Wholesale CNC cutting for a local sign shop

[David Iannone]

Today I did a job for a sign shop in my town on the shopbot. For cutting stencils I charge $6 sq/ft to cut the material and file THEY supply. I have been doing work for him since the beginning of 2012.

-3ips ms 8ips js with a Onsrud up spiral .125 sharp bit
-total time to tool path their file 6 minutes
-total time to load sheet on table and put correct bit in, zero z. 5 minutes
-total cut time on table 12 minutes

Lets just round it off to 30 minutes cause I still didn't add that line item to his monthly invoice of digital printing and CNC cutting he sends me.

Total cost for this line item is $125

Dave

[knight_toolworks]

all the sign work I do is for another sign company or for individuals. Though almost always they supply the material so I am only charging time and maybe scrap though that does not always apply either. but my main customer is my oldest so I can't really increase the rate that my other customers pay. so I charge 20 or 30 for one of those stencils my other customers would pay a 60.00 min for even a 10 minute job. most of my sign cutting is really fast. most of the jobs are so fast I may spend 10 minutes from start to finish I grab the material they had delivered make a tollbooth that takes maybe 3 minutes charing the bit takes more time the cutting a fair amount of time. but I cut a huge variety of material that can make life really fun sometimes. so many types of plastic lexan (least favorite) really ban when thin, plexi, soft and hard plastics of all types even did seaboard for the fist time it is amazing the types and how they all cut differently and all need their own bits.

[David Iannone]

Steve,

I agree with you 100%. Can you post a pic of your latest examples?

Dave

[Brady Watson]

...but my main customer is my oldest so I can't really increase the rate that my other customers pay....

...it is amazing the types and how they all cut differently and all need their own bits.

You should be charging for inflation at the very least each year, or you'll wind up paying them to take the stuff away. 2015 money is worth less than 2010 money...So a percentage increase should be both expected and justified. 5-10% increase is not unreasonable. If you don't do this, you are giving yourself a pay cut. Take care not to make up your customer's minds for them.

Yes...even differences in color in the same material type and brand can make a huge difference. PlasticRouting.com is a good resource.

-B

[knight_toolworks]

Ya brady been rising it on them slowly. more on their larger jobs then on the smaller to make up for it. Their work is always easy great drawings material deliver and picked up they pay fast. Since I never pay for materials my prices are going to be lower. but I don't have that overhead either. here is a simple house number sign a builder will bring me these chunks of wood and I will trim them and cut them. pretty easy and if I goof up I can just plane it off and do it again. I just tack it to a cap piece of dibond so it is easy to hold in place too.
a sign I did years ago and had a sample on my wall finally sold one. but I goofed and used some scrap white plastic for the raised parts and assembled the paint came off. it was a rush job and I had to make do I put this one on my wall and made another one. I have doing sings out of baltic birch lately and they turn out pretty nice.
trying to get latest 400 out of a a frame because I use scuh god plywood and all ss hardware and three coats of good finish. with ss feet.

[Brady Watson]

Cool! I route for a few sign companies too...but don't want any part of finishing or installation.

-B

[MogulTx]

Steve,

I did a set of street numbers on some supplied 6 x 6 cedar posts that looked pretty much like your last pic. I got a fair value out of them... the biggest part of the job was locating the material accurately so I knew the numbers would be centered in the material.... I like that kind of work

[MogulTx]

OH.... and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Porsche sign!

[scottp55]

I second the Porsc e sign!!

[David Iannone]

Yes, porche sign is very nice.

thanks for the pics Steve.

Dave