Dome clock on FB marketplace

[Wichman]

Just listed in my city, a completed dome clock for $100 !

The pricing guide from 1999 lists this as $800 minimum, $3000 top end, and a suggested retail price of $2000.

Seems to me that the older scrollers are passing away and their heirs are selling their art super cheap.

[rafairchild2]

Younger generations are not into tchotchkes, collectables and such.  Clocks are pretty much a thing of the past other than what is on your oven, microwave oven, and your smart speaker by your bed. I look at my daughters homes and they are very sparsely decorated with minimal wall art, and even less things on tables, desks, etc.

Sadly, our art is dying along with us.

[Bill WIlson]

Not only is the Dome Clock a somewhat dated choice, stylistically, it is also ginormous!  Not everyone has the space to properly display such a piece. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

if my memory serves me well there was someone on here that use to make all those large clocks an even scaled them down. He has a special collection. I remember seeing photos of the collection but where escapes me now. Maybe it was not on this forum. Site to see for sure. 

[OCtoolguy]

We went to a high-end mall yesterday just to wander around. We could never afford anything there. Anyway, we went through a big furniture store and I realized that everything in the store was either black, white or chrome. And in only geometric shapes. Round, square or rectangular. The younger set now has no imagination at all. So sad. Their set of Crayons only has 2 or 3 colors in the box.

Edited December 15, 2024 by OCtoolguy

[Bill WIlson]

Yea, like about 75% of the vehicles on the road are monochromatic.  I have 2 silver vehicles myself (both were used).  I'm over that trend.

[OCtoolguy]

On 12/16/2024 at 9:34 AM, Bill WIlson said:

Yea, like about 75% of the vehicles on the road are monochromatic.  I have 2 silver vehicles myself (both were used).  I'm over that trend.

I like white cars. I've always wanted a red vehicle. Had a black car once. Looked great when clean. I hate the silver grey. The car we have now, 2019 Equinox, is a brownish grey that changes color depending on how the light hits it. Never shows the dirt.  

[kmmcrafts]

22 hours ago, OCtoolguy said:

I like white cars. I've always wanted a red vehicle. Had a black car once. Looked great when clean. I hate the silver grey. The car we have now, 2019 Equinox, is a brownish grey that changes color depending on how the light hits it. Never shows the dirt.  

I have always liked white cars / trucks too... I like some of the bright blue colors of various shades too, never ever liked red because they was always too flashy.. not sure that holds true to me as much as it did back in my wilder days.. always wanted the plain looking car that blends in with everything else.. Then when I got into painting cars I wanted them different colors from all the others so i custom mixed up my own colors.. just enough to be different than the others but not so much that it sticks out like a sore thumb. 

How do you like the Equinox? I've been contemplating one of those for a few years now.. 

[OCtoolguy]

On 12/19/2024 at 7:24 AM, kmmcrafts said:
I have always liked white cars / trucks too... I like some of the bright blue colors of various shades too, never ever liked red because they was always too flashy.. not sure that holds true to me as much as it did back in my wilder days.. always wanted the plain looking car that blends in with everything else.. Then when I got into painting cars I wanted them different colors from all the others so i custom mixed up my own colors.. just enough to be different than the others but not so much that it sticks out like a sore thumb. 
How do you like the Equinox? I've been contemplating one of those for a few years now.. 
Like it a lot. We bought it primarily because it was one of a very cars that can be towed behind a motorhome with all 4 wheels on the ground. We used it that way a few times and then sold the rv. We could probably sell it for what we have in it to an RVer. It's a great car for what we need.. 

[wagner1958]

This makes me very sad . Scrolling to me always brings me a lot of joy and when I sold something or gave it away I always hoped that the recipient could feel that same joy. I am still hopeful that craftsmanship will make a comeback someday but I am not sure that it will. The main thing I make for craft shows are Christmas ornaments and I always make them out of solid oak, cherry , or walnut, but  to be honest with you I’m not sure that most care. There are still customers that appreciate it , but the phrase I hear a lot is  “ i use to know I guy that did that “. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

1 hour ago, wagner1958 said:

This makes me very sad . Scrolling to me always brings me a lot of joy and when I sold something or gave it away I always hoped that the recipient could feel that same joy. I am still hopeful that craftsmanship will make a comeback someday but I am not sure that it will. The main thing I make for craft shows are Christmas ornaments and I always make them out of solid oak, cherry , or walnut, but  to be honest with you I’m not sure that most care. There are still customers that appreciate it , but the phrase I hear a lot is  “ i use to know I guy that did that “. 

You are so right in so many ways. The hand made craft items do not carry the same weight they use to. People are not interested in if you made it or it was laser made these days and that is sad. Todays markets are being flooded with cheap lasers and cnc machines and now 3d printing that it takes away from what we do by hand. We have always had to fight the laser things but it has gotten beyond fighting. I see it in the pen turning world too in certain aspects because today we can buy pens so cheap and they get compared to ones that are hand made with materials that are not readily available to the cheap market. Yet fighting that aspect and the one that we just do not write any more is sad. Maybe one day things will come around again. History does repeat itself so who knows. We just do what makes us happy and when retired just to kep us busy.

