5 years of struggling have finally been brought to justice a review of my training with Chance Lawson, 5 zoom classes and a 4 day in person Please understand this has been a long journey and most of this was written on the flight home. Pics posted as well. And n my opinion worth the read.

      4 days of in person training with @Chancelawson. Who am I? No one special. I own an asphalt maintenance business in Colorado. I can’t work in the winter, so I sought an income during those times to pay a bill or two. Now for the rest of this story. A little about my journey to this point of my experiences as a creator of things. I started in the water transfer printing (Hydro graphics) world as a customization shop. The individual I bought the business from trained me how to apply this process. His method was basic and pretty flawed, I decided to seek a more professional style of training with a automotive paint applicator that had a system that was far more advanced for a better application and finished durable product. Hydro graphics was still cookie cutter approach to customization of products. I wanted more of a personalized approach to making people’s items more customized. Leading me to the Cerakote industry. Two things I hold high on my priority list are firearms and customization. So down that rabbit hole I ventured. After extensive training on how to apply this coating, I was fortunate enough to work with a rifle builder that let me do my artwork on the precision rifles he built as RMP Rifles. If you know about Cerakote there is quite a bit of down time between “cures” to let your mind wonder. Behold Facebook! I started following other coaters for inspiration and ideas apply and add to my arsenal of customization. That’s when I saw the first application for lasers. I found an American based laser company called, Tykma/Electrox. I decided to purchase a 60 watt fiber source laser from them at a great deal of expense. Thank you for the financing world sort of but hey it allowed me to buy a 30k + laser and put it in the toolbox. Unfortunately, this purchase in hindsight was a mistake. Not because of the price but more so the fact it came with absolutely no training.

    Just read a really, long instruction manual and a piece of advice, buy a fire extinguisher or two. The salesman told me what type of file I need to create a engraving but absolutely no intel on how to implement settings or finished products. I was given a companies name to contact who had bought the same laser as a possible platform for some guidance. When I made contact I was given the cold shoulder in a “it’s top secret “ what we have developed and will not help you. Copy that and piss off. So back to facebook. At this point I saw some posts about a couple of guys using the two tools I had, Cerakote and a laser to create custom Glock pistols. They had done stippling and color logos on the grips. All done with Cerakote and a laser. I made contact and they were happy to point me in the direction of San Antonio lasers or SALE. Yep contact them I did. I asked if they would train me that process and that I already had a laser. I was told “well the process might not work with your laser so I should buy one of theirs. Thank you for 15 k of financing once again! Hindsight mistake #2.

    Yes they taught me some graphic design methods on Ink Scape and how to implement them with the laser. Still it was somewhat cookie cutter customization using other logos or graphics and combining them to create a collage on a firearm. Whelp back to facebook. 20oz tumblers that were engraved showed up. What a great way to add another laser to my toolbox. Purchased a Epilog 120 watt I did. I finally have something I can provide custom goods for people in hopes I would get a big contract for bulk orders. (Didn’t happen). Several orders of 24 but nothing in the 100s. Did some wood signs and glassware with fair results. So that purchase is a tie for good vs mistake. And back to Facebook for more ideas. That’s when I saw true art with a laser aka the EDC community. Folks like Metal Morphosis showed up with Ti Nutz. Man I gotta get one of those and figure out how they made them. Phil gave me a a little help finding a person who trains people on lasers. Enter Jeff Stockton. Jeff and I did a over the phone training that cost me about $100 if memory serves me right. At this point I finally learned a little about how to achieve depth and fairly decent results with my engravings. Probably the best $100 I spent in a few years. I was off and running utilizing my laser with Cerakote to customize things. Problem here is with success o was hit with requests I had no earthly idea of how to do. I stumbled along with a great deal of help from my Mother who was figuring out a few things with illustrator to be able to create custom stencils for Cerakote, as well a laser files for me to utilize. Off and running again!

