We will be testing out one of these http://www.epiloglaser.com/zing_series.htm  on March 2nd.  This is such a cool machine.  I will let everyone know how it goes. 

Does anyone here have any experience with this type of machine?

Thanks to Shawn for finding the link to their company.

Julie

Thanks Julie!

I'm curious to see how it goes - I'd love to get my hands on a cutting machine for shadow puppets. Sadly, my computer is dead(ish) and it looks like I'll be wasting money on a laptop. How much did the machine cost you?

We haven't purchased it yet.  They are coming to give us a demonstration. I've seen videos of it cutting fabrics and etching things, but yes it would cut shadow puppets from what I've seen, but you'd have to sell a boat load of shadow puppets to make one of these worthwhile. LOL  I'm not sure we are there yet ourselves, but we spend a lot of time cutting, just hoping to cut down the time.  Maybe a whole new side of the business I hadn't thought of until seeing it in action.  Isn't technology great!

PS..Na you should look into an IPad.  I'm much happier with mine than the laptop I purchased.  It's much faster, lighter, cooler, better picture (at least on most stuff).  I only have the Wi-fi version because I don't like paying an additional monthly charge. It actually cost less than my laptop.  It does stuff I never thought of, which isn't saying much, but anything I used to do on my laptop (with the exception of Quickbooks) I can do on the PAD.  Quickbooks for IPad is an online service and since we already own the sofetware and I don't want the extra fees. LOL  I had several folks trying to convert me and after playing with a friend's IPad I gave in.  Don't know what I did before it.  

Julie

Ah, sorry I misunderstood - but yeah, one of the reasons I haven't gotten a machine is the cost. I don't mind taking the time to cut the puppets by hand, but I do think it might be 'neater'.

As for the computer, I don't know: this issue literally came up only a few hours ago. I'd been using the computer fine until then, but now the screen's f*d. I have family who work with computers and do a lot of purchasing, so I may be able to get some sort of secondhand or discounted computer - in which case it's not so much up to me to pick what I want. I did think of an Ipad but don't know enough about it to say whether it's what I need. A quick look at prices suggests an Ipad is only marginally different to purchasing the exact same laptop again.

Julie,
Ohhhh.... cool!  Did they give you a price range on this? You know I figure it is going to be pretty pricey but I bet with it's versatility you may be able to find other things it can do that would add product you can sell.

Naomi,
Ipads are great things but I don't think you would be satisfied with just it. Can't do web design on one.

Shawn,
  They start at approx.$8000-$45000. Not for those just starting out, but oh the possibilities.  The only thing that it's not good for is Sintra because of the fumes and it damages the laser optics, but everything else we use...fabrics, vinyl, foamboard, foam, eyes, craft foam etc.  Along with all the other applications...I'm always coming up with a new business venture that I'm interested in, my husband jokes, "in all your spare time." LOL. Just thought everyone here would like to see such a cool machine.

As far as the IPad, I don't know enough about web design, but my neighbor designs apps for apple as well as other computer programs and he's one of the one that recommended it to me.

Julie

Dream Big

Thanks Julie.  That was actually even higher then I though starting cost would be.  I figured they started around $3000.00.

I did find some on eBay starting at that price, but not knowing anything about these machines and since they offered to come to us, we thought we'd give them a try.

Julie

$8000 is about what I expected though I would have guessed the lower $3k too.

Thanks Shawn - I've actually been recommended yet another Toshiba. In my family computer hand-me-downs aren't unheard of, so if someone gets a new version of an Ipad I'll probably see if I can grab one for free when they're not using the old one... I'd do that with iphones too, except the monthly fees are too much. For the moment I'm lucky to have grabbed my mum's old laptop so at least I can get on with business in the meantime.

Julie - where are you buying sintra?  I've finally used all we had on hand. Thanks

Ah Sinatra. Nothing beats the Chairman of the Board. And isn't "My Way" a great anthem for us here? Wait...sintra...ooooooh...never mind.

Ah Sinatra. Nothing beats the Chairman of the Board. And isn't "My Way" a great anthem for us here? Wait...sintra...ooooooh...never mind.

Thanks that made me smile!

Julie - where are you buying sintra?  I've finally used all we had on hand. Thanks

The last time I purchased it from a golf store that was going out of business, believe it or not.  Bought about 10-15 large signs 36"x 48" for $1 each. 

Ah Sinatra. Nothing beats the Chairman of the Board. And isn't "My Way" a great anthem for us here? Wait...sintra...ooooooh...never mind.

You guys crack me up. LOL

Today is the day! Laser machine coming for demonstration.  I know this is strange, but I'm like a little kid when it comes to cool tools.  I was on cloud nine when I purchased my first drill press and this is a much cooler tool.

