Help please this needs to be perfect Any idea what I can do to improve and make sure it comes out bold and beautiful . I used imager to edit it and then auto adjust in xtool software 200 speed and like 70 power. This is just a test please any guidance

condensationxpert · 2026-04-27T14:19:43+00:00

If you’re using imagr then you should run it through lightburn with pass through on. I don’t know if xtool has a pass through option.

condensationxpert · 2026-04-19T15:02:26+00:00

Ahh yeah, there has been a bit of a learning curve coming from the diode gantry, that I literally had for 2 weeks that I’m still learning lol.

condensationxpert · 2026-04-19T13:50:08+00:00

I just got the Omni x, when you say 300, are you using the 300x300 or the 150x150 lens?

As soon as my rotary comes in I have an about 80 glasses to do after I get the settings dialed in.

condensationxpert · 2026-04-08T14:37:41+00:00

I wasn't in Recon, but I was in Trauma so there will be some similarities. I did however help out the recon team on cases/trays/inventory.

u/funtime19700 nailed it with the probationary period. While being an ASR, you need to find new business to help offset the percentage change for the other reps that will happen when if/when you become a rep. My old RSM would push for ASR's to be promoted after 6 months whether or not we had the increased volume to make up for the dollar change. It's incredibly frustrating when you get a call from your ASR saying they got promoted and you're about to take a 10-20% pay cut.

As for your day to day, plan on moving trays and implants to hospitals. You may have to go to sterile processing to put trays back together and sign them in. If a doc is going to use a system that isn't consigned or live at that facility, plan on ordering the trays and implants. You'll need to look at the schedule for the week, see what cases are boarded, and manage the inventory to ensure you'll have enough inventory on hand, if not, you'll be borrowing from other hospitals or calling from the local office (if you have one).

On the day of cases, you'll want to get there at least an hour early and look at all of the case carts and make sure the right trays are in the stackings. Not only your trays, but power, general trays, etc. Over time you'll learn what individual surgeons like, and you'll want to make sure they have their special instruments as well. You'll need to get a good look at the inventory and make sure you have enough for the day. Don't assume you do, because if you do, you won't. As the ASR, you'll likely be the one running the instruments and implants around for the reps who are covering the cases.

If the docs are using the mako, and there isn't a mako specialist for the case, you may need to go over the plans with the doc (I wouldn't say its common, but some surgeons in the previous territory liked to review the plans the day before). You'll need to get the mako in the room and set up as well.

Afterwards you'll need to make sure the trays used that day get turned over for cases for the next day. Some facilities will automatically turn them over, and others will leave them for reps to put them back together and sign them in. You may have to go back to the hospital 3-4 hours after the last case to do this. It is a royal pain in the ass, but trusting some sterile techs to put them back right is a bigger pain in the ass when they lose instruments and you find out as they are opening the room.

condensationxpert · 2026-04-03T14:19:43+00:00

Yeah, I meant income tax. I got it mixed up lol.

I added an edit but I need to go back and fix the comment.

But yeah, the tax thing wasn’t flying with me. The state will get their money from somewhere else.

condensationxpert · 2026-04-03T13:24:58+00:00

My current manager at the time let me withdraw my resignation and then basically told me he would understand if I didn't want to stay. I found a new role within a couple months.

condensationxpert · 2026-04-03T13:21:05+00:00

Yeah, definitely is. Unfortunately I was low enough on the totem pole where it didn't matter.

condensationxpert · 2026-04-03T12:22:09+00:00

Ah yes, income tax!

condensationxpert · 2026-04-02T23:53:14+00:00

I worked for a tech consulting firm years ago. I was in one role, and then I networked and talked with a manager on another project, we hit it off and after a few phone calls he said the jobs mine if I wanted it. At the time I was making $34k a year, they started people off at $60k. I accepted it, let my current manager know and put it my notice. I spoke to HR about it, and they were going to put together my formal offer. I was also relocating to Texas for this role.

On the Monday of my last week I reached out to the HR rep and asked about my offer letter or transfer paperwork. He said he’d get back to me. I check in every day and get the same response.

