Profitable Hobbies and The I&E Network are excited to announce our first ever – Open House Webinar.

Webinar will be on Wednesday Night – March 10 at 7:00 p.m. – MDT.

Register for the Webinar Now

Here’s how it will work -

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Gourd Art Carving by Nanette Bartet

It amazes me how much talent there is among our network. If  this is Nanette’s 2nd gourd,  can you just imagine what her 10th or her 20th is going to look like? Wow I can’t wait.

Micro Sandblasting Blowout!

Picture this…..(some of you have lived it – no imagination needed!)

You right are in the middle of an important  Glass Sandblasting Project when the bomb goes off.

What in the world just happened?

What’s that CRUNCHING in my teeth? (Taste’s Like Chicken – NOT!)

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Making Some Sense of All the Different Fittings

How do we make some sort of sense from all the different fittings? There are so many, and so many different terms of what is what.

What is a Push To Connect? What is a Quick Connect? What is a Coupler? What is a brass nipple (no, it’s not that!)?

Why does a 1/4″ pipe thread measure almost a 1/2″? Why does an 1/8″ pipe thread measure about 1/4″?

Who was the crazy person that started this mess? – and what was he/she drinking?

Let’s try to at least sort through the most common fittings used on Profitable Hobbies Engraving and Micro Sandblasting Systems.

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Sampson the Hawk – Engraved Hand Painted Gourd by Glenys Moore

Glenys, has been an oil painter for many years and is an accomplished gourd artist. She has just recently learned how to engrave with the high speed Paragraver, and has combined all her talents into this beautiful gourd.

Glenys inset Sampson’s eye with a glass eye, which has brought this bird to life.

Glenys has a very unique style to all her artwork and I know we will be seeing a lot  more of this very special lady’s art in the future.  – Tamaree

Here’s the story behind this gourd.

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Engraving Glass Calligraphy with Ken Brown

Ken Brown is an internationally known calligrapher and engraver of hand lettering. Ken has perfected the process of producing fine hand lettering onto glass, crystal and metal surfaces, using a high speed engraver. He is credited with pioneering and teaching this popular skill. In addition to mastering these skills, Ken has also perfected the process of teaching others how to do the same.

Ken had developed a simple, step by step process to produce each letter of the alphabet in beautiful, calligraphy style. It is hard to believe that every lower case letter in the alphabet can be formed using only 14 different strokes. If you can learn these strokes, you can engrave calligraphy like a pro.

Ken has produced some great videos that show his techniques and give some good ideas of what you can do.

View the Videos Below to Learn More.

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Thomas Compressor – Set up and Features

Profitable Hobbies – Thomas Compressor is a commercial grade, portable compressor specifically designed for those needing to transport their compressor to trade shows or other public events. It is quiet enough to run right under the table, yet powerful enough to deliver enough air pressure for you toughest engraving projects.

The Thomas Compressor is enclosed in a Quiet Box for quiet, safe operation. This enclosure has a built in fan and vents to allow operation with the box closed.

The video below will show you exactly how to set up and operate the compressor. Read the rest of this entry »

Filter – Regulator – Lubricator Set Up and Why You Should Use One

A filter – regulator – lubricator unit (abbreviated FRL) is an important part of your high speed engraving system. It performs three important functions:

1. Filter the air before it is delivered downstream to your handpiece.

2. Regulate the air pressure before it gets to your handpiece.

3. Lubricate the air traveling to your handpiece (unless you are using an oil free handpiece).

The video below will show you how to properly set up and adjust your FRL for worry-free operation.

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Why you should use a Desiccant Filter with your Engraving System and Sandblasting System.

A desiccant filter is a great way from preventing moisture from reaching your engraving equipment or contaminating your sandblasting system.

When air is compressed, moisture and heat are created. When moisture is exposed to heat, it turns to vapor. Vapor can and will pass through a standard filter/regulator. A Filter/Regulator is great for removing water in a liquid form, but vapor will pass through. As soon as the vapor cools, it turns back into liquid, reaching your engraver or the sand in your sandblaster.

How do we prevent this from happening?

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Which Foot Control do I need, Electric or Variable Speed?

A popular question that we are asked at Profitable Hobbies is, “Which foot control should I use?”

The video below will show you the difference between our electric foot control and the variable speed foot control.

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