Julie

Julie - where are you buying sintra?  I've finally used all we had on hand. Thanks

I found a local distributor, we purchase our foamboard from them.  Didn't realize they also had sintra.  Let me know if you need the info.

I'm still dreaming of my drill press...ooooo, and a band saw!

Okay, let me just say I will not have the words to describe how amazing this machine is.  First of all the laser not only cuts, but engraves.  The engraving part is not so much what we are looking for, but the possibilities are great.

We tested several substrates: wood, paper, leather, acrylic, foamboard, spandex, fleece, 1/2" high density green foam, 1" low density white foam, half dome eyes, flash list, pens......oh my, so many.

Fr engraving purposes the laser works like a printer except instead of laying down ink it burns away layers of the material to create an image.  If desired you could print off an email right onto a piece of leather or etch a puppet photo onto a piece of fruit. LOL. Again, this aspect of the machines capabilities were like, but not as necessary for us as the cutting aspects.

These are the results we found for a few of e materials we tested that we use on a regular basis:
Spandex, we tested cutting a star pattern into 4 layers.  The star pattern was only to test the details of sharp angels and to see of the fabric curled.  We use this type of fabric mostly for cloths.  Cut a 4" star in about 10 seconds. Yeah baby!  Only not the result you might think.  The star was beautiful, but the laser fused the four layers together. HA. So we tried two layers, removed the fabrics quickly, but same results.  Note to self, only cut one layer of spandex. So, because of the cutting are we could still cut one full shirt in under 1 min. SWEET!

Next, double sided fleece, similar to Antron in quality, but polyester not nylon.  We use this for most of our blacklight puppets.  Cut the same star pattern into 2 layers, could have cut 4. It worked beautifully.

If you were cutting a fabric that frays the laser seals the edges.

The two materials I was most impressed with we're the foamboard and foams. In Vorel draw, the rep. plotted a basic mouth plate
shape, replicated it and set the images to the laser.  Cut out multiple foamboard shapes in a matter of seconds, something that would have taken us 10-20 min to do, now would that seconds.    Smooth edge, no tearing from dull blade, seals the foam. Oh my.

The foams: 1/2" and 1": I will post photos later, but the rep cut a gingerbread man shaped into both foams again in a matter of seconds.  Extremely clean line, no charing, only slight yellowing and an oily feel to the edge.  The foam is a byproduct from the oil industry, so I gues the heat brought that out.  I will have to test gluing the foam and working with it to see if this will cause any problems.  I do 't think it will because you couldn't feel it that much.

Na, this would definitely cut the shadow puppets. Such intricate details.  Anything you can draw it can cut out.

I'll try to post photos later.

Haven't decided if we will purchase it, of course they brought a larger model than we originally were thinking of, but after seeing the cutting area, this is most of what we would need anyway.

Let me just take a moment to say how impressed we were with this company, Epilog.  Quick response time for first inquiry, multiple follow ups, extremely knowledgable sales team and intuitive machine (US manufactured). 

Julie

How cool! You know I wonder if you could lay a piece of tissue paper between each layer of Lycra and if that would keep it from sticking together? Hey it works to keep your cheese slices from sticking together.

Aw man... I'm jealous now! I'd love to have something that both cuts and engraves.... I've spent a few hours cutting out 6 shadow puppet *bodies*, not even the whole things.

Sounds great, and interesting to know about the heating affecting the use of many layers.

You know, I wish I could come near you: I'd split the costs of the machine!

You know, I wish I could come near you: I'd split the costs of the machine!

X2

AWESOME! That's the kind of thing it's dangerous to be exposed to because I would then be trying to sell off loved ones so I could buy it. And polite society tends to frown on such practices.

Oh the possibilities of a machine like this!  Drooling...

I work the retail side of a museum, and my favorite vendor is a wood guy that has a laser like this.  The product possibilities are endless!  The guy joked about needing some Christmas gifts so he engraved a bunch of sugar cookies.  He also had a client who wanted engraved cigars, something completly doable with the laser. 

hmmm...I might need to see what he would charge for cutting foam :D

You might want to see if there's a Makerspace or Hackerspace in your city. Each one is different, but most are community based workshops open to the public, or with a membership fee. Not every city has one, but there might be a laser cutter/engraving machine, CNC machines and other amazing tools at your disposal, and cool classes too. (think LED's, stepper motors, arduino, etc.)

It's not the same as owning your own, but it's a possibility.

Nice tip Dr Megan! I actually found a cool list of them and where they are located. http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/List_of_Hacker_Spaces In fact that is an entire site devoted to them.

Wow! I never knew such places existed!!! I found one in Dallas.  I'm fascinated with reading their blog and how things work.  Just the networking alone with other "makers" seems priceless!

Thanks for that suggestion. I've found a couple of places near me, one of which looks amazing. It's a bit more for the digital artist, but certainly worth checking out anyway. The other has a 3D printer and rocket projects!