[Neil Speirs]

John Wilson 😆

[Neil Speirs]

Cheers Rob, hopefully give them a visit on Wednesday then :thumbsup:

[Neil Speirs]

That’s who I probably last purchased sign vinyl from back in the day when they were in Glasgow.

Sure I don’t have a europoint account but may still have an account live with metamark….. fingers crossed.

[Neil Speirs]

Thanks Phil!

[Neil Speirs]

Thanks for the info Dan :thumbsup:

If you ever need help with the laser please feel free to also fly me over……. preferably summertime 😉

[Neil Speirs]

Thanks Dan!

I would like to add something that we can throw full 8×4 sheets into but just trying to see what type machine would be best fit for us? We already have a laser that has a 760×440 bed and yeah know how great these machines are but I have no knowledge on CNC machines and the pros & cons to them… We normally work with 4-8mm veneered MDFs and some occasional acrylics but ideally just want a machine for cutting our designs from full 8×4’s

[Neil Speirs]

I know this is an old thread but did any of you guys proceed with purchasing a large cnc?

[Neil Speirs]

quote Phil P Davies:

I have 6 HPC lasers, the machines are excellent, and up to full safety specs for the UK market. The same cannot be said of imports, and even some available in the UK as imports. These use Glass CO2 tubes, and are excellent for cutting and occasional engraving. They are not the fastest at engraving, perhaps 400mm/s is about avergae, much faster and it shakes the machine, less gives better quality.

I also have a trotec speedy 300 120W here which I use for engraving, they are not cheap by any standards, but are head and shoulders above everyone out there. They use Iradion RF sources and the engraving quality is phenomenal. These will engrave at 3550mm/s, but of course you need more power density.

I would recommend either company, and both of them offer good service. Both have showrooms and are happy to do demos etc.

Lots of people recommend against glass tubes, I prefer them for cutting. The cost of a replacement on an 80W is around £440. An 80W RF source (ceramic or metal tubes) is a few thousand more. They become consumables, I have kileld a few myself through working them too hard, but typically get 2-3 years just cutting out of them.

What bed size is your largest HPC Phil?

[Neil Speirs]

I’m sure I’ve just seen some for sale on some site but I’ll be damned if I can remember where :awkward:

[Neil Speirs]

……..

[Neil Speirs]

Bet you supplier blames the washing process

[Neil Speirs]

quote Robert Lambie:

Spotted John Wilson… crossing the Fenwick Moors carrying a large box of Krispy Kremes and swigging a 2lt bottle of Pepsi…

just sayin. 😕

Sure it was him?

Fits his M.O. except for the Pepsi bit! sure it wasn’t a 2ltr bottle of some exotic gay cider?

😉

[Neil Speirs]

:shutup:

[Neil Speirs]

I was enjoying the piece n quiet 😉

[Neil Speirs]

As Chris says just tape them up on the bench, lift up check, back on bench adjust, lift up check again then press…. the more u do it the easier it gets.

[Neil Speirs]

Keep up the good work fella!

[Neil Speirs]

This Judo thing is looking quite interesting

[Neil Speirs]

BTC all the way :thumbsup:

They lead and others follow…..order online before 9pm for next day delivery, order over £150 online for free delivery and now order over £50 online friday 2-6pm for free delivery. nuff said 😉

[Neil Speirs]

quote Gordon Connelly:

OK so I buy a coffee from the street vendor. He uses izettle and hands me his phone so I can put my card in etc. Instead of doing that I just split with his phone. He chases me for a block or two and while he’s doing that my partners in crime raid his coffee stand, taking all his cash, his Helly Hansen coat, and his little solar powered radio.

Love it.

You can take the boy outta the gutter but you can’t take the gutter outta the boy. 😮

A man after my own heart lol

[Neil Speirs]

quote Denise Goodfellow:

spending 20 mins talking to a customer all for a £5 mug.

Here lies the problem + add on the time to design & produce the mug, t-shirt or whatever 😕

[Neil Speirs]

quote Nigel Pugh:

In good working order and nothing needing to be replaced for 12 months then around 5k – 8k as a private sale………………….but I have seen some really stupid high prices on a well known trading website for lesser models.

