My Life as an Engraver

[Bob Davis - Sturgis SD]

Hello everyone! After reading the past 3 years of posts on here I thought I would introduce myself. "My life as an engraver" just started a few days ago with delivery of my new Trotec 400. I have 3 retail stores in this small town, and I installed the new laser in my art gallery/gift shop/framing store, not in the back workshop, but right in the store where people can watch it. I bought the laser for the sole purpose of cutting more intricate designs in matting. I'm not planning to do custom engraving, nametags, signs or trophys, but rather to create unique products for my retail locations.

After just a few days of experience it seems like the big learning curve won't be with the laser, but more with the vector software, Illustrator and Corel Draw. I just hope I have enough living brain cells to relearn Illustrator again. lol

Thanks,

Bob

[gary l roberts]

Welcome and good Luck!

[Bruce Volden]

Just throwing out a guess here, but will most of your customers be riding Harley's in a couple months.
Have fun and enjoy the ride.

Bruce on the East side of SD

[Mike Null]

Bob

Welcome and congratulations on your machine selection. I've had a Trotec for years and love it.

As for the CorelDraw, there are a lot of tutorials on YouTube. One fellow I particularly like is Alex Galvez.

I'm doing some work for a biker who comes up your way every year. This is the 75th anniversary of the Sturgis event and he wants that engraved on a number of things he's made so he can sell them and pay for his trip. (he wanted some Harley stuff too but I shot that down immediately)

Good luck with your new venture.

[Ross Moshinsky]

I'm not sure I'd want my laser right out in front of everyone.

First thing that comes to mind is you typically don't want the customer to see the magic behind the curtain. It's hard to charge $25 for something that takes 5 minutes.

Second thing that comes to mind is the risk of having customers around the laser. Are they going to stare right into the beam? The smell from the materials going to bother a customer? Will the noise of the machine become an annoyance? Also just having the general public, including children, around a 35k piece of equipment can be unnerving.

Last thing is from an operator's point of view. I'd hate having all the distractions around me. More often than not, engraving is a one time thing. If you make a mistake, it's time to start over again. A distracted operator will make mistakes and mistakes cost money. It's already easy enough to make mistakes in this industry.

[Bert Kemp]

Chinese Harley's Bruce (see other thread LOL )

Just throwing out a guess here, but will most of your customers be riding Harley's in a couple months.
Have fun and enjoy the ride.

Bruce on the East side of SD

[Ron Gosnell]

Welcome Bob,

I have a Sister and Brother in Law in Sturgis and a Brother in Rapid City.
We all moved there back in 1973 when our dad was stationed at Ellsworth AFB.
I miss it very much and hope to move back someday.


Gozzie

[Bob Davis - Sturgis SD]

Bob

Welcome and congratulations on your machine selection. I've had a Trotec for years and love it.

As for the CorelDraw, there are a lot of tutorials on YouTube. One fellow I particularly like is Alex Galvez.

I'm doing some work for a biker who comes up your way every year. This is the 75th anniversary of the Sturgis event and he wants that engraved on a number of things he's made so he can sell them and pay for his trip. (he wanted some Harley stuff too but I shot that down immediately)

Good luck with your new venture.

Thanks Mike, we are the ones who take the official group picture every day for the Sturgis Rally (and a few others). This year, with a very large crowd expected, I'm simply going to offer custom mat and frame combinations with the group pictures we sell. I'm treating it as a learning experience. I should have bought the laser 6 months ago. We have a cnc mat cutter, but of course you don't get the detail.

Bob

[Bert Kemp]

I disagree somewhat. First off he said he's making custom and unique mat designs for his art gallery and not making gifts and stuff like that. So I think it would be interesting for the public to see how it was created , But I also think its important that they know what went into creating the design in the first place. The hours it took sitting at the computer designing it. The time it took to learn the software. The cost of the laser to do the actual cutting. Most people just see a finished product and haven't a clue as to what went into getting it that way. I wish that people saw what I put into making an engraved Mirror that I do for the vets. like I said I give most of my stuff away but I sell these mirrors I do to help pay for all my materials. you guys would disown me if you knew what I sell these for. Seriously I barley cover the cost of the material that goes in it. I get nothing for me and nothing for my machine, I guess I'm an idiot but I love doing it. If I make 3 dollars over cost that goes right back to buying more Mirrors, wood, stain, poly, . So the point is people need to see what goes into it. Ross you say its hard to justify $25 for 5 mins in the laser. Take that 5 min item and start the process from the beginning. How much time to design that item. How much time and money to order and buy the material, how much time to do finishing to that item after engraving.

