Full Version: Wanna come up and see my etchings?
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#1]
17 Mar 2005
To: ALL
Well, I cannot contain myself, but that is another story.
Today ( tonight actually ) I did my first sandblast etching on some glasses we picked up at Ross.
I used the Photobrasive CrystalBlast 3624, Photobrasive Rapid Mask HT ( high tack ) and Photobrasive AccuArt2.
After a couple of questions regarding which side was which of the mask and the film, I was on my way, and it could not have been easier. No muss, no fuss.
I am attaching a photo, and I apologize in advance to the all powerful moderators ( insert laugh here) if the file is too big. I know I'll get my wrist slapped, but I don't care. No sir I don't care. I'm just so excited.
Moral of the story is that if "I" can do it ANYBODY can, and Rapid Mask is about as easy as it gets. ( Listen to me with no experience. Sheesh.)
Anyway, thanks to all for your support and your help.
From: rich (SPYDER62) [#2]
17 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#1] 17 Mar 2005
looks great Chuck. Sorry did not get to see you before you went to the Islands but was good chating about your laser. Ended up with a Epilog,
Bill was not to happy but thats life. He will have a shot on my next one :)
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#3]
17 Mar 2005
To: rich (SPYDER62) [#2] 18 Mar 2005
Rich,
I'm sorry too that we did not get to meet before I moved home. The good news is that now you have a friend you can visit :)
As for your choice of a laser, I think you made the right decision. The only reason I did not buy the Epilog at the time was because the Epilog rep dropped the ball. His fault not mine.
I'm happy to see you here and I wish you ALL the sucess in the world.
Your friend and associate.
From: Frazee1 [#4]
17 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#1] 18 Mar 2005
From: Lynn (LYNNDENO) [#5]
17 Mar 2005
To: Frazee1 [#4] 18 Mar 2005
TIA
From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#6]
18 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#1] 18 Mar 2005
C,
All you have to do is crop the picture to just show the glass and a small border and it will be quite a small size.
Just recrop, save in a new post, then remove the original and Edit in a line that the image was moved to a later post.
Kinda simple, really. [I do love your enthusiasm.]
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#7]
18 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#1] 18 Mar 2005
Chuck,
Playing with new toys and making money at the same time. What could be more fun? Nothing I can think of :-)
A suggestion for people looking for etched glass, but don't quite have the budget, is to offer (farm out) pad printing or silkscreening with a special ink which emulates actual etching.
Fools my well-trained eye most of the time.
David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#8]
18 Mar 2005
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#7] 18 Mar 2005
David,
Good thought about farming it out. I'll have to see if anyone on the island does that. If not maybe I should look into it my self, then others can farm to me :)
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#9]
18 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#8] 18 Mar 2005
Chuck,
Exactly. Fill an unmet need and the rest is easy :-)
David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA
From: John (JOHNRMONTG) [#10]
18 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#1] 18 Mar 2005
Chuck .. you did a great job ... congratulations... I am 'surveying' the local new wineries in the area to do sandblasted wine glasses & bottles for their businesses. How many did you make on this run? I am curious as to the kind of setup a person would have to do to make 500-600 wine glasses (typical order of wine glasses I am told). Thought about some kind of jig to hold several a time whilst in the blast cabinet. I have also wondered about the problems involved with a wine glass that has a curved profile. Probably not a problem for a small logo but cold get 'interesting' when a long text string is utilized.
Mind if I ask what you charged for the work?
Thanks buddy!~
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#11]
18 Mar 2005
To: John (JOHNRMONTG) [#10] 18 Mar 2005
When you get larger quantity orders it is best to add a body or two to the production line. One person develops the resist and places the image on the glass, the other person is etching, and the final person is cleaning and drying. You can really crank up the volume with this combination. Having said that, I am a one-man band at this time, but have been known to pull in a reinforcment or two when the going gets tough with high-quantity jobs.
Price the job correctly and you can easily pay your help $10 an hour for their assistance.
You do need to be selective with the shape of wine glasses you offer, avoiding those with a severe compound angle. You are correct, in that the size and shape of the image you are etching will dictate the type of glassware you can etch on. As you get more experienced with the placing of resists, the range of glassware will widen.
Expressions Engraved
Glass Etching
EDITED: 16 Oct 2010 by DATAKES
From: John (JOHNRMONTG) [#12]
18 Mar 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#11] 18 Mar 2005
From: precisionlaser [#13]
18 Mar 2005
To: John (JOHNRMONTG) [#12] 19 Mar 2005
John,
I found this article the other day addressing this subject:
http://www.sandcarver.org/curvetext.htm
Of course, I'm a complete newbie at this, so haven't tried it, but I thought it might be useful for you.