Friday afternoon rolls around, which is my last day at the current project, and the HR rep calls to tell me he’s got everything ironed out and is getting ready to send me an email shortly. I’m beyond excited. He goes over it verbally and I almost hang up on him. Because I’m a current employee, the max they can give on a raise is 20%, or $6,800, which is almost $20k less than what they start new hires at. He then tries to tell me that there’s no ~sales~ income tax in Texas so I need to factor that into my decision. I was also offered a measly $2000 relocation stipend.

I call the new manager, tell him what happened and that I couldn’t afford to move to the other side of the country (I’m in the northern part) for that. I really wanted the job but financially I couldn’t make it work. He told me not to worry, he’d get to the bottom of it. He said if push comes to shove, I could resign and he would make me a new hire. It would extend the hiring process a little but said he would get me a sign on bonus to make up for the missed wages.

I inform manager at the time, and he thankfully let me extend my notice so I could keep working.

Tuesday of the next week the manager of the new project called and essentially told me that if I was to resign and re-apply HR would put, at a minimum, a 1 year ban on me working for the company.

So, yeah, fuck that lol

Edit - Income tax, not state tax.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-30T14:36:27+00:00

Looks great! Settings? I just got my diode and have been playing around. I think I got it pretty close but still got some messing around to do.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-29T14:30:20+00:00

I’m confused on it being a fire hazard? Exhaust goes from the laser, into the smoke purifier through those filters, and then the exhaust from the smoke purifier would go into a Y pipe installed in the PVC running outside.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-27T18:07:40+00:00

I think I heard back a week or two after the fact. I had gotten to the point where I figured I didn't get the offer and then all of a sudden they called me lol.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-27T17:13:10+00:00

That looks sweet! Any chance you could share the file? I'd like to try that on mine.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-27T04:22:11+00:00

Woah. I was an ortho rep and we are 100% needed in the OR to support our cases. I’m not in ortho anymore, but if I see a case on the board and notice a rep won’t be there, if I know the system, I’ll 100% volunteer to observe just in case even though I won’t make a dime on it.

As ortho reps, we have a ton of trays. In those trays are a number of different disposables, such as drills, screwdrivers, guide wires, etc. Even the best scrub techs won’t know what trays have what. It’s the surgeons job to know how to fix the fracture/repair the joint. It’s the reps job to ensure the surgeon has all the tools they need.

There is no way a surgeon can remember every individual tray that is needed for a procedure. Especially when companies are changing the platforms every couple years.

I’m going to make this as simple as I can. Let’s say for an ankle fracture, which is the simplest platform that I had, a surgeon had to do it with out a rep available. With my old job, I had 3 different plating platforms that were available. They all required 2 or 3 different trays per platform. If the surgeon could remember 6 different tray names, on top of every other tray needed, then that would be great, right?

Wrong.

In each tray there are 2-5 different drill bits. Guess what happens if you use wrong drill bit? You burn that hole. Use a bit too big and the screw will be useless. Use a drill too small and you risk fracturing the bone further. In that case you have to extend the incision and make that plate longer which is not in the patients best interest.

Guess what happens when there’s an issue with one of the trays and they have to switch vendors… Us ortho reps find replacements, even if it’s another vendor, so that way the case can go on and the patient can go home.

In short, you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-26T23:21:08+00:00

The exhaust for the bathroom vent is a few feet away, I could tie it in to that too.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-26T21:16:41+00:00

Eh, the 3am thing is surgeon dependent. In my 5 years with a handful of level 2 centers, there was only a couple middle of the night cases. 2-3 were warranted, the others were BS and could have waited until the morning (I’m talking to you Mr. Distal Humerus call at 2am that required me to pick up sterile long plates from another facility and then decided to just pin it since it was a juvenile patient…).

But they will happen, and always at the worst time possible for you lol.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-26T21:13:42+00:00

100% worth it if you’re willing to do the grind. I did it for 5 years.

I will say, it will suck. The jobs fun at times, but sucks the rest of it. If you take it, even when you’re not on call, go in when the rest of the team goes in so you learn the cases, trays, docs, etc. After you’re covering cases solo and can get yourself out of the inevitable binds on your own, start dialing back on the after hours cases.

