Starting a Business with the CNC Shark

[davmaya]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any pointers for a newbie wanting to start my own design business with using the CNC Shark? I would be starting it from completely the ground up.

Thanks,
Davmaya

[REG]

Well, if you don't mind a newbie to a newbie input, I think you will be happy with the Shark system. I've research the CNC system for a while and even contemplated building my own but by the time you assemble the hardware, controls and software your into a couple grand. Next Wave, the builder of the Shark is very supportive and you get the backing of Rockler too.
I came from hand routing so a CNC was a learning curve. With hand routing you have just templates and jigs. With the CNC, you have software and have to learn to think like a machine. The router on the CNC doesn't follow drawn lines on a board and hand routing you don't necessarily use axis.
Regardless of these small obsticles or learning curves, I was able to assemble my Shark on a Friday evening and carve on Saturday. I spent the rest of that Friday looking at the software and learning about it. I went to the Vectric web site and watched a number of the training videos but the biggest help was a sign sample they do. I printed that training document and made my own sign in the software just like what they did - I just selected my own text. I carved my project the next day. Once you get one tried out, you get the idea how the program works and along with it you learn these new words of vectors and nodes.

Between the Vector training material and the videos here on this forum, a beginner can get started fairly easily.
The only concern I ever had with my Shark was the lack of detail assembling the Shark. It is a straight forward process but there are steps that should be followed such as squaring up everything that a veteran would know but a beginner would not.

[rapiddawg]

Welcome to a whole new world of fun. Im a newbie since March. I already have the itch for a bigger machine.

[cdat]

Know your market. Give out a freebee as a gift and word of mouth may net you a good client base. Women have access to more money to buy 'extras' then men do (maybe not true but they are my customers more often then not). Target them.

[martin graphics]

I have been working with vector art for about 20 years, but just bought a used shark pro. Attached is the first sign I made it was quite easy. I live in a community where everyone wants a sign like this to hang in front of their house. I made it on 1/4" King Color Core.

Bob M.