Outline of production procedures for a bamboo project

[Mark Meckes]

Here is an example to show why process is important when working with
large numbers of an item, if quality, consistency, and productivity is to be assured.

I recently got an order from a novelty jewelry company for 700 - 6" X 1 1/4" (15cm X 3cm) bamboo tubes, open at each end, with a 20" (50cm) leather cord passed through 2 holes, 5/8" (1.5cm) from the end.
The inside dia. of the tube needed to be sufficient to roll up a piece of paper and insert it into each tube.

- inside dia approx 7/8" (2.2cm)
These were to be used for a large convention, and would be hung on the door knobs at the hotel for each participant, with instructions enclosed... that's all I know about their use, except that this job would be
getting out to 700 people, so I wanted to make each piece well ( the original sample I got was terrible)


The type of bamboo I used was mostly Phyllostachys aurea, and some Phyllostachys rubromarginata.
First step was to make a gauge - cut out a 1 1/4" notch in a piece of wood, to check each bamboo pole for outside dia.
- Part of pole used: the bottom 3ft of each culm has thicker walls, so these were cut off for other projects.
The mid portion of the culm was used, up to and including where the branches start, but not where the groove in the bamboo distorts the inside too much.
- A jig was set up on the band-saw and the pieces were cut to length (using 1/4" width blade, 15 tpi teeth per inch).
I cut out an extra hundred to extra for quality control. All extras will be used for another project.
I was generally only able to get one piece per internode, and all `scraps' (node pieces) were saved for other projects.
They were then:
- Washed in a tub of warm water with washing soda
- Rinsed
- Insides cleaned out of tissue (velum) using 10GA bronze bristle cylindrical brush
- Rinsed again and air dried
- 2 end edges sanded with 1" belt sander
- Heat cured in the oven at 275 - 300 oF ( the customer wanted the pieces to be a tan color, and this process helps to enhance the color, and also
thoroughly dry the pieces.
Also if any pieces have a weakness that might cause cracking/splitting, they split during or soon after this process.
A few more might do it during or after the hole drilling process, but
rarely after.
- Wiped and polished with beeswax while hot.
A block of beeswax was set nearby, and any pieces that had lost their luster through weathering were rubbed quickly and lightly on the beeswax before polishing.
- jig set up on drill press for hole distance
- holes drilled (1/4")for leather cord
- hole edges filed smooth with curved file
- leather cord cut to length, inserted and knotted
- bundled in groups of 25
- packed into 2 large boxes
- shipped UPS to customer
- received phone call of happy customer
- PHEW!!!
Now, I know I could have skipped a number of procedures with this order, and I had a healthy discourse with my partner about the extent of effort I
intended to put into each piece, but (luckily), because I did this job in a procedural fashion, the work flowed, the pieces came out beautifully, our
customer is thrilled, AND we made a profit!!!

Mark
PS Now I can get back to tinkering and pottering about for a while.

[Mark Meckes]

Derick wrote:
> Dear Mark: Fabulous proceedures I got tired just by reading the proceedures.

Hello Derick,
Your message reminded me of a couple things...
With this type of work, I try and only work with each procedure no more than a couple of hours or so, then work on the next stage for a while before going back to the first stage...
It's an ergonomic thing, in other words this helps to prevent back or hand aches from becoming permanent, and helps prevent boredom.
Also it's important to set up the work area for each process so that
everything is close at hand... any unnecessary steps or long reaches in
repetitive work will definitely wear one out.
I use portable tables, and set them up all around me with the pieces in trays. Because I'm standing when I do most work, I put everything at a level that I don't have to bend my back, and also to see my work clearly. Lighting is also very important. Then it's just a matter of focusing on what has to be done, and the work turns into a sort of dance....music helps too!

~ Mark

[Guest]

Dear Mark:
Your proceedures really are very interesting. I am going to translate one or two of your steps so the people realize what you can do if you prepare adequately with a lot of thinking.
I am thinking about proceedures at other levels.

1) This small school run by the association of Christian Mothers which need
to generate funds for more children to be able to go to school.
The public schools here are very bad. I have explained to the mothers that I beleive their children and themselves can do handycraft bambu work such as christmas ornaments. Perhaps they can do one or two stages of production and sell them to people who have the final idea and can finish them.

2) We have produced 4 small bambu houses to promote the use of bambu inhousing. I am on the board of directors of the furniture exportes comission of the exporters guild and we received a request for assistance to a group of 50 boys who were detained and are now on conditional freedom.
Today we received the visit of the director and assistants and we are going to try to convince them to produce the houses specially for assistance to El Salvador which has suffered a large earthquake, and lost a lot of housing. We are finishing another bambu house for friends who will like to stay to visit the 7 varieties of Bambu we are growing.

3) We are starting to split bambu culms so that the two halves can be used
as containers. The first requests are for bottle containers that are being
given as presents.
We have beenh planting Phyllostachachys Aurea because it has many uses.

4) On Monday a 4 month course starts for making bambu furniture. I will let you know how it works out.
Derick

[Mark Meckes]

Hello Derick,
You certainly have some wonderful projects underway to develop a bambu crafts industry in Guatemala.
It sounds like these projects could be very helpful to those who could really use help. And if bambu could speak, I'm sure we would hear joy!

~ Mark