How much people will charge for Glowforge time

I live WAY to close to Tufts University to do that. I would have students coming over constantly.

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One thing is the more complicated your pricing structure is, the more time you have to sit there and figure out what the actual billing is.

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I don’t have the pricing all worked out (just started), but I actually include uploading and alignment on the material in the ‘design’ time. Basically, all effort by me on the product prior to hitting the ‘print’ button is ‘design’. Then the 2 other main factors become material cost and actual use of the Glowforge. No, I don’t have all these details worked out, yet, but by simplifying ‘design’, it reduces elements and time spent billing.

Right now, I mostly just look at everything involved and throw out an estimate. 90% of the time, the person insists on paying more.

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@dan can you post the results?

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It seems like this survey should be scoped to people who intend to do this on a regular basis as part if their planned income.

For me, it would either be free because your project is cool and I want to see it completed. Or regular consulting rates plus a premium for use of the laser and specialized knowledge, which would generate a number that would probably just skew the results.

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You can click through the survey to see the results.

I was surprised by how high the numbers are. I recognize that we are talking about an individual basis with no business behind it, but just looking at Maker Spaces, I can get a day pass to my local space for $25. I have to take a class to use the laser, but after that, it’s just $25 per day on the high end to use it… assuming there is time available for it of course.

Me just being present isn’t, in my opinion, worthy of charging my full “per hour” value, even having to answer a question or two.

If I were buying the time, I certainly wouldn’t pay more than I would for time at a MakerSpace.

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Maybe the high price is to compensate for the fact that people would likely need different insurance if they were having customers come into their home or workshop to use equipment? Like, maybe the price for just one person to do it is drastically higher than if that were going to be a full time job, and people were constantly doing it. You dont pay for insurance by volume do you?

Or wait, do you? I dont have business insurance because our HOA is just shy of police state and we do enough to anger them without having a visible home business. Plus, I’d have to wear real pants, and that’s a bridge too far.

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:joy:

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Wow, my wild guess was apparently way below the norm ($15). The real answer, though, is get your own, kid.

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I didn’t really consider it from the perspective of running a business renting time on the machine. I would do it only for people I know (and yes, many of the people here I consider as “people I know”). I would definitely not open my home to random strangers just to rent time on my laser. I suppose even in that instance I would have to have some kind of disclaimer form for people to sign indicating that they understand that I hold no liability while they are in my home… or something… I’m not a lawyer. But the thought of needing insurance and such does put a different spin on the topic.

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That’s an interesting alternative but it’s not a touchstone I’d use. If you want to use my machine I have to look at a convenience factor (actually an inconvenience to me factor) as it’s not my business so I’m deferring something else to let you use it because I’m not going to just give you the keys and walk away. $25 isn’t going to get my attention - it’s not going to be enough to make me do this vs any of the other demands on my time. None of that applies to a MakerSpace.

If I were in business then I also have to weigh the loss cost - that’s direct costs associated with what I would have made if I were using it to create something of my own to sell as well as how much do I need to “insure” myself against you breaking it and putting me out of business for a week. Again, nothing a MakerSpace has to concern itself with.

You* want cheap, go to the MakerSpace. I wouldn’t do this to compete with cheap. If your MakerSpace is very successful then I guess it will cost you more - either in wait/scheduling delays or buying the capacity from someone else. Also, some MakerSpaces put time limits on their machine use where some projects simply won’t be doable and you won’t know until you’re there and find out that you’re going to exceed their allowance so break up the project and come back again.

My MakerSpace doesn’t meter machine usage or schedule usage but everyone does try to be neighborly so we don’t have to meter. You’re on a machine for 3 or 4 hours and someone else comes in it’s good form to wrap up and go again later. If it were busy enough we’d have to institute throttles.

(*You in this case refers to the generic customer, not you specifically :smiling_face:)

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I was one of the higher numbers. I understand what you’re saying for someone to go in and do it themselves but if you are providing it as a service its much higher. The going rate in our industry (architecture) is around $200 an hour if not more. It will be much higher if that includes file prep.

I look at it as I might not be needed/called upon for that hour very often, but then again I might be; so I up front need to assume I will be called on which will either take away from me designing something for money or more importantly taking my regular free time away; both have a value to me.

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First of all we need to know how many hours is the life expectancy of our printers!!
What is the first thing that needs to be replaced?
How much will it cost to get repaired?
Operating cost for wattage if print?

I’m more concerned about maintenance on this thing since I’m in Hawaii - if Glowforge can continue to establish a good maintenance and repair instructions I’ll be confident to charge for the use

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Just out of curiosity, which space is that? Not trying to be argumentative (it is completely possible that I overlooked an option) but I did a fair bit of research on Maker Space rates in the PS area, and it seemed like going rates where anywhere from $60 - $80/hr. Some had additional fees on top of that. Not sure how that stacks up with the rest of the country.

FabLab used to have punch cards or day passes, but they stopped offering those some time ago.

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Should charge

  • per minute of print
  • per square inch of material type

Wow ATXHackerspace (whom everyone quotes for cut/don’t cut list) is $100/month. Another one in San Antonio is $60/month.

IIRC, monthly rates ranged from $100 - $150 … but I looked at hourly rates because I’m not close enough to any of them to get great mileage out of a monthly membership (i.e. if monthly membership is “only” $150, but I can only make it once every other month, membership translates to a huge hourly rate :wink: )

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need a 4k security deposit - just incase they break it?

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$5 per minute of print cut, score, engrave. round up the time
$5 per 3"x 3" medium ply
$6 per 3" x 3" medium hardwood

example project:
3"x 3" medium hardwood = $6
2.5 minutes = $12.50
total = $18.50