Sole Authorship

[caroleallen]

Couldn't have put it better myself Barbara!

[ps_bond]

...........................

Oh blast, Ben - I wanted to respond to that in full! Now I can't pick it over.

Essentially, yes, my approach isn't a realistic commercial one for several reasons. However... I've got something you haven't necessarily: I like to learn these techniques in my own time, it's how I relax.

The comments about the project mentioned were in no way aimed at you - and from what I've seen, I doubt you'd have so little involvement in a project as that described. Also, the waxes were so simple that I'd have expected anyone competent to just carve the things, they didn't really require the CAD/CAM approach in this case.

I did have a couple of other thoughts on the commercial side -

I limit myself to what I know I can accomplish; if it is a technique I know I can't do adequately, I'll turn the job down - if I can guide the customer towards something we'd both be happy with then fine, but managing expectations comes into it.

I've a bit of experience working with CAD on mechanical projects; similarly CAM (even wrote code for some older CNC machines years ago); for one-offs it would have to be quite something to persuade me that the time spent in dealing with setup costs etc. were worthwhile. Half the time with the short-run stuff I'd just as soon machine it myself.

Shipping - anything like that has to be sent back and forth; for CAD files & sketches, these could be emailled around. Once the waxes exist, you have an item to ship around - so worst case, the waxes get sent to you, you send them to the casting house, they send the castings back, they get sent to the setter, sent back... This is going to cost what, £40 on postage? That's quite an overhead, with no economies of scale to offset it against.

And, like Alan - I'm very, very bad at delegating (sorry Alan!); been let down by suppliers too many times who have lost orders, mucked things up and the like. I don't like relying on other people to get it right to my satisfaction. Again, the scales I'm currently working to provide me that luxury.

There's plenty more I could blether on about, but I'll hold off.