Starting a new adventure with an Epilog Fusion 32 50 watt

[Michelle Adams]

I run the Custom Publishing Department at Central Washington University. We are expanding our services to include laser engraving for our students, faculty, staff, and university grounds. I have been lurking and reading this forum for months as we researched the equipment and our plan. I know I will be depending on this forum even more as we get things set up and start using the new laser. Today our Epilog Fusion 32 50 watt equipment arrived. We are still waiting for the ventilation unit (Quatro Pro) and then our installer/trainer will come over to help us get everything set up and running.

So far our experience with Epilog and the dealer we used (out of Seattle) has been great. Great communication, patience with a newbie who is just learning the world of CO₂ lasers, and when the engraver arrived today we were blown away by the care and thought put into the packing.

I will try to post how things go as we receive our ventilations system, go through training, and start using the equipment. I'm sure we will have a lot of questions, but in the meantime, thank you all for already being a valuable source of information for us.

Michelle

[Mike Null]

Michelle

Welcome to SMC. We'll be interested in seeing and hearing about your laser adventures.

[Josh Borlovan]

Welcome! and congratulations on the Fusion 32. Pictures please!

[David Somers]

Congrats Michelle! Was that by any chance Tim Jasper who is the person helping you? If so, he is terrific to work with from what exposure I have with him.

Hope this is an exciting and fun tool for you!!!!

Dave

[Robert Tepper]

Welcome and congratulations.

Robert

[Michelle Adams]

Hi Dave, thanks for the note. I didn't work with Tim Jasper on it. Since we are a state university we were required to go through a distributor with a state contract. We worked with Saxton Bradley, and my rep was Sam Baker. The whole company has done a great job for us so far. Excellent communication and keeping us up to date. So our experience with Saxton Bradley has been excellent, and the same with Epilog. Epilog told us the equipment would be here by the 30th, it was here on the 29th. The packaging was even a thing of beauty. I know that sounds kind of goofy, but I order so many supplies and so many pieces of equipment, and like most businesses, I have some shipping stories that would either double you up laughing or curl your hair--maybe both. This crate (huge--this is not a small machine) came on a pallet protected on the top with half inch plywood. The 650 pound machine was on a heavily reinforced solid topped pallet. They included two heavily reinvorced 2x6 ramps with fences that you drop into the precut notches, so all we had to do was gently roll the machine off the pallet. They really seemed to think of everything. Not a ding, a dent, or a mark anywhere, and it's a thing of beauty. They should do seminars on equipment shipping.

[Michelle Adams]

Thanks for the welcome everyone. As requested, I am posting a picture of the new (big) baby. I left the desk chair in the picture for size perspective. Here is the funny thing. I knew (by heart) the dimensions. I had already taped off the floor in several places while we rearranged the office to accommodate the engraver...so I "knew" how big it was. But somehow when you are standing in front of it, it just seems bigger than I thought. The wheels are great, it moves so easily one person can reposition it without any strain, but it is big.

fusion web img.jpg

[Mark Sipes]

Michelle does the Facilities Maintenance Department have a laser? If not, when they find out you do... they should keep you in business for a while. Where are you going to purchase your laser materials? JDS, Johnson Plastics, other? metal, wood. plastics, stencils, acrylics, stainless...

[Jon Sollee]

Congrats on your purchase! IF you think thats a big laser... try fitting a 48"x96" beast in that room.

[Josh Borlovan]

What a beauty!

[Bert Kemp]

Yea I'm drooling to wish I could get something that big. Congrats welcome.

[Michelle Adams]

Hi Mark,
We plan to put the word out across campus in a couple of weeks. We have been doing word of mouth right now, but plan to make a formal announcement. It is my understanding that we have the only engraver on campus. We are still gathering information on which vendors to obtain our materials from. I have purchased so far from LaserBits and Johnson Plastics. I bought enough material for us to start the learning process. My department is getting as much training in as we can before we start our Fall Rush for classes.

We have a couple of new buildings going up, and I hope to pick up at least some of the non-ADA jobs from those as well.

Michelle does the Facilities Maintenance Department have a laser? If not, when they find out you do... they should keep you in business for a while. Where are you going to purchase your laser materials? JDS, Johnson Plastics, other? metal, wood. plastics, stencils, acrylics, stainless...

[Michelle Adams]

LOL! This one maxed our space limits! I can't even imagine trying to fit in 48"x96" but there are people in the store who probably think I would at least TRY!

[Keith Outten]

Congratulations Michelle,

Your new laser is a real beauty.
FWIW JDS will not sell any laser engraving products to an educational institution so I suggest that you contact Johnson's Plastics. I use to run the sign shop at Christopher Newport University which is how I know about the JDS policy.
.

[Michelle Adams]

Congratulations Michelle,

Your new laser is a real beauty.
FWIW JDS will not sell any laser engraving products to an educational institution so I suggest that you contact Johnson's Plastics. I use to run the sign shop at Christopher Newport University which is how I know about the JDS policy.
.

Thanks Keith! That is good to know! I'm also going to be looking for the best source for some awards materials. I know we will probably use all kinds, but most of the time I think the acrylics (of all sizes and shapes) will fit the best. I was a little surprised by the prices on the acrylics I looked at so far. Who knew?! lol