Anyone doing engraving on-site...craft shows, etc.?

[Bob Yeager]

Greetings to all again. Thanks again for the suggestions on purchasing my first laser. All very helpful.

Question: Do any of you folks take your laser on-site and offer personalization at events such as craft shows, fairs, etc.? If you do, what/how do your handle the exhaust/dust/fume problem?

Bob

[Nancy Laird]

Bob, there is no way that I would or could take either of our lasers to a show--we would also have to take the computer for running it and it would be a royal PITA to set up and break down. When I do a show featuring lasered products, I just take orders and deliver them during the next week (I don't do multi-day shows any more). I've never seen a working laser at a craft show. The only time I've seen lasers in action, other than in my own shop, was at the AWFS in Las Vegas, and I understand that they had to meet some pretty stringent exhaust/fume requirements to be able to run them there.

Transporting a laser might also throw some of the "moving parts" out of whack. You might want to avoid trying to take it on-site.

Nancy

[Joe Pelonio]

I saw one being used at a holiday gift show once, they were selling handcrafted wood gift items and used it only for personalizing them. It was a baby laser, maybe 8.5x11 work area, and they had the filtration system attached. That was about 3 years ago before I had mine. I wouldn't do it if for no other reason that the laser is so big and heavy, but also that kind of filtration unit is a few thousand $.

[John W Richards]

I have an Epilog mini that I take and use at the shows. I use a dust and sawdust collection system I found at Harbor Freight for less than $100.00. I limit myself to dog tags, glass nail files and small wood items like christmas orniments and pen and pencil sets. I use a laptop and have it on a small scaffold that I got at Lowes for under $100.00 for easy transport from the van to the set up area. I do both indoor and outdoor shows and have not had a problem with it, and it generates a lot of interest which means more people looking at out booth. Hope this helps.