Aspire camp 2013

[james mcgrew]

I have asked Keith Outten to come again and speak on the business of CNC and it relationship to the small shop, this is always popular and I am looking forward to seeing all again ! my fax line is 803 933 9938 for those who need it, we had over a third of the seats registered since yesterday so if you intend to attend please register and give us your shirt size !!

April 11th through the 13th 2013
Columbia South Carolina

[james mcgrew]

There is a new release of Aspire Vcarve pro coming out and james will be focused Friday on all the new features....

[james mcgrew]

Dang I almost forgot Buddy easler is gonna show us something about some software for taking maps to 3d !!

[james mcgrew]

I have gotten some questions on the topics and that I call this an Aspire Camp and how it benefits those who have Vcarve pro,, this is what James has told me for the agenda this year and I have no doubt that it will benefit all end users of the software,, I called it the Aspire camp back in 09 and the name stuck !! James is busy with the release so I am posting his response to me when we set this years agenda.

"plan to focus on showing the new features of VCP7/Aspire 4 and then just answering any questions or topics people want me to cover. I would not want to commit to a more formal set of training topics as we have in the past. I would hope given the likely timing of the release that this is what most people will be interested in anyway.

Given past experiences my ideal situation would be to have the whole of Friday 9 – 5 to cover the new software and then Saturday morning 9 – lunch to answer any questions or topics the attendees bring up on the Friday If other presenters could be scheduled for some time on Thursday or Saturday afternoon I think that would work best based on feedback I have had in the past."

[james mcgrew]

I have received a lot of questions on this concerning the aspire camp and making travel arrangements, I asked James and got this response

"I would tell people that Vectric are close to announcing the release date so they will know for sure soon but to the best of your knowledge the new software will definitely be released before your meeting." James Booth posted this am. "As Jim mentioned we hope to make an announcement about the release in our monthly e-newsletter, which should be emailed out to subscribers before the end of the week."

[james mcgrew]

On Thursday this is one of the presentationsTR Gold leafing,

If you want a kit go to Vectric forum and respond to TR on the McGrew camp thread

to ask questions as we go & hopefully we'll have the answers.
Because the smaller sizes of brushes are in short supply, it appears that there'll be a limit of 20 kits.

This year I intend to listen to this camp, when you hold these camps you believe it will all rub off on you,, Wrong !! I tried it and was not as prepared as I thought I would be, this is real popular and will be one of the highlight on Thursday and in the evenings,, we are holding the camp in April so we can have some good weather and extended hours,,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeRg2_AaDtQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr9M8JPUPfA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3m-EhHWocU

registrations are 5+ daily this Camp will fill, I will be placing tshirt order by mid February, the shirts and hats will have the New vectric logo !

OK, this is coming together.

If you want a kit go to Vectric forum and respond to TR on the McGrew camp thread


Your Gold Leaf starter's kit will include everything you may have trouble sourcing elsewhere, & will allow you to complete samples & small jobs with it once you're home.

It will include....
-2 lettering quills ( likely a #2 & a #5) These are old stock, of very high quality
-Brush Oil ( to make these brushes last for the next generation)
-Gilder's Tip ( the funky brush for handling loose gold)
-Dux Fast Size, 1/2 pint. Size is the glue for the gold
-Burnishing pads
-1 book of leaf ( possibly mixed 23k loose, 23k patent & palladium patent.
-1 book composition leaf ( the cheap stuff, for practicing)

It will be $149. No sales tax. Visa & MC will be accepted.

There is nothing above that's not essential, although if you only worked on flat surfaces you wouldn't need the gilder's tip.
I will have extra gold & extra brushes for sale & I will also have the current price list for W&B products.

If you're serious about offering gold leaf as an option & want "a leg up" this is a prime opportunity. I'm also going to post something simple for you to cut out & prepare before the camp ( complete with prep instructions) so this will be "hands on". You'll be able to ask questions as we go & hopefully we'll have the answers.
Because the smaller sizes of brushes are in short supply, it appears that there'll be a limit of 20 kits.

[james mcgrew]

Vectric Release announcement !! Models !!!! More models !!
http://www.vectric.com/company/news/...this%20article

[james mcgrew]

I have received some emails on why we do not video the camps for production

Camps are held for many reasons, I consider Camaraderie and collusion of ideas to be next to the subject or topic the most important, I have found that to record and edit a video along with production is counterproductive to why we hold them.. Meeting the Vectric fellows along with all the others is a face to face experience which makes all we do online with just names on a screen become very Real !!

My Shop is a commercial Architectural woodworking shop at 21000 square feet there is plenty of room and resources to have a lot going on. the main body of subject is the Vectric software yet I work to make sure we have something for all!

the Basic footprint of curriculum is on the registration,, in addition Buddy Easler who some may remember is one of the fellows who has done real well with the topo maps in 3d will present some software he works with..

