5,000 skittle pins

[genek]

All month I have one peace of equipment doing nothing but run skittle pins.
This is a normal order for one of my customers. They place this order every 3 to four months. This is the game piece for the skittles game that they sale.
I like large orders and I like to make things in the 100's and in this case 1,000nds. There is money out there to be made, you just have to go look for customers find what they need and make it.

While one machine is doing it's magic I am at another doing my sawing or sanding.. Let your machine do what they are designed to do; run product. Be sanding or something else while it runs. You can run 100 just as easy as you can run 1...

[gene]

What machine makes them ? Can you post a video ? I cant figure out how you are making them on a bot ?

[gundog]

My business model is different than yours I don't make hundreds or thousands of 2 bit parts. I make fewer more expensive parts and that is what works for me. To me making large numbers of small dollar parts is where China comes in to play IMHO.

I can't imagine making that many small parts and turning a profit considering the cost of tooling and labor. I am not trying to say you don't make money doing this but I could not use my shop time and tools to produce the smalls for pennies. SB routers are only automated to the smallest degree when it comes to true production using pallet changers and conveyor belts to catch parts and so on. Do you outsource some of these parts?

Mike

[genek]

THAT IS DONE ON A DUPLICATING LATHE.. IT TURNS 1OO A HOUR... ALL I DO IS JUST FEED IT WOOD. I PLACE THE WOOD IN A AUTO FEED BIN, THEN THE MACHINE ROLLS THE WOOD INTO THE CHUCK MAKES THE PART SANDS AND DROPS THE PARTS INTO ANOTHER BIN.

I HAVE 2 CENTS IN EACH PART.. AND I GET 1.00 each..

One might be able to turn on a indexer on the cnc but not just on the cnc.. and it would not be profitable.

the tooling for this part, is a large flat tool steal template that is cut and shaped into the shape of the skittle pin.. then the template is sharpened works sort of like a shapper

[genek]

My business model is different than yours I don't make hundreds or thousands of 2 bit parts. I make fewer more expensive parts and that is what works for me. To me making large numbers of small dollar parts is where China comes in to play IMHO.

I can't imagine making that many small parts and turning a profit considering the cost of tooling and labor. I am not trying to say you don't make money doing this but I could not use my shop time and tools to produce the smalls for pennies. SB routers are only automated to the smallest degree when it comes to true production using pallet changers and conveyor belts to catch parts and so on. Do you outsource some of these parts?

Mike
First my product is not two bit parts. I get any where from $50.00 per hour to 150.00 per hour.. Right now your customer base does not require you to run 100 or 1,000 of your product but if it did you would run that many.. as one production goes up your prices of raw material goes down.. I do production run I have over 200 customers that order each month, most average over $50.00 per order. I maintain 100 to 500 pieces of different product in stock all the time to allow me to ship to my customers each month.
I do this full time sometimes my days are 14 to 16 hours long just to keep up with the demand. I am not part time. This is a full time job for me. My company pays my bills.

[genek]

A normal day goes like this in my shop.

I have a laser running parts normally 15 parts per hour at $3.00 wholesale per part. I have a average of .06 cents per part. it normally takes about 45 minutes to run those parts so that machine by itself is producing 45.00 per hour.
the cnc is normally cutting out parts that average out to be about 48 parts per hour at a average production price of 168.00 per hour

the duplicating lathe on average can produce anywhere from 70.00 to 150.00 per hour depending on the product that it is running.

while all of this is running I am sanding or doing something else. Sometimes I am making product on the table saw or band saw. with my equipment running full patterns each day. I can produce $283.00 per hour.. or $2,264.00 per day in wholesale production.
You get out of your shop or work what you put into it. I ship to 20 states..

[loriny]

I'm impressed to see that a bit of ingenuity and hard work can keep manufacturing at home. Its sad to see everything come from overseas. Keep up the good work.
Lorin

[genek]

It is not hard to compete with overseas. The country is shifting back to U.S. made product. I just got a call from the largest liquor store chain in Kentucky to send them Our w-9 so that they can start ordering our Kitchen and wine products. In effect that added about 5 new customers (that is the stores that I know of in just two towns.

[dlcw]

THAT IS DONE ON A DUPLICATING LATHE.. IT TURNS 1OO A HOUR... ALL I DO IS JUST FEED IT WOOD. I PLACE THE WOOD IN A AUTO FEED BIN, THEN THE MACHINE ROLLS THE WOOD INTO THE CHUCK MAKES THE PART SANDS AND DROPS THE PARTS INTO ANOTHER BIN.

I HAVE 2 CENTS IN EACH PART.. AND I GET 1.00 each..

One might be able to turn on a indexer on the cnc but not just on the cnc.. and it would not be profitable.

the tooling for this part, is a large flat tool steal template that is cut and shaped into the shape of the skittle pin.. then the template is sharpened works sort of like a shapper

Eugene,

Could you PM or email information about your duplicating lathe? I have a customer interested in some wholesale products and a duplicating lathe is the way to go but haven't seen anything on the market. Thanks!!

