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Had to do it again

5K views 24 replies 14 participants last post by  RainMan 2.0 
#1 ·
Got a call Mon afternoon from a lady who wanted a Polish eagle for her FIL. She must have been at the Polish Festival cause she knew exactly what she wanted from my displays. Then she asked how long would it take. I told her the usual 2-3 weeks. She said "oh, the memorial service is on Saturday." Stayed up late a couple nites to cut and finish and let dry. She picked it up today (Thurs) and even gave me a tip.
 

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#2 ·
Looks nice, as usual, John! You do good work.

Switch to lacquer and you won't have to wait for it to dry. It'll be dry enough to handle in 10 minutes, dry enough for a customer to pick up in an hour or so.

David
 
#3 ·
I've got some brushing lacquer but the smell will drive you bonkers. Takes longer to clean the sprayer than to use it on my things.

The poly doesn't smell and goes on thicker so I can do everything in the basement.
 
#9 ·
That was nice customer service, John. The overtime you spent was worth it for the joy and comfort felt by the family at a difficult time. It's a karma thing, and will repay you in the long run. Well done.
 
#18 ·
I use thinners based rattle can lacquer which on a warm day dries almost as it hits the wood, that's why I stopped using Danish oil which for five coats took at least a day and it was better to leave the last coat a full day or two, even better.
 
#13 ·
Not even remotely close. There's a list online of the 20,000 most common Polish names in order of popularity. Each part of the country has their own variations plus the changes that were made when people emigrated to other countries. But I feel like it sometimes.
 
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#17 ·
On spraying I have an Earlex HVLP. Many times on small projects I use wipe on poly because if the project is not big enough or enough of them it takes longer to clean up the gun than it does to spray the project. So even though I have a great spray system I do not use it enough. Unfortunately the HVLP gun has to be cleaned at the end of the day or end of the project whichever comes first.

I have found that Polyurethane Oil based is very durable compared to lacquer. Lacquer has the advantage in time but not in durability. Poly is heat resistant and water resistant where lacquer has no protection for heat or water.

So depending on what the project is for depends on which product to use. So far the waterbased finishes are not used by me because their properties are not suitable for my projects. I like the yellowing effect poly gives maple, cherry and oak. The waterbased formula do not give me the rich look I want.

Which ever products you use please use the proper protective gear.
 
#19 ·
Reorders like that lady's are a great endorement. You sure have sewn up the Polish market! You've become something of a folk hero around here.

Just out of curiosity, what size bed do you have on your CNC? Do you wish you'd gotten something faster or larger?

I keep looking at them but at 76, I'm not sure I have it in me to make it work right and to pay for it. However, I have a grandson I think might do pretty well with it.
 
#20 ·
My Probotix is something like 36 x 58. The CNCRP is 48 x 48 and cuts 4+ times faster than the Probotix, which for a starter machine was pretty good. I called it a serious hobby machine. I wanted a CNCRP 48 x 96 but space concerns (was only $1000 more) and being practical weighed in. It can be expanded if needed. I have only needed the bigger bed a few times. Most everything I've done could be cut on a 24 x 48 bed or even smaller. What I want to do (if I ever get the guts to) is take a full 48" piece of materia, clamp it down, and cut the whole piece with files. I know it works, but I'm still squeamish trying it. Takes a lot of planning with placement and pretty exact files. You can ruin a lot of material and lose a bunch of time if something isn't right. But if it is right, you can crank a lot of stuff out in short order. I'm looking at doing a retrofit laser attachment with the Probotix and getting another CNCRP machine - possibly a 24 x 48. Just gotta justify it to the accounting dept. - which is a tough sell. Or just get a laser machine (looking at JTech) and get rid of the Probotix if I get the other CNCRP. Will know more in October at the Denver Vectric Conference.

You'd have a ball with a plug and play machine like a Probotix. Then decide if it's something you want to continue with or not. I bought mine for me, not to make things to sell. It kind of just happened ....sort of.......
 
#21 ·
The $1,000 difference was driving me crazy as I’d love to have gone with a 4x8 size , but I know it’s going to take up to much space ,so I went with what I thought would be acceptable.
Guess we can always upgrade in the future
 
#22 ·
The $1,000 difference was driving me crazy as I’d love to have gone with a 4x8 size , but I know it’s going to take up to much space ,so I went with what I thought would be acceptable.
Guess we can always upgrade in the future

Hah... last year I pulled the plug on a ShopSabre Pro404
Months before all I saw room in my garage was for that size.
Things became tight and space eventually became available afterwards.
More than anticipated whereas I could fit a 4x8 no problem now.
Now im stuck w/ it and kicking myself.

Rick, can the 4x8 machine be built @ a 4x4 size and added
on down the road if you decide 4x8 is needed? Would it cost more
than a $1k if you decide to go larger than 4x4 later on?
 
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