30 Horns in 30 Days...

So it seems building 30 trumpets in 30 is quite difficult, but not impossible. What makes this goal difficult are all the other happenings in my life like building out the showroom space in the evenings, supplier issues that have resulted in me building even more custom parts myself and Oscar's need of attention. Oscar probably keeps me sane when I work this much. Regular breaks to play catch or tag are important to any trumpet shop!

I know what else slows me down, incredibly difficult custom artwork and text. I love this part of the process almost as much as playing trumpet, but it can be very involved computer and machining time that tests my brain, patience and focus. I'm learning to be one with the process and things are getting faster and easier everyday. I wonder how many readers would persevere just one of these design/machining projects? It is to the point where my mind shuts down if I'm not thinking about something requiring multiple layers of steps, rules and warnings. I'm not kidding. I subscribed to Netflix a few weeks ago and have found that almost anything will put me to sleep in around 183 seconds. Documentaries keep me up for about 9 minutes. Reading while watching a documentary will keep me up all night depending on the text. What is wrong with me? Is it possible I may have forgotten how to turn my mind off?

Either way, I'll do my best to meet this ridiculous goal. I know many people think Harrelson Trumpets are made in a factory of "workers", but in reality, I make them myself. I design and machine each part personally and assemble/solder them daily. James cleans them up and I inspect final assembly, make adjustments and play test before we ship.

The latest news in the shop, I'm buying another cnc lathe to put more parts into production this summer. This will include new types of receivers, new SWE trim kit designs, new SWE mouthpiece sleeves and bell/tuning slide couplers. There's nothing more fun than learning something completely new like the nuances of a robotic piece of machinery and it's own special (most likely Fanuc) language!

back to work...