[BadBob]

16 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

cheap lasers and cnc machines

Where do you find cheap lasers and CNC routers?

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

5 hours ago, BadBob said:

Where do you find cheap lasers and CNC routers?

Oh my goodness there are lots coming in from China these days. Look on FB they are advertised all the time. Ask kevin he knows about all those things. Compared to years ago today's prices are way lower. Now just like everything, you get what you pay for. I can not speak about different types for I know very little about those tools. But I belong to a pen turning forum and they talk about lasers that now affordable and used for various things as engraving and cutting and so. More people getting into them these days because they have become affordable. 

Edited January 1 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[kmmcrafts]

5 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Oh my goodness there are lots coming in from China these days. Look on FB they are advertised all the time. Ask kevin he knows about all those things. Compared to years ago today's prices are way lower. Now just like everything, you get what you pay for. I can not speak about different types for I know very little about those tools. But I belong to a pen turning forum and they talk about lasers that now affordable and used for various things as engraving and cutting and so. More people getting into them these days because they have become affordable. 

 

I don't have any clue on a cheap CNC or laser.. I have well over $6000 into my CNC and now and still could use some quality CNC router bits.. Then I have over $3000 in my new laser which I still need to have a computer to run it and I'm sure I'll find other things I need in order to get it up and running.. It only sets 2 ft off the ground so i'll likely also need a table / stand of some sort to put it on or just run it on my hands and knees, LOL.. Most standard height benches are too tall too.. only need to raise it up 1-2ft but still want to be able to "roll it around"...  also probably another $500 for a computer to run it.. I guess it depends on what one considers cheap, LOL.. 

They get you with the low prices but by the time you actually get these machines set up to run you're looking at a lot more expenses.. To vent them you need a exhaust port like a dryer vent to vent outside.. most lasers with built in exhaust fan doesn't have enough CFM of air flow to properly remove the smoke from the machine so most folks have to buy a inline exhaust to help with the air flow.. Most with built in air assist also do not have enough air flow so you need an external air compressor.. and with that a very good air dryer system and filtration as contaminants in the air will make the laser ark electrical sparks to anything conductive in the system so pretty easy to have the 4th of July fireworks right inside your shop.. Then you "should" have several fire extinguishers around in case of a mishap.. so at the end of the day you likely are $5000 before you're "really" up and running.. Unless of course you skimp on some things and risk shocking yourself or burning down your shop..These things are not cheap toys.. Pretty close to a new post every week on the laser forums where someone burnt down their shop.. It's real easy to step outside or a quick trip to the house to use the bathroom or quick to go get a drink of water etc.. NEVER leave one running unattended.. 

Now because of the carelessness of many folks insurance companies are starting to crack down on insuring your stuff if you have these machines..

Beware of the cheap China made machines.. it's also common to see where people getting electrocuted from them because of crappy wiring practices from these real low priced "hobby" lasers.. maybe even the more powerful ones I don't know but I see that a lot on the entree level machines.

I wouldn't say these are cheap machines at all.. and certainly not any kind of toy.. The real issue in my opinion is people really not understanding the dangers of them.. lots of people seeing cheap entree level machines and see the creations and people making money with them without knowing a darn thing and think they're going to jump in and make a bunch of money.. many people lack some common sense that just throws fire in the flames too.    

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Kevin gives lots of good advise. My point was and it is true there are cheaper lasers on the market today than they were 5 or ten years ago for sure. yes they require computers but most people have that. I have talked with many people on the pen turning site and for what they do they said they have come way down and not bad quality. I know nothing about them but I do follow along with the conversations. Now they are engraving pens and cutting abalone and small items so no need for huge machines. Safety is always a concern just as this Christmas how many of those fire starter scooters and bikes with lithium batteries are now around. Dust collection is a fire starter too that most people do not pay attention to either. I can go on and on. A shop is a hazard. How many cut off fingers, how many overloads of circuits and the list can go on. Heat wood and wood dust do not mix well. But yes there are cheap lasers to be had. One other thing I should have said was alot depends on what you are doing with it CNC routers go look at Amazon and see those prices. Size and its functions count. Just like any tool you do have to know what you are doing and learn how to operate safely. All I can say about that. 

Edited January 2 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[kmmcrafts]

Lots of people here have small diode type lasers and I'm assuming that's likely what most of the pen turners are probably using.. most of these are pretty small and cheap as in less than $300 would net a pretty decent sized one.. some real small ones maybe only around $150.. I talk with quite a few people behind the scenes here via PM's about lasers.. so I know several here have them but they don't want to get thrown out of the site for talking about those forbidden tools as this is a scroll saw site..

