[Tom M]

I swerved into an idea over on this thread , regarding inlays and marketing.

Inlays are one of the most underused tools we have inour arsenal to sell solid surface. Inlays can be easy and inexpensive, or complicatred and beautifull. I’ve never been struck more by what solid surface can do than when I first saw some of Ed Wright’s work. The backgrounds that fade at the edges are works of art.

But so is a corner squiggle. Those of us with CNC routers can cut this stuff in in seconds. The fill slows a production line up, but that can be adjusted for. With enough demand, I’m sure Ray and guys like him might spark an interest in quicker setting resin.

FabNet can facilitate this by having a section for inlays, and other artistic function patterns. The files would be categorized both by function and by degree of difficulty. Corner squiggles with one color are simple, ropeline a bit tougher, as is anything that needs adjacent placement. Then there’s tough. Corel Draw has an image of cherry blossoms on a tree, with mount fuji in the background. I gave up trying to figure out which leaf overlayed which branch.

Is this kind of section worth having at FabNet? If the process was streamlined for you, would you work in a program for it? If FabNet gets a sponsor or two to advertise inlay resins, I’d buy. End of story. Is Align-Rite still in business? I liked their inlays, if not the set time.

We’d all have to help with submissions. Copyrighted stuff can’t be used without permission, but really, wouldn’t Corel or Adobe like to get in on this?

We have to find some way to recognize the true genius submissions, but Dave and Steve L can work that out. (wink)

Tom

By the way, the link embed tool is different. I hope the link works.

[Andy Graves]

I like this idea, I just don’t know what to do with it. Couple of questions:

• Where do we get cool inlays?
• Would we pay someone to design them?
• Would we really use them? I would at least try
• Do you currently have any contacts?
• Advertisers are site wide for now, but maybe we could get a sponsor for the section. Is that what you have in mind

It would be great if this idea could work. I think it would take people getting used to it before it would work. Maybe if we contacted some of the cad/cam program companies, they would have some insight.

[Tom M]

Yeah, good questions.

First, we deal with the fact that it’s gonna take time. It’s not gonna be a hit at first, but with success there’ll be more success.

Where do we get cool inlays?

There are a few public domain vector forums on the tubes, but you have to sift through an awful lot to get images that are suitable to what we need. I’ve played around a bit with things like corner inlays (scrolls, interweaving and parallel, rose images, etc.) and can put some up. The great thing is they are vector-based, so you can scale them infinately. I found a zodiaq image of Aquarius pouring water out of an urn. The image was originally about twelve inches in height. It scaled perfectly to fit my shower’s back wall, at five feet high. I am seriously considering routing it in.

Problem is, I don’t know if we can use them, but I don’t think it would be tough to get permission. There are cool scrolls, etc. Real easy to drag and drop as a block in CAD, scale it and go. Decide if you need a bull end or a 60 vs. 90 degree v-bit and yeroph!

But we can also have tile designs we’ve all thrown in once in a while. Diamond,

We all know how easy it is to draw a cool shape(s) on a wall sheet. Simple step to toolpath it, other than less sanding than you’d imagine, that’s about it really. Different route styles call for differnt types of bits, but you probably already have them. Here is an inexpensive way to give a customer a truly special product.

Look, we made decent margins in the early years. We got paid good because we sold them stuff that was worth spending extra on. This is the type of stuff that can pull solid surface out of the pit of commodity back up into the world of “special costs more, thank you very much”. FabNet is the perfect laboratory for throwing cool things into different markets at the same time. Do you have any idea what that is worth?

I think inlays are one way of making this happen. I know FabNet is the place for it to happen on. I just can’t quite get the last part.

Or, in South Park speak:

Strep one – Route inlays

Step two – …

Step three – PROFIT!

The underpants gnomes, masters in the art of business.

I’m rambling, I know, but I’m trying to figure this out as it comes to me, so things are still fuzzy. All I know is that it sounds brilliant in my head, and FabNet is the place to make it happen, but I’m not quite at figuuring it out.

