[Ryan Fairweather]

SOLD. .

[Ryan Fairweather]

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[Ryan Fairweather]

UTACK Multisurface floor vinyl from CMYUK.

It is expensive at over £400 for a 25m roll but it is fantastic. `sticks to short pile carpet as well as brick walls and painted floors.
We have some in the studio and it has been there for months no problem.

[Ryan Fairweather]

The easy answer would be to follow the manufacturers guidelines but as Robert quite rightly stated, flushing the system can cause more problems than it solves for when you return.

We have a lot of large format flat bed as well as digital and we have divided the week into 2 visits. Myself and the production manager are taking a day each where we will pop in, perform a head test, purge some ink and fill the back up tanks.
Almost guaranteed no problems long term that way and we will have zero contact with anyone on the way in or whilst here.

Should only take 30 minutes for us.

[Ryan Fairweather]

quote David Hammond:

So BoJo’s statement made it pretty clear… yet everyone seems to think they are essential, and work is more important than the health of others. :bangshead:

Totally agree David. I for one will making some announcements this week and look after the welfare of my staff and others by hibernating the company for a few weeks.
It’s time.

Scary shit

[Ryan Fairweather]

quote Chris Wilson:

Just put your pay through as a wage for the next month or two.. maybe 3 who knows. And once it settles down reduce your wage drastically and just take a dividend (higher than normal) to balance… I’ve not done the maths but for a month or two surely that’s the best way to go about it

Unless I am misunderstanding the offer to support wages from the government, I think we are all missing something here?

The offer is to assign staff (including ourselves being one) as on ‘furlough’. This means that they cannot work for the benefit of the business by its very definition and therefore not help add revenue nor help support the business in the meantime?

Options as I see them.

* Pay staff full salary but receive 80% support as a grant but they cannot work for the company and therefore generate any income. Still costs the business 20% with no chance of generating a return.
* Reduce hours and therefore pay. May become cost neutral but severely effects their income
* Lay them off which means no income for company nor income for them. Also means no cost to company.

Unless the government are mis using their terminology by using ‘furlough’ I am struggling to find an easy upside for company owners apart from helping their staff retain an income for the short term?

I certainly hope it is simpler than that. 🙁

Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

quote Jean Oakley:

Ive had an email from my council which seems to say I should be eligble for a 10K grant. I doubt very much this is going to be a straight forward thing where they just drop it into my bank account. No doubt there will be hours of form filling followed by here £250. I have no work on for next week, what do I do with staff? send them home on full pay? Cant do that for very long, reduce hours? not sure I can legally or make them take holiday they have accrued again not sure I can legally. No one seems to know anything its very stressful at the moment.

A little factual information that may help clarify some of your points above;
This is from my employment lawyer but always check with a professional yourself before acting.

Redundacy (if over 2 years employed). If under, nothing owed.

Under 22 years of age.
0.5 weeks pay for every year of employment
+ notice pay
+ accrued holiday

Over 22 years of age and under 45.
1 weeks pay for every year of employment
+ notice pay
+ accrued holiday

Over 45.
1.5 weeks pay for every year of employment
+ notice pay
+ accrued holiday

Other options

Alternative contracts can be offered covering pay, hours, role or all of the above. You may (if challenged) need to provide evidence that you financial circumstances support this decision but based on the current unprecedented times that is unlikely if due diligence is demonstrated. Offering this contract means that if declined, redundancy is not required by employer to pay.

Sometimes employees have to take the hit for the short term along with the employer to increase the possibility of the survival of the business and doing so in this climate may mean that we can all have staff on the other side when it upturns (which it will).

This includes offering SSP if business does not have funds available to support employment and/or unpaid leave.

Hope this helps.

Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

quote David Hammond:

I’m off to Birmingham for a training day at another sign company on Sunday, will report back.

I always find it helpful talking to other businesses, even I related industires, always pick up new ideas.

It would be good to hear how your one goes David. What type of training?

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks Chris,

I have booked a couple of slots on their ‘BOOTCAMP’ course for the production boys. It looks interesting but its good to hear your positive feedback.
As long as they take something positive from it I’m happy.

They also have a more office based ‘FRONTLINE’ course which looks interesting for one of my account managers so I may give that a go too. 🙂

Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

quote Iain Pearson:

Post it on LinkedIn or Facebook, far more likely to get A response from someone more local

Covered all those usual bases Iain (apart from Facebook anyway as I hate it lol). I probably expected more of a response from a dedicated sign forum but like you said, local is most likely better.

[Ryan Fairweather]

Not even one enquiry?

🙁

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks Robert. I appreciate you getting back to me.

That is exactly the type of device I was researching for. I was wondering how effective it was?
I think we have all probably fell foul of hiring or buying equipment to perform a task which in reality are actually a bit useless.
Because of the quantity of the signs required and wanting a neat hole of course, I was thinking of looking into an excavator type. The quicker we can get them all cut the less disruption for the client.

