John Tuttle obviously took my lead in my previous posting.  I still
believe that the laser is the future of roll recutting.  Ask any model
airplane aficionado and he'll tell you that the days of die-cut balsa
and plywood are coming to an end.  I can't help but think the same will
be true of music rolls.  It just makes sense.

One of the objections to using the laser is possibility of igniting
the paper.  This can be overcome using a number of techniques including
encasing the laser and paper in an oxygen depleted environment.  Not
difficult to do if a heavy inert gas (like argon) is used.

Building a laser roll cutting machine appears to be almost trivial from
a technical standpoint.  Problem is that it think it would cost over
$20,000 to do so.  Not a ridiculous amount of money, but certainly
enough to keep me from seriously considering doing it.  Then consider
having to get paper, spools, boxes and labels.

I believe that the first person to build a cutting machine (be it laser
or otherwise) that is capable of producing 3 or 4 titles an hour from a
catalog comprised of the better half of the Ampico and Duo-Art catalogs
will still have more business than they know what to do with, for a
while anyway.  I suspect that it is very easy to saturate the roll
market.

The real estate/inventory issue I mentioned in my previous posting also
exists at the consumer end.  Just ask my wife about the closet in my
office filled with "those darn rolls!"  The old technology competitors
will still be around cutting the more popular titles in volume for a
while leaving only the more obscure rolls.  I have no doubt that it
might take years to recoup the investment in a laser roll cutting
machine.  I also have no doubt it will be done.  I'll wait with baited
breath till the first adventurous soul takes the challenge.

Ed Chaban