What am I going to do with this thing?

[80grit]

That's the question I keep asking myself when thinking about purchasing a Shopbot. It's not that I can't picture what it's capable of. It's the unknown of what I can use it for to make a few bucks.

I've tried to break it down the main general uses of CNCs from a professional standpoint. I'm sure there are more, and I'd like to know which category (or categories) you fall under or if there are other uses I'm not considering.

1. Creating something that you can't make or isn't easily made with standard shop equipment. (high precision, intricate, reproduction, etc.)

2. Producing parts to save time over using standard shop equipment. (cabinet panels, table legs, etc.)

3. Producing items in bulk. (doohickeys and thingamabobs)

[harryball]

The key is understanding what your desired use is, not what it can do. If you sit and think about all the wonderful things it can do you're imagination will run in circles. In short, it can take what you already do to a new level.

Hobbyist? You can take your hobby to a new level and create things you could only imagine before.

Small home business making widgets? You can now make widgets faster and more consistently.

Cabinet shop? You're production capacity just went up.

Clueless with no hobby or business plan? Most (but not all) will be forsale on the forum about a year later. A few will fall into something.

I know that's not what you want to hear, but I see it played out on this forum over and over. Buying a bot will not give you purpose, you have to have that going in.

/RB

[adrianm]

All three for me and I suspect a lot of other people.

The biggest thing for me is that I can have the 'bot cranking out parts while I'm working on assembly, finishing, design etc etc.

So sometimes it's not as simple as saying it's faster than standard shop equipment as often it's not until you factor in that you don't have to be operating the "faster" machinery.

[harryball]

All three for me and I suspect a lot of other people.

The biggest thing for me is that I can have the 'bot cranking out parts while I'm working on assembly, finishing, design etc etc.

So sometimes it's not as simple as saying it's faster than standard shop equipment as often it's not until you factor in that you don't have to be operating the "faster" machinery.

This is true, I can cut bat house parts manually with conventional tools and custom jigs much "faster" than the bot... but only for so long, I like to take breaks plus while the bot is cutting I'm doing other things I'd otherwise not be able to do... like nap.

/RB

[Mark Farris]

You don't need to have a specific use already in place to buy a bot, but if you don't you need to be able to afford it! When I bought mine I had no specific use in mind, but being a cabinetmaker all my life I knew it would make a lot of operations much easier and more accurate without having to make expensive jigs all the time (besides the fact that I just wanted one). I also could outlay the cash without worrying whether it was making something or just sitting there. When you have it though, you are constantly asking how, whatever you are doing, could it be done on the bot. I now find that people are bringing me profitable ideas and products knowing I have it and seeing the results. I think it would take all the enjoyment out of it if I had bought it thinking it had to be running all the time and profitable out of the chute. If you can afford it, can't it just be because you want it?

[harryball]

If you can afford it, can't it just be because you want it?

Certainly! That is what I put in the "Hobby" column meaning anything done for the enjoyment of it and not the profit making potential. Then, if profit never comes it doesn't matter, you enjoy it. In my experiences, when someone buys a bot without a hobby purpose, no plans, no business ideas and just expects the fact that it arrived to drive a purpose, it rarely works out. Some exceptions are those that end up making the bot their hobby, which is fine too.

Not saying that's the case here but it gives the OP something to think about and an opportunity to be honest with themselves and ask more questions. I'd like to see a new community member and another ShopBot sold, but sometimes that simply isn't the best end result.

/RB

[steve_g]

Andy...

I bought my ShopBot to make a component we were currently farming out... After we sold the business it didn't have a dedicated job but seldom sat idle. Now that I'm supposedly retired it's busier than ever! Family and friends now have a good idea of what I can do with it and the requests keep coming in. Sooo... I have to say that originally it was making items in bulk but is now making one-offs and prototypes. I don't think my experience is unique... many a Botter has found himself doing something other than what he originally planned because he had the moxie to be flexible and go where the money was. This is the reason I always tell folks who are wondering which machine to buy... to buy the most machine you can afford because you never know what you'll be making.

SG

[80grit]

I understand that the odds are against a person to come in and run a successful business, no matter what they are doing. I currently have a steady job, and I also have the means and facilities to operate a SB. The plan is to make a transition into using a SB in some full time manner. I don't do things without planning, researching, thinking, and praying. I'm not 100%, but when I do fail, I can say I was thorough. This is the researching part.


About running the SB while doing other things, that seems to be one of the biggest advantages for a small shop - begin able to prep, sand, and finish other things while it's nibbling away.

Do any of your run your SB unsupervised for long periods of time?

[80grit]

Andy...

This is the reason I always tell folks who are wondering which machine to buy... to buy the most machine you can afford because you never know what you'll be making.

SG

That's really where I am at. Yeah, it would sound good to say, "I'm going use it for ____", but I want to be able to be flexible and see where it takes me when word gets out. I am interested in hearing everyone's story and where it took them.

[steve_g]

Andy...

I have a net cam aimed at my bot. I can keep an eye on it while in the office designing or anywhere there's internet available. I didn't leave it "unattended" (not in the same room) until I became very confident I had had all variables accounted for... even then if a bit breaks or a part comes loose...

The scariest scenario... Fire, has happened to fellows drilling with a bit not really designed to plunge. Learn about bits and their correct uses! Fire in a plenum drawing air spreads very fast... according to the testimony of some here.

SG