Nigel

Cheers Nigel, your a gent :thumbsup:

How are you rating the BN20? (need to downsize)

[Neil Speirs]

2 1/2 years Mo

[Neil Speirs]

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

(better late than never 😉 )

[Neil Speirs]

Gildan do a safety orange & yellow? http://www.btcactivewear.co.uk/store/in … n_spc=2000

[Neil Speirs]

Listen to your son, he’s actually right this time 😉

[Neil Speirs]

quote John Wilson:

quote Neil Speirs:

do u want me to come and weed it for u 🙄

Na, you’d end up drinking coffee all day and listening to the radio :lol1:

no way, ure coffee’s rotten….couldn’t drink a full cup

[Neil Speirs]

do u want me to come and weed it for u 🙄

[Neil Speirs]

HOT LAMINATOR NOW REDUCED TO £3,000 (I’ve seen an old VW van I want 😉

[Neil Speirs]

Yeah Similar Rob but mines doesn’t look that shiney, the dude I purchased it from said he got from here http://www.blimps.co.uk/blimps-blimp-airships.aspx

I had planned to start a small advertising blimp business renting them out to the big boys but the business didnt take off……. boom boom 😉

[Neil Speirs]

I don’t have any of mine but here’s a image lifted from google, the one I’ve got doesn’t have the red tail fins

---

Attachments:

[Neil Speirs]

I also offer a gift wrapping service!

[Neil Speirs]

To be honest Steve it’s what every 14 year old secretly wants 😉

[Neil Speirs]

Quick update & bump 😉

Saw is Sold (thanks Mike, any problems just let me know) and Juicedrop discs have a new home clydeside (cheers Gordon, nice meeting you today and checking out your wheels (2 & 4)….very jealous!)

[Neil Speirs]

quote Nicholas.Gormley:

Mike Stevens – Mastering Layout Book £15 (includes P&P)
http://www.handover.co.uk/A_S_Handover_ … _info.html

Ill take this if no one has already claimed it

Still available if you want it Nicholas, PM me your details.

Cheers
Neil

[Neil Speirs]

quote Martin Cole:

quote Mike Grant:

quote Neil Speirs:

Exakt PS150 Precision Saw. Supplied in tough aluminium storage case & comes with dust hose + 3 new blades (1 recently fitted). £65 (includes P&P)
http://www.fredshed.co.uk/exaktps150saw.htm (2nd down)

Pm’d you. 😀

🙁 🙁

I would use the saw more than Mike
😀

:lol1:

[Neil Speirs]

quote John Harding:

Hey Neil – sorry to hear your giving up mate what are you concentrating on now??

Not throwing in the towel just yet John Just want to concentrate on all the stuff I can produce single handed, plus you’ve seen my workshop mate….. it’s a bastard to get vans up those stairs 😉

[Neil Speirs]

put my home telephone number on a customers van once…3ft wide 😳

[Neil Speirs]

He’ll probably end up getting them for free plus compensation because they "wurnae right" :rofl:

[Neil Speirs]

Hi Carl :wave3:

[Neil Speirs]

like it!

Just wait till Wilson See’s it, you’ll have an order for 3 😉

[Neil Speirs]

quote Phill Fenton:

I’ve got a plan….

Why don’t the administrators sell the clubs assets to Celtic. They could then form a combined team called Glasgow United. The new club would halve it’s running costs and would be able to sell off one of the grounds to build new houses or supermarkets leading to an instantly solvent and highly profitable business. Also the new club would have twice as many supporters as before so twice the amount of ticket sales. And football bigotry in Scotland would be cut at a stroke. Everybody wins 😀

Not a bad plan Phil, I personally think Scotland would be a better country without both teams but then the "True & Loyal" fans would need to go back to smashing rocks and working out how to make fire

[Neil Speirs]

You can never win doing jobs for friends or family, I try to avoid them now for an easy life.

[Neil Speirs]

Novachrome and xpres are worth contacting

[Neil Speirs]

Buy cheap buy twice 🙁

[Neil Speirs]

I reckon he’s got shares in BT…….It’s good to talk!