I am hoping to simply drill holes via a base plate, drop some M12 threaded rod in with Chem Fix and bolt down if I’m honest. We levelled them using spacers under the base plate the last time we did it and it was very effective.
It is for a new industrial estate built for a large online seller so it needs to be right.

Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

These can be used for AGFA Anapurna M2 printer by the way.

[Ryan Fairweather]

quote Garrickt Dartnell:

Hi Ryan!

Wow thats a great mix-up :smiles:

The only “UV reactive” printing I have seen is on small sizes such as posters and t-shirts etc. It takes a particular ink which is screenprinted I believe.

check out: http://www.uvgear.co.uk/product/product … %20Enquiry

Hope this helps

Thats what I suspected. I have seen UV ink and vinyl in very small sizes but nothing commercial. It’s a new one on me thats for sure. lol

[Ryan Fairweather]

Plastic.

[Ryan Fairweather]

Little bit more than a few miles, Braintree but probably only 30 mins drive.
Thanks again.

[Ryan Fairweather]

Legend! Thanks. When I looked on their site I couldn’t see them? Must be going blind lol

Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

sold.

[Ryan Fairweather]

I don’t think waiting is the problem Paul, it has been the lack of communication.
I will get Sharon to call now.

Thank you

[Ryan Fairweather]

I would love to know why they won’t send us ours then?!! (hot)

[Ryan Fairweather]

I’ll give it a go on the ZUND on Monday.
😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

Also, the only way to create a nice finished edge when applying vinyl to a substrate and then router is to engrave that edge first to separate before the final router pass.
Otherwise the bit chews the vinyl up.

[Ryan Fairweather]

I’m afraid so buddy yes. A pain but it’s the same for all of us.

We are running ZCC (ZUND CUT CENTRE)

[Ryan Fairweather]

You can adjust the strength of the vacuum on the router spindle itself by opening/closing that hole or;
Open required file in cut queue.
Click on Editor/Tools/Bridges/Settings….choose bridge width (usually approx 3mm).

Then Bridges/Insert and insert the bridges where you like.

Once finished save to Cut Centre.

Then set your ‘Multi Pass Depth’ to the depth you would like to leave the tap (usually approx 0.6) but this will depend on material and a little practice.
I hope this helps.

Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

We have a 4m bed by 1600 wide. To be honest with you, I cannot really think of a negative at the moment. Very very intuitive and user friendly, very hard for the user to get things wrong unlike most other standard routers. Excellent finish, clean, accurate, I could go on.

I’m clearly a fan! 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

We have one and I can honestly say that it is one of the best purchases made to date and a great sister machine to AGFA printers. Cuts perfect every time and millimeter perfect and quick too.
Not much use if you don’t pump out a lot of work but otherwise in-disposable.

Ours has all the extras such as 3 station tool system. 1kw router spindle alongside ‘kiss cut’ and thru cut tools.
We have had no issues at all with the software or the machine itself…..touch wood.

[Ryan Fairweather]

More of a long term plan really Rob depending on the commitment from the client. For the time being it is going to be a case of haggling with the UK vendors for best price.

How’s the printer? Still got it?

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks Andy, funnily enough that is the website I’ve just found.

Thanks for the heads up.

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks Lorraine but it is the actual stand I need rather than the material.
thank you

[Ryan Fairweather]

Unfortunately the client stipulates lamination and when you start looking at clients who order quantities such as these..and more, the cost that they are willing to pay is negligible.

Most of the links on the toolbar are not what I would call full trade suppliers as they not only provide them but also print/manufacture them in house as well.

I am ideally looking at the start of the tree.

Think I have found a possibility….maybe!

😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks Ian.

[Ryan Fairweather]

I thought it would be politically based!

What a joke. I potentially have guys with 15 years sign install experience having to face an NVQ to qualify!

[Ryan Fairweather]

Just called the CSCS on 0844 57687772.

They were quite helpful, if a little rude.

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks, order is now placed.

They seem like a very helpful company which makes for a nice change nowadays.

😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

Congratulations! Grandma? Who would have guessed! 😮

[Ryan Fairweather]

no worries buddy

[Ryan Fairweather]

I am aware of the dry wipe material but I am looking at the magnetic element of the board more than the dry wipe.

thanks

Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks Jill,

you seen how much the boys have grown in my profile pic?

Had their 1st proper Halloween last night at 3 yrs old, don’t know who enjoyed it more though, the kids or the adults with the light sabers!! 🙂

[Ryan Fairweather]

It’s ok guys, I have figured it out! Whoopee!! 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

Does anyone know the temperature that is required when wrapping vinyl….

We will not be accepting any responsibility but I do care for my customers and any inconvenience caused to them is something that I indirectly feel also.

