Jum Carr
12-26-2007, 6:49 AM
Hi All;
Hi and a most happy holiday season from a couple new newbies! For the past month or so we've been eagerly trying to soak up some of the nearly overwhelming real-world data on this forum. Wish there'd been something like this years ago when we first read about "sawgrass" and "sublimation" and how an inkjet printer and "special inks" could turn out gifts, t-shirts, etc. Cheaply. And in color! We were hooked by "cheap" and "color"!
At the time, wife Dorothy had a dog grooming shop which we sold five yeas ago after 28 years - and I was working nights for an airline. Because grooming equipment maintenance was expensive and slow I began servicing our own and other shop's equipment which lead to a nice little side line. Then a friend with a small glass and crystal etching business was stricken with cancer and offered us the equipment and customer list. After some quick lessons in crystal, glass and sand blasting, we found ourselves with a well established animal grooming "salon" and two growing "avocations". We discussed my leaving the airline but for the usual reasons - fear actually - I stayed on. Until one night, topping a small hill on the way home at around 70, dead center in my lane with lights out, sat a black '46 chevy sedan! Thanks to a great car and a stint of dirt track racing, I ended up along side the freeway - shookup, furious and considering homicide. The next day I left a high pay job and 135 mile daily commute for a better chance of a longer life. I've never regretted leaving and often wished I'd done so years earlier. So much for fear and "security".
And with that brief bio we jump the the present. Over the years we've developed excellent relations and a niche market of social and fraternal organizations. And since moving to our present location, we've enjoyed an expanded customer base and requests for more and different products and services. Accordingly, we'll be adding new- for us - laser engraved items.
So now, and with heartfelt thanks to forum members, we should have our new 35 watt Epilog Mini 18 sometime in late January. We've also ordered an exhaust blower and air assist compressor so they'll be on hand for the "great day". And hoping to get a jump ahead we've subscribed to Laser University and a couple industry pubs for light reading in case we get bored. So all in all, I guess we're about as ready for the "great day" as newbies can be. Maybe, after all these years avoiding it, we'll even update and try to learn Corel X3!
But whatever success we may enjoy in laser engraving will be due in great extent to the "real world" experience and advice passed on by the forum members. And someday we hope to be able to return the favor by welcoming and helping "newbies" like us.
Also, after several aborted starts, maybe we can start thinking of a web site. At this point it almost seems that learning Greek or Chinese might be easier than tackling websites!
Again, our thanks and wishes for the happiest of holidays, and a most prosperous New Year.
Jim & Dorothy Carr
Hi and a most happy holiday season from a couple new newbies! For the past month or so we've been eagerly trying to soak up some of the nearly overwhelming real-world data on this forum. Wish there'd been something like this years ago when we first read about "sawgrass" and "sublimation" and how an inkjet printer and "special inks" could turn out gifts, t-shirts, etc. Cheaply. And in color! We were hooked by "cheap" and "color"!
At the time, wife Dorothy had a dog grooming shop which we sold five yeas ago after 28 years - and I was working nights for an airline. Because grooming equipment maintenance was expensive and slow I began servicing our own and other shop's equipment which lead to a nice little side line. Then a friend with a small glass and crystal etching business was stricken with cancer and offered us the equipment and customer list. After some quick lessons in crystal, glass and sand blasting, we found ourselves with a well established animal grooming "salon" and two growing "avocations". We discussed my leaving the airline but for the usual reasons - fear actually - I stayed on. Until one night, topping a small hill on the way home at around 70, dead center in my lane with lights out, sat a black '46 chevy sedan! Thanks to a great car and a stint of dirt track racing, I ended up along side the freeway - shookup, furious and considering homicide. The next day I left a high pay job and 135 mile daily commute for a better chance of a longer life. I've never regretted leaving and often wished I'd done so years earlier. So much for fear and "security".
And with that brief bio we jump the the present. Over the years we've developed excellent relations and a niche market of social and fraternal organizations. And since moving to our present location, we've enjoyed an expanded customer base and requests for more and different products and services. Accordingly, we'll be adding new- for us - laser engraved items.
So now, and with heartfelt thanks to forum members, we should have our new 35 watt Epilog Mini 18 sometime in late January. We've also ordered an exhaust blower and air assist compressor so they'll be on hand for the "great day". And hoping to get a jump ahead we've subscribed to Laser University and a couple industry pubs for light reading in case we get bored. So all in all, I guess we're about as ready for the "great day" as newbies can be. Maybe, after all these years avoiding it, we'll even update and try to learn Corel X3!
But whatever success we may enjoy in laser engraving will be due in great extent to the "real world" experience and advice passed on by the forum members. And someday we hope to be able to return the favor by welcoming and helping "newbies" like us.
Also, after several aborted starts, maybe we can start thinking of a web site. At this point it almost seems that learning Greek or Chinese might be easier than tackling websites!
Again, our thanks and wishes for the happiest of holidays, and a most prosperous New Year.
Jim & Dorothy Carr