A question about CNC machines and Lasers

[Blake Koehn]

Hi, I have been reading this forum for a while and posted a time or two in the Laser section.

I own a sign shop in Mississippi. We do any kind of custom sign work, ad specialties and digital printing. We are an established company, that owns our own 4000 square foot shop.

We have a little money and are wanting to invest it in the business. Both a CNC router and a laser would find a place in our business.

The question is which one would you purchase first? Which one pays back the quickest?

Sure there are some members here that have a similar situation. Which did you go with first and why? How has it worked out for you?

Also what brands of equipment do you recommend and why?

Thanks

[Blake Koehn]

Also I have been talking to the people at Camaster. Do any of you here use there machine? What do you think of it?

[james mcgrew]

i have a camaster 408 and have a new 508 x3 i will pick up next week,

while i am a cabinetmaker first there is a signs now franchise next door to me, today i will carve the letter direction post fot the new US national cemetary under construction at Fort Jackson here in columbia, i have done apartment sign foam signs (very profitable) and several 3d signs for Sign's Now.

bill glenns www.camaster.com (http://www.camaster.com) original routers were built for the sign business as bill himself came from the sign business. he is very proficient in profile and sign lab, he did my first sign files for me, now i use vcarve pro and have up graded to "aspire".

i will be in shop today if you wish to chat 803 933 9988

camaster support is available here and there are lots of photos of camaster machines.
www.camheads.org (http://www.camheads.org)

below are photos of my 99 model camaster and the new one

jim mcgrew

[Joe Pelonio]

You should evaluate the potential payback based on your customer base.

Around here no people were always into sandblasted signs, rather than routed, for some reason. That left dimensional letters and engraved signs as my biggest potential need, to avoid sending jobs out. While the CNC would do PVC I looked at what kinds of letters/logos I ordered and sold the most over the years and acrylic was the winner. The CNC is also overkill for small engraving jobs, so it seemed natural to get the laser which would handle the
highest percentage of needs. Even now there have been few times I could have used a cnc, though if I had one I'd probably push products that would use it as I do with the laser. I've probably sent out more waterjet jobs than CNC jobs since having the laser, and those have been metal jobs.