Laser work at craft show

[rjweb]

I was at a craft show today (borne Texas), there were 4 different vendors and all had ornaments that were made by laser. I talked to a few and they told me That they had to move on to the future if you want to sell your stuff, I don’t sell and never will, just make for fun. I can see these guys need it they were selling a lot of ornaments for 10.00 a pop. One guy did names on ornaments, must of had a thousand ornaments and was taking orders of names he didn’t have, RJ 

[kmmcrafts]

1 hour ago, rjweb said:

I was at a craft show today (borne Texas), there were 4 different vendors and all had ornaments that were made by laser. I talked to a few and they told me That they had to move on to the future if you want to sell your stuff, I don’t sell and never will, just make for fun. I can see these guys need it they were selling a lot of ornaments for 10.00 a pop. One guy did names on ornaments, must of had a thousand ornaments and was taking orders of names he didn’t have, RJ 

Ornaments is my money maker.. the puzzles and clocks are filler items to get a little sales during off season.. I sell my ornaments for $16 and up.. plus 3.50 shipping in the USA.. Like I said many times.. I can stack cut 16-24 ornaments per hour.. I go most all year barely making money.. but Sept - Feb.. sales off the hook.. I like the big bulk wholesale orders.. I take a % off depending on how many pieces in an order.. Just a week ago 150 pcs. order.. Just today 100 pcs order. plus a few puzzles and clocks.. The cheapest I sell ornaments is $10 but that has to be 250 pcs + order most cases they are $12 - 14..

If the ornament isn't engraved I find it quicker to just scroll saw them. But I don't have a 100watt laser either.. and I still don't have my laser completely set up for "production type " work... But I'm working on that.. and maybe adding a 80 - 100watt larger platform machine to my shop yet this year.

Like I've said many times, I can't make money selling $20 -25 dog puzzles.. 20-30 minutes to make a $20-25 puzzle or 8-12 ornaments in the same half hour for $16 each.. 

Edited November 13, 2021 by kmmcrafts

[rjweb]

Kevin, I just thought it was very interesting, now one vender was making those layer ornaments for 18 each, but told me he can do close to 100 an hour, with  2 machines, I don’t know how true this is he could be just blowing smoke, literally, RJ 

[kmmcrafts]

Well it's possible I'm sure with a couple "good" machines. Some of the bigger lasers have two laser heads so one machine could be cutting as if it was two machines. Lay a larger piece of plywood on the bed and this machine could be kicking butt on ornaments. My cheap K40 will cut most ornaments in 7-8 minutes.. my issue is I can cut a stack cut of 5 in 15-20 minutes.. I'm just one person. the K40 is just cutting one at a time at 7 - 8 minutes each.. now.. I think once I get my K40 set up with better cutting deck and a better air assist I could cut some time off.. but not a lot.. as it is only a 40watt machine. I cut at a speed of 8mm second.. on a good day. A 80 - 100 wat machine I've watch guys cutting at 4mm second.. take one of the 100wat double cutter head machines at that speed.. talking one machine cutting 2 ornaments every 2-4 minutes.. 

This is a dual cutter head machine here.. https://omtechlaser.com/collections/machines/products/co2-co2-laser-engraver-cutter-usb-106d-us

[rjweb]

The gentleman also said he has to replace the bulb every 2 years at a cost of about $200, but he said that is what I probably spend on blades, RJ 

[kmmcrafts]

Yes the bulbs do go bad.. and the higher power you push through it the shorter the life of the bulb. Not sure what kind of laser he has but typically the higher power bulbs are more $$ at around $200 for a bulb he must be running maybe a 40 - 60 watt machine.

Thinking I go through more than $200 in blades every two years, LOL.. but I also don't fool around with pushing a blade to it's limits.. I keep a sharp blade in the saw.. If I feel it's going slower and or getting dull I change it.. Probably every 15 minutes.. when making ornaments I cut the inner portion of the ornament and then change blade so cutting the outer profile I start that longer outer cut with a brand new blade.. Once that ornament is done I use the same blade for the next on the inner cuts and then change again for the outer profile cut. Cutting that profile with a dull blade will make me go crazy.. Going too slow and makes me push harder.. which makes cutting a perfect circle impossible with a dull blade, LOL I can do most inside cuts with a somewhat dull blade.. but that long outer profile drives me crazy if it cutting a bit slow.. Today I cut 40 ornaments and one dog puzzle.. I used 10 blades.. I only was out there for about 1/2 a day.. just trying to get a jump on some inventory that's starting to get low..

[Norm Fengstad]

On 11/13/2021 at 10:55 PM, kmmcrafts said:

Yes the bulbs do go bad.. and the higher power you push through it the shorter the life of the bulb. Not sure what kind of laser he has but typically the higher power bulbs are more $$ at around $200 for a bulb he must be running maybe a 40 - 60 watt machine.

Thinking I go through more than $200 in blades every two years, LOL.. but I also don't fool around with pushing a blade to it's limits.. I keep a sharp blade in the saw.. If I feel it's going slower and or getting dull I change it.. Probably every 15 minutes.. when making ornaments I cut the inner portion of the ornament and then change blade so cutting the outer profile I start that longer outer cut with a brand new blade.. Once that ornament is done I use the same blade for the next on the inner cuts and then change again for the outer profile cut. Cutting that profile with a dull blade will make me go crazy.. Going too slow and makes me push harder.. which makes cutting a perfect circle impossible with a dull blade, LOL I can do most inside cuts with a somewhat dull blade.. but that long outer profile drives me crazy if it cutting a bit slow.. Today I cut 40 ornaments and one dog puzzle.. I used 10 blades.. I only was out there for about 1/2 a day.. just trying to get a jump on some inventory that's starting to get low..

I don't have a laser but I can relate to Kevin's discussion on blades although  I cut at a much slower rate than he does. First you get good then you can get fast is my motto. slower 

[Wichman]

At the job I just retired from we had a laser, a universal machine, that is a tank. In the twenty or so years we've been using it, the only parts that got replaced were a bearing and the gas struts on the lid. The laser cartridge has never been replaced, and I'd know because I'd be the one doing the replacing.

On a different note, can you adjust your laser to cut at an angle?

 

[kmmcrafts]

On 11/29/2021 at 2:25 AM, Wichman said:

At the job I just retired from we had a laser, a universal machine, that is a tank. In the twenty or so years we've been using it, the only parts that got replaced were a bearing and the gas struts on the lid. The laser cartridge has never been replaced, and I'd know because I'd be the one doing the replacing.

On a different note, can you adjust your laser to cut at an angle?

 

No, I can't with mine anyway.. and I don't quite see how one could do that at all as the bean would hit the material in a oblong shape I think.. Not sure if you've ever played with a magnifying glass in the sun when you was a kid.. but you focus the beam to as small of a dot you can get and you get a pinpoint hot crisp burn.. but if you focus is off or a larger circle you'll have less heat power concentrated to that pinpoint surface.. The heat might be the same power... but it's to a larger area.. a out of focus laser will maybe cut through the surface but it'll also transfer heat and burn the surrounding areas / edges of the cut too.  Kind of like a camera.. to get a nice clean crisp picture you need to have a good focused lens onto the image you're taking a photo of..