    But man the things I was seeing on facebook where way more advanced with the design features. Weather in EDC or firearms. I gotta catch up! So back down the Facebook rabbit hole I went. The EDC community had all these cool things I wanted to create my own to replicate a similar product. Enter @codyumburry. He had the coin blanks to engrave and make custom coins. I ordered some and made a few decent coins I gave away to promote my business. Problem was my artwork as well as product was to much like other people’s stuff. At this point I asked Cody to make me some custom titanium blanks I could use for engraving. The blanks were executed with fantastic results. Only problem was I didn’t have a clue how to put them to use with my laser besides put someone’s name on them and hand them back raw with the name and turn them a color with Cerakote, Cerakote being a thin film coating wore off very quickly. Table that idea. Stuck with guns and basic stuff once again. Still had plenty of work with asphalt and Cerakote. One of my better clients was keeping my laser busy enough I decided to buy another 30k+ laser. Hindsight mistake #3. 

    Still no idea how to make artwork to implement with either of my lasers I continued to work asphalt and do Cerakote. Enter heart surgery. Them birth defects caught up to me! I survived!!!!!!! Lots of time in recovery to look into Facebook’s rabbit hole of cool things to make. Behold the UV laser makes a debut. The glass engraving is reborn in comparison with Co2. Gotta have one of those things for sure. This begins Mistake #4. You would have thought I learned with the first 3 but nope I will figure this crap out. I contacted my sales guy at Tykma to see if they could build me one. Answer was you bet for 60k +. Mmm hmmm finance again. Keep in mind this is laser # 3 I bought from them as a custom shop. At this present day I have about 90k financed for the new 60wAtt and 10 watt UV. Still with a minor knowledge of how to do artwork and implementation to use these fantastic “American” company lasers. All assembled in America with Chinese laser sources and software. But they have an American based support. Ha!!! The day my UV arrived the crate had obviously been dropped (funny side story another time). I contacted Tykma immediately and they said it would have to be shipped back for inspection and repaired if needed. Three weeks later still no pickup for the return. Phone call on the way. Keep in mind my real job in asphalt is in full swing by this point. Four weeks later my laser is on the way back to Ohio to be repaired. Then two weeks later it arrives again. Perfection in handling . Time to play!!! So I thought. Gotta get training first provided by Tykma in the cost of the laser. My trainer showed up with absolutely no files to utilize for training so I happily provided some basic vectors I had used on my fibers that I knew worked. (Side note I made sure when I bought this laser it came with some training on how to implement on substrates. This cat and I dialed in a few settings as well a calibrated the laser in order to make it work. At this point all systems are operating on EZ cad 3 except my old one which is ez cad 2. But the damn things are capable. At least for a brief moment. 

      I gotta learn artwork!!! Cody sent me The contact for Chance Lawson my journey to zoom classes was scheduled. Chances schedule was packed about six months in advance which sucked but I figured it would be worth the wait. Only hesitation was the classes would be during peak times during my busy season with asphalt. Good thing I am the boss and set my hours. As well as having a crew that can handle things when I duck away for an hour or two. Zoom 1 class was wicked fun and I learned how to trace and make templates using illustrator and create designs to use my lasers. We traced basic objects and created a couple of designs to burn into blanks. In the zoom Chance took the controls and programmed in settings that did an amazing job completing a almost finished piece. Well now I gotta wait a week before I learn more. Zoom 2 filagree and design a pistol slide. Wholly Snapple I can draw a little in illustrator now! Not great but I can. The ability to draw some scrolls add in an image, a name and make it look pretty dang fancy opened up a grip of options to add artwork to the things customers bring to make more profit. Man I am pumped for Zoom classes 3 literally how to do 3d engraving. Gotta wait another week. Zoom class 3!!!!! Son of a B!!! Gotta travel for work postponed ,training. Made contact with Chance and he found me an opening the next week. Make up Zoom class 3 with a back to back days for 3 and 4. Zoom class 3 Chance walked me through the 3d design process in aspire showing me how to utilize AI to create an image for the 3d effect , take the image to sculpt ok, take it to Aspire generate the image to fit a shape including it’s depth. Now we go burn a coin! Mother Trucker the 30k laser using ez cad 3 will not slice the image WTF is the design wrong? Wait I have another laser the UV it uses the same software!!! Let’s try that one with a file Chance knows works. Son of a Mother Trucker that 60k laser won even turn on!!!!! Both from the American company TYKMA. Guess who’s gonna be missing some backside?? 24 hour help line my big toe. Waited for a tech to contact me all night and still had no response until I called the sales representative who sold me these boat anchors. “I will run this up the chain and get you some response ASAP” A day or so later I was contacted to set up a zoom meeting to troubleshoot both issues. After the Tech department looked at the file and swore it was not good they had a “fix” they took it into an older Windows software that has been discontinued and had it do a correction command. OK now we know this file will work? Yep you guessed it! Won’t slice!

