homeshop

16 years is a start.

10 years, to the day, from the first day I spent in a commercial machine shop, I was fired from the last job I held, which was as a machinist in a job shop. That was back in '67. I was fired because of my attitude, which was not good.

I was working in a shop that was owned by nine machinists, amongst which you couldn't find two to agree on almost anything. I was often told to do different things by different people and couldn't satisfy them, regardless of how hard I tried, although I confess I didn't try very hard. I let my workmanship speak for me, and until I was fired it was enough.

On the day I was fired, the machines I had ordered and waited patiently to receive in order to start my own shop had finally arrived after an almost ten month wait. The US was involved in Viet Nam at that point in time, so buying some machine tools was not easy. My Bridgeport was commandeered by IBM when it was shipped. That was a common occurrence when businesses were involved in defense work, based on priority. The second machine, the reorder, came in as scheduled. Fortunately, my lathe, which was shipped from Italy, came in within a couple days of the mill, so the original Bridgeport delay turned out to my benefit.

To make a long story short, I got my shop set up at home, with three phase power, and started looking for work. It took me two months to get a flow established, after which time I never really looked back. In the 16 years I ran my small shop, I was out of work only three times, the longest being only one day. I almost never solicited work after the second month. Word of mouth and outstanding workmanship (sorry to brag, but it's true) kept my customers coming back for more. I worked primarily in defense, plus a fair amount for the pharmaceutical industry. I did small production work and a lot of tool building.

Do I think you should start a shop in your garage? Depends on the machines you have at your disposal, and if you are able to find work to keep them busy. If you have a mill/drill, as you suggest, that is a terrible strike against you. It will be hard to compete with anyone with a mill. Mill drills are barely a decent drill press, and a poor milling machine. Your lathe should be an industrial rated model, too. If you try to compete with a flat belt Southbend, you're likely to never get out of the starting gate. Keep in mind that you will likely be competing with CNC shops.

I also am of the opinion that if you intend to compete with others that may offer more than you do, you may struggle for a place to be. I found that by providing a service that was difficult to get from the typical shop, I placed myself high on the list of suppliers, in spite of the fact that I was a one man operation. I placed such a high emphasis on quality that it was difficult for buyers to overlook my record. I was also reasonably priced. I didn't look at each job as a retirement plan, which is a mistake many make, especially when trying to get established.

If you have something to offer that customers can't get anywhere else, you can't fail. If you are struggling to keep a spot at the bottom of the heap, you're likely to fail.

Let us know how it goes.

Harold

You mean, should you start doing commercial work out of your garage? There are certainly local ordinances which may come into play, tax ramifications, and other things we can't know about. I've heard it said that if you escape from your work into your shop, that you should never start working from your shop, because then you won't have anywhere to escape to.

However, if you think you can find customers, sure, why not?

GWE

How many fingers?

Dont give up your day job just yet.

"frank"

Frank, Don't let anyone discourage you from trying. Even with a lathe/mill/ drill combo machine you can do decent work on certain jobs. Contact local machine shops and let them know you are willing to do small jobs- leave a business card on their bulletin board or with the boss. Do the best work you can and charge a reasonable rate ( too cheap makes them nervous about your ability). Be sure you deliver on time even if it means doing an all-nighter- that will be greatly appreciated by your customers. Avoid the temptation to take on jobs that are beyond your own or your equipment's capability. If you do good work and deliver on time, you will have all the work you can handle. If it suits your lifestyle you can then begin to expand to larger machines etc. Been there- done that Good luck to you