Industrial Carving with the CW to make MONEY

I am in a holding pattern with the big project waiting for some Leather Rivets to come in. I added the Rivets to the design to better hold the edge guide over the years. So since the CW machine was free I made 5 of the Command Board handles for a order going to near New Orleans. I type this as the Heat Transfer Press is heating up to Print the White Board. This is always a challange as moisture inside the board causes steam and it sounds like a .22 gun when the top coat pops... I have tricks to do it and I will see... I have 13 blanks and 5 boards to print.... wish me luck... In the mean time the 5 handles came out nice and the 5th coat of poly finish is drying. That new wider format printer came in handy making this board as I used the 13 x 19 transfer sheets.

Pictures:

First is a Production Sample that has a scratch in the surface of the board but is a test for the rivets and is off to a Salesman as a Sample.
Board waiting for Rivets then after all the hammering is done, I will install the Velcro clocks and SHIP...
Command board Handles.
Sample Artwork taking the Fire Chief's ideas and making a Mock Up Sample.
Cool FLAME Tags the first 2 Fire Departments for the Alabama order in photo proof.

Having FUN in the Shop.

Edit... Did 3 and had 2 blow out.... not looking good for the home team... Break time to regroup... :) Last picture the blow out....

Do you ever get a nights sleep??? Just the design(may be repetitive but still editted) and load time for all the projects on the carver, let alone the importing of the pics you have to use for the printed parts make me dizzy. Great work and knowing it helps make the people safer has to be a plus.
Thx for sharing,
Rick H

AL,

If you have MS Publisher, you can do a merge file. When I was doing 300 name badges for a Dutch Oven event, it saved countless hours of layout time.

Dian,

No, don't have that... But Corel Draw will do a merge...

Thanks,

AL

Al,

I have been using CD for almost 20 years, and I never knew it could do a mail merge!! I learn something new every day :) Thank YOU AL.

They talk about Merge on the Engraving forum EngravingEtc using Excel, but it may take a newer version then I use. I am using CD 12.

10 PM and I have 5 Perfect Command Board Prints... 2 Blow Outs, 4 less than perfect prints and 2 blanks left over for the next project... Call it a good days work... spent time drying the blanks in my heat press all day and the result was good prints... So the progress continues... I think I will take the rest of the day off... :)

That NEW $2K Printer was worth it's weight in GOLD doing a great job printing the big sheets so I only had a small strip on the bottom to tape on.

AL

Hot of the Press... The Drill Press this time.... Boards Drilled ready for Grommets. a great Sunday Project.

AL

AL,

What a great project/money maker! Very professional and it's no wonder - you're one of the best!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mtylerfl

AL,

What a great project/money maker! Very professional and it's no wonder - you're one of the best!

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Thanks MT, and your the Best at the many things you do inside this Community and out.

Really the point of posting the projects I do in the forum is well.... it makes me fell good for one... But honestly, if it was not for the CW it would be a much more difficult task.

In the early years I only had single sided tags that I could purchse... I was marking the back with Reflective vinyl.... and only big numbers... Then I tried to cut tags with the machine and what a mess.... The feed rate pushed the bit too fast and the tag sides were chipped up... It was only after LHR suggested in the forum to lie to the machine locking it in first gear... That honestly made the difference... I was now able to cut 2 sided tags from sheet stock any size.

I have pitched the CW on the engraving forums for Tags and I know one tried it.... Plus Plaques...

On the Engraving Forum a guy much like me is doing un conventional stuff.... Laser Engraving Plaques then He has a LED UV Cure Flatbed Printer adding color logos and pictures to Engraved Plaques.

My rivet supplier is interested in Un finished Fire Dept Plaques.... Another job for the machine... turning $2.00 in wood and a hour carving time into $30.00.

I just fuinished the Grommets tonight and the red edge guard on the 5 Command Boards and will let the epoxy dry... I can Ship tomorrow after adding the Handle and Clock...

Life is good....

AL

Pictures are from 2008 my first epoxy dome tag on the display made on the CW and a reorder in 2010 where I printed the back side.