      Well lets look at what version of EZ Cad you have? Hmm this doesn’t seem right it is an old Version? (Side note here this laser was shipped to me less than 8 months earlier. Old Version? EZ Cad has not done an update at all! They are done building this software and do not plan to do any updates.) But we will go ahead and act heroic and make the laser we promised that would do 3d do 3D! OK we are now able to slice the very same file. Next problem. Mr. Fuller would you turn on the UV please. Um ya the damn Computer won’t even come on. Check the power supply, Got it switched cords still nothing. Plugged the cord from the power bar direct into a wall socket. Viola! It runs. The battery in the internal computer had wore out so the Bios were dead and we had to reset everything. OK lets turn on the laser ya that didn’t work either. Ok Mr. Fuller we will have to send you some diagrams to get the plugins in the right spots to trouble shoot? Yep! NOPE! I am not a mechanic nor a laser tech. You guys need to come fix this. Ok we will get in touch and let you know when we can get a tech headed your way…. Day later Mr. Fuller the first available tech we will have is going to be in your area doing an install in 3-4 weeks KISS MY… come again this is a 60k boat anchor. Guess who got the next phone call….. The sales person! “I am a little concerned Mr. TYKMA man I have bought over 100k worth of lasers from you and the last two are 90K combined. The best you can do is 3-4 weeks for a tech to fix this thing?” Day later. Mr. Fuller please make arrangements with the tech that will be headed your way in the next day or two. He will make contact with you soon. Yep he showed up fixed the laser by cleaning out some sort of crap that is put on the power strip in back that was interfering with continuity. He tested the laser and tried to get a consistent mark on the glasses I was try to mark, He got one out of six maybe. The front USB port was not working at this point either so he said he would file a fixed report and get one on the way. I read through his notes agreed to them and signed for approval. Here we are more than two months later still no new USB port for the laser. One would think a 60k laser would work as promised. 

   

You bored yet? Hang on I am heading to Huntsville, Alabama!
 
Ready or not Chance I am on the way!
 
