Moment of panic before you push the button

[Belinda Barfield]

Got an e-mail from a friend yesterday - "Help, my stepsister is getting married and I need a wedding gift."

No problem, we'll just engrave the invitation on this lovely glass photo frame and you're good to go. When's the wedding? Saturday. When are you leaving? Tomorrow.

Am I the only one who has that moment of panic just before hitting the start button? I have only one frame, so no back up and no time to order a replacement if I goof up. Double check settings - check. Mirrored for reverse engraving - check. Proof read ONE MORE TIME - check. Correct placement of frame for engraving - check. Still, just before I hit start I feel that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Please tell me I'm not alone!

[Tim Bateson]

Yep, you are all alone, I just press start and don't think twice about it....... Then I panic trying to find a new frame.

[nancy barry]

Can you do this on a plain piece of window glass first? Even though I mostly laser glass, I always do a test on window glass before I commit to the more expensive glass.

I experience this "panic" feeling when I attempt new materials. I "know" others laser wood and acrylics and paper and matt board and ..... all the time.. but, for me, there is a huge "what if I damage the laser" factor associated with hitting the print button..

I am sure the gift will look great and bring lots of joy and happiness to both figiver and new couple..

nancyB

[Martin Boekers]

Belinda,

Like Tim, I usually don't panic when I push the button.

Panic usually occurs after I lift the lid to remove the piece!


Marty

[Mike Null]

What? Me worry?

[Doug Griffith]

I'm with you Belinda. For me, it is far greater on a CNC where the machine can do serious damage to itself if things go wrong. If I only have one item to laser, I run the job on scrap first.

Cheers,
Doug

[Belinda Barfield]

I'm with you Belinda. For me, it is far greater on a CNC where the machine can do serious damage to itself if things go wrong. If I only have one item to laser, I run the job on scrap first.

Cheers,
Doug

Don't even get me started on the CNC Doug!

I ran the job first on posterboard.

[Andrea Weissenseel]

Belinda, I'm a member of this Club as well

[Craig B Smith]

The policy around our shop is: "Never engrave something you can't afford to replace". We do make an exception for a custom knife maker who has knives that sell for more than I would care to spend. Even though he says he can fix anything we goof up... there is always that moment of second guessing.

[Brian Jones FL]

if I ever have concerns like that I put painters tape on the item and run it at just enough power to mark the tape.. that way there's no question what my result will be when I switch back to the right settings for what i'm engraving.

[Brian Robison]

Yep painters tape and I also use heavy paper. What is it 60lb.? Sumthin like that.

[Lenin Alvarez]

if I ever have concerns like that I put painters tape on the item and run it at just enough power to mark the tape.. that way there's no question what my result will be when I switch back to the right settings for what i'm engraving.

I use poliester masking tape usually orange and semi transparent which let me see the exact position of the engraving before hitting the button, u usually engrave to the tape with low power and ppi enought to mark the tape without touchin the glass

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

Please tell me I'm not alone!

Yup. No matter how many tests I run or how many times I double-check it, when I know I have only one shot at it, I am still hesitant to hit the Go button. Once I hit Go, I can only watch it for a few seconds to make sure it starts okay and then I can't watch it engrave. I have to look away until it's finished.

Some could say I'm being over-cautious, but I know from past experience that even if I have checked it multiple times, I have still had a few incidents that ended with an Oops. (It can be as simple as pressing Ctrl+Z to undo your last edit when you thought you pressed Ctrl+S to save.)

[Tim Bateson]

Once I hit Go, I can only watch it for a few seconds to make sure it starts okay and then I can't watch it engrave. I have to look away until it's finished.

Not me. I'm still mesmerized by the laser. I've wasted more time just watching it do it's magic. At the same time, I've hit the stop button a few times just in time to save a piece... sometimes a few seconds late.

[John Noell]

Just got a super rush job last week, guy flying to his mother's 80th birthday and wanting a gold-lettered plaque (to go on a fancy custom made bible stand) on a wood I've never lasered before. Only one piece of the wood. Checked, re-checked, ran it light on blue tape, then *GULP* hit Go. It came our beautifully and my bood pressure dropped back to normal. Sigh.