[Neil Speirs]

quote Karl Williams:

quote Dave Rowland:

thats what i meant…. i mean I need to cast in a different direction or try a different pond

It’s not the pond mate it’s the bait! 😀 😀 😀 😉

No Karl, it’s your tackle & how you use it 😉

[Neil Speirs]

quote Robert Lambie:

quote Dave Rowland:

quote Neil Speirs:

More profit, less work, more fishing 😀

More Women, Less Profit, fishing? lmao! 😛

more women, more profit, no time for fishing! 😛 😉

lol, no time for fishing because your watching your women spending all your profit. 😉

[Neil Speirs]

I’ll just get in nice oracal vinyls then. We’re going to redo the works van to help promote a new website and thought the logo in fluorescent blue and yellow would be a really nice touch. Back to the drawing board…..

[Neil Speirs]

Did you ever have any success tracking the blue down Warren?

[Neil Speirs]

More profit, less work, more fishing 😀

[Neil Speirs]

quote Karl Williams:

Been looking at this for ages and still can see only 1. 😳

at the side of the bus Karl, loads of them hiding about there 😉

[Neil Speirs]

:praise1: u da man

[Neil Speirs]

Def seven *drink*

[Neil Speirs]

:appl: Nice work Paul

[Neil Speirs]

I’ve found 5 but I have had quite a bit of cold medicine this morning 😕

[Neil Speirs]

quote John Harding:

Had a hug from one of my (its a lady I know how you lot think) customers today for the signs I did.

thats my second Hug in 10 year from clients – almost nicer than getting paid 😀 because you know it means somthing special to them.

John

I wonder if my landlord would accept this form of currency or how about u Rob? will a wee hug @ sign uk take care of my yearly membership 😀 (if you don’t ask 😉 )

[Neil Speirs]

quote Angelique Muller:

quote Mo Gillis-Coates:

Just a note about el cheapo machines… I have a t shirt press that I bought 2 years ago off ebay for £150, still working just fine…. as long as you maintain stuff it’s ok. It’s paid for itself many times over.

What kind of maintenance is involved?!? My ‘manual’ did not mention any…… 😮

a wee prayer that it doesn’t blow up just before you switch it on 😉

[Neil Speirs]

Try get your hands on an Adkins press, they also get re-badged for xpres and a few other companys

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adkins-xpres- … 3a6ca7eca6

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Xpres-15-x-15 … 256945d335

[Neil Speirs]

yip sounds like you need to phone Harry @ smart blades for a quick chat 01928 739799 :lol1:

[Neil Speirs]

best of luck David, shit position to be put in.

[Neil Speirs]

They may as well ask you to pick up the soap 😕

[Neil Speirs]

£13 sounds spot on but we would also be looking at charging the customer £25 to have their logo digitised unless it’s a decent sized order

[Neil Speirs]

sweet 😎

[Neil Speirs]

Yip, Robert Horne here as well.

[Neil Speirs]

welcome crazyplums 😉

[Neil Speirs]

just searched google images for freeman forman

[Neil Speirs]

quote Chris Windebank:

or ask who is printing their correx signs.

That’ll be these guys http://www.signtek.co.uk/Gallery/gallery.aspx?group=4

[Neil Speirs]

Stunning :thumbsup:

[Neil Speirs]

I’ve never been a fan of 3rd party inks, quite often it doesn’t work out to be a good saving later down the road 😕

[Neil Speirs]

quote David Hammond:

I have spoken to them – They told me to use the Versa Cam Profiles, but they don’t work with the Versa Art. My Rep there worked for Roland and has e-mailed me a profile from Rolands website- it isn’t for their media.

I know I could probably find one to work with it, but it seems a lot of messing about when Metamark I can download without any trouble.

I got a sample of their 210gsm Satin poster paper as it’s about £30 cheaper per roll, compared to the Metamark 220gsm satin paper it’s a lot glossier. Don’t want to change and have customers questioning the change. I am seriously considering stocking the blue back paper, and offering a cheaper poster option to my price list.

What Products are you using???

Sorry David missed your question, the 120g IP2404 blue back and 200g IP2408 heavy poster paper with extremely good results. I’ve also got some of their roll up media to try out (IP2903)

I can see us moving over to a lot of their products because of the good pricing and top service from them.