[Brady Watson]

I'd like to know about the duplicating lathe too.

Thanks!
-B

[Simops]

Is it like this.....

[mark_stief]

Google is your friend Jeez they make manual and auto ones but hand on to your A?? when you see the price

[genek]

eugene,

could you pm or email information about your duplicating lathe? I have a customer interested in some wholesale products and a duplicating lathe is the way to go but haven't seen anything on the market. Thanks!!

Don I am out of the office till Monday. I will get you the model number etc. And send to you.. The one I have is older than I am. It is one that my grandfather used. I had it rebuilt at a machine shop bearings etc was lose when I inherited it. This old machines last, you can still find some out there not sure what the price is... I actually have two duplicating lathes the old one and one that I bought that attached to the lathe.. That one is manual.. I have to crank the handle and it follows a pattern. The old one I have is not the way to go unless you can make your own cutters. If you have to send them out they cost anywhere from 300.00 to 1,500.00 to have made. Even though i cut ours i still charge the customer for the blade. There is another style out there that is hydraulic and you can cut the pattern with the cnc and then clamp the pattern in and a stylist follows the pattern and moves the cutter in and out.
I can get you info on that also. I have been looking at buying one of those... But expect in the 5,000.00 range for a used one.

I am in Louisville, had meeting with four buyers for liquor barn this evening Tina and I stayed to go to show..

[gene]

Is it more like a hydraulic back knife lathe?

[genek]

Is it like this.....

no that is a newer manual one.. but sort of like my new one.. That one will work but you are cranking and loading and helping it follow the pattern..

[genek]

Is it more like a hydraulic back knife lathe?
yes but my dublicating lather was designed to make small objects like wooden drawer pulls etc. I can only go up to about 14 inches. max...

[genek]

Eugene,

Could you PM or email information about your duplicating lathe? I have a customer interested in some wholesale products and a duplicating lathe is the way to go but haven't seen anything on the market. Thanks!!

Don unless you can expect that customer to keep ordering for several years or expect to do more with it. It is better to farm it out. my machine only does small parts. I can not go above about 14 inches max.. My machine was designed to make drawer knobs and things like that. Mark Stief Has a duplicating lathe that he could turn the parts for you not sure how big his goes. I have used Mark before on some spoons and I will use him again on those spoons.. Market on that spoon got to crowded so I let it die, plan on bringing that spoon back this fall.
They made these old machines to do certain size jobs... I wish I had one like Mark, I could make many more products than I can with this old one. I turn my rolling pins on my new duplicating lathe and you have to crank the wheel to move the cutter both ways..

[myxpykalix]

What is sad is that i've had a duplicating fixture that attaches to a lathe sitting in a box for ten years now, so i guess it's time to get it out and see what it can do...:eek:

[gundog]

First my product is not two bit parts. I get any where from $50.00 per hour to 150.00 per hour.. Right now your customer base does not require you to run 100 or 1,000 of your product but if it did you would run that many.. as one production goes up your prices of raw material goes down.. I do production run I have over 200 customers that order each month, most average over $50.00 per order. I maintain 100 to 500 pieces of different product in stock all the time to allow me to ship to my customers each month.
I do this full time sometimes my days are 14 to 16 hours long just to keep up with the demand. I am not part time. This is a full time job for me. My company pays my bills.

I did not mean to insult you if you can make 100 of them per hour I can understand your making them. I would love to see your setup to do that.

My shop labor rate is $100 an hour anything less and I don't feel it is worth doing. There is too much time spent with shipping and taking credit card orders that eat up time that is not billable.

Mike

[SomeSailor]

It is neat to see how many of you make money with your ShopBots. Mine has paid for itself several times over now and keeps me pretty busy. I still have a day job, but feel I could easily keep it busy enough to work it full time.

[genek]

my duplicating lathe is a mattison. it is older than I am

[mikeacg]

Thanks Gene! I am fascinated! If I can't buy one, I'm going to have to build one!!!

Mike

[genek]

they are out there most are old and in need of repair. I have seen them for as much as 15,000. and as cheap as 5,000.00

[gc3]

http://www.exfactory.com/Equipment.aspx?type=cat&what=LC&parentid=69&subcat=yes&menu=used

[mikeacg]

Thanks guys! I also found a site called IRS Auctions that looks promising!

http://www.irsauctions.com/

Mike

[jerry_stanek]

Thanks guys! I also found a site called IRS Auctions that looks promising!

http://www.irsauctions.com/

Mike


Just be careful I bid on that site you have to remember there is a buyers fee and sometime you have to use their riggers and have a flat bed truck

[mikeacg]

Good advice Jerry! Thanks for the heads-up!

Mike