day or so?" "what's the cost on next day shipping?" ect...
I rarely charge anyone differently if I can do it, only if the shipping is expedited.

There is nothing wrong with it or anything, it just strikes me as odd is all.

Shipping (anything that entails getting something in a box, the cost of the box, the tape, the wrapping, the time to call FedEx or whoever, as well as the cost FedEx or whatever charges you...) is a profit center. Make money on the ordeal atmo.