Nothing worse than trying to convince someone with no experience of our industry that you have not done anything wrong and they keep asking for my advice as to what to do next.

My main response is to push the insurance company to do their job and actually look at the thing before casting accusations around.

[Ryan Fairweather]

Did remove the decal in the presence of the client and he is not disputing the fact that the fault lies with the painter but because the painter has dug his heels in, it has gone back to the insurance company.

The surface beneath the paint had a dusty silver finish to it and felt completely smooth, not ‘keyed’ or sanded.

[Ryan Fairweather]

The assessor has heard the phrase ‘heat gun’ and decided to nominate us as the faulty party without even seeing the vehicle.
We have explained that the temperatures needed to wrap a vehicle for example far out way anything we did on this vehicle and a heat gun is a tool of our trade.
The fact that the paint had not adhered sufficiently to the surface is the cause and nothing else.

I have advised the client to push the insurance company to actually do their job and have the paint professionally assessed.

[Ryan Fairweather]

I believe it may have gone now, a local company are supposed to be collecting today.

thanks

Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

You want to use VM Ware Fusion.

We use it on all our Macs for PC based printers and software and it works very successfully.

[Ryan Fairweather]

It would have appeared to have been a software issue.

We reverted to an earlier state, performed a software update and the problem has been solved!

Thanks, a great help as usual. 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

Sorry, I got it in the end.

yes you are right, it is the Kabel family. Hate it when you recognise a font but can’t remember the name.

thanks guys 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

anyone? Please?

[Ryan Fairweather]

Would also recommend the AXYZ units, they do exactly what it says on the tin! 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks Rob, forgot about that. I had it installed on my PC’s but switched to Macs and forgot all about it!

Did you ever get your money back for the UV?

[Ryan Fairweather]

In you personal experience, would you say that the benefits out way the cost?

[Ryan Fairweather]

I don’t make a habit of joining organizations such as this due to the fact that we are very busy anyway and if i ever need assistance i generally head this way!
Thought i would ask here as apart from a logo to display i cant see too many benefits to me as a business that has been doing perfectly well without them as it is.

Always good to check in case i was missing something
😮

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks for the prompt reply Rob.

The only issue that i can see is that there is not a solution that will run, say a trough light over a panel/post system, for 8 hours.
Their solution is only a sensor based notice board which lights up when someone passes within 8 feet.
We simply do not have enough sunshine in the UK to generate a daily ‘nightime’ solution.
If I’m wrong please let me know.

[Ryan Fairweather]

fantastic! thanks for the suggestions, great help as usual! 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

It does not include head replacements.

Fairly reliable machine, we look after our gear a lot so things rarely go bang.

Only 1 year old. Raster UV RP-720 Model

[Ryan Fairweather]

it is a different body shape and side fairings but it may help in the future.

I only have it as a jpeg i’m afraid but it should be easy to convert.

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Graphic1.pdf

[Ryan Fairweather]

I have one for a 2008 R6 if you want it?

[Ryan Fairweather]

Still for sale.

[Ryan Fairweather]

Have a SP540V for sale if interested?

feel free to contact me on 07791 705839
Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

That is an amazing find Andre and will definitely aid our decision as to whether we upgrade to the Daytona 700.
cheers

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks, didn’t know that. 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

Raster have stopped selling the Cube so that must tell you something!

in reality it apparently only printed 10 sqm per hour on a high res.

We use the Raster 720 at the moment and are looking at upgrading to the Daytona.
All the quirks on the 720 have been eliminated apparently, it self cleans, you dont need to flush as often etc.. etc… and it prints at a realistec 25-30 sqm per hour.
Euro point are holding an open day on the 25th/26th in Oxfordshire if your interested in seeing a demo?
Ill be there on the 25th

[Ryan Fairweather]

Sorry Dave, never got around to getting back to you.

1: How long have you had your UV Printer? 8 months
2: Have you found the UV printer a good business decision, can you see a ROI? most definitely, but it was acquired for a specific contract so it has paid for itself already.
3: How have you found getting support within your service contracts? 1 yr contract with supplier so no problems there. held with L&M Imaging who are excellent.
4: What materials are good or does a UV Printer struggle with? Copes well with everything although Correx is a bit temperamental as it ‘curls’.
5: How long did it take to get familiar with using your printer? Not too long, they are really not a machine to switch on occasionally and fire the odd print out.
They work better the harder they work, ours is constant from 8 through to 6pm. You cannot afford to cut corners in the morning set up as it will bite you all day either.
6: If anything, what are the plus point or the negative points about your purchase?
Less labour required to produce.
Mass quantity capability.
Expensive to buy and maintain.
Slightly agricultural in operation.

