[heilcnc]

did you build your machine to make things to make some extra money and did you?
was it worth it for me i find it to be a great hobby and i have made some money

[wawatobi]

I have been making jewelry as part of my business for roughly 20 years. Eight years ago I bought a Taig mill with stepper motors. Until that time, making jewelry was only a small part of my business. Carving wax models by hand really sucks. I upgraded my Taig to servo motors three years ago. Now making jewelry is around 60% of my business. I am still limited by the backlash in my mill. Mach 3 still doesn't handle backlash very well. I'm now looking at the possibility of getting a revo mill. The package is around $30,000. Before I do that, I am going to try to remove the backlash by using pulleys and weights. I saw a nice set up for this done by a member of this site. I love my Taig mill but everything has its limitations.

[annegrethe]

I have bought a cnc 1.2M X 1.2M working surface from China with step motors.I have tested the machine with a 3d from artcam and have since then enjoyed using the machine for hobby purposes.I have to be honest that I havent made a sent in the last six months but enjoyed stuffing around.the problem is I cannot get around getting my drawings done.It is to complicated for me(I Think) but I am still trying.Anybody have a idea on what software is preferable that is easy for blondes to understand

[wawatobi]

You can download a copy of Rhino from the net. You can use the program indefinitely but cannot save jobs. I just left my computer on all the time when I was working on a project. If you decide you want to purchase it, try www.computersculpture.com . If you are a student you can get the software much chaeper.
R.H.

[CholPeter]

If you are lucky enough to get a large quantity job you find out that there is little if any left under the line. You have to wait long to get paid, have to carry a lot of inventory and once you figured out how to scrape a living out of it, the job went to Asia.
So what’s the answer?
1) Create your own product that hopefully sells.
2) Take the small quantity jobs nobody wants.
The small quantity jobs actually fetch a good price providing you can eliminate the costly and time-consuming set-up of the tools. Don’t you think you could make money if you could make 1 pc on your CNC machine in the same time as the cycle time of 1 pc in a 1000 pc run?
With that in mind we set out to see if we can come up with something. 3 years later we had a system that reduced our set-up time by as much as 90 % and we are able to offer our customers low quantities for a better price than anybody else can do it. So instead of going after the large volume, we focus on the small and are less exposed to loose a lot of money if one of our customers fail.
In addition of this we had now our own product we can sell. ( I hope it will !! )

Reducing the set-up time is due to the software we created. You can download it for free and I hope it works for you. There is no catch to it as we were able to attract some sponsors, allowing us to make some money of the software.
Sure would be nice to see the software helping to keep work at home as small volumes will never go overseas.
http://www.tool-wall.com

[Korellibopper]

I make really good money when I get jobs because I get stuff from where I work since my Boss doenst have a cnc mill and I do. So if theres a job with a contour or 100's of holes to be drilled I can usually bet im gonna be doing it on the weekend. My last job was sawmill sprockets I did them in a halg hour a peice and that earned me 50 bucks a peice the job before that was a custom chainsaw bar and that put 400 in my pocket. By the sounds of it im doin pretty good. since ive got a couple kidz and a fulltime job I dont have much more time to spend in my shop anyways.

Ttyl cnczone in my opinion theres alot of whorthwhile people on this site.

goodluck to everyone!

[CholPeter]

I get stuff from where I work since my Boss doenst have a cnc mill and I do.

I looks like you are on the right track. Your boss will work for you soon.

[handlewanker]

I make really good money when I get jobs because I get stuff from where I work since my Boss doenst have a cnc mill and I do. So if theres a job with a contour or 100's of holes to be drilled I can usually bet im gonna be doing it on the weekend. My last job was sawmill sprockets I did them in a halg hour a peice and that earned me 50 bucks a peice the job before that was a custom chainsaw bar and that put 400 in my pocket. By the sounds of it im doin pretty good. since ive got a couple kidz and a fulltime job I dont have much more time to spend in my shop anyways.

Ttyl cnczone in my opinion theres alot of whorthwhile people on this site.

goodluck to everyone!

Hi, nice going if you can make it pay for your weekend time, (normally at double time overtime union rates) and don't take holidays etc, but more importantly, I hope you're declaring your income as for taxation, your boss will be declaring to the IRS any outgoings for him, and if you don't show it up on your tax returns the IRS will circumcise you with a broken bottle neck if they get wind of it.

I was in a similar position to you in the 90's, and started a $50 company etc, to cater for this problem.

