[Eddard_Stark]

Thanks in large part to CNCZone, over the past couple of years I built a 5' x 10' steel framed, profile linear rail, stepper driven CNC router. I have been using it in my cabinet business.

Due to personal issues I am seriously considering exiting the cabinet business all together. I have a pretty substantial investment in my shop built router. While I would like to keep it, the sheer size of it (actual size is something like 8' x 12') is a serious limiting factor to keeping it. Also, outside of making cabinets and personal projects it doesn't earn it's keep. I could easily make a smaller machine solely for hobby use that would both be less expensive and easier to move/store.

The question I have is how would I go about selling it? And, how could I do some market research to figure out what to ask for it?

I mean if I am going to just give it away, I would rather find an avenue for it to earn some income.

Thanks for any help.

[ger21]

Where are you located?

[Eddard_Stark]

Georgia; about an hour from Atlanta.

[ger21]

Your best bet is probably going to be Craig's List.

The large size is going to limit the number of potential buyers.
The fact that you built it will probably limit any interest from commercial shops.

Your best bet would be someone with a small business that's looking for a large machine and doesn't have a lot to spend.

[Eddard_Stark]

As I suspected I have really limited the market that would be interested.

I have no idea what kind of expectations I should have, but even if I could run it 5 - 10 hours a week that would probably be preferable to giving it away.

Maybe I could mount a plasma and then double the type of job shop work I could tackle with the machine. I'm a little worried about my acceleration if I went the plasma route, as the machine is pretty beefy.

Thx for the input Ger.

[awerby]

I wouldn't use a nice router like that for plasma cutting; the slag and grit would ruin the sliding parts in short order. If you want to get into that, set up a separate machine with a water table, preferably in a room of its own, so it won't contaminate everything else. If you're tired of making cabinets, think of something else to make with your router - thrones, perhaps?

[Eddard_Stark]

Andrew,

Thx for the reply.

Yes I am tired of making cabinets. Mainly I am tired of dealing with people constantly changing their minds, contractors always demanding the moon yet don't even know my name when it's time to pay etc. It has caused me a good deal of stress that has affected my health lately; which has prompted me to explore other options.

Conversely, the process of building my machine, learning electrical, basic control theory, fabrication, welding, machining, programming, CAD/CAM has been exhilarating. I love it.

I would love to keep my machine as long as it could 'pay its own way' so to speak. Better yet, I would love to be able to apply all the things I have learned; keep learning, and go even farther. While I have been self employed for over a decade I'm starting to realize the hard truth that many of the 'business' side of things just aren't my bag. Collections, managing expectations, marketing, etc.....I dislike them all. Not to sound like a complainer, because I do spend a great deal of time doing 'things I don't like', but the aforementioned things have been wearing on me for a while, as I mentioned earlier, to the point they have affected my health.

Also I don't know what you mean by thrones.

The only way I will stay in the cabinet business is if I decide to commit to growing to a point where I can justify a full time salesman to handle most of the things that cause me stress. I would welcome the challenge of further automating my shop; I already have ideas for an automated sheet loader and unloader; dedicated auto loading CNC miter door station; and I have been toying with OpenCV with the thought of implementing a vision based automated finishing machine.

Anyway, sorry for the liveblog. lol.

[awerby]

With that handle of yours, I assumed you'd get my "thrones" reference. But whatever you make as a business venture, you'll need to either figure out a way to sell it yourself or afford someone else to sell it for you, not to mention the other business hassles like collections. Maybe you'd be happier working for someone else, perhaps someone building CNC machines? If you really want to sell your machine, listing it with some information about where it's located would help, since it's large enough to inhibit would-be buyers who aren't located nearby. An indication of how much you wanted for it would be good too.

[ger21]

Consider finding a job programming and running a cnc in someone else's shop.
I've been doing it for almost 20 years.
If you know what you're doing, you can make good money, without the headaches.

[Jon.N.CNC]

Andrew,

Thx for the reply.

Yes I am tired of making cabinets. Mainly I am tired of dealing with people constantly changing their minds, contractors always demanding the moon yet don't even know my name when it's time to pay etc. It has caused me a good deal of stress that has affected my health lately; which has prompted me to explore other options.

Conversely, the process of building my machine, learning electrical, basic control theory, fabrication, welding, machining, programming, CAD/CAM has been exhilarating. I love it.

I would love to keep my machine as long as it could 'pay its own way' so to speak. Better yet, I would love to be able to apply all the things I have learned; keep learning, and go even farther. While I have been self employed for over a decade I'm starting to realize the hard truth that many of the 'business' side of things just aren't my bag. Collections, managing expectations, marketing, etc.....I dislike them all. Not to sound like a complainer, because I do spend a great deal of time doing 'things I don't like', but the aforementioned things have been wearing on me for a while, as I mentioned earlier, to the point they have affected my health.

Also I don't know what you mean by thrones.

The only way I will stay in the cabinet business is if I decide to commit to growing to a point where I can justify a full time salesman to handle most of the things that cause me stress. I would welcome the challenge of further automating my shop; I already have ideas for an automated sheet loader and unloader; dedicated auto loading CNC miter door station; and I have been toying with OpenCV with the thought of implementing a vision based automated finishing machine.

Anyway, sorry for the liveblog. lol.

i feel ya eddard.. 20 hr straight so far and it was a friday! Cabinet making is very involved, Plastics however, not so much.