Four days of intense Graphic deign one on one the implement the files created on the in-house lasers, Sporting EZ cad 3 as well as Lightburn. (did a half assed training with SALE on light burn about a year ago, wasted my time there. Just design everything using Lightburn the same way as in ink scape just easier and wat less steps.
      At first arrival Chance’s long time friend Adrian made me feel welcome. He awaited my arrival at the airport and after I gathered my bags at the claim I headed to the pickup spot where Adrian helped me load my gear in the truck and we where off. Adrian insisted I must be hungry, so we stopped at a subway and grabbed a sandwich. We headed to the house of Chance’s where was happy to allow me to stay and save money on a hotel. When we arrived Chance was doing a zoom training and Adrian said Chance would come say hi when he had a break. Not to bad of a welcoming comity was at the door Saying welcome in their native tongue were the two excited Shih tzu pups Ziggy and Ellie. Complete sweet hearts no doubt. After I got settled Adrian gave me a short tour and we set down and watched a little TV. Before to long Chance came up to say hi. He apologized that he was not able to be at the airport in person to pick me up but his class schedule was booked solid until we begin training the next day. He gave me a tour of the Laser Room where we would be spending most of our time. As luck would have it his last zoom canceled so we set out to have dinner and a beer or two. TRAINING DAY TOMORROW!
    Day one was insane detail on photo the piece and practice out lining. Then creating a template then a design lots of review but I began to hone my skills with tracing in illustrator with Chances tutelage. We covered how to trace a vector file and place the file we created, place it on the template, with an outset so it will engrave properly.( Pry bar with paisleys pictured) We then created a pattern placed it on the template and cut out the vector to create a 2.5 d coin (leprechaun with bubbles pattern coin pictured.) More of the same we created two dog tags for my wife and I using an elk track placing our names in each toe as well as adding a topo pattern behind them. On to the next task we created a necklace charm for my wife out of .999 fine silver cy utilizing a vector we created a vector for engraving a horseshoe, a horse and the word wife. Then made a outline and drawing two four circles to be welded into the outline in order to cut out the charm to hang from a necklace. (Silver horseshoe charm pictured.) Once all of these items were created Chance Showed me the finishing techniques to fine tune each item to be a sellable piece. Even though they would be gifts I am proud to give my wife.
    Day 2 of training 3D!!!!!!!!
    But wait we gotta do more outlines. Now that I have the hand of it this should be a snap. Yep it was for the most part. We started with another dog tag that I had built a template for the previous day. I chose to find a hummingbird image with a floral back ground to create my first in person 3D file. Find the image import to sculpt ok cut it to the template, smooth it. Take it to Aspire create the propertied of depths, size, and the like. I am sure I skipped steps at this point but fear not every piece of this in person is recorded on my laptop as well as backed up to an external drive I can access at my needs when it comes time to do some more. The charm I Created is pictured (humming bird, dog tag) Then guess what more tracing I generated a racoon drinking beer depth map to be used on the barista bottle opener then traced out the depth map to create the cookie cutter spot in the template for the 3D image to be placed. All combined this set up for the next move of installing the brick wall pattern and beer sign used in the background. Whew lots of stacking in this one, but DAMN what a finished piece. (Pictured Beer bottle opener). So to finish up that day of tracing while the bottle opener was cutting we practiced more 3D by making a western style coin by stacking a cow skull and desert scene to create the 3D coin ( Brass coin pictured.) What is in store for day 3?
    Day 3 we did some Titanium pieces I brought that I had as blanks made way back and was finally able to use them. They are the horseshoe and four-leaf clover in the picture. We created a pattern using illustrator where Chance showed me how to use up blank space to create a unique pattern. The result is self-explained in the photos. Chance also showed me how to do Titanium anodizing for finish work and how to combine in the laser added effect. Once again, we made an outline for a minimalistic wallet then created again a vector image inset into a pattern I created and burned it onto the wallet pictured. Now for the themed pistol slide. I decided to do a Martian/ animal sea life theme in space. Ya it was mouth full. I used every bit of knowledge gained to this point for, outlines, vectors, and patterns to create the scene. Wow what a process but the result was fun. Don’t think I would want it on my pistol but great practice for one of mine or a customer down the road. For the flip side Chance walked me through the drawing scrolls process as well as setting a name in the scroll work. Yeo this one I will create one similar for a pistol that I have in process. Not stopping there we are gong to port the top of the slide using a vector image and the same cut principles as used to make my wife’s charm. To refresh the engrave/cut process we created a copper medallion with my business logo while the slide was burning the themes and scroll work. Medallion pictured as well. That was enough for day three let’s get something to eat! I ain’t going to turn down a home cooked loaded backed potatoes and beer. Who needs a restaurant with that kind of offering (more on that option on day 4).
      Day 4 the final day wholly bah-geez-o my head is spinning with all this stuff we learned. We did a lot of review on 3D making a project that I had been wanting to do happen except for the engraving part. Which would be conducted on work hardening steel that I would have to experiment with at home. So far pretty dang good results but needs a little fine tuning with settings. We revisited scroll work on a bottom metal for a client as a tribute to a deceased. Process, outline, vector a image draw scroll around a name place in the template accordingly and burn it to be Cerakoted at home. We touched on the UV laser being that I have one (man I wish it was Lightburn) But we did a hat patch with the engrave and cut process to create it. (camo logo pictured) The on to, outlining a Magpul M4 magazine to create a pattern on but first we gotta dial in those settings on the substrate. Chance showed me how to do this using Lightburn which already has that grid implemented you just gotta program in the variances and ranges you wish to use. Man how cool this was done on the in house laser that had light burn, Yep you guessed it I bought a 80 watt from Hoation Laser with Chance’s help on introducing me to Pascal. Within minutes I had a quote and yep Spent $6500 on a laser I actually know how to use and if I get stuck Chance knows them in and out especially for the design aspect. I truly believe had this sort of thing been available for training when I bought my first laser I would have been a lot less in debt, as well as paid for the laser many times over. The possibilities are endless you just have to use your imagination. Find your market and keep swimming. The training with Chane has and will be worth every cent I paid so long as I implement them. Well worth the wait for all the classes either zoom or in person, nut I highly recommend the in person you wont be sorry.
      I hope I have not bored you with my struggles but if anything learn from them and succeed yourself. Just be patient and wait your turn.
    You wont be sorry
   
Robert Fuller,
Owner RMF Coatings