[Neil Speirs]

quote Tim Painter:

It hardly need any work at all Marcie just add the ‘i’s in the right places.

I agree :lol1:

Stick to T-shirts John!

[Neil Speirs]

quote Nigel Pugh:

will be in Scotland in 2 weeks or so.

Regards
Nigel

@ John Wilson **FREE BEER ALERT**

[Neil Speirs]

quote Alan Drury:

My mate has just ordered one from Xpress I think but not many in the country and he isn’t due to pick up his until early November. I will be looking at it with interest. Apparently essentially the same as bigger Roland stuff but smaller and with metallic ink option, don’t think it has white though. Not so much this machine is slow but more a case of the bigger machines being so fast nowadays.
Alan D

Xpres can be bad for taking your money first then keeping you waiting until they can bulk order few in, you might find they are readily available from other suppliers 🙄

[Neil Speirs]

save job as a rvw file, then when required again us the > File >add job to queue A or B from within versaworks

[Neil Speirs]

We use the heavy duty version of the Exact saw (the purple one) http://www.exaktsaw.org.uk/

It’s great for occasional use but I wouldn’t recommend it for everyday work.

[Neil Speirs]

quote jonmiller:

Not able to access that thread, not enough posts perhaps or??

Sorry, it must be under the members section.

[Neil Speirs]

I’d happily do a one sticker job as long as it was 1m long 🙄

[Neil Speirs]

quote Richard Martin:

quote Phill Fenton:

I would start off by designing all your skins yourself and get friendly signmaker to produce these for you. These are fairly small and providing you can do all of the artwork yourself you should be able to negotiate a trade price that would allow you to still be able to add a reasonable mark up and yet still offer these for sale at a competitive price.

This way you would minimise your start up costs and enable you to establish that you would indeed have a market before investing in expensive equipment.

I think it’s a great idea, but you will have to be able to sell a lot of these if you want to have a viable and profitable business.

The design and marketing of your product is the hard part. Producing them is the easy bit

Good luck 😀

Beat me to it, top advice.

You would have to sell a lot of these before you even see a break even point if you are going to buy the kit to start. Find a local printer have a chat and negotiate a price if you have the artwork ready to go and get a reasonable amount printed at once it would be more viable.

The other thing you have to take into account is the fast turn around of gadget so just keep stock low as whats selling one week will be old hat next week!!

Best of luck

another thing to think about Helen, if it was that easy to produce & make money selling these things, then hundreds of us on here already with the equipment could be making them tomorrow but we don’t 😕

[Neil Speirs]

quote jonmiller:

Not that I will do to start with anyway but are there some form of guides on it to align/keep the media straight then when doing longer runs?

This is worth doing: https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.p … uide+lines

[Neil Speirs]

quote Mo Gillis-Coates:

quote John Wilson:

I’d try the same but i doubt the Albanian’s or Gypsies up our way would give a toss

You never been to Kent then? We are the traveler capital of the world…. lol My dad always used to say, If you never try, youll never know!

Aye, get yerself doon ta the barra’s John, you’ll make a feckin fortune :lol1:

[Neil Speirs]

Yeah, it looks like they only have the vp/sp 300 & 540 profiles online.

I would give them a quick call just in case.

I’ve only just started using some of spandex’s products myself and :thumbsup: so far

[Neil Speirs]

Sounds like your gonna be busy Shane…..u looking for a trainee 😉

Nice work yet again :thumbsup:

[Neil Speirs]

quote John Wilson:

Even worse then they just tell you to pick a font :lol1:

dumb fcuks 😉

[Neil Speirs]

Fantastic, makes me want to do it to my own now 🙄

[Neil Speirs]

quote John Wilson:

It will be pointless when I hack your network 😉

lol, u couldn’t hack your way into a wet paper bag!

I gave you the password last month and even then it took you 3 attempts to log on……crazy fool!

[Neil Speirs]

quote Harry Cleary:

quote John Wilson:

You got the font there Harry?

