Don't know how to react

[knothead]

I recently sent a large order. Several of the comments from consumers at the Boutique wanted to know why they were charging so much for laser cut items. At first I took it as a complement. Then I thought is that what people think now that so many laser cuttings are out there. I think that it is a dilemma that the pure scroller will have to deal with more and more. Is this just another "suck-it-up" and go on with what you love to do?

[Woodbutcher68]

All you can do is explain the difference between scrollcut and lasercut. Better yet, buy a cheap lasercut piece and show the difference. It's kind of hard to sand the burned wood out of inside cuts.

[CanadianScroller]

I have had the same comments before. It is a hard pill to swallow.
Someone on the board told me they attach an old blade to the back of the piece. I wonder if we should make some type of display up which shows the blade cutting through wood. That may cut back on some of the comments.
I guess in the end we have to suck it up, because some people are just ignorant of the techniques we use.

It has always been that way. I once talked to an old master woodworker from Denmark. He spent the first 3 years of his apprenticeship making moldings for trim, by hand with a molding plane. I guess I was ignorant to that technique...I knew it was there but buried somewhere back in time. To actually meet someone who did it was quite a treat.

[guitarman]

I get that pretty often as well. I sold a guy a cutting of a golfer. He said it was a gift for his dad. His dad is the owner of a sporting goods company and a little later on his dad called me and asked me how long would it take me to come up with 2000 of the golf cuts. He wanted to put it in his catalog and he needed to have plenty on hand. He blew my mind with that. He was amazed when I told him that I cut it with a saw blade. Of course, I couldn't fill such an order but occasionally he will call and ask for something but not in large orders like that. I also do wooden prototypes for some of his inventions. He has a money making mind and now we're good friends. He still can't understand how I can cut some of the things I do and it not be a laser. David

[MacS]

David,

Don't tell him, let him keep wondering, if you tell him, he might go out and buy a scrollsaw.

[Green Frog]

Have people tell me that the ones I do have to be laser cut I try and tell them it is saw cut they look at me like I fell out of a tree and landed on my head. Jerry

[unixpro]

I've had the same problem and that's why I no longer do complex pieces for sale. I'll do them for myself, or for my friends, but that's it. I had too many people tell me that my prices were way out of line. When I told them that I had 50 or 100 hours in a project, they just dropped. It seems that most people can't even conceive of taking that long to make something, much less something as intricate as a detailed clock or the like.

[Plaquerd]

I have the same thing happen with people at shows. I demo at most of the shows I do, some people, even after watching me cut, still didn't beleive that I cut my pieces on a scrollsaw!!!!!!!
So I went to the spring Wood Workers Show in Somerset NJ. I took a piece of 1/4" Oak burl that I had cut a fisherman on. I found two men demonstrating lasers. I asked one to cut the oak burl for me. He was hesitant because he didn't want to cut this "finished" piece.
I convinced him I didn't care about the piece and he set up the laser to cut a rectangle in it. Saying it won't "take long". It was a 15 watt laser. After 5 passes he finally cut through the oak, it looks terrible! Jagged, charred and not 90 degrees to the top of the piece.
I keep the piece on my table at all my shows now. If anyone doubts me I show them the difference between scroll saw cutting and laser BURNING, that usually shuts them up. Just my way of fighting back.
Dave

[Plaquerd]

Maybe my wording is too strong "usually shuts them up", "changes their mind" might be better. But like I said some people just don't believe you no matter what and it gets frustrating.