CMC's- How are using them

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim A
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Jim A

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Besides the normal things i.e. double or triple mats, v-grooves, corners, etc

What are you doing to make extra profit or sales from your use of your CMC?

Are you providing services for other shops?

Have you found a niche or novelty that is producing sales for you?
 
We cut a bunch of PhotoMats that say MOM, DAD, PUPPY, KITTY, SISTERS, BROTHERS, BUDDIES, etc. Made them even inch sizes so that our sectionals would work, and cut some of our scrap moulding into ready mades rigged with glass and flextabs. They price @about $12.95 for the mat and that much again for the 'readymades'... Sold enough that I need to cut some more!
 
I use several of those parts storage thingies and they never have enough drawer dividers, so I cut a lifetime supply out of matboard with my CMC.

It's pretty hard to make $16,500 doing this, but it would also have been really tedious to cut these by hand.

I cut an elephant for the congressman next door.

Since we don't discuss politics here, I won't tell you what party he's with.
 
Our CMC was shipped from Wizard TODAY and should be arriving in about a week. We bought it outright and don't have any corner restrictions, so I'm looking for ways to put this new "employee" to work to earn its keep. What a great thread.

Are you providing services for other shops?
Interesting that you brought this up. This is something we considered, but I'm not sure how to approach them or if it would be practical/desirable. (profitwise and bringing competitors into our back room) One local already asked. Does anyone else do this and how has it worked for you?
 
I purchased a CMC for our company a year ago, the intention was for us to allow for larger capacity orders and to speed the workflow of the existing volume. Essentially the machine was supposed to reduce labour hours. After having the machine installed many other framers in the area have asked for us to cut all their mats, as this is not our major concern we have fowarded all enquiries to a business that does provide such services and maintained the core focus of our business.
The few things that have been added to the job list have been gift-boxes, and signage for the showroom and offsite events.
 
When we first got ours, several framers wanted us to cut complex mats. Not a problem, but soon we were cutting plain old double mats and other simple stuff for them. I am uncomfortable with the thought that our work was being sent out as the work of others, so we discontinued this sort of thing unless it really IS complex.
 
In addition to the items mentioned above, I cut readymade mats (5x7's, 8x10's, 11x14's etc) with standard openings and speciaity openings. Ovals are the same price as rectangles. Special cuts are from $.75 to $2.00 extra.

Prior to my CMC and with the CMC I have probally cut over 10,000 mats. It is a lot easier with the CMC though.
 
We do many mats with the cut out of our state of Montana. Montana has a very distinct shape. We have an on-going contract with the Montana State University every year to do them for awards.
If you live in one of those square States I suppose it would look like any other mat. :D
 
Lyoncat and I are finishing a job right now that we could have used one for. A customer wanted "Happy 25th Anniversary Mom and Dad" etched across the top and bottom of the glass. The wife layed out the print using printmaster on the computer and printed it on contact paper. Located the print on the glass and then had to hand carve the lettering out before applying the armour etch. A CMC would have been a great help. The project came out gorgeous though. We may submit it to decor.
 
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