I work on designs and tooling for multiple projects. Not mass produced items, but at a larger quantity than I normally do. I develope a line of work that I can sell in a catalogue or online instead of all of the custom work. Tooling more than anything. Tongs, mandrels, texturing dies, etc.

I try not to get in that position. I spend at least one day a week marketing and selling my work.

Qualify your customers so that you don't spend your time on small inexpensive projects.

Network, Network, Network!

A couple of years ago I was caught up with my orders at that time I started making some Sculpture. It is also a good time to make samples and examples of your work. Then you can increase your cache of items for show and tell when you are making a presentation to a client.

winters are slow in the horseshoeing business.hooves grow alot slower in the winter. 6wks between resets vs 4wks when warm weather is around. i spend alot of time in the shop in the winter. making shoes and tools and such. i usualy find something to keep my self busy.

dont know havent had that happen. do what i am doing... start an anvil collection.

irontwister. my wife told me if i bring one more anvil home ill be living in the shop. i told her thats fine its got a loft with kitchen bathroom satilite tv and a double bed lol

I use my extra time to make the tools I need. But with 1 year old twin boys not much down time. My wifes busness keeps my time filled as well.

I try and get the shop better organized and uprgade equipment. This has two benefits firstly I will be more efficient when I get busy and secondly, invariably when I have the shop or machinery torn appart rush work starts rolling in.

Things got a little slow last week so I tore the Massey appart I then got a rush pattern to make. I delivered the pattern Monday and thought lets move the small hammer to a new location before I use it to make the center pin for the Massey I started on that and an order of 50 hooks and chisels that get welded on a pipe that I quoted in June finally came in of course it is now a panic rush. Today an order for 2 pair of 40" long tongs came in and a panic rush pattern modification.

So while I would like to finish cleaning and organizing the shop paying work has to come first.

Irontwister---that's not a collection it's "a harem of anvils"...

Having something to do is not the problem,getting paid for what is done is getting to be a problem. one of the large accts just went to 120 day pay. They always pay just getting slower. Have one bay full of completed work i wont release w/o final payment from a number of people,that have a wonderfull collection of hard luck stories and excuses.
Lee

I have been having the same problem. Customers who used to pay on 45 days are now 60+ and companies that were 60 are now 90+. The problem is they are getting paid slower so they are paying slower.

Slack time is not a problem for me. Forging is my hobby. I have a full-time job and yes, in these times I know that's a blessing! I also have a wife who suffers from a strange malady that causes her extreme pain and discomfort at the sight of me with nothing to do. ;)

I too am a hobbyist, and can always find a project floating around in my head to work on. If all else fails make tools, you can always use more tools.

Not a real problem for me as I'm a hobbyist also.
I can always do leather work or dab a little into the woodwork. Right now I'm trying my hand at schrimshaw in between playing on the forge of course.

If I had time off I would improve my workshop with better jigs. You know that thing you always want to make or improve but never have the time well.

Making tools Been wanting to make a monkey tool for 2 years now and finally going to make one, not because I'm slow because I need it for a project.

I'm almost completely a hobbyist, and this time of year leading up to Christmas, I can't find enough time to make all the gifts! I've got many shop organizing and upgrading projects that will simply have to wait till next year! I've got one paying -smithing -job, which covers the cost of coal, but I don't have time for that, either!

My problem is that I’m almost entirely fed up with my day job, and would love to start smithing full-time; I guess I better stick it out for a while, though.

Edited December 22, 200916 yr by GOATMAN
clarification

Same here. Too much of my energy gets put into my day job (working on cars etc), but that pays the bills. We have a 9.5 acre block of land, covered in pines, gorse, and native bush, so thats where a lot of my spare time goes. When theres a slow day at work and I can afford to, I get home a light the forge. Practice practice practice.
Jason