This allowed me to tax deduct part of my home as a business enterprise, and all my outgoings etc also reduced my normal tax from full time job earnings.

At full bore, I was working 100 hours a week, full time and evenings and weekends at home.....which does make you age prematurely, especially if you work through the night with work the next day just to meet a job deadline.
Ian.

[Korellibopper]

I got the taxation worked out really sweet too. My boss pays me as an independent contracter and I just claim the money as income.

[handlewanker]

Hi KB, I know what you mean, earning extra money after normal work commitments gives you a good feeling, BUT.....AS INCOME!!!!!!!!.... in the cold hard light of day.....the extra money, if shown as extra income, is taxed at the top dollar rate, that is after all your allowances are taken off your normal gross pay earnings, you are then taxed acording to the taxation sliding scale rate, which rises as you get into a higher tax bracket, and your boss will definately be showing your bit as an outgoing on his expenditure, whereas you can't or aren't, (poor fool).

To overcome that inescapeable problem you have to join "them", as you can't beat them when it comes to declared earnings and taxation.

The most cost effective way is to register as a small home based business with a business name.

Mine, (Australian Chamber of Commerce), was a $50 business name that allowed me to offset all my machinery, consumeables, material expenditure and some houshold expenses against the gross earnings incurred with the extra cash coming in.

Just adding your extra earnings to your regular income will make the tax man very happy, as you could end up doing all the work for as little as 45 cents in the dollar, and you also have to fund the earnings out of your own pocket, (extra electricity, transport costs,materials, rent/mortgage, rates etc) without the ability to get tax relief from expenditure.

I know it means getting stuck into book keeping (on a small scale), but money making is a serious business, and it'll burn you if you disregard the rules, apart from working at overtime hours for less than half normal time rates.

I worked as a subcontractor for the firm I was employed for full time in the early 90's and worked the system according to the rules for about 5-6 years, paid all my tax demands via a tax accountant agency and got all the tax benefits accordingly.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is a dick head and will be treated accordingly.

One example of the problem is how much does that CNC mill cost initially and how much will you get for it after 4 or 5 years?

Who pays for the carbides that are "throw away" rated?

The answer is all machinery and peripherals have a finite life span, and require replacement after a period of time.

Adding a cost factor to all your work only makes you less cost effective, if you can't recover it via tax relief and only expect your boss to pick up the bill, been there done that.

The moment of truth comes when your boss spits the dummy and wakes up to the competition rates, otherwise he's going out of business too.

A ball park figure means if'n you're earning $20 an hour at your regular work place as an employee, your boss probably costs you at $40 or $50 per hour, (normal time, and 2 X this for overtime), as an asset cost outlay against his business, and you should be charging at the same rate, that is $40 or $50 whatever per hour for any work done.

There is no parallel with emloyees wages and job costing rates, one of the prime reasons jobs go off shore to China, India, etc where the labour rates are a hypothetical $1 a day and a bowl of rice, and green button pushers rule.

One of my friends was in this league, earning "pocket money on the side", so I asked him why he didn't just work more overtime.
Ian.

[Korellibopper]

I dont wanna rant but I know the in and outs of business. Had a small business needed one for another job I did. Well I know whats best for me and im certainly not stupid or ignorrant. Or a poor fool. I wayed my options and for the amount of extra work im doing this is what fits my situation. I even calimed my mill through my company and saved almost all the tax also used it as a writeoff when I had a business. Oh I charge well for the work I do because my boss and decide what to charge.

Later

[handlewanker]

Hi, good for you, seems you know the ropes.

What happens if'n your boss decides to get a CNC mill in and expect you to work it?
Or even worse, employs a 17 year old school leaver and wants you to train him up on it?
Would that cause a bit of deadly friction?
Ian.

[Korellibopper]

Id be really happy if my boss bought a CNC mill. He doesnt owe me anything. I didnt buy machinery on the premis that I'd be taking all the milling work home to be done in my shop. Id rather be enjoying making my own projects. Or riding my mountainbike. Spending time with my family.

Did you get screwed by your boss or somethng?

Later Korell

[handlewanker]

Nope, no screwing there.
I "invented" or more correctly, designed a quick change device to make changing work stations on an auto paint machine quicker.

I worked as a technician for a lock manufacturer, and part of my duty was to "improve" the working of the auto paint machine, (250 work stations).

Long story short, the prototype device worked so well they asked me to supply and convert the machines to use them, (250 work stations per machine, with two machines), and so save heaps of down time in product work station changes.

