Which do you do the most

[Bill Morrison]

For no other reason than personal curiosity do I ask this question of those of you who have your own laser business. Do you spend the most time creating a product, sales or R&D? Do you limit your time to so may hours per day or keep going until the job is complete. I know that when we had our own construction company there was no such thing as an eight hour day and I was just sort of wondering if it is the same in the laser business.
One more question. I have a 30 watt Accuris and was wondering if anyone might be able to give me a hint on some settings to cut cork for coasters.
Thanks
Bill

[Mitchell Andrus]

The learning curve for using the machines and software is straight up for a while - 100% of your time. I don't run a 'laser business', using the laser is just a part of the overall money losing... er, making scheme.


Time only: ($ is a totally different model.)

Creating products / marketing / making money

The first few months - 90% / 10% / 0%
At two months - 20% / 50% / 30%
At two years - 5% / 15% / 80%

It will never be 0% / 0% / 100%. YMMV

I spend 50 to 60 hours a week in the shop or office - I'm very nicely compensated though, so I don't mind.

[Mike Null]

Bill

My business is engraving and I do it full time. Right now I'm in my busy season and I'm working 7 days, long hours. I don't make "products" for sale, I engrave to order, mostly name tags, labels etc. and also awards but not trophies.

My selling is usually through my web site and I spend my time on production and running the business. I'm a one man, home based business concentrating on commercial and institutional accounts.

I try to avoid retail type business as such customers waste too much of your time. I have been known to send customers to competitors and my competitors appreciate it. (naturally if you have a store front that's another story)

[Scott Shepherd]

Not sure what this "8 hour day" you speak of is or this mysterious "5 day work week". Haven't seen either of those since we started. I think I've had about 3 or 4 days off this entire year.

[Darren Null]

give me a hint on some settings to cut cork for coasters.
I've only got a 10W and I've never managed to cut cork...it always catches fire first. If it's possible, hard & fast is the way to go. I just burn myself reference lines and go round it with scissors.

[Bill Morrison]

Thanks for the input. I WAS a carpenter/woodworker for over 20 years but a 5 way bypass put an end to it. VA said the heart disease was their fault (agent orange) so I get a pension. I was just curious because I am going to try to have my son use the laser part time while he goes to school. I bought a shopbot about a month or so ago but haven't used it. After reading all of the warnings about having everything grounded it could be detrimental to my pacemaker. I told my wife if my sons don't want to learn how to use it I will just sell it and buy a bigger tv I guess.

Thanks
Bill

[Dee Gallo]

Bill,

I used to work in a prison and the inmates came up with clever solutions when they didn't have the right tools: we had to make some silkscreened cork coasters and they took an open soup can, sharpened the edge (they are very good at sharpening metal on cement) and it cut the cork easily.

I think you could probably attach a large stainless biscuit cutter (for baking, not wood joining, guys!) to a piece of wood, pound it with a mallet and get good results, depending on how thin the cork is. They even come in other-than-round shapes and you can file them to a sharp edge. Low tech, no pacemaker conflict, satisfying stress reducer.

waddiya tink? dee

[Joe Pelonio]

The laser is working 8-10 hours a day now, with some nice big production jobs which is normal for the time of year. Most are maritime related, things like angle indicator panels for those cranes at the docks, and control panel labels for new boats.

Meanwhile I'm working on the vinyl side of the business at the same time. Currently no time for sales or R&D but that could change at any time. If it's slow, I do sales work and work with new things.

On my 45 watt cutting 1/8" cork - 60 speed 30 power 500 frequency

[martin g. boekers]

Hey guys I'm sure when you talk of 8 hours you mean just before lunch right?
I run the engraving shop at Scott AFB, basically a one man show. 60+ hours are the norm. The weekends are when I get the work done that I couldn't during the week. Sales are pretty much limited to who has permission to get on base. I do spend at least 4 hours a day going over work with clients, answering the phone and responding to emails. another 2 hrs goes to research and development, inventory control and basic business functions. The few hours that are left is actual production time with the laser or dye-sublimation. I do a fair amount of custom work, most with quick turnarounds. Being part of the Arts & Crafts Center at Scott I have access to a full wood shop with a highly trained staff which makes my life a bit easier at times! I love this stuff!
I just don't have as much playtime on the, oh I mean research time with the laser as I would like. Oh well!!! better get back to work.

Marty

[Bill Cunningham]

I forced myself to take a week off, just to keep my sanity! I walk into the shop at 9am, and my wife drags me out about 6:30 pm for dinner.. I spend the first couple of hours every day sending out email job quotes.. and the rest of the day running job after job.. All custom stuff, all prepaid and approved before it hits the laser.. Glassware, plaques, baseball bats, paddles, stone memorials, etc..etc..etc.. I never know whats going to come in the door, and most items have a 5 to 10 day turn around to ship from final customer approval, so at least I generally know what I'm doing for 5-10 days in advance.. I get the odd request for something thats needed on Saturday, and today is Wednesday, and on the third back and forth email I find out their in California.. I politely try to explain that I'm 3 thousand miles away in another county I 'can' get it to them in time, but they may have to mortgage their house to cover the shipping costs.. Some folks have no concept of time and distance :D