Thank you
Dave[/quote]

[Ryan Fairweather]

Yes mate. you are welcome to give me a call anytime on the mobile 07791 705839 or at the office on 01376 348212.

cheers
Ryan 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

eco sol max

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks for your help Andy! 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks for that! Needed tweaking slightly but got there in the end.

thanks for the help 😀

Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks for that Nick, any clues on this one for the same van?

cheers

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[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks Nick,

thats the one! Response on this site is fantastic as always!

love it

[Ryan Fairweather]

A star as per usual!

Here is an updated picture of the boys by the way, they enjoyed your gift! 😀

A real handful raising twins but very rewarding. Certainly a challenge running a growing business and having twin boys at the same time 😮

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[Ryan Fairweather]

was thinking about going for the Javelin to start with after some thought as there are varied reviews on the cut accuracy etc… with the Excalibur.

May get one at a later date….decisions decisions 😕

[Ryan Fairweather]

I would have to agree with you there but i had a demo of their new prototype with improved heads and the quality (especially for the finer detail) has improved immensely.
I think i am the 1st to get one so ill let you know how it goes.

[Ryan Fairweather]

quote Andrew Ritchie:

I hope you remembered to tell them you are a UKSG member! 😉

1st thing to come out of mouth :lol1:

I’ll take some pictures when we move her in, hectic weekend ahead to find some space!

[Ryan Fairweather]

Standard aerial bold is the norm mate.

There wont be any restrictions on size either, that is reserved for numbers.

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks guys!

life savers!! 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

Jig saw will do the job nicely. Just make sure you have access to power.

[Ryan Fairweather]

thanks for the help, found it on My Fonts so good to go!

cheers

Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

did a search but cant find it anywhere

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks guys!

Already feeling the drain on my eyeballs due to lack of sleep and they have only been home 2 days 😮

Here are another couple of pics.

The picture of Stephanie is at 34 weeks….looks like she stole a basketball

😀

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[Ryan Fairweather]

this as a his res rather than vector.

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Shark Flame ver8.ai

[Ryan Fairweather]

How’s this?

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Shark Flame ver8.eps

[Ryan Fairweather]

That’s right, they are not genuine Roland inks.

The Spire digital sets are as they are a merchant of their products so that is a good price reduction compared to Roland.

You have to be careful of substituting quality over price which i dont want to do. Simply not to throw money away due to not researching alternative suppliers is what i am looking into at the moment.

[Ryan Fairweather]

Just gave him a call. He does recommend fully flushing the system if swapping from Roland though (even though the supplier says it not necessary)

For the price i may give it a go and see the difference (if any) in colour.

[Ryan Fairweather]

spire digital sell them at £46 per 220mm cartridge which is the cheapest i have found so far.
will keep you posted.

[Ryan Fairweather]

thanks a million guys as usual!

[Ryan Fairweather]

Yes, did that thanks. Followed the manufacturers cutting instructions but just wanted to add a better overall finish to it.

I scraped it with a steel edge yesterday and i am really pleased with the result.

I think i will experiment with the flame polishing on an off cut as well.

thanks for all the help guys 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

yes, its clear

[Ryan Fairweather]

Digital Print.

Good point regarding screen printing. I will look into that also.

[Ryan Fairweather]

For the 3mm or 5mm George?

I was thinking within the same price range for 5mm? + VAT of course

[Ryan Fairweather]

Roland versacamm 540 and versaworks

[Ryan Fairweather]

I get the feeling that i will be walking through the show when some mad lady pounces on me demanding liquor! 😀

Sounds like a good night out to me 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

No problem! Tell you what, you can both have one! Feeling generous today 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks Brian!

[Ryan Fairweather]

Thanks Marcella!

Don’t suppose you have that do you? Buy you a beer at the show. 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

thanks Ewan but was wondering if there was a version of this font that is not ‘wonky’.
Will try the Helvetica Bold….thanks for the suggestion 🙂

[Ryan Fairweather]

Cheers Dave!

Got a holiday coming up next week on the bike so i will officially switch off the work head next Friday!
Cant wait! 😀

[Ryan Fairweather]

Strange, all i see is the web designer details?

[Ryan Fairweather]

Just a thought, i had a look at your website,which looks great by the way, and cannot see any means of contacting you (tel numbers, email etc…)?

[Ryan Fairweather]

Sure, feel free.Hope you don’t mind being licked to death by the dog :lol1:

[Ryan Fairweather]

quote Jillbeans:

In my family, when we are expecting a new member, I sew nice flannel receiving blankets for them.
If you PM me your postal address I’ll send you one for each baby!
Love….Jill

I can’t believe you would do that for me Jill! (!) You must have a very kind heart to offer to do that.

I will PM you my address but i really wouldn’t expect to receive anything.

Love Ryan

[Ryan Fairweather]

Well, they think that they are both boys so anytime you like fella!