Rotary Fixture-Are they worth it?

[bob pfohler]

I've gotten a few request for engraved (etched) glasses and some requests for coffee mugs (JDS sells laserable mugs) but is there enough business to justify $1500?
I'd love to have one for gift engraving but I can't see enough volume to pay for itself.

[Dan Hintz]

I've gotten a few request for engraved (etched) glasses and some requests for coffee mugs (JDS sells laserable mugs) but is there enough business to justify $1500?
I'd love to have one for gift engraving but I can't see enough volume to pay for itself.

You've answered your own question, then. Only you can answer it.

Some of us do quite well with it and make it a feature of the business, finding customers that need it. Others concentrate on flat stuff and do just as well. Personal decision, really.

[Gary Hair]

I've gotten a few request for engraved (etched) glasses and some requests for coffee mugs (JDS sells laserable mugs) but is there enough business to justify $1500?
I'd love to have one for gift engraving but I can't see enough volume to pay for itself.

the best decisions I made when I bought my laser were to buy one with a big bed, 38" x 20", pass through doors and a rotary fixture. All three have provided opportunities for work that I couldn't have done otherwise. I have had my laser for 8 years and the money spent for those three features has been recouped many, many times over.

[bob pfohler]

[QUOTE=Dan Hintz;2249817]You've answered your own question, then. Only you can answer it.

QUOTE] Have I really? My question was:" is there enough business out there to justify $1500 for the rotary?". Maybe there are items out there I haven't thought about that would be profitable.

[Mike Null]

Bob

There is plenty of business out there to justify a rotary device. The question is do you know how to get it and is it business you want. I'm in my 17th year without a rotary for my laser. The opportunities I've had weren't worth the time and expense. I try to avoid what I call retail business--that is individuals who want something engraved. I'm now considering turning away all but commercial customers. The reason I mention this is that most of the time I could have used a rotary it was for retail customers.

I can do rotary work with my Newing Hall but it's all for commercial clients.

Just to clarify--it's not that I have more business than I can handle--but I don't want the aggravation of the onesie, twosie customers.

[George M. Perzel]

Bob;
From my perspective, the answer is NO. Not worth the effort (or return) to do onesies and people expect to pay less than $10 and you assume risk of breakage/etc. A real pain in the neck to haul out the rotary and set it up for a couple of glasses.
I am sure others may argue the point that aggressively pursuing glass engraving on a volume basis is viable for a niche market but I would like to hear about some recurring results to support the argument.
Best Regards,
George
Laserarts

[David Somers]

Bob,

Is this a market niche you want? Do you need the extra work/income? Do you have much competition? How does this fit in with what you do already?

I know Morrisonville is quite small, but you are in easy range of Plattsburgh which is large enough (population of 20K I think?) to have more than one laser engraver around potentially. Is this a good use of your time and shop capacity or are there other opportunities in the area that might be more lucrative for the gear you already own? Or......is this enough of a personal interest for you to simply do it as a kind of "vanity project." I suspect being near Lake Champlain means that beyond the very short run and individual requests you will get for engraved mugs all the local demand is for the tourist trade? Maybe additionally weddings, sports teams and various clubs, etc? I suspect you would have a hard time competing with the suppliers of cups and mugs and other potentially laserable cylindrical nicknacks that the local shops have developed already for the touristos, but only you are going to have a feel for that. I think that may be what Dan was alluding to, and others have been getting at from other angles as well.

Let us know what your thoughts are and how it works out for you!!

