I'm done building

[yobresal]

Sorry folks. It isn't fun for me anymore. I am losing money doing it, I am stressing myself to get lasers built for everybody and my hands keep getting burn blisters. Sorry but if you haven't sent me payment for a laser at this point don't bother. I'm done.

 

[f22warzone]

what a bummer to get burnt out like that

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

That's why this is supposed to be a hobby. Not a place for appliance opperators to gather and fluff about. Read, learn and build.............

HMike

 

[yobresal]

That's why this is supposed to be a hobby. Not a place for appliance opperators to gather and fluff about. Read, learn and build.............

HMike

I agree fully. I intend to build for myself when I want a new laser but doing it for a bunch of other people too is really too much. As a hobby it is exciting and doesn't consume as much time.

 

[SupermanFTM]

Well that's kind of a bummer It was always my dream to have a laser built by you, they were such high quality products.

Alas, this isn't about me xD I hope you can continue to enjoy lasers as a hobby. Oh, and I hope this helps with the stress as well!

 

[daguin]

The "consumers" will eat you alive! No matter how hard you work or how low you cut the price, this market will never be satisfied.

As my first wife used to say: "If it ain't fun for me, we ain't doin' it again."

Peace,
dave

 

[Lonewolf]

doing it for a bunch of other people too is really too much

Not to mention the stress of tech support, on top of the builds.

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

Now a few people here can "dream" of owning a laser built by themselves.
Never to be an appliance opperator again!!!!! Dream of it........

HMike

 

[SupermanFTM]

Now a few people here can "dream" of owning a laser built by themselves.
Never to be an appliance opperator again!!!!! Dream of it........

HMike

True, although many members face the problem of not having the proper tools. For example, without a lathe of some sort, it'd be hard to make a heatsink to fit a host. Without a soldering iron, it'd be hard to connect a driver. Etcetera. Some tools are quite expensive as well, which adds an entirely new level to this hobby since you're looking at dishing out $1000+ for all you may need to build a custom laser(give or take). I guess that's what you mean when you refer to some one as an appliance operator, but without these operators everyone will need their own appliances and that's pricey.

Not to say that it's a pleasant job being an appliance operator... I mean, that is why yob is stopping, right? It's a tough thing to have to handle.

I know this response kind of seems bias toward the side of the consumer and not the operator(it very well may be since that's what I am), but I tried to keep it objective. I personally hope this decision makes jayrob's life much happier. Just figured I'd post why not every does/can make their own laser.

Again, GO LUKE GO!

 

[Bandanna]

As my first wife used to say: "If it ain't fun for me, we ain't doin' it again."

Peace,
dave

*learns*


And Yobresal, I respect your decision to call it quits. Despite what some people would consider uncommon I know a lot of people that do too much to satisfy others and cast away their own sanity while doing so in the belief that what they are doing is just the "right thing" to do. Life unhappy is life wasted IMO.

 

[photonaholic]

Life unhappy is life wasted IMO.

Very wise words, Cheers!

 

[Greenmechanic]

Sorry to hear that, Luke!
It is true that doing it as a hobby is fun, but when doing it for others, becomes work.
Please tell us you will continue to share your great "finds" with us, although.
Your prices on factory builds were unbelievable! Maybe that's how you were losing money?
Thanks for all the effort and great lasers you have contributed to this community.
A bright laser beam of epic proportions has dimmed a little today.:cryyy:
But we all understand! :thanks:

 

[xStatiCa]

Sorry to hear that you are not having fun anymore Yobresal. I feel bad being one of the people gobbling up your very cheap but professionally built IMHO lasers.

I was actually wondering how you were doing this for so cheap. Your prices were too low IMHO. The last 500-600mw builds were worth more than what you sold them for. That is why I bought one even though I just got rid of one! This is especially true considering they included batteries and a charger.

I can definitely see it not being fun at some point as your time is spent building for others instead of yourself.

This is a good thing for me though. Your builds are irresistible and costing me too much money that I should be spending on other things!

 

[Traveller]

... No matter how hard you work or how low you cut the price, this market will never be satisfied...

Well, the solution is in this statement!

The product quality of the top DIYers is so far above what the LPF member can ever hope to get from one of our typical Asian e-tailers that you can (and should!) command a price that is representative of your quality builds! I've been snooping around the next-price-level market (CNI / Viasho...) lately and have come to the conclusion that there's no guarantee of quality even at that level...

So, as a humble collector of your fine hand-built lasers, please do not stop building lasers; instead, name your price according to your level of effort (and skill) and if the buyer can't (or rather, won't) pay the price, it's their loss.

This way you are assured that your work will truly be appreciated and limited to people that understand the effort and skill that stands behind your builds! The underlying benefit will be that you will still profit some from your effort and you will be rewarded by dealing only with members who are sincerely insterested in your talents and zeal for the science (& not those that are just looking for cheap & easy access to a powerful laser)!

The way I see it, there are several types of members:

• Those eager to learn about the science AND having the talent (and tools*) to put that knowledge into practice
• Those eager to learn about the science AND having the resources to support those more talented indivduals...
• Those that just want a monster laser - on a budget.

There are of course extraordinary cases (unemployed enthusiasts, etc.) but I think the three bullet points cover the majority).



EDIT *SupermanFTM has a point; even if you have some talent in the field (which I don't...), you still need the tools. And Mike, I'm not an appliance operator, I am an admirer and collector of unique and fine hand-built Lazors...

 

[SupermanFTM]

Well, the solution is in this statement!

The product quality of the top DIYers is so far above what the LPF member can ever hope to get from one of our typical Asian e-tailers that you can (and should!) command a price that is representative of your quality builds! I've been snooping around the next-price-level market (CNI / Viasho...) lately and have come to the conclusion that there's no guarantee of quality even at that level...

So, as a humble collector of your fine hand-built lasers, please do not stop building lasers; instead, name your price according to your level of effort (and skill) and if the buyer can't (or rather, won't) pay the price, it's their loss.

This way you are assured that your work will truly be appreciated and limited to people that understand the effort and skill that stands behind your builds! The underlying benefit will be that you will still profit some from your effort and you will be rewarded by dealing only with members who are sincerely insterested in your talents and zeal for the science (& not those that are just looking for cheap & easy access to a powerful laser)!

The way I see it, there are several types of members:

• Those eager to learn about the science AND having the talent (and tools*) to put that knowledge into practice
• Those eager to learn about the science AND having the resources to support those more talented indivduals...
• Those that just want a monster laser - on a budget.

There are of course extraordinary cases (unemployed enthusiasts, etc.) but I think the three bullet points cover the majority).



EDIT *SupermanFTM has a point; even if you have some talent in the field (which I don't...), you still need the tools. And Mike, I'm not an appliance operator, I am an admirer and collector of unique and fine hand-built Lazors...

Heh, so that's why you put that second bullet in there

I agree with most of what you said, but the categories are a bit sketchy. After all, who DOESN'T want a monster laser on a budget?! Oh, and also, you're right that yob's products would have almost certainly sold for a higher price than he listed it at but it still takes a lot of work to make those lasers to begin with. As some one else pointed out earlier, that turns a hobby into somewhat of a job, and those are rarely fun... But I agree that if yob goes back to making lasers for people, he should probably aim to make at least a reasonable profit for all the work he puts into it

Then again, maybe I'm just holding onto the dream of owning a laser made by him...

 

[Crazy Jay]

From what I've learned, a business isn't as stressful when most of it is automated. When you do everything by hand it makes it very very hard to keep up with.