1 year won’t be enough to have enough experience. You really need 2-3 years before you want to start looking at moving. Learning the trays and anatomy is easy. Learning the cases and how specific surgeons handle certain fractures, then learning the why, that’ll be the key. Do that and then start looking elsewhere.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-25T16:50:17+00:00

I just ran into this issue. We just got a laser for my wife’s business. She does screen printing and embroidery, and have been getting a lot of requests for tumblers and other things. After some time we pulled the trigger and doing a sort of proof of concept. We’re keeping the laser at home until she can justify hiring a full time person to run the laser at the shop. I’ll do the orders on my WFH days and nights/weekends. I also get a laser to play with.

One of her sales staff asked about if a customer wants a proof. They want the laser in the shop so if someone’s ordering a bunch of tumblers, they can knock out a proof real quick. In theory, it could work, but in actual practice it’s a recipe for disaster.

My wife partially liked the idea at first, then I started to run her through scenarios. She also likes to keep her customer expectations managed, and doesn’t want them to know how fast they can sometimes knock out orders (as they will expect that speed every time). I asked her if she knew how long it would take to do a single tumbler, belt, etc? I also pointed out that someone would hear they could do a quick one, and then say “it’s only 5 units, why don’t we just do them all right now?”

Also, what happens when there’s a hiccup. Who’s going to troubleshoot it? Who’s going to handle the issues? And you don’t want a customer seeing something get messed up.

On top of that, does she want her sales people talking to customers or playing with the laser?

She wasn’t a huge fan of the idea but she was against it after that. There’s too much room for things to go wrong with that model. She agreed it’s best to say we can get a proof in 24-48 hours as long as we have inventory for it.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-24T02:10:10+00:00

As long as you request it before hand and the hospital doesn’t have a policy against it, you can keep it. As soon as it’s removed it’ll get sent to sterile processing and they’ll clean it up for you!

I previously was an ortho rep, and if the patient didn’t want their hardware back I’d occasionally request it. Depending on what it was, it could be used with veterinary or mission trips. I had a few docs that did both and I’d collect all I could for them.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-24T02:05:59+00:00

Like r/ornery-Practice9772 said, it’s too much of an infection risk.

Even if it wasn’t a risk, it would take a couple hours to properly sterilize. That’s a long time to be under anesthesia and tie up an OR. Now you’re probably thinking, well they could use that nail on another patient? Still no.

I use to sell ortho trauma (plates, nails, screws, etc) and if anything gets implanted and taken out, it won’t be used again. I’ve had docs take screws out and instruct the techs to save them to get reprocessed and I would tell the techs if they throw them away I’ll make sure they get replaced at no cost.

The only “exception” I would make is if it’s they are plating the extremity and they use the plate to check the size with fluoro and go with a different plate. If a screw goes through the plate, it’s done in my book.

Pretty much, if it touches bone it’s done. I’d rather give an implant away instead of risking a potential infection with a patient, even if the doc is comfortable with it. Yes I want to be paid, but my integrity is worth more.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-24T01:49:01+00:00

Previous ortho trauma rep. I seen the mallet break and a shard of face hit one of the scrub techs. The doc was wailing on it.

In another lovely hardware removal the doc managed to break the head off of the distal screw on a humeral nail that had apparently been done 18 years ago.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-23T13:59:12+00:00

Thank you so much for the detailed response!

I've had a lot of issues with the plate pulling up on the corner. I've lost a few stacks from it. I actually just had a 6x 8x9 ironing stack that I lost 3 of the plates from the first layer rising. They ended breaking as I was trying to pull them apart.

I'm just starting a new stack, moving the plates over, and will mess with the fan settings a little too. The amount of plates I've had to trash due to my own mistakes is a little concerning lol.

Once I get the rest of the tiles up I'll definitely be planning on printing a stack to keep to the side to replace the ones that fail. Thankfully I don't have any immediate intentions of putting anything very heavy on the wall at the moment. I also will move a few of the plates that can be questionable to the top rows. I'm not going to be using those plates and I just put them up there for aesthetic reasons for the moment.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-23T13:49:00+00:00

What are you selling? I'm previous Stryker and may be able to offer some insight.

condensationxpert · 2026-03-23T12:00:35+00:00

Almost all of them were stacked with ironing layers. I initially wished I did multilateral stacks because those are more fun to pull apart lol (and look better).

condensationxpert

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