That's where the business creation came in, as the work load went ballistic.
I did that for 5-6 years before I got retrenched at age 60, in a big down sizing operation in 1998, and finally went out of the industry into retirement about 2002.
Ian.

[Korellibopper]

WOW Im only 27 just starting out really. Where I work is just the Boss and I. Ive been there five years. Hopefully someday I get ahold something like what youve done. I have a manufacturing technician diploma and I red seal.

[handlewanker]

Hi, first you've got to find something someone needs, then make it cheaper than anyone else without going too high tech.

The big problem with fulfilling needs is to protect the product, or just make it as a one off job and let everyone else have a go too.

Patenting or design protecting products is an expensive hobby, and if you do hit on a smashing idea that needs patenting etc, get professional help.

Mostly, KISS or keep it stupid simple.

The cost of entering into production is an exponential one, and if'n you don't have oodles of dough, best not to get in deep and find you are getting diminishing returns and no sleep at nights.

I like the small scale subcontract bit of engineering, whereby you take on jobs not cost effective to bigger shops, but pay good side money to you.

If you have an inventive nature you'll find plenty of gadgets to make that nobody else thought of, small runs of everyday items etc.

I ran my business from home in the garage, evenings and weekends, didn't get rich but paid a lot of overseas holiday trips etc.
Ian.

[shen]

If you are lucky enough to get a large quantity job you find out that there is little if any left under the line. You have to wait long to get paid, have to carry a lot of inventory and once you figured out how to scrape a living out of it, the job went to Asia.
So what’s the answer?
1) Create your own product that hopefully sells.
2) Take the small quantity jobs nobody wants.
The small quantity jobs actually fetch a good price providing you can eliminate the costly and time-consuming set-up of the tools. Don’t you think you could make money if you could make 1 pc on your CNC machine in the same time as the cycle time of 1 pc in a 1000 pc run?
With that in mind we set out to see if we can come up with something. 3 years later we had a system that reduced our set-up time by as much as 90 % and we are able to offer our customers low quantities for a better price than anybody else can do it. So instead of going after the large volume, we focus on the small and are less exposed to loose a lot of money if one of our customers fail.
In addition of this we had now our own product we can sell. ( I hope it will !! )

Reducing the set-up time is due to the software we created. You can download it for free and I hope it works for you. There is no catch to it as we were able to attract some sponsors, allowing us to make some money of the software.
Sure would be nice to see the software helping to keep work at home as small volumes will never go overseas.
Tool Wall - CNC Tool Storage

You know Asian companies' life?
they have lots machines but they also have no order.because of Nontariff Barriers, like ISO system, CE approval, etc, small Asia compaies hard to get direct order from Western big company(but maybe they are your neighbor)
so Asia compaies usually get order though some international group(I call them internation hunters),but usually asia small company will be asked follows:
very high quanlity confirmation, very low price.
so the point is not Asia company get profits, only those huge international companies get profits.
so let's change some idea.
global small companies cooperate together, share profits together.
Get quantity order from your neighbor, but not make it by ur own machine, just make sure quality request and pass to Asia partners, your final price will lower than those international hunters and quality are same, the most important thing is you are neighbor of your customer, it will be easy to communicate with you than international hunter, so you will win the order and get profits from the large quantity job.
To Asia companies, they also get more profits than cooperate internation hunter.
so this is a mutual benifits way......

[Ron Dunn]

they have lots machines but they also have no order.because of Nontariff Barriers, like ISO system, CE approval, etc,

Not quite, shen ... many Chinese companies have no orders because their products are RUBBISH. Look around CNCZone, and see the number of complaints about poor quality products that should never have left the factory.

[handlewanker]

Hi, if'n the truth be known when you deal with "a Chinese Company" you're dealing with China Incorporated....they are after all state owned and a Socialist system, as soon as one goes out of business another pops up, same factory, same workers, same machines, just a different face at the top, different name on the gates....like musical chairs....you'll never beat their system on a level playing field, and once you deal with them with your product, they have the knowledge, the market and the manpower to make it cheaper, and all by just rebadging and changing the colour.
Ian.

[bcstrings]

i have made a 4 axis machine. and love working on it --i'm going on to my 20th job so far and have alot of interest i what i'm doing...i'm hoping to have 5ft x 10ft foot machine up and running soon --- also tring to work on getting my own haas --machine !!!

here is a link to my site-- http://www.wix.com/bcstrings/cb-machining

would love to go full on with this just tring to find someone that would back me and really get this going big!!!

so if anyone knows someone that does -- angel investing contact me!!!!


thanks chris silvia