A computer numeric controlled (CNC) router enabled Butch Stocker to turn a hobby into a viable business by reducing the production time by 75 percent for his unique 3D, topological depictions of golf holes. Previously Stocker produced these works of art entirely by hand and needed between 30 and 40 hours to produce a single piece. By using a CNC router to cut the intricately shaped pieces of matting that comprise each piece; production now takes only five to 10 hours. "My goal is to sell wholesale to wholesale to retail golf related stores and galleries, which means I must get my costs down to the point that the shops can mark them up and still sell them," says Stocker. "The CNC machine has enabled me to get my manufacturing costs down to the level where I can make a profit." While the time to make a single, unique piece has dropped significantly, Stocker sees an even greater efficiency gain on popular pieces such as depictions of St. Andrews 17th hole that he sells in larger quantities.

Stocker's company, T2Green Graphics, specializes in topographical golf course recreations. These are three-dimensional depictions showing an aerial view of a hole, such as the well-known 16th hole at Cypress Point, or a combination of holes, such as Amen Corner at Augusta National. Prominent in-play features are presented to scale and positioned as they are on the actual hole. Specially selected materials are used to give natural looking textures to each feature. For example, trees and foliage are made from natural materials and undergo a special preservation process to ensure durability and color fastness. Special fabrics are used to simulate fairways, greens, bunkers, and water features. Each piece includes the hole number, a yardage plaque, and the course logo. Special brass appointments add elegance and distinction to each presentation. Stocker's work is available as wall art and table art. Wall art is protected behind acrylic sheet to provide clarity equal to glass at less than half the weight. Acrylic also incorporates UV protection to resist fading. Table art insert is protected under ¼-inch shatterproof glass. Buyers can choose one of the selected designs or have Stocker create a custom design. Sizes range from 12 by 16 inches to 32 inches by 40 inches. Prices range from $250 to over $1,000.
Examples of Stocker's work and pricing can be viewed on the World Wide Web @ www.t2greengraphics.com .

Painstaking hand work

Stocker begins the process of creating a topological golf hole by gathering as much information as possible. He uses existing sources whenever possible, such as score cards, and things like photographs and aerial views if it is a famous hole. For ones that are less well known and haven't been photographed, Stocker walks the area with a video camera and records the surroundings. Once he has a good feel for the topology of the hole and the placement of important features such as sand traps, trees, water hazards, and so on, he begins production.

Production consists of several steps. The first step involves lying out and drawing a topographical representation of the hole. Once the design is finalized. It is broken into different layers according to the hole topography. The next step involves cutting each layer and then stacking the layers together to produce the 3D representation of the terrain. Previously, this was the most time-consuming step. Most holes require between six and 12 layers of matting. Each layer is an ornate shape that Stocker formerly cut by hand using an Exacto knife. Not only was this a slow and laborious process, Stocker believes that if he had tried to produce his pieces commercially using this technique, he would have been at risk of acquiring carpal tunnel syndrome. After cutting the mat pieces, Stocker applies the appropriate material to achieve a realistic look. For example, pieces that represent sand traps are inserted with sandpaper. Areas of grass are inserted with green fabric while water is created by using a special blue fabric that looks aquatic. After assembling the layered pieces, Stocker adds finishing details such as trees and the flag, and attaches the yardage plaque that provides descriptive information about the hole.

Of the 30 to 40 hours that this process took in the past, all but about two hours were spent cutting the mat pieces. The other two hours were for attaching the fabric and assembly. Knowing that he needed to speed up production if this hobby were to become a business, Stocker began looking for a way to automate the cutting of the mat layers. His research led him to CNC routers, which can cut wood and other materials according to patterns stored in a computer. Although there were quite a few such routers available, the Techno PC-driven CNC wood router from Techno, Inc., New Hyde Park, New York, appealed to Stocker because it was a turnkey system, suitable for people with no computer experience. The price included CNC programming software, which was originally designed for metalworking but is also well suited for Stocker's application because of its ability to generate complex contours with little drawing effort.

New cutting process

Now, when Stocker is ready to produce a new piece, he takes the information he has gathered and goes to his PC. If he has any existing art to work from, he scans it and imports it into the CNC programming package. If artwork is not available, he begins by drawing the topography of the hole using the software's CAD tools. He draws the same shapes that he did when he was cutting out mat pieces by hand, but instead of actually making the cuts, he simply draws the 2D outlines, placing each mat layer on its own corresponding "layer" of the drawing. It takes between three and four hours to complete a drawing for a new hole. Then he gives the command and CNC program automatically creates the router toolpaths that will cut each layer.

Next Stocker sets up the Techno machine by securing a piece of mat board to the table. He pulls up the toolpath program for the layer he wants to cut and presses the start button. The router cuts at about 25 inches per minute, the speed needed to get the right finish on the edge of the mat board, so one layer takes three to 15 minutes depending on its complexity. Each layer is cut individually. Once the machine is finished, Stocker puts in a new board and repeats the process for the next layer. Aside from attending to the machine between pieces, he is able to do other work while the actual cutting is taking place. "I'll be designing the next hole, or doing something else during that time," Stocker says. After all the layers are cut, Stocker still has the two hours of hand work that he had in the past, for attaching fabric and assembling the finished piece. But with the cutting process going so much faster, the time for making an entirely new piece has been cut to only five to 10 hours. In the past this could take up to 40 hours.

The time savings resulting from the Techno machine are even greater when Stocker uses it to produce pieces for which he has already completed the drawing. He offers a number of these pieces, which show famous golf holes and appeal to many golfers. If he wants to produce 10 copies of the "Amen Corner" piece, for instance, he sets up the Techno machine to cut each layer in the drawing. Cutting all these layers by hand would have taken about 300 hours, and that does not include the finishing work, which Stocker estimates would require another 100 hours at least. With the Techno machine, cutting the matting for 10 copies of Amen Corner took just eight hours. The hand work took another 32 hours, for a total of 40 hours to produce 10 pieces. That is one-tenth the time it would have taken by hand.

Stocker has had the Techno machine about one year. Although the business is just getting started, he has already gotten orders for nearly 75 pieces. All these were cut on the CNC router, which Stocker believes should serve him reliably for many years. Its reliability is due to the materials used in its construction. For example, the machine uses anti-backlash ball screws. These screws have excellent power transmission due to the rolling ball contact between the nut and screws, and this type of contact ensures low friction, low wear, and long life. In addition, the machine constructed on steel stress relieved bases with hardened steel linear ways.

For Stocker, a hobby turned into a satisfying business once the time consuming nature of production was overcome. With a CNC router handling mat cutting, Stocker is able to produce his artistic pieces quickly enough to sell them at a profit.

For more information contact: Techno, Inc., 2101 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, NY 11040.
Phone: 516-328-3970 Fax: 516-358-2576 E-mail: TECHNO CNC ROUTER SYSTEMS

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