Just minutes ago a shot rang out from the small town of Temple, Texas. It was a loud explosion, indicating a large bullet (possibly even a missile) had been launched, but the intended target has not yet been determined. Witnesses report seeing a stream of fire heading northwest through the Central Texas sky. We can only imagine what might lie in store for those in the path of this dangerous omen.
The alleged marksman appears to be a short, older gentleman with a receding hairline. At last report he was said to be shouting something, but so far we have been unable to interpret what he is saying. The language is somewhat different than what is spoken in the majority of the country. We will keep you posted on the progress of this startling new event.
Later reports have led us to believe that the missile is moving in the general direction of southwestern Canada. Luckily, that part of the country is mainly desolate and not inhabited by civilized individuals – dragons have even been sited on occasion.
We now are relatively certain that the target is a fairyland type place in which strange objects are produced and shipped around the country. Reports are that the owner is seldom on the premises but leaves the work to some able, though underpaid, assistants. Neighbors report a fixation with a grandchild.
Our local affiliate has just witnessed the missile going over the bow of a small, rectangular machine that seems to have seen little use in the past six months. The name of the machine is posted in several prominent locations around the interior of this strange edifice. Stacks of money were also observed in connection with these signs.
It is not yet clear why someone from the beautiful central Texas area would have reason to fire a shot across the bow of an insignificant piece of equipment in this small, Canadian village. The owner was not available for comment, but local residents noted that he was seen running from the building and crying something about having to go get some more ammunition from Sir Walt. This individual (Sir Walt) seems to have large sections of land in various parts of the world where the owner of the machine often goes to copy designs for use in his business. Government authorities are also investigating some mysterious paper work concerning these trips. Others have reported that it is a Mickey Mouse type operation at best.
We now have a ten year old boy who speaks Texican who has volunteered to help us understand the reasoning behind these strange happenings. The older Texan is predicting an encounter of Biblical proportions. According to our interpreter, this gentlemen has been harassed continually by the foreigner, who represents a Goliath company and in response has decided to stand with the ”common man” and predicts complete victory in this new contest. While his demure stature may be misleading, he reminds others of what some small folks have done in the past. “Giants have been known to lose their heads”, stated the Texan. He reached down into the lush Texas soil and removed some stones. On each was a letter and together they spelled ShopBot.
As our reporter was leaving, the old man could be heard shouting, “Let the wars begin!”
Upon hearing the exclamation, the Canadian could only mutter, “I am afraid we have awakened a sleeping giant.”
Film at 11.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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You are awesome Ray. :-) Let the war(ah, I mean games) begin!!!!! Maybe it's for the best that you're not coming to Lodi...human beings aren't allowed to have the amount of fun that you two would cause! LOL
-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3722 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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So can I have the MC Router? Pleeeze.....I promise to treat it well.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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Welcome to the Shopbot family Ray. We need more guys like you and Joe C. to bring some education and design value to us Botheads. Beatiful thing about botters is they are a family just like Letterheads. If you're ever in a canundrum we're here to help.
B
-------------------- Bill Jarvis Rookie432@AOL.com
"A customer is someone who deals with you. A GOOD customer is someone who refuses to deal with anyone else." Posts: 81 | From: Cambridge, Ohio, USA | Registered: Oct 2000
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ah, cool! Gonna post some pictures soon?! What model did you get? Cat
-------------------- Catharine C. Kennedy CCK Graphics 1511 Route 28 Chatham Center, NY 12184 cck1620@taconic.net "Look at me, Look at me, Look at me now! I't's fun to have fun, But you have to know how!" Posts: 2173 | From: downtown Chatham Center, NY | Registered: Feb 2004
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Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6718 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Now is the time for you to take up a storefront here in Letterville.
Having been the winner of the MULTICAM t-shirt & mousepad in the resident draw and having received those items the other day (Very nice items, but sadly there just wasn't a router in the box), I have no choice but to favor MULTICAM.
However, if you'd like to send me a router to try out for 2-3-4 years, I'll be more than willing to re-evaluate my opinion & loyalties. (What can I say, I can be bought.)
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Why didn't I think of that? I gonna call them Monday.
-------------------- Joe Crumley Norman Sign Company 2200 Research Park Blvd. Norman, OK 73069 Posts: 1428 | From: 2200 Research Park Blvd. | Registered: Sep 2001
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-------------------- Catharine C. Kennedy CCK Graphics 1511 Route 28 Chatham Center, NY 12184 cck1620@taconic.net "Look at me, Look at me, Look at me now! I't's fun to have fun, But you have to know how!" Posts: 2173 | From: downtown Chatham Center, NY | Registered: Feb 2004
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Well Mark, OK then, truth is you probably will program him much better than I could have. I'd fight ya, but you are a pretty good chap. Plus I don't know how well any Texas Instruments would fare in our cold climate. Still, I had such big dreams of what I could do..... Back to the somewhat faulty KT Router. Dan would like it, it only does wiggly lines.....
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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I'm gonna freehand you all with my trustee 1/2 hp Craftsman router!
-------------------- Mario G. Lafreniere (Fergie) J&N Signs Winter did show up! Posts: 1257 | From: Chapleau, Ontario | Registered: Jun 1999
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Envy of beautiful BIG HEAVY DUTY blue machines will drive certain folks to any lengths to try and get even. Good luck Raymond. Others have tried.
Raymond is certainly worthy competition in the next round of ROUTER WARS. He chose to launch this round while I was away from my command center... but that's ok he'll need the head start. Our fortified concrete shop will withstand any barrage he intends to salvo our way.