You had other questions. Sorry – I’ll get them later. It’s late and I know I won’t sleep until I start sorting this out.

Tom

p.s. I ain’t checking this for spelling or cohesion. I apologize in advance.

[Andy Graves]

This is what we do have:

• Website with a dedicated page to list in an organized library
• Free to all who visit
• People with CNC’s that can use the files
• Seth who can upload the files and keep them organized
• A real good idea that we can build on

Next thing to do is talk with ArtCam and AlphaCam to see what we can get from them. Also there is a guy i know that may be able to help. I think he may be in your area so I will find the information and pass it on to you. He may be able to solve our problems in one fell swoop. Be assured I will get on it Monday.

[Tom M]

I have been l;ooking at ArtCAM for a few years now. The idea of grey scale – to – layers is intriguing. I want to learn the bas-relief style routes as well.

[Paul Bingham]

Anybody see this going anywhere? Since I am getting a CNC shortly this is one of the areas I have a keen interest in. Is there anything I can do to help make this idea of Tom’s happen?

Paul

[Tom M]

Paul!

Thanks for the resurrection.

Coincidently, I saw this web page at non other than, um… FabNet.

Look toward he bottom of the “links” area – your see vectorart.com. Some of their stuff looks quite good, and I’d consider buying if FabNet could get a discount. Maybe a comission on every individual purchase ($4.00 ea, generally), or at least on a CD purchase.

BUt there should be a free area for created art by us. We put it to public domain, and FabNet agrees to give us a chair, and we get a bit of the fun back into our industry.

I would say, though, that if you drop a few bucks on some, these may be quite good. Try different styles of inlay – or more precisely, of route. Grab a good border possibility, a corner thingy, something that will look good repeating, etc. Start with only one color inlays, just so you don’t have to divide your attention, move to multi colors that do not intersect, then you start thinking about layers. You think more in terms of order for routing than shape of object. If two or more colors don’t intersect, and aren;t too close, you can kill a few in one trip. Ed Wright’s a sixth degree black belt in inlays. I found him very aproachable. If you ever get the chance.

Anyway, there should be some absolutely free ones on here somewhere, ’cause we’re special.

[Andy Graves]

Why don’t we see if Ed has some files that can work for this idea? Obviously he would need to get paid for them but at least we would have some files to use.

[Tom M]

Andy,

Or if he has some better/different ideas.

I haven’t seen him in years – in fact, I don’t think he was at the show.

Does anyone here have any contact with him?

Tom

[Robert Abbott]

I am all for this. I will help you guys out in way I possibly can. We are running an AXYZ 7012 and I am still learning it’s full potential but inlay’s are one of my strongest intrest with it. Currently we just engrave and fill in with adheasive and hope for the best. It doesn’t always work well.

Maybe a in the section a tutorial or possibly tips section on how to do inlays from the guys who know and are willing to share there ways. Just a thought. I would still be considered new to the industry so I usually don’t know who the people are you guys mention in these threads but I am learning quick.

Andy, since seeing the Fabnet Booth at the expo I feel alot more comfortable about being in the SS industry. Let me know I can help in anyway this idea to any other needs that need filled.

Robert

[Joe Corlett]

Tom M wrote

Andy,

Or if he has some better/different ideas.

I haven’t seen him in years – in fact, I don’t think he was at the show.

Does anyone here have any contact with him?

Tom

Tom:

Not only was ISSFA-founding-BOD-Ed Wright at the show, he was a vendor. It was a pleasure to hear that Texas twang tell me about his new invention, the Transporter. You load up to a thousand pound slab onto this motorized cart and when you push the button, it raises to just above countertop level!

Wright LLC, 4350 S Treadaway Blvd., Abilene, TX, 79602 phone (325) 695-5909

You’ll be searchin’ mighty hard to find a finer cowpoke in our industry,

Joe

[Tom M]

Thanks, Joe.

I didn’t catch Dani, I didn’t catch Ed, I didn’t even see these other laser guys Russ mentioned.

I think I was on the wrong floor, or something.

Were there waterslides where you guys walked?

Tom

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