These cheaper lasers like this in my opinion are much less power but in my opinion.. probably the more dangerous.. mainly because they are in the open no enclosure.. so one could burn out their eyes.. if the beam reflects off of something the laser isn't in a enclosure so you could set things on fire much easier.. these are also very cheap so more newbies to the laser are more likely to buy this type machine to just get their feet wet.. see what it's all about.. so many don't really know what they're doing which in turn is a big safety issue.. Kind of surprises me these are even allowed to be sold like this.. all they have to do is provide a pair of tinted safety glasses and put a warning sticker on the machine to make sure people use the glasses anytime they're in the room where the laser is running..

Haven't even talked about the types of materials that shouldn't be lasered because of toxic gasses and making people sick or worse.. These machines do not have any kind of exhaust so you fill up your shop with the toxic smoke from whatever you're lasering. There is "laser plywood" specific to using with lasers.. some of the glues in plywood is toxic to burn.. do research before just trying to engrave anything you feel like.. Some will rig up a enclosure and an exhaust system but then by the time you do a lot of that stuff you're in the price range of the small co2 laser which is way more power for cutting thin plywood rather than just engraving.

 I guess I better drop out on this topic of laser talk before I get my hand slapped.. My original point was.. they aren't cheap and if they are they're probably not safe... especially if you don't have much common sense on what you're doing and working with. 

Back on topic of the dome clock..

[BadBob]

I have been watching lasers and CNC for a long time. I figured a used one would cost $4,000- $6,000. CNC routers are probably cheaper since you can build your own. If you have money to burn, then I suppose $6,000 is cheap.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Kevin all good points Kevin and I am not disputing this. All I said and I hate to be called a liar that there are cheaper version of lasers today than they ever were. If they are so bad then you should contact Amazon and tell them to stop selling. You bought a high tech laser and maybe you need that type or maybe you over paid for things you really do not need. Who knows that is your business. Again you keep bringing up safety with these things a match can burn down your house so safety is in everything we do.  Welders, how many people use welders and do not know how to safely use them. On that site they talk about all this stuff but you are right this is not the place for laser talk. You talk and other talk about buying cheap tools and making them work for them so why not a cheap laser.  Sucking in saw dust or fumes from finishes are not safe for you too. People can make those cheap lasers or CNC routers work for them so YES it is possible. Can you give me that at least.  Precautions are needed for everything we do in life. There are irresponsible people that jump into a hobby with both feet and think they can do what others trained for years to do. I see it all the time people trying to be electricians. Talk about burning a house down. When you got into the CNC and laser world you took the time to join a forum and learn things before you started spending lots of money and I bet there is a ton of things you still have to learn. Good for you. Not everyone needs a $100,000 machine to do simple things and at least today there are options for less expensive (do not want to use the words cheaper) unit. Just like scrollsaws and other tools. That is why HF came into existence. Many times you pay for name brands but again that can carry weight too. So buyer beware. I am done with topic. I know exactly 0 about lasers or CNC machines. I do not want to mislead anyone. 

3 hours ago, BadBob said:

I have been watching lasers and CNC for a long time. I figured a used one would cost $4,000- $6,000. CNC routers are probably cheaper since you can build your own. If you have money to burn, then I suppose $6,000 is cheap.

What was that CNC router or laser 5 years ago or 10 years ago price wise. Probably twice that. Get my point. $6000 today is not the same value as $6000 5 years ago. So yes it is cheaper. 

Edited January 2 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[kmmcrafts]

Just out of curiosity I looked up comparable machines to what I have for a price comparison from what I bought 6 years ago.. My CNC list price was $3800 for bare machine with water cooled spindle.. I bought a lot of extras to get started with the machine like touch plate and several bits, spoil board etc. etc. by the time I walk out with the whole setup I had about $6000 invested. The same comparable machine now list for $4500 ish.. I don't know about "other machine brands" but the one I bought has not come down in price as it is went up in price. This is the machine I bought. https://nextwavecnc.com/product/shark-hd510-plus/

The K40 laser I bought was $350... now they're priced around $600.. so again it's not any cheaper than before.. https://omtechlaser.com/collections/df-series-co2-laser-engravers

I'm not saying they're all more expensive... just comparing the machines I bought.. I don't research the other ones because I don't have receipts to back up my claim that they're not cheaper now.. I don't remember the prices of the ones I looked at years ago but have receipts of the ones I bought and they're still selling the same things today for more money.. Now you may have a point on the value of the dollar today vrs years ago. we all know prices of everything have went up..

Now, when these machines started hitting the market years and years ago they was pricey.. I remember when sears came out with a carvewrite or named something like that.. the price way back then was like $2500? I'm thinking.. and this machine only had a 12 x 12 routing area or something like that.. so yeah back in the day they were pricey.. China started making knockoffs and gave the USA machines a bit of competition.. 

There are cheap China made desktop type CNC's and run off of like a dremel type motor, LOL.. and as I mentioned in other replies about cheap diode lasers they are more hobby toys.. These machines are about the quality of the power tools that harbor freight used to sell years ago. So you may be right.. there are tons of cheap mostly hobby machines.. some might actually work too, LOL

Side note: The K40 I bought new could sell for the same price and likely more than I paid for it.. CNC, not so much as they don't seem to hold the value quite as well.