How mass production fits into the learning process…

So you’re a beginner and interested in learning how to use the router, or you’re a intermediate router enthusiast and would like to hone your skills,right? Then the mass production project is for you and remember this can be done with any project.

Here we are ready to create 50 boxes used as a series of gift boxes for your Christmas baking, well maybe not 50 but how about 20 boxes. OK we have decided to create a mass produced gift box, what next? What can we learn from a mass produced project? Just think about it for a moment. I think we can learn the following:

1) We will write out the different processes needed to create such a project. Planning is important in the process of construction your project either for one or fifty.

2) We will then look at each process and decide which ones need a jig or fixture to be able to mass produce individual parts or to assemble the just created parts. With this you will be thinking of the best way to construct any part of the project.

3) As each of the processes are completed multiple times you get practice, practice and more practice. If your project needs a rabbet joint on the top and bottom of the box parts you get to cut four sides per piece and two pieces per box. If you have twenty boxes you need to make one hundred and sixty rabbet cuts.

That’s is a lot of practice, right!

4) The order of processing is important! In the planning process you need to put the order of cuts in the right place. So what do I mean? If you have 2 pieces that need the same rabbet cut but one needs four cuts and one needs two cuts, which piece is cut first? And why?

OK you don’t think it matters, right? You would be wrong if you thought that, why? Because if you cut the one with four cuts first that’s a one hundred sixty cuts, right? Then when you finish the forty pieces with the four cut pattern, what do you do to the first piece that needs just two cuts?

You’re right you make four cuts just as you did the last forty times and you have just ruined the piece that needs just two cuts. But if you reverse the order you would have only made two cut on that piece and you wouldn’t have ruined the piece that needs four cuts.

5) Stacking and marking the cuts with an X is important. OK we have thinking time and cutting time. Keep the two separated! During the thinking time you mark X where the pieces need to be cut and pile the like pieces into like piles. When you are ready to cut then these piles are positioned in a place that allows you easy access to all the parts that are the same and are ready to be cut. The other pieces are located out of reach until they need to be cut then they are brought into position.

In conclusion, the mass produced project gives your the router enthusiast structure, planning and practice. All good traits used to master the router and it’s many uses.