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As some of you know I have had a monetized Youtube channel for a number of years, nothing too serious, just a side thing that has earned me some extra income.
With my age, and the job market being what they are, I have been struggling to find work. The same exact job posts have been out there for the last 8 months. They need to find a way to remove "ghost jobs" from the job growth stats, our economy would be more honestly represented.
In that vein, I am putting time, and effort into capitolizing my Youtube thing, including trying to sell channel merch that viewers have been asking for. T shirts, Stainless tumblers, hats, stickers, totes etc...
I launched a Teespring store back around November 4th, and ordered some samples. It is December 18 and they have yet to deliver. I am closing my account with them and going a different route...
I have experience, albeit quite old now, screen printing and doing hot press transfers from my teenage years when one of my best friends parents ran a T shirt shop in a local mall.
I looked around for a print on demand vendor, they either want way too high of a cut, OR they have a VERY bad reputation for lack of quality, or lack of ability to delivery.
Decisions have been made, my home office is undergoing a bit of a rearrangement that will require some custom woodworking...
In my small 10x10 home office / Studio space, I have added the following equipment.
1. Second Epson EcoTank printer converted for Sublimation printing. The ET-2803 if anyone is curious. A Walmart / Target exclusive model that is almost identical to the ET-2800 I already have for standard / non sublimation printing. I need to be able to stack these printers to reduce my floor space usage.
2. Vevor Smart1 Vinyl Cutter. Sort of a clone of the Cricut machines. But no subscription required to actually be able to use it. Again floor space is critically low in here. I am going to use some of the orphaned shelf standards and wall rails that were in the shop and add a wide shelf overhead of my computer desk. Due to operational depth requirements this will include some custom slide hardware as there needs to be 20" in front and behind the machine during operation.
3. Vevor 15x15 hot press machine. This is the machine that presses the transfers to fabrics, or at least FLAT fabrics. Depending on the fabric this will be either standard, or sublimation printing as well.
4. Vevor 2 in 1 hat and mug / tumbler heat press. The mugs / tumblers is where sublimation is most critical, but it is also the most requested merch (30oz stainless steel tumblers). This is going to need to be stored above the shirt heat press, so another riser needs to be built.
5. Inventory storage for raw material / blank shirts, ball caps, tumblers, transfer paper, extra ink, label paper etc...
My thought is VERY simple here. I have a 20" x 47" table this stuff is going to be set on. Using 1/2" plywood, create a single open faced box, with simple butt joints, with a divider to separate the heat press from the printer, eveen going so far as to glue some Reflectix on the divider to keep heat transfer away. I figure I will need all 4 walls as this will sit on a plastic table and I want to keep it from sliding off..
My plan here is to utilize Home Depot cabinet grade ply, and their panel cutter. Just pay the extra to get the cuts made so I don't have to take the time to set up, make the cuts, clean up etc... while I am trying to knock this out.
The biggest question is going to be reinforcing the butt joints. Do I go with pocket screws, or dowels? How do I attach the back panel without it being obnoxiously obvious? Do I need to use a through grommet for the power and USB cable pass through?
The 3D printer setup is in a differnt room but I will need to build a better rack for them as well... I literally have 4 3D printers, including one large format printer on a 5' wide table... I need room for them all. No I did not set out to get 4 printers, on the contrary. I intended on 2, a standard, and a large format, but with warranty issues and lacking parts the MFG just send me returned machines to cannibalize parts, I learned enough about them to just get the parts I needed and voila I have 4 3D printers. Maybe I will gift one to a good friends kids that are interested in the hobby...
I have started the process of building my Ecommerce store, and will start doing craft shows.
I have some ideas for future product offerings that will require I add a laser Engraver. That will end up in the shop though, NOT in the office.
Anyway, that is what is going on right now. Spooling up a business and getting ready for the holidays.
I should probably buy a mega millions / powerball ticket maybe I can retire and do this at a more liesurely pace :-P
I guess we just need to swing at what is pitched...