I checked in with Phoenix this morning on reading this post and it seems the missile Raymond sent was only a cardboard airplane made from the shopbot carton. The prevailing winds must have helped it get all the way up to our place. It lies crumpled in the back field and didn't even startle our minature horses when it crashed. The goats have eaten the better part of one wing off it but don't really care for the taste the taste.
My sketchbook is getting full of new ideas for projects for our MultiCam...
Bec says Phoebe said her first sentence this morning... GO grampa GO!
Taking it easy in Florida... the calm before the storm...
-grampa dan
[ April 09, 2006, 10:26 AM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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WHAT??!!!!.. Raymond You got a cardboard Box with your Shopbot. Ohh.. That's so Unfair.. Its time to Protest. I was Misled on my purchase when they told me a Box wasn't available at this time that I would have to call National Paper to get the Cardboard option with my tool. Let me Guess they Probably even sent you Bubble wrap too.
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Ray...Got a bot eh? Came in a cardboard box eh? As I've lost my lease, what you going to do w/that box??? OH, congrats on new toy...
Goats eat cardboard? ut oh...so much for having a source of fresh goats milk...
-------------------- Frank Magoo, Magoo's-Las Vegas; fmagoo@netzero.com "the only easy day was yesterday" Posts: 2365 | From: Las Vegas, Nv. | Registered: Jun 2003
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Hey its been three days since Raymond announced the purchase of his ShopBot router... and yet we have seen no tangible results so far. It sounds to me like this round of ROUTER WARS might be like the last one... It was a very lonely WAR as I recall. I don't remember seeing any pics from the last guy either.
Have you figured out how to turn it on the Bot yet Raymond? Did you get the MDO coating option? I'd even accept a coated board as a first piece... better than nothin... we didn't see even that much from the last guy who challenged our team.
You still have four days head start before I get home and back to work...
I'll get Phoebe to warm up the MultiCam just before we land back in B.C...
Better hurry up Raymond! I'll show no mercy this go around...
-grampa dan
[ April 10, 2006, 12:10 AM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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"He chose to launch this round while I was away from my command center." ...it was difficult to find a time when he WAS AT HIS COMMAND CENTER.
As to that other guy that gave up...remember, he was a Canadian just like Dan.
No, the machine is not here yet. Just sent the check off Friday. I wanted to give Dan enough time to be able to go on a few more "fact finding" trips before it came in.
Did you notice that the first thing Dan did was start whinning about the timing of the challenge?
The way I see it, I have six months before I have to produce anything - that's how long it took Sawatzky to turn out a job that actually brought in a check.
I'll be on the road (just like Dan) for the next six months doing some workshops and attending the Letterheads at the Zoo, but I should be able to squeeze in a few sessions with my new ShopBot. It takes us old dogs a little while to catch on to all this new fangled stuff.
Hopefully, I will be able to get my router adjusted so that it will not produce all those wiggly lines.
You know, I'm just one of the little guys (literally) down here in the middle of nowhere challenging the "giant" up there in Canada. But, I think we can hold our own against the big money guys. Envy? Why sure I'm envious...who wouldn't want all those bells and whistles? Of course, I'll not be envious of Dan's monthly payments.
I'm looking forward to this. Until my ShopBot comes in there is more MDO waiting for me.
And Mike is really looking forward to not having to do so much of the work by hand anymore.
Disclaimer: Dan and I are great friends - the things said and what will be said are all tongue-in-cheek. No harm is meant. Just as an example...Dan and I talked about my ShopBot and he knew the "shot across the bow" was coming...he just didn't know when.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Do you have a tentative delivery date yet for the router Raymond??
If you can get the software early it would be a good thing. It has a learning curve all its own, although you are used to vectors which were new to us.
I'm sure your head will e overflowing with creative ideas before your router arrives.
And routers LOVE to go in straight lines... the wiggly lines are tougher... but a thing of beauty!
I'm looking forward to the great work we are bound to see soon from Texas.
-grampa dan
[ April 10, 2006, 09:22 AM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Oh man here we go......Mr Berry stirring up the poop pot again. Sorry I don't have time to post like the old boys. I am too busy routering.HA HA
Man Chapman...... I think you last last name should be changed to chap "stick" man by now with all this hot air you are blowing! HA! HA!
What can I tell ya Dan these Americans just don't seem to let up do they?
Oh well back to routering.......
-------------------- Steve Thomas Greer ABRACADABRA SIGNS & DESIGNS 102 Stanley St. Ayr, Ont. Canada Posts: 602 | From: Ayr, Ontario. Canada | Registered: Mar 2004
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I see how it goes, Dan gets the Multicam royalty checks and Raymond has seem to secure the ShopBot royalty checks. Endorsements is where it is now I see the light.
I just realized why Steve doesn't post about HIS router, the company he bought his from if I am correct has gone the way of the DODO bird, hence no royalty checks. Hmmmmmmmmm
[ April 11, 2006, 10:03 AM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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For those who might be interested, this is the new toy I ordered:
ShopBot PRTalpha 96 (4' x 8'). Colombo 3HP spindle. ArtCam Pro 8.0 software.
No tool changer or vacuum table. I will add a dust collector when it is in and set up.
Even though I am anticipating doing some great new things with my router, my work will look completely different than Dan's. In fact, it probably will not LOOK a lot different than what I am doing now - just done in a different way.
Dan has a very unique style and there is no way that I'm even going to try to match his creativity, but I do hope to produce some very attractive signs.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Pleeeze.....I promise to treat it well. ![[Thanks]](graemlins/thanks.gif)
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