Newbie in need of help

[snowbind]

Hi guys, I am new to this forum and need some help. I figure it is best to explain my situation first and then lead into the question so you guys can answer and hopefully point me in the right direction.

So, I work for a sign company at a junior level. We are called a sign company but do lots of other stuff as well, mostly office based refurbs and exteriors. We use lots of different materials and print as well as the bread and butter sign type stuff.

I like my job, but it is pretty rote and I don't really get to follow my passions in terms of design and such. To keep my artistic side ticking over I have started to design some art that uses the materials and vinyl skills I have aquired to create artwork about a subject I love. I am at the point now where I think I have a relatively viable product I would like to sell.

However my boss is a *****. It has been made expressly clear on numerous occasions that I am not allowed to use any of the equipment at work for personal projects. It's really sad, I have presented my case and work to show what I want to do and am perfectly capable using the Roland plotter we have at work. I use it on a day to day basis.

So I am looking at getting my own plotter, but I am skint. The only ones I can afford are the Pcut ones from ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREATION-PCUT-PERFECT-VINYL-CUTTER-CUTTING-PLOTTER-28-/270841270000?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f0f65cef0, in fact searching for reviews on them lead me to this forum.

I really need an honest opinion about whether I will be able to work with them. The vinyl I need cutting will be no bigger than A3. Some of it will be somewhat intricate. I am in the process of creating them by hand at the moment, but once I go live with my website and hitting the niche market I am aiming for, I hope for there to be some orders.

So will a cheap machine like that be workable for me?
Will I be able to cut with it from flexi?
Does anyone here have experiences with them can give me honest feedback, not just the usual scaremongering.

I would really appreciate some help in this matter.

Thankyou

Snowbind

 

[Dentafrice]

When I first started making decals, I started with a Cricut Expression.. yeah.. the girly craft machine my mother had stashed away.

I went to a USCutter MH871.. used it for a year daily. Kinda loud... but did the job and I loved it.

Tracking on large things though, bad! But for making normal sized things.. worked great! As far as the PCUT, I would say it is the same.

Good entry level. No trying to scare you, as it worked great for me

 

[Tim Aucoin]

Why is your boss an ******* because he doesn't want you profiting personally off of HIS equipment? Did you offer him a cut of your profits? Did you offer to "rent" the equipment from him? You are being pretty harsh in my opinion!

 

[snowbind]

Thanks Dentafrice!

As for T3 I suppose it is my fault for not explicitly detailing the facts, which I didn't really want to get into, and your photo look to be of someone who would side with management, your age mostly. I am the only member of staff who is not allowed to complete personal projects. All I want is time to cut, not materials, which other members of staff use for free. I have no keys to come in on a Saturday and the bosses son, who works in the design office, regularly cuts vinyl for his and his fathers own personal usage.

It is a case of a small man throwing his weight around, nothing more or less. I won't even begin to talk about the issues I have had regarding pay or lack thereof, reduction of contracted pay, denial of overtime pay and refusal of expenses.

This is definitely a stepping stone job and I need to build up a port

 

[andy]

However my boss is a *****. It has been made expressly clear on numerous occasions that I am not allowed to use any of the equipment at work for personal projects. It's really sad, I have presented my case and work to show what I want to do and am perfectly capable using the Roland plotter we have at work. I use it on a day to day basis.

Just out of interest what was his objection?

I'm assuming you're the shop "nipper" so I'm struggling to see what the problem is? Clearly your boss is labouring under the impression that a Roland vinyl cutter is right up there on the cutting edge of British sign making technology... it isn't.

You've been honest enough to ask if you can do "homers" in your own time. From what I know of sign shops in this country there is an unwritten rule than homers are an accepted perk of the job... you're allowed to do stuff for friends and family as long as you don't take the pi$$... your boss might think that his "no homers" rule is set in stone but I can guarantee that the more senior staff at your firm are "at it" so to speak. I know loads of people in sign shops all along the south coast... they all do the odd homer now and again.

Offering your boss a niche product which you've developed in your own time shows a keeness and level of motivation which ought to be encouraged by any reasonable employer. The fact that you would essentially be training yourself in vinyl prep and production at no cost to your boss is clearly something too difficult for him to grasp.

If you're looking for a cheap machine a Creation cutter isn't the best machine on the planet but it should just about work. They have their quirks, they can be annoyingly inaccurate.... but for a youngster wanting to learn they're a cheap option. If you need to do really detailed cutting at A3 sizes you might need a tangential knife action... these can be found on some older machines.

