What do you wish you'd known on day 1 ?!?

[Keith Downing]

Taking the leap and purchasing a Boss 1630. I've done my due diligence and am pretty happy with the laser choice (though I know there are pros and cons of each possibility).

That said though, I'm more curious about what the first few months of trying to make money doing the laser etching and engraving will be like. So, if you could give yourself some advice on day 1, what would it be?

A little background to put things in perspective (if it matters to anyone):
I've run a successful business in the service industry for a little over a decade. And I do a lot of the custom furniture and small remodel jobs for that business myself so over the years I have pretty much built up a full workshop (table saw, miter saw, band saw, routers, planer, etc etc). I also know how to run a business, so no issues there. But I would like to grow this into something that is profitable, pays off the laser in the first year or two, and hopefully is something my significant other can run at times I get busy.

[Rich Harman]

"Etching" is a chemical process. I don't know why exactly it bothers me so much when someone asks me to etch something, but it does.

Price high. You probably already know that having already been in business. If you charge a dollar a minute for laser time then you are really only making about $20 to $30 an hour. Unless you get the big jobs...

[David Somers]

Be meticulous with your maintenance. On receiving the machine be meticulous with its setup and alignment. It is a great way to become familiar with it and reduce any hesitation you have about digging around in it. And if you get it properly aligned right away it will save you time later on.

Be consistent about taking neat notes on the settings you use that worked on different materials. Saves you lots of time reinventing the wheel later on. And it also gives you a clue if your tube is starting to go when settings that worked before are no longer working. If you have not ordered the machine yet, you might also ask for an inexpensive analog miliamp meter to be mounted on the tube to measure the tubes power use. Easy for them to do, and it can give you lots of good information.

Set up a good system to keep your files organized and keep good notes with each job. A simple text file in each jobs folder could be enough, but keep information for later use and easily retrievable. And get all this info down right away before you forget it. And be meticulous about backing up your data. It has always disturbed me about how many office mates had their computers die and would come to me for help, only for me to find their backups were woefully out of date, or non existent. Be anal about this.

Well before the machine arrives start getting files ready to play with on the machine to help you learn. Don't commit to jobs until you are ready. Read this forum like a fiend!!!!!

Good luck!! Hope you have a blast with this machine!!!

[Keith Downing]

"Etching" is a chemical process. I don't know why exactly it bothers me so much when someone asks me to etch something, but it does.

Price high. You probably already know that having already been in business. If you charge a dollar a minute for laser time then you are really only making about $20 to $30 an hour. Unless you get the big jobs...

Wow, didn't realize that was considered a technical term. Learning a lot already.

So what is the proper term for using the laser to create a logo on acrylic? It certainly doesn't feel right to say I'm engraving glass or acrylic. Maybe I'm totally wrong but in a business/advertising sense that makes me think of a trophy or plaque.

[Rich Harman]

So what is the proper term for using the laser to create a logo on acrylic? It certainly doesn't feel right to say I'm engraving glass or acrylic.

That's a good point. "Engraving" is not technically correct either. On acrylic the material is ablated by the laser and on glass it is fractured. Since neither of the words engrave and etch are perfect matches for what a laser does one could make an argument for either.

My guess is that "engrave" has been accepted by laser users because of the adoption of lasers into engravers' businesses.

[Keith Winter]

Price your goods based upon what you want to make at the end of the year. You can always go down, but it's harder to go up in price once you set the market price low. People who set low-ball prices shoot themselves and everyone else in the feet...and then go out of business. Realize you WILL make mistakes, add that into your prices. Read, read, read! Lots of knowledge on this forum, soak it up. Finally spend at least a couple hours every month just having fun and experimenting with your machine. Those few hours will teach you a lot that you can apply later down the road. It's much easier to learn new processes while you are slow than when you are slammed, plus these are lasers, they are supposed to be fun :D

[Dave Sheldrake]

humm my advice to me if I had a time machine would be stay smaller, have less machines and have a life outside of work I guess :(

[Keith Winter]

humm my advice to me if I had a time machine would be stay smaller, have less machines and have a life outside of work I guess :(

Haha! Perfectly said Dave!

[Scott Marquez]

I have had my machine for about 9 months and some of the best use of my time, including some of the other things mentioned is to read this forum page by page. After reading about 80% of the posts for the past two years I feel pretty empowered. It will teach you the industry terminology as well as some of the "most common" problems encountered with laser systems.
Enjoy, Scott

[Kev Williams]

When I bought my NH Rep's 25w Optima (ULS) demo laser back in 2002, it was simply because I had too much Rowmark for the tool machines to keep up with. And within weeks, I had enough work for it that it never sat still..

As for what I wish I'd known on day 1? Only that day 1 should've been about 4 years prior... ;)

[Mike Null]

I am nearing 20 years in my "second" career. If I've learned anything its not to buy equipment before a real need exists. Don't assume you can develop a market for something before you research it.

I'm home based and have deliberately stayed small enough to handle my business by myself--no employees. I outsource if necessary and I have a skilled helper I can call on for a few hours if I get in a bind.

I doubt that I've had more than a handful of days in the 20 years where I didn't do some studying of methods or using the software so that I could improve at what I'm doing.

[Scott Shepherd]

My advice would be don't get set in your ways on the work you will do. The type of work we do has radically changed in 9 years. What we used to do 95% of, we now do 5% of. Markets change and you have to change with the market. Dig your heels in because "you know better" and it'll leave you behind.

[Steve Morris]

what I could have used on day 1 were that weeks lottery numbers :D

[Keith Downing]

Great info so far guys. Much appreciated and definitely keep it coming if anyone has anything else to add!

[AL Ursich]

Setup a few USB Hardrives and make backups often of the files you use. My primary product is Sublimated Fire Tags and getting a reorder 5 years later for additional tags for new members and having the original artwork is priceless... I lost a few early first projects but they were easily regenerated.... 8 years later I have close to 100 customer files.

Watch out for copyright as it easy to produce with a Laser but may come back to bite you.

Good Luck

AL

[Bruce Volden]

I wish I would have known the software!!!! When I started there were ZERO forums so I had to learn "the hard way".
I'm talking Corel.
I did learn it on my own, bought 2 more machines, ran them into the ground and am now burnt out!
I'm waiting for my last machine to die so I can reclaim my life!

The maintenance of the machine came naturally as I was familiar with automation.

Bruce

[Mayo Pardo]

I wish on day one that I had known that most of my ideas for lasered products would not be profitable. I have learned just because you can make a mark on something, does not mean that someone else will want to spend money on it. This is especially true if the product category is already flooded with imported product from other countries with low paid labor. Having said that, it was fun learning how to use the machine and see my ideas take physical form but it didn't generate any money.

Now to find local businesses that may have repeat need for laser work - that's the thing I should have done (and will pursue) in order to start generating income with this machine.