Video of how the Made in the USA Pen kits are made.

[Constant Laubscher]

Here is video of how the Made in the USA kits are made.
Please let me know what you think.
I have more to add to the video but for now it is good.
I will be using the video on shows in the next month or so.
The video is HD and about 9 min long.
It was quite an expense to get all the stuff for a show, I have never done a show before. ( Banners, T-shirts, caps, TV screen, Business cards, table Table cover and more....)

Here is a link to YouTube LazerLinez_Version1_WebHD.mov - YouTube

 

[wood-of-1kind]

Certain aspects of your video are very good especially the action shots of your cnc. Personally I would omit the shots where you are showing assembling your kit and especially the shot of you pressing/hitting the hardware into your laser cut kit. It makes the 'moment' feel primitive. With such a highly sophisticated and costly machine, I expect to see more 'refinement' as you assemble your excellent cut components. Please take my criticism in a positive light for improvement and is not intended as a knock on your hard work.

Continued success with your business venture. May you do well.

 

[LouCee]

Very cool Constant, thanks for giving us a look at the process. My wife thought I was watching porn so I'm not sure about the music choice.

 

[longbeard]

Very cool video, i wish i had all those toys, thanks for showin us. :biggrin:

Loucee, that is extremelly funny :biggrin::biggrin: my wife thought the same thing

Harry

 

[Akula]

That was wonderful

Only thing I could say is bad bad on no push stick...the table saws don't play. Hands are on the menu this past week. I seen 3 bad things that could have been much worse (one involved a table saw and not using push sticks)

Thanks for sharing and I would love to watch more

 

[Sawdust46]

Great video! I did notice a few things. Your table saw is set up like mine, no blade guard or splitter. And your "mallet" was unusual but effective. My personal pen is one of your sierra flag kits. Thank you.

 

[Silverado]

Great video Constant! I also have to agree with Peter in Regards to your
pen assembly procedure.
Good Luck on your first Show.

Regards,
Tim

 

[Constant Laubscher]

Great video Constant! I also have to agree with Peter in Regards to your
pen assembly procedure.
Good Luck on your first Show.

Regards,
Tim

Well what can I say that is how I do it. :biggrin:

 

[Ruby pen turning]

GREAT video. I see nothing wrong with it at all and pretty informative on how everything is done/made. I would not change anything. Even the music goes well.
First show?? Are you going to be selling pens to shoppers or trying to sell your kits to turners?

 

[18111]

I like the video. it's entertaining and informative. I never knew how the pen parts were made until now. I think it's a OK to show hi-tech and low-tech, so the viewers know it has a lot of work into make a pen. However, I think it is little bit too long to watch, around 3 minute would be better for me. Nevertheless, it's great video.

 

[Rick_G]

Great video but I have to agree with Akula table saws and fingers do not play well together. Please find a better way to cut those blanks to length. If you don't do enough to justify total automation a small band saw with a sled would be just as fast and much safer. Hate to see someone lose a finger for a few dollars.

 

[mredburn]

If I were to offer criticism, it would be to edit out the part from around 49 seconds to about 1 minute where the focus is not on the action but on a cutter. With the action out of focus it detracts from the professionalism of your video. Also edit out the part where you fumble, at around 8 minutes. Where you dont quite get the end on the first time. You want to show people how smooth and easy it is to assemble your kits. This is your best foot forward. Tapping the pen together with a wood blank can be showing that you dont need special presses or tools to put them together. Its a great start Constant good luck with it.

 

[Ruby pen turning]

I disagree on the length. If the customer is interested they will watch. I watched the whole thing did you?

 

[mredburn]

Yes, but your sitting at a computer not walking through a show where your standing on your feet and someone (like the wife) is pulling at you to go see some thing she likes. Like jewelry. There is point where its to short and people walk off when it ends without having their interest captured and too long and their attention span wanders off.

 

[Ruby pen turning]

Ok maybe a little shorter but the wife has already looked at 50 booths with jewelry, so she wont be in as much of a hurry as you think.

 

[bobjackson]

Great job Constant. Thanks for sharing.

 

[thewishman]

I really like the video! I had no idea you had to do so much manual work on the laser parts - preparing wood to be cut.

I liked to fumble on the last part - it made me smile that even the creator of the pens isn't perfect.

 

[Jim15]

Great video. The CNC part is like a magic show to me. Thanks for posting the video.

 

[Alzey]

Some of my favorite TV shows are the How It's Made variety. I have always been fascinated with machines, computers and automation. Love the video. It was fun trying to figure out what components were being made.

