Jim,
Very interesting thread You started. Have you had time to use that 3mm ply you bought yet?
Phil,
First of all Welcome to the Creek. I'm glad you stepped out in faith when you posted here. Some of the words that come to mind after reading some of the posts that refer to people whom use CNC's and or lasers or any other mechanism that improves quality and efficiency are: generalisation, stereotype, prejudice, close minded and fearful. I do not wish to offend or assassinate any one's character or prejudge some one on hear say but I think the market will speak for itself. Good products whether they are "Handcrafted", "Handmade", "Hand Finished" or hand carried from the trunk to the table will always rise above the others and the consumer is the ultimate judge, jury and executioner. They will Judge if a product is worth the price, their inner circle of friends/family will be the jury by their comments if they like or dislike the product, and all consumers are the executioner and they will either have a stay and keep buying and telling others about it or purchasing ceases and the product is discontinued. (sorry I love explaining thoughts in analogies sometimes)
Until there is a universally excepted definition for handmade, hand crafted or hands on, Manufacturers (which I think we all would fall into that category See Merriam-Webster) will have to find their niche and not take rejection personally. It's mostly a number's game. When I hear a "no" I just say next because I know a "yes" is coming soon. If I do not get a "yes" after several "no's" then I have to reevaluate my product and or marketing.
We use our laser to make one of a kind and mass production originals along with custom made one ups using purchased clip art on a CD or on the net. 99% of our CNC work is all original and sometimes a customer supplied file that I have to clean up to make it work with the program. I would never try to call our stuff off "Hand Made". 3D projects can definitely be Hand crafted or hand finished when applicable.
There are many advantages and disadvantages between a laser and a scroll saw. One of the biggest is price. Just about anyone can get a scroll saw for $300-800 dollars for an entry level machine, where an entry level laser, which has a very small laserable area, starts at around $9,000.00+-. So with just that said I think that the laser purchaser is serious about making some money to have a return on their investment or may have a lot of extra disposable income and like big toys as a hobby .
A scroll saw is more hands on where a laser user, at least in my case, is more brain on and a bit of finger tip pushing. I could go on but they are all part of the process to manufacture a product.
Yes, believe it or not, some of the products I have designed have not been winners but I learned from it and some times it was 4th or 5th generation that ends up being the one that hits the bulls eye.
I went off on a little rabbit trail here to show how the end user/customer is the one that will be the deciding factor. If someone did not like my 1st or 2nd design, I would ask them why so I can learn by it and continually improve our products and then sometimes you have to educate the consumer also and then let them decide if they still want your product after you tell them why you chose a certain type of wood, or why you make something a specific size. Where do these play in the scope of "Hand crafted et al"?
Now a few other words come to mind...Experience, common sense, logical, good listener, innovative, fair...
Forum's like this one are a great place to gain knowledge but true wisdom comes from how you use that knowledge.
Remember they almost exclusively used a horse to deliver the mail, pull a wagon/cart, plow a field and so on but can you imagine how life would be now if the internal combustion engine was not invented.
Each of them are just tools that are a means to an end result. None of them do anything by them selves. So whether you push buttons or push wood it still requires a good old human touch.
Either way if we do not embrace technology, at some level, it will leave us in the dust (to dust).
Thanks for reading,
Have a Blessed day,
Michael Kowalczyk
Laser-Trotec Speedy II 60 watt with 9.4.2 job control and will soon upgrade to JC X
Corel Draw Suite X6, FlexiSign Pro 8.62, AI CS3 and Lasertype6
CNC Routers-Thermwood model C40 with 4th axis. Thermwood Model 42 with dual tables and dual spindles with ATC for high production runs,
ArtcamPro 2010_SP4, EnroutePro 5.1, BobCad v21 & v24, Aspire v8 and Rhino 5.
FOTC link
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/friends.php?cp=210&lp=0&t=0&q=