Nope, unfortunately not. 🙁

http://www.azfonts.net/load_font/sonic_ … ld_bt.html :thumbsup:

[Neil Speirs]

Well done Harry!!!

Thank you, that’s a beer you owe me at signuk 😉

[Neil Speirs]

I was trying to keep it a secret Dave & hugh have just went and told everyone :lol1:

[Neil Speirs]

"pure quality man" 😀

[Neil Speirs]

lol, just received my post and I have a letter from them saying they can’t pay the money into my account because it’s no longer active 😕

Forgot to notify Amex when I changed my bank 4 years ago, shows how often I take their cards 🙄

[Neil Speirs]

love it 😀

[Neil Speirs]

Very handy, It get’s the thumbs up from me (:thumbsup:)

[Neil Speirs]

quote Brian Little:

quote Hugh Potter:

it was always the magic roundabout for me, though I have fond memories of camberwick green and trumpton too.

i recall some 15 years ago (eek), early mid twenties, coming in from a club at around 1am, then – with a group of friends- partaking in some triple choc cookies which were made with some dubious ingredients, at 2am the magic roundabout came on on (i think) channel 4, we all sat there watching it until 6am when something else came on, that was very weird to see it through slightly altered adult eyes after so many years!

ahh do you remmember the herb garden …mabe just a bit to far back for you hugh …apart from that ud be getting repeats 15 years ago sadly i remmeber the originals 😀 😀

Reading between the lines I think Hugh remembers da herb garden more than u think 😉

[Neil Speirs]

quote Shane Drew:

I feel your pain. Signing a 15 metre bus on monday…. graphics person sent me an A4 300 dpi file as artwork on the 4th of this month. Every time I ask her to correct the artwork she keeps ending me the same thing with a note ‘I don’t understand why this will not work’

I’ve delayed installation twice already. I told her again what is required, (300dpi @ 25%) and she finally decided to humour me, but thinks I’m just being difficult.

She wrote emails to her boss, and my client, lodging a formal complaint against me. Sheesh!!! My client told her to pull her head in, and her boss apparently said the same. 🙂

Was it word or publisher :lol1:

[Neil Speirs]

Stick with vinyl Ian, screen printing garment ain’t that easy….been there, done it & no got the T-shirt 😕

[Neil Speirs]

I wouldn’t go down the road of Correx signs on lampposts, far to cheap and nasty looking. Even with pavement signs I would avoid the cheaper eco & swinger panels and push the boat out for a quality snap frame forecourt sign, they look so much better quality and after all we are sign company’s.

[Neil Speirs]

Back to your original question David, what works well for us is pavement signs, our van and roadside banners. The banners seem to bring most business through the door.

[Neil Speirs]

quote Mo Gillis-Coates:

quote Neil Speirs:

quote Mo Gillis-Coates:

quote Neil Speirs:

It’s simple really if you shorten the times down… If you earn £10 an hour for a 40 hour week then you earn £400 over 12 weeks that’s £4800…. Lets say you decide to work 80 hours a week, then you will have the same money in half the time so you can work for 3 weeks then take 3 weeks off with no loss of money…….. now convert that to years! 😀

So just because you double your hours you double your income? You suddenly get twice as much business? My calculation is try earn £25 an hour and if not go fishing 😉

lol, no you missed my point… I’m not saying double your time earn twice the money, that is if you had a “regular” job… I’m saying what you put in now you will reap later

Well your point isn’t really relevant then because none of us have "regular" jobs. We could all work evenings and weekends (I sadly have in the past) but whats the point, your customers won’t thank you.

[Neil Speirs]

quote Mo Gillis-Coates:

quote Neil Speirs:

It’s simple really if you shorten the times down… If you earn £10 an hour for a 40 hour week then you earn £400 over 12 weeks that’s £4800…. Lets say you decide to work 80 hours a week, then you will have the same money in half the time so you can work for 3 weeks then take 3 weeks off with no loss of money…….. now convert that to years! 😀

So just because you double your hours you double your income? You suddenly get twice as much business? My calculation is try earn £25 an hour and if not go fishing 😉

[Neil Speirs]

The age old question, Do you work to live or live to work?

Me, I work to live. Evenings & weekends are for family and fishing 😉