I'm not sure I'd want my laser right out in front of everyone.

First thing that comes to mind is you typically don't want the customer to see the magic behind the curtain. It's hard to charge $25 for something that takes 5 minutes.

Second thing that comes to mind is the risk of having customers around the laser. Are they going to stare right into the beam? The smell from the materials going to bother a customer? Will the noise of the machine become an annoyance? Also just having the general public, including children, around a 35k piece of equipment can be unnerving.

Last thing is from an operator's point of view. I'd hate having all the distractions around me. More often than not, engraving is a one time thing. If you make a mistake, it's time to start over again. A distracted operator will make mistakes and mistakes cost money. It's already easy enough to make mistakes in this industry.

[Bob Davis - Sturgis SD]

I'm not sure I'd want my laser right out in front of everyone.

First thing that comes to mind is you typically don't want the customer to see the magic behind the curtain. It's hard to charge $25 for something that takes 5 minutes.

Second thing that comes to mind is the risk of having customers around the laser. Are they going to stare right into the beam? The smell from the materials going to bother a customer? Will the noise of the machine become an annoyance? Also just having the general public, including children, around a 35k piece of equipment can be unnerving.

Last thing is from an operator's point of view. I'd hate having all the distractions around me. More often than not, engraving is a one time thing. If you make a mistake, it's time to start over again. A distracted operator will make mistakes and mistakes cost money. It's already easy enough to make mistakes in this industry.

Hi Ross,

I appreciate your comments, but I think I have a perfect location here. It's actually on a platform in the back of the store. I will design two custom workbenches, one for computer and storage and one for a work surface and display / exhibit area facing the store. When I'm done the laser will be about 10 feet away from any customers. I frequently take new framing customers into my 3,000 sq. ft. workshop. I like to show them how serious we are about framing. For ventilation I'm using a 3 phase 3hp blower with VFD for speed control. Seems to work perfectly. So far, I'm very happy with the setup and the reaction I'm getting from customers.

Bob

[Bob Davis - Sturgis SD]

Welcome Bob,

I have a Sister and Brother in Law in Sturgis and a Brother in Rapid City.
We all moved there back in 1973 when our dad was stationed at Ellsworth AFB.
I miss it very much and hope to move back someday.


Gozzie

Gozzie,

If they live in Sturgis I probably know them, it's a small town thing ya know.

Bob

[Bob Davis - Sturgis SD]

Just throwing out a guess here, but will most of your customers be riding Harley's in a couple months.
Have fun and enjoy the ride.

Bruce on the East side of SD

Hi Neighbor!

I think this will be a very good summer here in Sturgis. But this fall, the City will tear up Main Street for two years of road construction, so we'll probably all go broke. Oh well, easy come, easy go.

Bob

[Tim Bateson]

...t's actually on a platform in the back of the store. I will design two custom workbenches, one for computer and storage and one for a work surface and display / exhibit area facing the store. When I'm done the laser will be about 10 feet away from any customers...

You may want to suspend a large mirror over the laser at an angle. This would make it easy for customers to see and may draw more attention from the front of the store back to the laser and it's capabilities. It'll also help you to keep a secure eye on the laser from anywhere in the store. Or like Steve (Scott Shepherd) did, mount a camera and a big screen TV.

[Dan Hintz]

I'm not sure I'd want my laser right out in front of everyone.

First thing that comes to mind is you typically don't want the customer to see the magic behind the curtain. It's hard to charge $25 for something that takes 5 minutes.

Last thing is from an operator's point of view. I'd hate having all the distractions around me. More often than not, engraving is a one time thing. If you make a mistake, it's time to start over again. A distracted operator will make mistakes and mistakes cost money. It's already easy enough to make mistakes in this industry.

Also just having the general public, including children, around a 35k piece of equipment can be unnerving.

I agree with all of the above.

Second thing that comes to mind is the risk of having customers around the laser. Are they going to stare right into the beam? The smell from the materials going to bother a customer? Will the noise of the machine become an annoyance?

I don't agree with this last bit. If they are staring into the laser beam itself, your enclosure is broken. Staring at the resultant fire isn't a problem. Smell and noise should only be a problem if the dust collection is not working well and in the same room, something we can't assume.