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Cutting in house
It was clear that Simon needed a way of cutting the pieces for each cover in house, from standard 8' x 4' sheets. Initially, he considered a table saw, but it quickly became clear that this would not be a practical solution. "It would have been a nightmare," Simon laughed. "I'd have needed eight feet clear on ether side of the saw for ripping, and at least one other person to help feed sheets through. And keeping a horizontal eight by four MDF sheet steady and flat isn't easy: thin sheets whip around like flags and thicker ones aren't exactly light."

Further research brought vertical panel saws to Simon's attention. This seemed a mixed blessing, though, with the obvious benefits of such machines – vertical panel handling, reduced floor space requirements and safer operation – outweighed by their cost. "I nearly fell off my chair," Simon said. "Looking at the machines available from one of the 'big name' panel saw manufacturers, the prices were just huge: far more than I (or most small businesses) could spend."