PDA

View Full Version : laser shop?



Mark Mullis
10-22-2005, 9:53 PM
Hello group, I don't have a laser yet but am planning to get one in the future, and in the mean time I have really enjoyed this forum. I was just wandering if any of you are running a business centered only around your laser? From what I have read, a lot of you also have trophy,sign and embroidery shops. Just wanted to know if you think a laser engraving shop could be self supporting, or are they better suited as a sideline that compliments other products ? Also if you don't mind, I know that a laser can do many things, but could you share with me what some of the real money makers have been for you with your laser.

Joe Pelonio
10-23-2005, 1:26 PM
Mark,

In my opinion you could survive as a laser-only shop if you were operating out of a home (not paying rent on a storefront) and did a lot of internet sales and sold at shows. Most engraving shops will do trophies. I don't,
though have done many custom awards including clocks and tiles.
I added the laser to my sign shop but have plans to move to my home when lease is up and do more laser and less vinyl work. Having key wholesale customers (like sign shops without lasers) and some big corporate customers helps keep the cash flow going while you work on the inventory needed for the internet & show sales. While I have made over the $16,000 mine cost in 18 mo from just laser work, it's been mainy from referral & sales to existing sign customers, and have yet to do any spending on advertising for the laser work.

James Stokes
10-23-2005, 3:10 PM
I am mainly a laser shop, I do some sandcarving. I have just now reached the point where my laser makes me a living. It is mostly from industrial customers, I do some retail but not much
I have been doing this for 5.5 years as a side bus. I did not need to make a living with it, so I have never really pushed the laser. But it has steadily grown ever year. I am now looking at property to build a storefront on and take it full time.

Keith Outten
10-23-2005, 9:26 PM
Mark,

A laser engraver is a very versatile machine. The list of materials available and the kinds of projects you can support is just amazing. Like any other machine the way you market it and the kind of services you provide decide how proffitable your business will be.

I have found that commercial signs are at least ten times the income for the same amount of time invested in any other type of engraving job. I'm sure that my experience isn't typical, many say that you tend to market work that you enjoy and are more apt to be successfull as opposed to doing jobs you don't enjoy.

Joe Pelonio
10-24-2005, 9:29 AM
Keith,

Am I getting the hint that you are not enjoying the commercial signs as much as the laser work? If so, I have to agree. Things like 2-sided 5'x25' vinyl banners and parking garage rate signs are just not that exciting. Yeh, you do get the satisfaction of seeing them around in your travels. How about the lady that spends 1/2 hour deciding on the color and font for a little "no soliciting"
sign for her front door.

I find that it's the volume of commercial signs that brings in the revenue, but the laser work is more profitable (higher percentage profit). Also, we find that Nov-Jan are the slowest moths for the signs, so that gives us more time to devote to more artistic laser work, gifts and ornaments, and even some stained glass work, or combined stained glass/laser art which I hope to start soon.

Keith Outten
10-24-2005, 12:35 PM
Joe,

Not at all. I enjoy designing and building commercial signs because I have an opportunity to use a wider range of materials. Expensive hardwoods, Corian, glass and a host of other materials that I wouldn't normally have the chance to use if I did retail work. These days I don't even bid or quote any of the inexpensive signs or banners.

I enjoy using both my CNC router and laser engraver on the same job when I can, the router by itself is an amazing machine but when you can add that special detail an engraver can provide it makes all the difference. This weekend we were beadblasting glass signs, next week we will be laser engraving glass and Corian for the same job and we have some dye-sub signs to do as well, all on the same project.

I was asked today to design and fabricate a sign system for a speakers podium. Basically a mounting system that allows the signs or plaques to be changed. Give me something new every day...life is good :)

What I need is a laser head for my ShopBot. With a four by eight foot table it would make engraving large signs a snap...

Lee DeRaud
10-24-2005, 12:50 PM
I was asked today to design and fabricate a sign system for a speakers podium. Basically a mounting system that allows the signs or plaques to be changed.Not meaning to hijack the thread but...
Rare-earth magnets maybe? The CNC router could easily cut recesses in the holder and the backs of the signs.

Patrick Cooley
10-24-2005, 2:11 PM
Mark,
I started my business just a little over a year ago. I'm just doing it on nights and weekends and have done well. I'm sure I could quit my day job and stay busy and bring in enough money to support myself.
I've been concentrating on manufactuing companies for my business. This seems to be more constant then the arts and crafts type stuff. There is lots of work to be had, but you need to hit the streets and find it.
Good luck with your endevor
Pat.

Joe Pelonio
10-24-2005, 3:06 PM
Keith,

You're lucky or doing a good marketing job to be getting that kind of fun and creative work. We had a lot of that back in the 90's, custom podiums with logos on them, even airbrushing jobs on vans. That pretty much went away when all of the "dot-coms" here went belly up, and is not back yet. Those people would spend a lot to have something different. Even the sandblasted cedar signs, we used to do several a week, now no one wants to spend that much, we're doing only 1-2 a month. Even apartment/condo people that have an old worn out SB sign will get the price then change to something cheaper like cut acrylic letters on mdo. Maybe your area is further ahead of us on the economic recovery.



Patrick,

The laser work I do is a mix of signage, artistic/gift items and industrial. Recently we did a strange one, using rubber sandblast stencil and rastor
engraving to create logos and sizes etc. for use in athletic shoe molds.
Still the best money I've made with the laser is large quantity corporate event gift items. Not trophies but things like puzzles. We just did a bunch of jigsaw puzzles for Duke University, printed images on adhesive vinyl, applied it to acrylic and cut it out into puzzles. Last spring we did over 300 of this
one, lot's of rastor and vector time and then had to bring in extra help for the assembly, but still real profitable.


http://members.aol.com/bisjoe/dsc00796.gif

Nick Adams
10-25-2005, 2:54 AM
I was working as a wholesaler to a trophy awards shop, I have since moved into a shop as profit sharing with a 25yr old sign company. So far the biggest boost for me is us getting 3 regions of realator. and a few independants. They do the sign work, I do the recognition work. Thier salesmen sell for me , allowing me to spend a good deal of time doing custom work as oppossed to finding steady work.

Glad to hear so many doing well. I have only had my laser for about 9 months. Business is slow but rapidly growing in the past 2 months. Should have the machine paid for in or before next june (epilog 32ex 75w).