I draw dead people.

[Floppin]

Well sorta. A few months back I kind of fell into a new job. I'm running a laser etching/engraving machine for a burial/vault company. I put high definition images onto headstones and other keepsakes.

I build the images in Photoshop and then take them through two other programs before I can burn them with the laser. After spending a little over a month doing small projects, I completed my first large project.


Its been a process because the person who was running it was an alcoholic and was fired after botching a 10k project and no one else knew how to use the machine. I've been teaching myself via trial and error over the last 6 weeks.

[cptx]

seems like a decent gig

[jasonluckydog]

very nice, I just lost my mom and we just ordered her headstone I like yours better.

[CarolinaNCSU]

My family owns a monument business, although most of our work is done in Georgia so I can't relate to etching myself.  Always weird to see somebody else talking about these kind of things

[Floppin]

very nice, I just lost my mom and we just ordered her headstone I like yours better.

 

Sorry for your loss, but thank you. 

[toldozer]

Have you used corel draw? I don't know the application of the equipment you are using, but we use laser engravers at work as well. What machine are you using?

[Floppin]

Have you used corel draw? I don't know the application of the equipment you are using, but we use laser engravers at work at well. What machine are you using?

 

Yeah, I've used Corel Draw, I just prefer photoshop and illustrator. The demo videos from the laser company are all done with corel draw, but when I talked to their techs on the phone they all prefer Photoshop themselves....kinda weird.

 

I use an APLazer.

[toldozer]

Yeah we use ai as well, we have a couple trotec machines. I stay the hell out that room though. I know how to do very simple things in a pinch, but thats about it.

[Floppin]

The owner of my company doesn't even know how to run the damn machine. I've been laid up all week with this fuging eye thing, and I had to go in today with an eye patch over my eye so that I wouldn't strain it, so that I could burn that headstone for it's deadline of Saturday. 

 

I'm not hating on my owner by saying that in anyway, it's just fairly specific knowledge and takes practice  and time to learn - which she doesn't have. 

[toldozer]

Our owner doesnt even know how to run an end of the day report from ups, much less one of those lasers lol.

[Floppin]

Our owner doesnt even know how to run an end of the day report from ups, much less one of those lasers lol.

 

Haha. I got the job by just randomly talking to her and mentioning that I have a personal website design LLC. She asked me about my graphic imaging experience and wanted me to come in and prove that I could run Adobe software and whatnot, then she offered me the job and a base salary while I self-taught myself. Now i make my base salary and a nice commission on each project completed. 

[Seal (SmittyIsOurSavior)]

Have you used corel draw? I don't know the application of the equipment you are using, but we use laser engravers at work as well. What machine are you using?

 

I think I used Corel to do some digital mapping at one point. Interesting. 

[Creep59]

Well sorta. A few months back I kind of fell into a new job. I'm running a laser etching/engraving machine for a burial/vault company. I put high definition images onto headstones and other keepsakes.

I build the images in Photoshop and then take them through two other programs before I can burn them with the laser. After spending a little over a month doing small projects, I completed my first large project.

IMG_20130606_191837_899.jpgIMG_20130606_191541_365.jpg

Its been a process because the person who was running it was an alcoholic and was fired after botching a 10k project and no one else knew how to use the machine. I've been teaching myself via trial and error over the last 6 weeks.

 

 

Is this the fairly new place on 17 near Shalotte?  They seem to be getting busier and busier from what I can see from the road when I drive b y.

 

No offense to you but I find the idea of a bunch of bodies mouldering in the ground and photo engraved headstones not only a bit creepy but archaic.

[Floppin]

Yeah. Its that place. They've been there for three years now but we are about to purchase land and build a new facility.