It might be worth looking a Flynn signs up in Liverpool... they sell all sorts of hardware... you might even find a decent older machines going cheap as a part ex. All Chinese machines come with a rinky dink software interface that allows you to cut... Creation machines are always on the driver lists in these software packages. If you want to use Flexi ask whoever sells you the machine to toss in the correct driver... if they ask you to pay extra tell them to stop being cheeky

 

[Speedsterbeast]

Why is your boss an ******* because he doesn't want you profiting personally off of HIS equipment? Did you offer him a cut of your profits? Did you offer to "rent" the equipment from him? You are being pretty harsh in my opinion!

Wow.
How about just bypassing the thread?

 

[Tim Aucoin]

Wow.
How about just bypassing the thread?

Okay, done!
....kids these days!!!

 

[Dave Drane]

Wow.
How about just bypassing the thread?

This post itself is waving a red flag at a bull. It was a perfectly legitimate question in my opinion???

 

[Farmboy]

Welcome from NY
As for equipment, get what you can afford and start there. You'll make it work. That's pretty simple. As for your boss not letting you use his equipment...I can't answer that. I don't know either of you well enough to draw a conclusion. My guys do their own thing from time to time. They have even paid for larger personal jobs. My kids have had decals made for their personal use right along with my help. All have made graphics for their cars and I haven't charged or even considered charging them.

 

[Sign-Man Signs]

There are plenty of plotters and Flexi Starter for sale there. Just basic equipment but most have a warranty. Here's one from Sign Warehouse.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Start-Your-...653?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b649291d

Don't be to hard on your boss. He's just protecting his interest. Obviously you will open your own shop and we all hate competition. I have 3 of their plotters and my oldest is 6 years old. Software is pretty good for a beginner. Good Luck.

 

[The Big Squeegee]

Welcome from OK USA

 

[HulkSmash]

Okay, done!
....kids these days!!!

Ignore that guy Tim. I've come to the conclusion he does't know what he's talking about.

 

[SignManiac]

The boss has a right to deny you the use of his tools. Some bosses are okay with letting employees use their stuff, but I can see why he may not want to. Regardless, it's his prerogative. Over the years I have allowed my employees to use "my tools that I busted my *** to pay for" and had no problems. On the other hand, I've had some employees abuse, break, and even steal materials without asking me.

If you really want to launch your new product then bite the bullet and buy your own equipment and use it at home. Then your boss can't say a damn thing to you, unless you signed a non compete clause when hired.

 

[SummitSignsandmore]

Don't buy that machine. I was also in you position many years ago and purchased one just like that.. The software it comes with is **** unless you can easily read and understand Japaneese. I ran flexi with the machine also and encountered issues... The machine I had would loose communiction, both through the USB connection and through the LTP connection.. It would stop 1/2 way through a job.. Not worth it.. TRUST ME

 

[Dentafrice]

Don't buy that machine. I was also in you position many years ago and purchased one just like that.. The software it comes with is **** unless you can easily read and understand Japaneese. I ran flexi with the machine also and encountered issues... The machine I had would loose communiction, both through the USB connection and through the LTP connection.. It would stop 1/2 way through a job.. Not worth it.. TRUST ME

I had some of those problems as well, static. Even the ground wasn't right. I opened up the machine and made my own ground, running it directly to a breaker box's ground.

Worked perfect after that. Never stopped halfway through, never cut off. Always static.

I still think a USCutter MH-871 would be a good option, cheaper... mine lasted a little over a year before the stand fell apart.

 

[LSSigns]

I too started with a Cricut craft machine...it works if you have software like Make the Cut instead of having to find what you need with the scrapbook-lady cartridges. I've since moved up to a Gerber Tempo 600. Excellent machine, and we got the floor model at our sign supplier for a very reasonable price.

 

[Dentafrice]

I too started with a Cricut craft machine...it works if you have software like Make the Cut instead of having to find what you need with the scrapbook-lady cartridges. I've since moved up to a Gerber Tempo 600. Excellent machine, and we got the floor model at our sign supplier for a very reasonable price.

I wish Make The Cut was that popular when I started. I whipped up a bit of C# to convert it into HPGL and send to the Cricut.

 

[LSSigns]

Dentafrice, and something recently happened with the upgraded Make the Cut where it isn't compatible with the Cricut anymore, so we have to use the old version....still does everything we need it to do on the small scale.

 

[Dentafrice]

Dentafrice, and something recently happened with the upgraded Make the Cut where it isn't compatible with the Cricut anymore, so we have to use the old version....still does everything we need it to do on the small scale.

Great tool for small scale! I hated having to refresh the mats though after they started losing tackiness.. either way, we use it to get those small one-offs out of here with scrap pieces faster than it would be to load into my Graphtec.

 

[Gino]

Welcome from PA...............................