what kind of engraver can i buy?

[Peter Normington]

Hi Sabur, welcome to the boards.

What is your budget to spend, and do you have work for a router/cnc?
Peter

[Sabur Rafi]

My budget is unlimited in a sense but i suppose I really won’t go more than £20,000 to start of with.

[Sabur Rafi]

and sorry i forgot NO i don’t have any work for it at the moment because I haven’t really pushed the idea as of yet, being new to this game it was a nightmare working with vinyl :lol1:

[Robert Lambie]

welcome to the boards…
what size of bed do you want your router to have? i.e. biggest sheet of material it will hold?

[Peter Normington]

If your customers are corporates like you mention, I think you will need to save up a bit more, 20k wont even buy you a machine to keep up with their daily needs. However if you want to produce similar letters on a small scale, you should already have an idea which machine to buy. what is your prefered choice? Lots of people here will be able to advise pros and cons…..
Peter

[Peter Normington]

If vinyl is a nightmare, I would find another way to make a living, buying a cnc will be your worst nightmare.

Peter

[Sabur Rafi]

I think I’m confusing you all let me start again sorry.

I want to cut out perspex letters to make signs which machine do i go for is a CNC router, or a Laser Machine.

I don’t know anything about cutting out perspex letters or how they are made or fixed like I said I am new to all this little or no experience at all.

[Robert Lambie]

if you have no experience in this line work, no market etc ide say don’t go into it. for now anyway… if you have 20k to invest, buy a good wide vinyl cutter, a second hand wall saw, second hand guillotine, good PC and software. chop/mitre saw, some power tools etc and some stock…
this may sound impossible but its not! yes you will have to shop around but for 20k you have the makings of a nicely kitted out sign business to get going with.

[Peter Normington]

Sorry, lets start again then.
If you know nothing about cutting out perspex letters, how do you think you can compete with people that have been doing it for years?
Sorry to sound negative, but before spending a small fortune, you need to research your market. find out if you can sell the product, and for how much, and in what quantities, Then you can ask advice on which machine would best suit your needs.

Peter

[Hugh Potter]

with due respect, i think you need to get to grips with basic sign making before jumping into a router, i’ve been messing with a cutter for near 2yrs now, but there’s still a shed load i’m learning about actually making a sign, or even designing one on the right software.

i dont wanna put you off, but vinyl cutting is easy, a router or an engraver will require not just an X&Y path, but a third dimension too, something i’ve not done,

i’m not saying it’s impossible to learn, but you need to know how to make and fit a sign tray / panel, before you can attach the letters you’ve cut etc,

the questions people are asking you, are a way of finding out your skill levels in ‘any’ field of sign making or construction in general, so as they know the best type of machine / advice to give you.

i’m assumng you have large workshop space too, a big router is not just big money !! it’s big floorspace too !

good luck.

Hugh

edited for shpelling !! i reckon if i had £20k to play with, i’d definitely be looking at a wider than 610 cutter, poss a print cut, and general tools like a board cutter/guilotine, ladders etc !

[Sabur Rafi]

Thanks for your comments they are truly appreciated I have been running now for only little or no more than 6 months I have not advertised any where yet but I am as busy as hell.

I know this might sound silly because I am an Indian most of the business comes from Indian people who have take aways and restaurants and to be quiet honest there are not the sort of people who like to pay up I have heard of many stories how people have been ripped of buy them not paying up there are not the easiest people to get money out of not all of them are the same but there is a lot but i know how to get my money out of these people its not easy but i know how.

Because I have been asked about this sort of sign I’m the sort of person that I would like to do myself rather than farming it out to anyone at least I have the machine and any errors I do is my fault and not anyone Else’s.

Money really is not a big issue for me as I have 4 other companies I own and to be quiet honest all this sign making machine’s will all come to hand for my own company signs so really as long as i get my cost of the machine back I’m not all that really bothered of making money for myself at least my own companies get there signs for free except the materials.

[Peter Normington]

O dear, Not the best argument for buying a 20k machine.
I live and work in luton, it probably has the biggest asian and indeed most diverse population groups outside of london. If you are looking to get "free signage" for your other businesses, I would say for 20k you could buy in a lot more for less (materials and labour are extra).
I dont have any problems with "indian" people. most are very honourable, as are most other people. We could go into religion and regional differences, but I dont think we should favour that route? Do you

Peter