With my age, and the job market being what they are, I have been struggling to find work. The same exact job posts have been out there for the last 8 months. They need to find a way to remove "ghost jobs" from the job growth stats, our economy would be more honestly represented.
In that vein, I am putting time, and effort into capitolizing my Youtube thing, including trying to sell channel merch that viewers have been asking for. T shirts, Stainless tumblers, hats, stickers, totes etc...
I launched a Teespring store back around November 4th, and ordered some samples. It is December 18 and they have yet to deliver. I am closing my account with them and going a different route...
I have experience, albeit quite old now, screen printing and doing hot press transfers from my teenage years when one of my best friends parents ran a T shirt shop in a local mall.
I looked around for a print on demand vendor, they either want way too high of a cut, OR they have a VERY bad reputation for lack of quality, or lack of ability to delivery.
Decisions have been made, my home office is undergoing a bit of a rearrangement that will require some custom woodworking...
In my small 10x10 home office / Studio space, I have added the following equipment.
1. Second Epson EcoTank printer converted for Sublimation printing. The ET-2803 if anyone is curious. A Walmart / Target exclusive model that is almost identical to the ET-2800 I already have for standard / non sublimation printing. I need to be able to stack these printers to reduce my floor space usage.
2. Vevor Smart1 Vinyl Cutter. Sort of a clone of the Cricut machines. But no subscription required to actually be able to use it. Again floor space is critically low in here. I am going to use some of the orphaned shelf standards and wall rails that were in the shop and add a wide shelf overhead of my computer desk. Due to operational depth requirements this will include some custom slide hardware as there needs to be 20" in front and behind the machine during operation.
3. Vevor 15x15 hot press machine. This is the machine that presses the transfers to fabrics, or at least FLAT fabrics. Depending on the fabric this will be either standard, or sublimation printing as well.
4. Vevor 2 in 1 hat and mug / tumbler heat press. The mugs / tumblers is where sublimation is most critical, but it is also the most requested merch (30oz stainless steel tumblers). This is going to need to be stored above the shirt heat press, so another riser needs to be built.
5. Inventory storage for raw material / blank shirts, ball caps, tumblers, transfer paper, extra ink, label paper etc...
My thought is VERY simple here. I have a 20" x 47" table this stuff is going to be set on. Using 1/2" plywood, create a single open faced box, with simple butt joints, with a divider to separate the heat press from the printer, eveen going so far as to glue some Reflectix on the divider to keep heat transfer away. I figure I will need all 4 walls as this will sit on a plastic table and I want to keep it from sliding off..
My plan here is to utilize Home Depot cabinet grade ply, and their panel cutter. Just pay the extra to get the cuts made so I don't have to take the time to set up, make the cuts, clean up etc... while I am trying to knock this out.
The biggest question is going to be reinforcing the butt joints. Do I go with pocket screws, or dowels? How do I attach the back panel without it being obnoxiously obvious? Do I need to use a through grommet for the power and USB cable pass through?
The 3D printer setup is in a differnt room but I will need to build a better rack for them as well... I literally have 4 3D printers, including one large format printer on a 5' wide table... I need room for them all. No I did not set out to get 4 printers, on the contrary. I intended on 2, a standard, and a large format, but with warranty issues and lacking parts the MFG just send me returned machines to cannibalize parts, I learned enough about them to just get the parts I needed and voila I have 4 3D printers. Maybe I will gift one to a good friends kids that are interested in the hobby...
I have started the process of building my Ecommerce store, and will start doing craft shows.
I have some ideas for future product offerings that will require I add a laser Engraver. That will end up in the shop though, NOT in the office.
Anyway, that is what is going on right now. Spooling up a business and getting ready for the holidays.
I should probably buy a mega millions / powerball ticket maybe I can retire and do this at a more liesurely pace :-P
I guess we just need to swing at what is pitched...