[james mcgrew]

I have not counted in the past few days, we are over 1/2 registered, Shopbot is sending a machine along with TJ from their shop, CAMaster will be there and Kieth Outten from the "Creek" has told me Trotec is bringing a laser, Roger From Moziak Cabinetry software is coming as well. Buddy Easler has some software for making 3d topography and he has done well at this Thursday is going be a full day of expos then down to the Aspire release and James Booth along with Tim Merril, Micheal From Carve Buddy and Ryan Patterson of Cabinetpartspro, All Beta testers for Vectric. I hope all who are wanting to get registered as I intend to place the shirt orders and want plenty to fit.. this will all have the new Vectric logo on them. getting plenty of Chatter and excitement for this one !!

[james mcgrew]

DSC02017.jpgDSC02020.jpgCamp has progressed nicely,, we are at 80% plus so get registered if you want !! we will have to cap it because I can handle 125- 135 including all from machines and other presentations, and I have to save 20-25 for them,,,

here are some of the generations of hats and this is this years New Vectric logo on this years hat !!

[james mcgrew]

"Tara" the girl handling all the logistics will be sending a confirm email to all soon !! we have about 30 seats left plus all the entertainment,, if you are gonna get in get busy !!...

[james mcgrew]

Aspire 4 released today !! this ones a doozy !!http://www.vectric.com/products/aspi.../overview.html

[Mike Heidrick]

I have asked Kieth Outten to come again and speak on the business of CNC and it relationship to the small shop, this is always popular and I am looking forward to seeing all again ! my fax line is 803 933 9938 for those who need it, we had over a third of the seats registered since yesterday so if you intend to attend please register and give us your shirt size !!

Sounds like an awesome amount of fun!

[james mcgrew]

James Booths agenda for Fri and Sat" Hello All,

I have no problem with TR having time Friday and Saturday morning.. Perhaps it would be easier if I give you specific times for my sessions and what I plan to cover then you can put that on the schedule and fit anyone else in that wants other time slots after.

How about the following (hopefully the shorter sessions will keep people awake):

Friday

08:00 – 09:00 – Lord Rodger TR MacMunn of Mountain Cove and his Gold Leafing Extravaganza

09:00 – 09:30 - Break

09:30 – 10:30 - What’s New in VCarve Pro 7 and Aspire 4 – General – Interface, Workflow etc.

10: 30 – 11:00 - Break

11:00 – 12:00 – What’s New VCP7/Asp4 – Drawing (vectors)

12:00 - 13:00 Lunch

13:00 – 14:00 – What’s New VCP7/Asp4 – Toolpaths

14:00 – 14:30 – Break

14:30 – 16:00 – What’s New in Aspire 4 – Modeling

Saturday

08:00 – 09:00 – Lord Rodger TR MacMunn of Mountain Cove and his Gold Leafing Extravaganza cont.

09:00 – 09:30 – Break

09:30 – 10:30 – Tips, Tricks and Questions

10:30 – 11:00 – Break

11:00 – 12:00 – Tips and Tricks cont.

If no one else wants to do anything Saturday afternoon then I can continue. As normal I will prep a selection of stuff but intend Saturday to be audience led … Friday I will aim to pretend I know what I am doing."

[Keith Outten]

While I'm not sure that I will be a speaker this year I will be at Jim's Cabinet Shop in South Carolina as an event attendee for sure. This is an excellent program that Jim has been hosting for several years now and I recommend everyone who is able to attend should be there.

This years Aspire event at Jim's is of particular interest because the recent upgrade of Aspire to version 4 will be covered in great detail by the Vectric Staff. Jim's event will be the first that I know of where we can get first hand information from Vectric about all the new features with almost two days of informative presentations. Every year the Vectric Staff exceeds our expectations when the provide major revisions of their software that not only add new features but they always concentrate their efforts to keep their software as user friendly as possible. I am a serious fan of both Aspire and VCarve Pro, in my opinion there aren't any better products on the market and the cost of either program is a bargain if you own a CNC machine.

Jim has probably mentioned above that his shop has plenty of space to support multiple group discussions, if you haven't been able to attend in the past I can confirm that he has plenty of open space and there is almost always one of more groups who are gathered to discuss a particular subject or task. Its not just networking its all about sharing information, techniques and successful business strategy with people at you own level and above. The atmosphere is every bit as friendly as it is here at The Creek so don't be concerned about attending this event if you are new to the business or if your an old dog like me trying to learn a few new tricks

I have been asked to offer a brief version of my ADA training session at Jim's camp. Sadly there won't be enough time to do this as it normally requires at least 12 hours over two days in my shop to provide the information you need and the hands on experience to get you on your way making ADA signs. We will schedule, at the very least, one or two evening dinner sessions where we will be able to discuss ADA topics and I will try my best to have some digital hand outs for anyone who is interested.

I tried once again this year to get Trotec Laser to send a representative to Jim's event however I have been unable to acquire a commitment. There are lots of people who own CNC Machines who could benefit from adding a laser to their shops and I really wanted to have Trotec demonstrate their machine. As this is a busy season for Trotec with all of the big shows that are going on all over the country I assume their Staff is seriously short again this year. Although I am not a representative of Trotec I do own one of their machines and I will be glad to answer any questions concerning laser engraving and how these machines can be beneficial not just for ADA work but for inlays and a host of other techniques.

I sincerely hope that as many of you who are able will be at this event this year, it is a golden opportunity for all of us to get together.

See you in South Carolina,
Keith