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Posts
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Besides the other post by Andy I am interested in what others have to say about other systems as we are always looking to improve our speed and accuracy of the job, and I am sure others are as well.
I would like to know what other companies are using to template, what they like about it, what they would change and possibly any parts they have a problem templating.
Thanks
John
John
I had the laser system and purchased e-template and couldn’t be happier. I’m still learning but it is as fast as any other method I’ve used. I’ve had my system for about 4 weeks and have complete confidence in the results. I percieve that the templating is not going to be the logjam but how quickly I can process the dxf to machine code.
Pros
Job site photos included with templating.
Additional points can be added back at the shop if addtional information is needed.
Physical size of room does not limit getting the template done.
Outside corners, blind corners, cut outs, diagonal sink corners are easier to template.
Don’t have to work on small screen.
Cons
There is a learning curve. I have not taken their training yet and I’m sure that when I do I’ll get better.
BTW. I’m interested in learning more about how you set up your templates. I can see that I’m going to need to do that to standardize my procedures, simplify the cad/cam process, and make it easier to teach someone else. My CNC is arriving next week.
George
We use PHOTO-TOP, and very happy with it, we hired a person off the street ,3 days of training and shes been off and running for about 3 years.Would hate to think of going back to stick template
Gowren covered about all the Pros
Pros have been published widely. We use the job photos as a “hash” session for any/all job site problems. Good training aid to guys in the shop who can’t visualize how some intricate tops fit.
Only con I can think of is if I make a mistake (hypothetically, of course…..) it isn’t gettting caught until your high priced installer has made it all the way to the job with his helper. There is no physical template in the shop to compare it to, and we don’t always do a great job of updating shop orders with actual dimensions past what the job was bid upon. They have learned to trust the programmer, which I am OK with, but the programmer (me) has made a mistake before. They check for basic shapes and lengths, but if I program something as an appliance end flush with a stile and it should get 1″ overhang and a routed edge, they might not catch it. Doesn’t always mean a return trip, they just have to spend the time in the field to fix it.
Of course, when you drop the cooktop cutout where the sink is and vice versa………..Well, then they come back to the shop for that one 🙂
Matt,
Do you make a rough drawing of the job with field measurements, Also you can any important information to photo shoot using STICKIE NOTES for sinks and cooktops ect, (just a little aide for the programmer ô¿ô)
See I am never at the jobs site just have the photo to work from . With some jobs I”ll take all the aide i can get LOL
Mark
Andy wrote
Matt,
Is it difficult to get used to not having templates to compare tops to?
Not really. I actually think it saves some time. The guys trust my programming, and I have no problem with that. I am not immune from mistakes, but I will make less than they do….
It is nice when you are programming that everything is on your computer. No more getting up, going out to the shop to check a template. Either check the photos, shop order, or possibly call the templater with a question. If the info isn’t in one of those three places, you don’t have it. Simplicity.
Would never go back to the old way. I had to template an entire house the other day, but a couple of vanities and a big tub deck we were making in cultured marble. It took FOREVER to make physical templates for them compared to the kitchen and bar we photo-top’d for solid surface.
Matt
I still make stick templates and have no problems at all. I do them very quickly, and it gives my fabricators a chance to confirm everything before the job goes out. My installers are not on the job site very long at all. They rarely need to take a tool out of the truck when there are no job seams and when they have a seam they only need the tools for that. To template an average job takes me 30-40 min. then to digitize that job about 10 min. The installers also take the templates with them just in case something changes on the job, or in some cases to assist them on the way to get the top in place. There may come a day when I stop making stick templates, but it is not today.
Shane
Shane, I realize this may sound ignorant but I dont fully understand what you mean by digitize? Keep in mind I have no cnc, but have been working on getting one and the thing I didnt like was that I felt I would be forced into buying some sort of digital templating system and as you already know that will add another 10-15k.
Travis,
If you have a CNC you need a way to transfer the stick template into Auto-cad. There are several ways to do this. The easiest way to do this is a digitizing board. You stand the templates up on this board and you use the laser dot to go around and mark points. Then you connect the dots in Auto-cad. You can also buy a CNC with a digitizer on the CNC. That is what we did. It’s not quite as fast as a digitizing board, but that was how we started out. The down side is it ties up your CNC. We very quickly invested in Photo-top and have never looked back.
Mory
Travis,
Mory is right, except for us our digitizer came with software to connect the lines automatically so when it goes into AutoCAD it goes in as a DXF drawing. Our unit has a metal back plate so we can by way of magnets stick just about anything on it and digitize into a file. We have done paper templates to customer’s old tops; it is really pretty fast and easy. I spent about 14K for the unit three years ago, would I do it again today? I don’t know. I really like the laser templating system with the plotter that costs about the same. But I don’t regret my choice at all, this unit has really come in handy and I will be using it for years to come even if I go to another system. And one more thing Travis, don’t ever think that you come across as sounding ignorant when you are asking these questions. The ignorant people are the ones that don’t ask.
Shane
We do exactly the same thing with the digitizer board. We used to do all the digitizing on the CNC but that becomes difficult real quick. It does work in a bind though if you have to do it.
Anyone have that digitzer from Blick Industries. It has a little pointer on the end of a 16′ long cable. I had the sales person stop by the other day and he digitized one of the cabinets in the showroom. Worked pretty well, but it had its limitations just like all the other digitizers.
Andy,
Do you think it would be better than how you currently do your templates? What was the set up like and what kind of limitations did it have. It sounds like it would be a good concept.
I have seen many ways to template and some day my way may not be efficient for me to use, but I don’t see that day coming any time soon. I have seen the set up required for some that would equal my entire jobsite template time. I also can’t get over not having physical templates in the shop for the fabricators to check the tops with. Maybe I am stuck in the past or on the mind set that if its not broke don’t fix it, but right now it works, it is efficient, and is relatively fool proof so what more could a guy ask for.
Shane
I liked it alot but it I wasn’t sold on the idea 100%. I think it will take some more time to look in to it. I asked Matt Kraft about not having a physical template and he said that it wasn’t that bad. Just a different approach to templating.
The Photo Top is really nice and I haven’t heard anything negative about the product or company so I would really give that a good look before I do anything.
My Dad is the main templater so I would have to have a system that he feels comfortable with.
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