Mark
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#14]
18 Mar 2005
To: John (JOHNRMONTG) [#10] 19 Mar 2005
John,
Thank you for the kind words.
I actually had to call UCONNDAVE for some help on these. I am doing 250. As a point of clarification the picture that I posted is NOT the job I am doing. The JOB has already given me a challenge.
That challenge was getting the Rapid Mask to conform to the compound curve of the glass. Daves suggestion is a laser resist which he says is more pliable and has more stretch.
Come Monday, I'm on the phone to find some.
As for advice John, as wiling as I am to help, at this point in my dubious career, I am not the one to ask. David Takes, or UCONNDAVE are the ones to ask. At least they are who I am asking.
Now to STRESS that point let me tell you how I just spent the last hour, or maybe I shouldn't, I'll be tarred feathered and run off the forum. Ah what the heck, here goes....
I just spent the last hour ( today) and at least a couple yesterday working on a logo ( the one in the picture )in CorelDRAW 12 to get it ready to blast... as I ungroup all, and click and point and invert ( did somebody say invert? ) I am thinking to myself that there has to be a better way. Well, after I FINISHED doing all of this, THEN I click help in corel and find out how to manipulate the image in four clicks of the mouse and about 15 seconds of my time . AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! But there is good news! I learned something and I will never go through THAT again.
Whew! Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.
As for pricing? If I keep charging the price I did for this job. ( It was pretty much dictated to me since it is a state project), I will actually be PAYING people to do work for them.
Hey! Need and Award? Here Let me pay you to allow me to make it for you.... yes folks that's right! Here at Awards - R - US, we pay YOU!!! Hurry in today.....
From: John (ICTJOHN) [#15]
18 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#14] 18 Mar 2005
Chuck,
I think most all of us have "Been there, Done that" even if we don't admit it outloud. The point which I think you caught, is to learn when to say NO. I know it is hard to turn down a job, but sometimes it is not worth it "to pay someone" to produce a job for them.
I had a Biddy Basketball league that for years I couldn't get the "bid",
after I priced every part that went into the trophy and looked at a realistic time frame for labor there was no money left -- actually I found I would be paying them to take my product. That made me even more mad............So after I thought and thought about it, I can turn jobs away a little more easily now.
Just this past week I explained to a customer that "I could not get close to that price and in fact I probably would call them to do work for me". I wasn't rude but explained what it takes for me to keep my doors open.
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#16]
18 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#14] 18 Mar 2005
Chuck,
One advantage you have right now is that you have the free time to learn.
You don't have to apoligize for your position in the learning curve. Many of us have been in your shoes. You did not waste three hours. You probably learned more about Corel Draw in those three hours than you would have reading a manual, and like you said, you will never forget it.
The first job I accepted four years ago when I opened my business was 200 champagne glasses. It was a last-minute job that I worked on until 4:00 in the morning. I new I would have to do them on my laser to get them done in time and within my customer's budget. I charged $2.00 per glass. The best thing I learned early on from that job was that I shouldn't let my customer's budget dictate my prices.
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#17]
18 Mar 2005
To: John (ICTJOHN) [#15] 18 Mar 2005
John,
This brings up my perennial question, one that got my wrist slapped in Las Vegas. How do you determine what to charge for what?
:)
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#18]
18 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#17] 18 Mar 2005
Chuck,
After you do those 250 wine glasses you will have a much better idea what you are dealing with in terms of time material. Keep a log of your time on this job.
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#19]
18 Mar 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#16] 18 Mar 2005
Not letting customer budgets dictate my price is a lesson I'm learing now too :)
From: John (ICTJOHN) [#20]
18 Mar 2005
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#17] 18 Mar 2005
Chuck,
Use this job as a pricing tool. Keep track of your labor (the hours/minutes it takes to do the whole job), your cost of the glasses, cost of all materials, figure in your equipment expense (based on minutes used) and your overhead rate (the cost of all insurance, taxes, rent, utilities etc., etc., etc.).
Even if you are home based, you need to price like you are in a retail store, so if your dream is to move to a bigger shop, you don't have to raise your prices to make that happen. Customers will not like to see a huge price increase just when you move to a different location. Customers usually don't like change unless it is a lower price for a better product. They want you in the same location with the same hours with the same phone number with the same sales clerk.
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