Dave

[Bill Stearns]

BOB -
I've been lasering glassware for quite some time - decided, long 'go to by-pass the rotary device, mainly 'cause of cost v.s. return on investment. IMO - just too many Internet places where customers can find, and cheaply buy, full round engraved/etched, or printed, cups 'n mugs, etc. (Not to mention those personalized cups 'n mug options offered by Wal-Mart 'n their camera dept.) I've learned by "stretching" text - vertically - I can create a larger text on glassware; helps. (can't skew logos, of course.) I have samples I show customers. 99% of my customers seem pleased with the size 'n width. So, guess I vote that you invest your money elsewhere. One change I will be making soon: I've allowed customers to bring in their own glassware - 'stead, I'm gonna display a selection to choose from that I can acquire locally for 'em. Unlike 'few others, I still need the "walk-in - have only 'few to do" customers. (attaching photo of one mug I did.) Good luck with your decision. BTW: attaching picture of glass holding device - if anyone's looking for something like this, let me know ... we've discussed it 'n other posts.

Bill

[Michael Gonzales]

[QUOTE=bob pfohler;2249935]

You've answered your own question, then. Only you can answer it.

QUOTE] Have I really? My question was:" is there enough business out there to justify $1500 for the rotary?". Maybe there are items out there I haven't thought about that would be profitable.

Bob,
I bought mine on ebay for $750. The first order I used it on was for 200 wine glasses and 300 mugs and it was more that paid for. If you have been in business for a while and have not the need for one, don't buy it. Sounds like you have not been turning away business do to a lack of equipment. I have to have one with my customers. I am a bit over a year into this field and growing. Part of why I am growing is I can do more with the equipment I have. There is bit of a learning period with it too. You will mess up some product getting familiar with the settings and how it works. The scary thing is DON"T PLUG OR UNPLUG WITH THE MACHINE ON. With my machine anyway it is suppose to ruin the mother board. I don't need that expense. There is certainly enough business out there for a rotary. The question is do your customers need round objects engraved or can you find customers that want round objects engraved and enough of them so there can be profit?

Thx

Mike g

[Kev Williams]

If you're in business, $1500 for a piece of equipment is CHEAP, especially considering your ULS probably cost 12x that much in the first place. A useable accessory at less than 10% the cost of the original equipment is a bargain.

For what it's worth, I don't use my rotary all that much. However, when it runs, it makes me money. I had it running this week engraving tiny brain surgery drill bits and small medical SS driver shafts- This one job made over $400. I paid $1200 for my rotary about 8 years ago. It's WAY more than paid for itself...

And I really value the phrase "yes, I can do that". Those customers come back...

[Mark Sipes]

I would jokingly say you should not... but send all your customers my way...... Flashlights, Wine Coolers, Glasses, Coffee cups, Beer mugs, candy jars, baby cups... Both my laser and 2 Newing-Halls are set up at least once a day for rotary items.

[Dan Hintz]

My question was:" is there enough business out there to justify $1500 for the rotary?". Maybe there are items out there I haven't thought about that would be profitable.

If you read all of the posts so far, it pretty much points to what I was attempting to get at (though maybe didn't phrase it properly). There is plenty of business to be had for all of the accessories, but is it business that you want? As you can see, some do not have a rotary and are quite content without it... some do have it and use it regularly. In the end, though, it means you will have to find ways to attract the proper type of business to make use of the tools on hand. Me, I bought everything available and chased down business for each and every accessory... I don't have to turn down any job, though I often do when it's too little pay for too much work. The point being, I get to decide what I want to work on, but I can do it all, if I choose to.

[bob pfohler]

There's a lot of great feedback in this thread. Thanks to everyone for some great advice.
We are a very diverse shop, screen printing, embroidery sublimation and awards are the majority of our business and we've decided for the price of the rotary attachment we may keep customers coming back for the other services.
I realize that many of the jobs may be onesies but as Kev Williams said, it's really not that big an investment for a company our size.
Thanks for the great advice everyone!

[James Rambo]

When we bought our laser we did not know what we would get into. But we opted for the rotary. It has paid for itself many times over. We have a commercial customer for the items in the picture. Also do one-sies and two-sies for walk-ins.

[Jamie Ringelberg]

I do all laser engraving on glassware with a rotary and well worth it. There is no other way to do glassware for me. So I guess it depends on what you are doing. $1500 for me was nothing to spend. I have mostly business customers also, so I am not aware of the "one off" requests. I don't get them. But I don't seek them out either.