 

[wouldentu2?]

Loved the video, and it was nice to see how the laser did it.

 

[Russell Eaton]

I will put some new light on a couple of "issues ". First I won't use a table saw like Constant does, but he cuts THOUSANDS of board feet into pen blanks. He is very careful. Second, on the video, It looks great for a cellphone video.

 

[paintspill]

like the video. and doing some simple math the pens should sell for around $5798.23.

great job and good luck at the shows.

 

[paintspill]

just finished the video. re-shoot or edit out the pen assembly where your fumbling with the parts doesn't look too smooth

 

[OLDMAN5050]

Well worth the watch......... enjoyed ever second of it.

 

[NYWoodturner]

Constant - Wow- Great Job !. To offer feedback - I think I understood the message to be how a Made in the USA component set was made - so I think leaving some of the low tech parts helps tie in the human element / jobs. I would take out the fumble though. The music choice is great. It doesn't take away from the video. The length for most is probably too much. Its great for us because we are pen makers and gear heads. I would cut back according to your target audience. Personally I would cut back on the cnc piece.
Truly impressive though !
Scott

 

[Constant Laubscher]

There are a couple of spots that needs some change I agree.
The time of the video started off as 1.3 h There is a ton of footage that can be chop and changed still.
There will also be a version with voice over like you would get with How it is made but I ran out of time for what I need this for.
Thanks for the input so far.

When this video was made it was done as the things were made and nothing/ very little was pretended and it is about I make the product and not to promote how the customer must make and finish the product.

Safety, There are many ways to improve on that but some things like where I turn and drill the blanks just work like that and great care is taken when working on the machines. I have a Sawstop on my list and some things will change in my shop in the next couple of months.

 

[Constant Laubscher]

like the video. and doing some simple math the pens should sell for around $5798.23.

great job and good luck at the shows.

No you are wrong that was the cost of the first pens that was made on the cnc. It is getting cheaper as I make more parts.

I am also using the machine for non pen related products/parts and I am working on some parts now that will require me to run the CNC day and night 2 or 3 shifts year round to make all the parts required.
Might need 3 more of these machines.
Any Swiss CNC machine operators out there ? May be later.

 

[alinc100]

I think the video is great.It shows the process involved in producing well refined pen components. It was informative to me to see how the CNC machines the parts and the laser cuts the wooden components.I like the bits of hand work/manual work in between as it gives the feel of hand made craftsmanship.

I do believe that I will begin to purchase and market these kits.I live in a predominantly union state ,I am a member of the Carpenter's Union and I think the Made in USA
will go a long way to sell these kits.

 

[robersonjr]

Awesome video, very enjoyable to watch.

 

[lorbay]

Very cool Constant. I really like your primitive assembly tools.Lol

Lin.

 

[johncrane]

Constant! "FANTASTIC" also really liked the sound, good luck with your shows mate!

 

[crabcreekind]

You can do alot with cnc equipment. And also make alot of money at it. I think if you did set a booth at a woodworking show and sold your kits and inlay kits, you would do very well.

 

[76winger]

I too liked the video and it's interesting seeing the parts being made on your machines. Thanks for sharing it with everyone!

 

[Marker]

this video is Awesome

 

[larryc]

Fantastic video. It's great to see a small company flourish and provide employment. Here's somebody who isn't afraid of what tomorrow holds and is ready to move ahead hoping the government keeps out of his way!

 

[Leatherman1998]

That is really cool. I have wondered how all the components for kits are made. You wouldn't be looking for a 14 year old from SD to work there huh?:biggrin::biggrin:

 

[navycop]

Your fingers were to close for comfort on the table saw. Do you recycle the "white" blanks by putting the "red" cutouts in it?

 

[bruce119]

From my point of view it looked great. High quality video very informative. From a non pen makers point of view just a little fine tunning like the others said. Especially the banging the parts together. I know it works and is not a problem but to a buyer if he sees that he's just going to look very closely at those parts a press would be more professional.

But I really enjoyed your video thanks for sharing.
.

 

[Constant Laubscher]

Your fingers were to close for comfort on the table saw. Do you recycle the "white" blanks by putting the "red" cutouts in it?

No, I cut 8 stripes from the white and the stripe opening would be bigger in the white barrel due to compensation for the laser beam.

 

[CHICAGOHAND]

Please consider a different way with the saw. Either a sled or use a band saw with a sled.
We don't need good American business men going down because of an accident.