Hobby Machining Manufacturing Business?

Find the closest office and go have a chat with these folks.

While you may be willing to ignore a lot of things because you are unemployed at present, it is best for the long term if you pay attention to all the costs and aspects of running a business - it's not at all like having a job. If you can manage to have fun doing what you like and make money at it, that's great. If you turn a hobby you used to enjoy into a job you hate, that's not so great. If it sinks you into debt instead of making money, that really sucks.

If you don't already, you might go hang at CNCZone - lots of folks already doing the sort of thing you are contemplating (ie, making parts to make making machines easier and selling them to others making machines) - helps to know what the competition is up to.

Many folk that enjoy making things find that they hate selling them, doing paperwork required, etc. Or they fail to account for the actual cost of doing business and end up working for 25 cents an hour, or losing money outright.

Costs most people forget about include providing for heath insurance, retirement, self employment taxes, liability insurance, and business insurance on the premises - when it's not a hobby shop, homeowner's insurance will not cover you.

Check zoning and local laws before doing much at home. Get a dedicated business checking account and put all money from the business into it, and pay all costs of the business out of it - if you stick to that, you will at least have a vague idea of whether you are making money or not. Don't forget to pay taxes, or the IRS and your state tax folks will make things a lot more expensive for you. If your state has sales tax, you'll also need to pay them for any in-state transactions.

Good luck with it, but go in with your eyes wide open - most small business fail in the first 5 years.

Roger, a lot of people seem to go the job shop route, and just take small quantity orders from local customers. Seems to be a low risk route, less risky than "developing your own product line". You already have all the equipment.

In fact, if I ever need to make something complicated, with CNC, I will contact you and will order from you if the price is right.

i

It is a splendid idea, but consider whether people really want to spend much on what you'll be making. Making money in metalworking usually means making something that makes (or saves) money for your customer, not something that a consumer likes to have. There is no end of "opportunities" in goods and services that aren't made and aren't sold because few people will actually pay for them. And anything "robotic" has a high potential for this kind of impractical appeal.

The "better mousetrap" is hard to do because the old mousetrap (literally) costs near nothing to make, and can be retailed profitably for $1.

but what you probably COULD sell is a do it yourself 5 axis CNC machine that would handle a 4 inch cubic workpiece

Since I work full time plus overtime, I see a job shop as someone wanting a part yesterday and I'd be having to work long hours at the day job.

What I had in mind was more making things as a hobby and trying to sell the items over the internet. That way, if I'm too busy at work, and I sell out of an item, I simply put "Sold Out" on the item and make another run as soon as I get the chance. Also, since I'm relatively new to 3D CAD/CAM and CNC I would hate to take on a job for a complicated piece and then not be able to deliver what the customer wanted. I like the idea of coming up with the parts I want, figuring out how to best make the, then offer the items for sale after I have them like I want.

I have done some job shop machining in my home shop, some works out fine, others not so well. After I get going, get better tooled up, and better at CAD/CAM and CNC, then I'd be more interested in doing job shop type of work.

I wouldn't mind setting up my machines to produce parts for companies. Then maybe keep a few parts on hand to take care of the emergencies until I could run their parts.

RogerN

That's a good point. I have seen many things sold on ebay that are made with CNC equipment, such as plasma cut signs made from stainless, etc. Very cool and involves no liability issues.