#piasystems

A moment of quiet in the studio as we wrap up the week ✌️ #moldmaking #piasystems (at The Bright Angle)

Repost @ayumihorie ・・・ 🔊📦 7 STEPS BELOW for @potsinaction's #PIAsystems. Recently, I’ve switched from bubble wrap to corrugated wrap to be more eco-friendly. I still use stretch wrap because I’ve found that it’s the best method to getting a package tight with no rattling around. Maybe they’ll come up with some biodegradable stretch wrap soon. The corrugated wrap makes the boxes a bit heavier, which increases its carbon footprint and cost, but at least it won’t end up floating in the ocean. 1. Cut the corrugated wrap so there’s ¾-1” extra top and bottom. . 2. Whether it’s 2 or more cups, orient them so their handles are tucked in against the next pot. This saves space and protects the vulnerable handle. If it’s a single cup, put the handle in the corner of the box. . 3. Use at least 3 layers of wrap between the pots as a cushion. I like at least ¼” between pots. The idea is to save where you can between pots and maximize space between the pots and the side of the box. . 4. Wrap it really tightly so nothing can shift in shipping I’ve doubled up the strips here but you can also wrap one way and then wrap perpendicularly to it. A good rule of thumb is that if you push hard with your finger, you shouldn’t be able to feel the pot . 5. Fold over the edges, because this where most weak spots are in packing. Sometimes I reinforce the edges with more cardboard, just to be safe. When the edges are folded over this keeps the pots from sliding out but to be safe, I also add packing in the middle. It looks messy but I think stiff corners help with cushioning . 6. I use cubed boxes because I then always have an inner and outer box with 2” of space all the way around. Often shipping companies will only honor insurance claims if there’s 2” of space between inner and outer box. For all light and medium weight boxes, we use biodegradable peanuts between inner and outer boxes. In this video, I stop after the inner box. 👂I’d love to hear what people think and what your shipping methods are!✨

We are excited to be hosting @potsinaction for the next three weeks! We will be exploring how craft and technology meet. . Nick Moen, our fearless leader, asked, “How does one make a life making pots in the current marketplace?". We had to come up with another model that involved efficient systems of making, which ultimately allowed him to involve other young potters such as Laurie (that's me), who has helped translate the vision of The Bright Angle on social media. ‘Handmade’ is making from scratch, which we like to think is adding character to a system of rigid design expectations.  Technology in prototyping can introduce the potential to create very dimensionally sound beginning prototypes such as lid systems fitting together or having ceramic parts dimensioned to add other materials to fit.  We are exploring the “deviations” that occur when an initial design or model are translated through other makers/operators while refining that vision.  These are the moments when the maker's hand breathes character into the objects: the moments when the tool acts as a translator of the mind.  These are our favorite moments. #PIAguesthostTheBrightAngle  #PIASystems (at The Bright Angle)