Buying new machine

[trplbogie]

Going Mon. Aug 31 to buy new machine. Have worked out a pretty good deal. Since I live in Houston I have been to mfg. location and met evey one there and getting the machine direct. Here is the deal....I am reading some nightmare stuff on the forum, also some good things. Overall, I have read the manual for the machine, and have played with the software (it is very easy)...now what I need to know. Is it worth it. Is there money to be made. I have many contacts through RV clubs, Geocache clubs, boating clubs, etc. Have rec'd permission from NFL properties to use logo's, but still do not have college. That is a whole different issue on those trademarks, but will get done none the less. I need honest feedback. With my market research, I envision more than one machine in the future.
Please give some honest feedback

Thanks
Fred
Oh,if you want to know what geocaching is, I play with billion dollar government satellites to help me find tupperware hidden in the woods.

[Kenm810]

Hi Fred,

And Welcome to the CW Forum form a fellow Geocacher
The tupperware ones are a tad easier to find than
the mini or micro Caches they stash around here

Good to have another Carvering Machine owner on board!

[dbfletcher]

Ditto for up here in PA. Most micro's or minis are either 35 mm film canasters... or 22 cal. shell casings.. those are real tough to find somedays. Not to mention all the weird looks you get sometimes when u r examinig every inch of this pole that just looks like a pole to everyone else.

Doug Fletcher

PS. We did go to disney (florida) a few years ago, a lot of the caches in side the park were pretty fun.

[Steven Alford]

As you probably are aware from reading a lot of the posts, this machine was not designed for much beyond hobby use, BUT if you take good care of it and make sure you replace the QC with the Rock Chuck, then you can get some good work out of the machine.

I think it is safe to say that the majority of the people on this forum use their machines for profit, myself included. All you need is your own little niche; something that you can make a lot of and sell at a good price. And yes, having more than one machine is a good idea; when one is down, you have the other one.

[trplbogie]

after reading these replys, maybe I should go to the Geocache forum and ask about a CarveWright




Fred

[dbfletcher]

lol.. sorry.. sometimes it is nice to talk about Non-carvewright things.... the bottom line is if you dont mind tearin things apart... are willing to put lots of time in to matainence, have a good tollerance for frustration, the the carvewright can be a good machine. But if you expect to be buying a machine like a table saw.. that you just turn on and use when you want, you'll most likely be disappointed.

Doug Fletcher

[Digitalwoodshop]

The information you ask for is here for the reading. Months and months of posts on using it for a Business and "Should I buy it", needing help making a decision. Look at the search function here as a GeoCarve hunt... Like said above, it is a hobby machine and if you demand it to be a production machine like I and others do. You must be ready to fix it with parts you purchase before you need them or like me have 3 machines plus lots of parts.

Nothing worst than someone buying the machine and expecting it to be a production machine and not have the ability to fix it. You will need to be able to fix the problems and not whine about every loose screw. It's not Rocket Science but some with a thick wallet buy the machine on a whim then spend hours complaining about the machine or really there lack of the ability to fix it.

There are many happy users and it is a MUST that you purchase the ROCK as soon as possible. 90% of the problems are QC related.

Just look at the Troubleshooting forum.... there are very few real problems.... One guy had to dig back 2 years to find a DOG to KICK....

In the current configuration the machine is VERY RELIABLE.

If your going to invest in NFL Copyright Payments then you are doing a full UP business like ME and will have all the TAX benefits and deductions.

Since you appear to have a thick Wallet and are quick to criticize, I recommend you skip this hobby machine and get a table model where you can do a dozen at a time.

AL

[Kenm810]

Hey Fred,

Here's a pattern to get you started,
while you enjoy your favorite Geo Beverage

[HighTechOkie]

Going Mon. Aug 31 to buy new machine. Have worked out a pretty good deal. Since I live in Houston I have been to mfg. location and met evey one there and getting the machine direct. Here is the deal....I am reading some nightmare stuff on the forum, also some good things. Overall, I have read the manual for the machine, and have played with the software (it is very easy)...now what I need to know. Is it worth it. Is there money to be made. I have many contacts through RV clubs, Geocache clubs, boating clubs, etc. Have rec'd permission from NFL properties to use logo's, but still do not have college. That is a whole different issue on those trademarks, but will get done none the less. I need honest feedback. With my market research, I envision more than one machine in the future.
Please give some honest feedback

Thanks
Fred
Oh,if you want to know what geocaching is, I play with billion dollar government satellites to help me find tupperware hidden in the woods.

If you are planning to make personalized items to these various club members, I would say this is a failed business model and no machine will be profitable. Most people lack any creative imagination, so telling them you can carve their custom designs has little meaning to them. Once someone does come up with an idea, you will spend countless hours to design, carve and finish the piece. Most people do not understand the time involved in custom work and are not willing to pay for it. Especially in the current economic times, this seems to hold true for almost all industries (embroidery, laser engraving, cnc routing).

Most of the guys making money are doing products for businesses. This way, you design once and repeat. Also, the business client typically wants several items at one time, either multiples of the same thing or personalized signs for all the offices etc. They are much quicker to make a decision and give you the go ahead.

Do NOT rely on friends and family for market research. Everyone will tell you now neat that would be, but the reality is, they are not your customers. While a product may seem neat and cool, getting someone to part with cold hard cash for something they don't need is difficult in good times, let alone now.

Just some of my observations from personal experience and researching other industries for ideas. You might be a fantastic salesman who can sell ice to an eskimo. It that case, you could create a market. You might also find a niche that is very profitable making some unique item. You might be in with a very affluent group of people that are willing to spend the money for customized carvings. In general though, there is no money in making personalized items for Joe Sixpack.

Rob

[Digitalwoodshop]

My Laser Buddy WAS in Personalized Products with a company in NJ.... They went belly up, he as moved on.... His Laser Engravers are in storage and he is miles away staying with a friend until things pick up.

AL