[BeekeeperEric]

I am building a cnc router, and it is taking a lot of money. I would like to be able to make some money with it once I get it finished. Is it feasible to make money doing woodworking with cnc machines? I thought of some things that I could make with my machine: taxidermy bases, custom signs, personalized cutting boards, and basically anything somebody would want me to make out of wood or plastics. I also have some experience with making outdoor furniture so I could make that with the cnc as well as my other woodworking tools. Do you all think it would be feasible to run a business that would do all that and make a little money? I am still in high school so I would have to do the work afternoons, evenings, and weekends.

[ger21]

The most difficult part of having a woodworking business is being a salesman.
Meaning, finding people to buy your products, at a fair price.

There are thousands of hobbyists out there trying to sell items they make on their CNC. Many of them sell items so cheap that they basically are working for free. If you try to compete with these people, you won't make any money.

The key is to find a product that people want to buy, at a fair price.

If you have a lot of other woodworking tools, think of the CNC as just another tool. Use the best tool for the job. You may find a product that sells well, but reuires very little CNC work.

[Duael]

I do, just not as much as I want.
But I'm just getting started.

My approach is different than most cnc business, as my cnc work is directed toward one of a kind sculptures, not mass produced repeatable objects.
Sales are handled by SaatchiArt dot com.

saatchiart.com/art/Sculpture-Black-Scholes/660828/3955987/view

I made Black Scholes on a PocketNC.
Future objects will be cut on a PilotPro 1220 5 axis.

[awerby]

Nice work, Duael! I'm sure you realize that art is the hardest thing in the world to sell, sculpture is harder to sell than paintings, and avant-garde sculpture is the most difficult of all. So if making money is your goal, you've got your work cut out for you (so to speak). Is there a reason it's being made as one-of-a-kind instead of in an edition? One of the advantages of CNC is that you can produce editions in materials like wood, that aren't susceptible to other processes of replication. It doesn't seem like you're getting the kind of price that would justify restricting yourself to one-offs. How's Saatchi doing with them? Please post back when you've made something with the 5-axis machine.