Confused with Work

[nick]

I know there are alot of guys that have bots as hobbiests but how many actually make a proessional living with actual profits.

I tried selling 3D capabilities to local wood and sign shops...generated some work but for see that this will not be a good source of income in the long term considering the limits of the BOT.

Plus the economy doesn't help.

Any input?

[gc3]

I bought a used machine from this forum, a pr upgraded to prt controls, to add to our exterior, interior door and cabinetry business. The ability to do carvings has been a big plus for us and I am also working on a file so I can cut door stiles for louvers, should make that task about 4 times as fast...I have done some small signs for the "hood" along with small carvings we sell at a local farmers market/craft fair. Our machine is not the "go to tool" to generate income but adding the bot sure has helped us build a more custom product and helped generate money as well. Every tool in your shop has it limits, learn those limits and those tools will serve you well.




Gene Crain
www.plantasymaderas.com (http://www.plantasymaderas.com)

[thewoodcrafter]

I don't think many businesses are built on the ShopBot alone.
It is a tool just like all the other tools in my shop. They make my job easier.
The product is NOT completely made by the Bot.

[rb99]

It can also save you money by cutting down on your labour costs.

[john_l]

Here it's the same. The bot is 1 tool in a vast collection of many that we use to make the living. It is a great tool though, but in my business it is worked about 3-4 times a week. And wholesale to other shops can be a tough way to make a business also.

[cabnet636]

i have lots of tools, my rule always was "The job buys the tool" until i went cnc at that point the cnc enhanced all other functions and created a few we could not have done before, the key word is "WE". the tool has no emotion, passion or needs other than if it is used then it needs care, it does not eat, sleep nor desire to go to a movie with the kids. the needs of the tool have always been my responsibility i have to find it work, i have to load it, take care of it etc. if i do that then the fruits are mine. now once in awhile i get lucky and somthing is produced than makes a little money and if i can sell repeatability then, well ya'll know what happens. these machines are godsends if i compete in the right arena but if i don't the last thing i can hold responsible is the machine!! in business the easiest competitor i have ever had is the guy who is focused on me! from that point on i have him by the short hairs and all i have to do is ignore him and do my thing very well. focus is the key.

i was helping to introduce cnc to a large retail tool store, the young son who was all excited to put cnc on the floor was the driving force, his dad who was waayyyy old school said " son what will happen when everybody has one do we want to be the first" and the son replied " dad do we want to wait until we are last"

jim

[carlhopkins]

I want to chime in, James that is well said.
I bought my Bot with one good size project in mind. I had run a CNC before and well know the benefits.
Well 1-1/2 yrs later and no such large project to keep the Bot "happy" however I see and use it most times for the work horse it can be.
I no longer have to lift and push each peice several times to cut the rectangle cut out.
I am braching out now and doing some carvings and at the end of the day I am no where near as beat up as I used to be. And yes most days it just sits there but as James points out it never seems to mind. It is just one tool in my tool box, my favorite one now I might add!
I am getting repeat customers and I get to try to add something that I could never have done before.
Carl

[dlcw]

I purchased my bot on the premise of getting more cabinet business. Cabinets are good money. Pre-CNC I did all my cabinetry the hard way of schlepping plywood to the table saw, trying to hold it still while pushing it through the blade, using a handheld router and straight edges clamped down to do the joinery, then having a sore body at the end of the day. It used to take me a couple of hours to go from a piece of plywood to finished and milled parts ready to assemble. With the CNC it takes from 5 to 15 minutes (depends on how much milling) to turn a sheet of plywood into parts ready to assemble. Material waste is way down and sore body is a thing of the past.

I do quite a bit of 3D carving on standalone projects as well as things like cabinet doors. I've used it to make louvered doors, a solid white oak sitting bench, decorative HVAC vents, bent-form lamination forms, etc. Could I have done these without the CNC - YES (I have in the past). Could I have done these and still had a price someone was willing to pay (in the current economy) - NO.

Is it a do all - end all tool? Nope! It is just another tool that makes my shop more efficient and helps to keep my prices at a competitive point. My automatic edgebander, router table, table saw, wide belt sander, etc. all fill the same purpose. I couldn't make a living without any of them.

And like Jim said, feed them and care for them and they will do you right.

So I guess the bottom line is - unless you have a large customer base all lined up ready to go, it would be tough making a living with just the CNC.

Don

[kevin]

True true!!!
I think a newbie can make cabinets fast with a cnc and at a prosional level .
On install there lack of experince will come throught.
Outsoure install
Cnc by it self is atool of many wether sign or carving
Look at other site and you will see cnc carving flood from china you'll never compete with that

[magic]

It's one of the most used tools I have. http://houseofenchantment.com/pages/prototype%20oc%20hb.html

[cabnet636]

i have been thinking of this topic today as we are picking up around here, actually in a pretty big way so i am hoping it is not another wave (if you know what i mean) the cnc has added an edge that i do attribute to our staying in business in these times, scotty finished this for ft jackson (US Army) they were expecting much less (uncle sam!) but we threw it a bit of a curve,(some carvings) now we have orders for 6 more!!

9030

9031

[myxpykalix]

AR-TEEEEEST! So you see what the extra effort netted you. Knowing you i'm sure your motivating
factor was not trying to get more business but was to show us how talented you are..........
SHOWOFF!!! Beautiful as always James.