CMC advice needed

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Pointe Claire Framer

Pointe Claire Framer

Grumbler
Joined
Sep 12, 2016
Posts
31
Location
Montreal
Hi All,

New to this board - back to picture framing after a 20 year hiatus. Nutshell: hired part time to take over production at a small art store / frame shop. All frames are chop service or joined frames from Larson or a similar local supplier. Everything else is by hand - old 40" Fletcher matte cutter, glazing done with cutter and ruler, backing by hand too (we don't even have a compressor). The shop is growing quickly, as is the volume of business, which can make for some pretty hectic production days.

The owner wants to move things into the 21st century and asked for my opinion on the Wizard 8000 or 9000. My full time gig is as a computer technician so I guess he figures I keep up to date on all tech - I don't and told him as much but told him I'd ask around. This is me asking around.

Please, if you have any opinions about the Wizard as a machine and the service side of thing it would be appreciated. Any info on cost of ownership - blade packets, computer requirements any other requirements that aren't obvious to someone who has never owned or operated a CMC would also be appreciated.

Thank you,
denis
 
Bonjour, Denis: I'm 2 hours from you, just outside Ottawa. I've had an 8000 for 13 years, and can give you lots of answers. If you want to test drive it, come on by. I had another Montreal framer do just that 12 years ago. She took to it immediately.

Ted H
 
Hi Ted,

Thank you for the offer. I will let the shop owner know, I'd love to take a field trip :), used to live up that way in Hull when it was called Hull that is.
 
Great. Was in Hull today buying cheap beer. I'm in Merrickville. If you can make it, I'll send you directions in a PM.
 
Honest opinion. 8000 is workhorse. Wish we could use pen as with 9000 but oh well. 9000 we have heard has more issues. Bought ours used from wizard. No issues 18 months in. We still haven't untapped it's full potential. Part of this is due to fossilized software, part is us.
 
lowellian_grumble said:
Honest opinion. 8000 is workhorse. Wish we could use pen as with 9000 but oh well. 9000 we have heard has more issues. Bought ours used from wizard. No issues 18 months in. We still haven't untapped it's full potential. Part of this is due to fossilized software, part is us.
Click to expand...


Fossilized software? Is the software not up to date or does it run on an old OS like Windows 7? (older?).
 
Pointe Claire Framer said:
Fossilized software? Is the software not up to date or does it run on an old OS like Windows 7? (older?).
Click to expand...

Software is up to date, and regular openings are a snap. The software for making more complicated openings, called 'Path Trace,' looks and feels like its from 1997, hence my characterization. There is a considerable time investment required to get skilled at it.
 
If you watch the videos on the wizard web site and the do tutorials it takes no longer than any other draw program to learn. Other than etch-a-sketch ...
 
The Wizard website has a lot of tutorials on the various techniques as well as a bulletin board for questions ans answers.

I was very happy with my Wizard although I never managed to do anything with Path Trace.
 
lowellian_grumble said:
Software is up to date, and regular openings are a snap. The software for making more complicated openings, called 'Path Trace,' looks and feels like its from 1997, hence my characterization. There is a considerable time investment required to get skilled at it.
Click to expand...

Almost, PathTrace is actually from ~2003-2004 time frame. In 1997 we were still compiling for both Windows 95 and 3.1 with VB, using VCADD as our default drawing package. :)

The good news is that PathTrace is getting a brand new overhaul to be released at next year's WCAF 2017 show.
 
WizSteve said:
Almost, PathTrace is actually from ~2003-2004 time frame. In 1997 we were still compiling for both Windows 95 and 3.1 with VB, using VCADD as our default drawing package. :)

The good news is that PathTrace is getting a brand new overhaul to be released at next year's WCAF 2017 show.
Click to expand...

Great news!
 
I would like to see a twin head larger machine with a vacuum.
 
Yes a wizard rival to the new Gunnar and Valiani machines, the more competition the better the machines get.
 
I've used the 8000 and now use the 9000. Good machines for your needs, service is great anytime there is an issue. I am now using most features, like path trace, pen/draw tools etc, and think they all work really well and fairly intuitively. In the past, when I was a worker bee, shop owners never afforded me the time to use all of the features, when opening my own shop I spent two full days(12 hours total probably) using all the bells and whistles, and feel pretty proficient at most tasks now. A fairly complicated path trace drawing takes me 10-15 mins start to finish now.

I would invest in things like a nice multi use wall cutter, a used chopper and underpinner before the CMC if I were in your shoes.
 
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