Production to Begin!
Today I thought I would be picking up the first batch of top shells from the heat treaters. Instead, they surprised me and had finished all the shells! I tend to be terribly impatient in regards to waiting for parts to be made; I want them YESTERDAY! It’s more of a reflection of my excitement. I love making these instruments and just can’t wait to make more.
This means production for the Spring Batch has officially begun! You can all hit start on your estimated wait times. This also means that I will be reaching out individually as I start your Xenith.
While I’d rather just be making and tuning handpans all day long, I do often have to wear the project manager hat. This batch of shells comes from two different states, all of which are freighted to San Jose for heat treatment, and then make their way to me in Sonoma County. It takes a great deal of orchestration to get that all right, processed, and delivered to me in a timely manner.
The remainder of the bottom shells have been completed and shipped to the heat treaters. They hit a small delay as there was a military job at that facility that took precedence. This should mean that I will now have a steady flow of shells for the remainder of the Spring Batch.
An upside to wearing the project manager hat is that I get to work with really interesting companies, none of whom had ever dealt with a product like a handpan before. These companies tend to specialize in producing parts for the following industries: Aerospace, Architectural, Commercial, Healthcare and Medical Equipment, Industrial, Filtration, Furniture Fixtures, Food Services, Lighting Parts and Manufacturing, Military, and Pharmaceutical. You may have noticed that Musical Instruments wasn’t on the list. I think most of these companies took my initial meetings strictly out of curiosity. Compared to their typical customers, like GE, NASA, Tesla, etc. I am a very small fish—but a small fish with a very intriguing project. They had never imagined that their company could be involved in the music industry!
I am really looking forward to putting hammer to steel for all of you; time to dig in!
Picked up!
Unloaded and safely tucked away in their bubble bags.
