Full Version: Holiday Marketing Synopsis
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#14]
30 Dec 2006
To: Carl (CSEWELL) [#13] 30 Dec 2006
Sounds like you have many of the ingredients in the recipe for success. :-)
What would be an example of the type of work you had to turn down recently?
Odd-shaped metal objects?
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#15]
30 Dec 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#14] 30 Dec 2006
Sounds like you have many of the ingredients in the recipe for success.
Oh, no.... I can't cook! ;^)
Almost all were brass: buckles, door knockers, briefcase clasps, medals (may not have been brass but they didn't want to experiment). Other than the brief case clasp, none of them would appear to be very difficult to fixture.
One was a Zippo lighter that I wasn't sure if it was plated or not. The customer made an EXCELLENT barter deal with me, so I gave it a go with Cermark. Successfully, I might add. My main concern was that the slow, high heat would damage the thin metal. I kept the lighter insert in and only marked the lower half. The customer was pleased and I received a very expensive gift for my wife.
One was a leather (dark black) pool cue case which might not have been easily rotary engraved, or please correct me if I'm wrong. I was forewarned about this person by the person that referred her to me, so I guess I wasn't overly anxious to help her.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#16]
30 Dec 2006
To: Carl (CSEWELL) [#15] 30 Dec 2006
Carl,
The leather pool cue case isn't a good candidate for engraving, but a plate, either laser engraved or rotary/drag engraved would work.
You could have tried laser engraving (if it fit in your machine) then used a plate as a "cover up" in case it didn't work. :-)
Congratulations on the barter. I'm a fan of that system, as long as everyone is happy with the trade.
EDITED: 30 Dec 2006 by DGL
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#17]
30 Dec 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#16] 30 Dec 2006
I could also have done laser foil, but someone once told me that "stickers" aren't very attractive. Although I've done laser foil and also LaserLights on several vinyl albums (photo not record) much to the customer's delight. And, yes, the marking ended up being more than album. Go figure.
How would you have attached the plate (plastic?) to the leather? The case wasn't at all rigid. I'd be afraid that they'd catch a corner and rip a plate off without much effort at all.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#18]
30 Dec 2006
To: Carl (CSEWELL) [#17] 30 Dec 2006
There are some very aggressive double-faced tapes, so, as long as the corners of the plates are radiused, there's very little chance of being snagged.
If the case was very flexible, Laserlites or FlexiBrass should be able to roll with the punch.
EDITED: 30 Dec 2006 by DGL
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#19]
30 Dec 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#18] 30 Dec 2006
LaserLights on textured surfaces looks real bad, in my opinion. FlexiBrass probably would have worked. They're now supplying it with 3M adhesive. That probably would have been the best option. I've got an old textured, vinyl briefcase (portfolio book, actually) that I might try that on for display purposes.
It used to bother me when customers would say, "You're the expert. Do whatever you think is best." because not everyone has the same tastes. I'm learning that giving people too many choices is worse than "Doing whatever you think is best".