want to start a cnc machine shop

[devanperth]

hi mate

I am tired for working somebody. I just want to start a work shop with single CNC lathe.(masak or simens).I dont no where to buy a machine. and How much capital i need.Please some one can help me. i am living in perth, wa

thank you guys

[matty82]

I have been looking into this myself for the past few months or so. Basically the cost of the machine will determine how much capital you need. To get started, you will at least need a machine, a compressor, tooling, computer, CAD software and some kind of workbench/storage cupboard. I reckon it is the cost of the machine plus about 20k. Used & New Heavy Industrial Machines, Machinery & Equipment for sale at Australia's No.1 Online Machinery Market has good second hand stuff. Plus you also need somewhere to put it, get it installed, etc. Theres heaps more involved than you think.

Matt

[devanperth]

Hi matty82

thank you very much for your reply.
Its very informative. i just gone to machine 4 you web site.
Its very much usefull.Please share some thing which you know.
keep i touch.
do you know which is the right place to start jobing type workshop in WA

regards
devan perth

[rocketflier]

Tired of working for somebody, start your own business?

Guess who you'll be working for? The same somebodies that you worked for before, without the middleman. Only now you'll have to deal with their odd demands directly.

Matty scratched the surface on tooling and indicated there's a whole lot more. You have to machine something, right? What metals are you going to stock. How quickly can you get metal from suppliers.

Bigger shops will be able to place large metal orders thus getting cheaper prices. So now you're already at disadvantage in price. Not having material on hand puts you at a disadvantage on delivery time.

So you better figure out your business model and who your new 'boss' is going to be.

[handlewanker]

2 questions come to mind....what are you going to make and where are you going to make it?

A home based workshop raises all kinds of problems, mainly from noise with neighbours, but also with interference on the power lines from motor stopping and starting.

Lastly where will you dispose of your swarf?
Ian.

[CaptainVee]

Most people who write the way you do haven't got a clue how to run a business.

I realise that writing it this way may be harsh on you and I do not mean to be rude.
If you indeed do not have a clue you will run in to bankrupty very quickly.

If you do not bring anything unique to the table then you will be in competition with EVERYONE. That just about allways means competing on price which is cut throat.

If you can find something unique, preferably in the combination of the machine you (will) have and your personal skills, then you may be on the right track.

It is about getting a market, not about getting a machine. There are millions of people that have a machine. Most are barely surviving.

[Zootalaws]

If you do not bring anything unique to the table then you will be in competition with EVERYONE. That just about allways means competing on price which is cut throat.

If you can find something unique, preferably in the combination of the machine you (will) have and your personal skills, then you may be on the right track.

It is about getting a market, not about getting a machine. There are millions of people that have a machine. Most are barely surviving.

This is very true.

If you are sick of being a wage slave, you need to find your specific dynamic that makes people want to use you, rather than the other guy.

That the OP doesn't know where to buy a machine, how much it is, how to generate business, how to go about starting up, where to operate, says to me - fail.

If it was me... I would start with:

How many CNC machinists are there in Perth?
Where are they and who are their customers?
What kind of services do they offer?
What gaps are there in the services they offer that might be exploited by a budding young entrepreneur?
How much money do I have (to realistically start a business, you need 3-6 months worth of living expenses before you start - this includes repayments, rent, vehicles, insurance, power, light, water, etc.)?
What is my budget for equipment and premises and how am I going to fund that?
Is there a key industry that is sending work out-of-state or overseas?
What can I make? Is there a niche business I can be churning out when there are no customers? (such as, boat parts, vehicle parts, kitsets, furniture, models, artwork, etc.)?

As it happens, I am considering doing exactly that, but then I live in a country without a single CNC machine and without a single wooden products manufacturer - so my market is unsaturated and my competition is negligible.

I am just putting the finishing touches to a series of furniture designs for desks, beds, bookcases - flat-pack, no tools, ply and MDF. A simple, ****ty, chinese-made bookcase runs to $160-180 here. A decent crafted one, $600-800.

There is nothing in the way of kitset furniture other than Ikea that a shop imports itself - and very, very expensive. Try 300% over the original cost!!! But there is a huge market - just in our extended circle alone there are around 1000 kids that don't have a decent desk for homework, etc.

My wife is a teacher, as are all our friends and acquaintances - they are screaming out for decent bookshelves, kids desks, storage, etc.

And I don't work, can't get a job (no work permit) and have free housing, electric, etc. but the vagaries of the system here is that I can do what I like as long as it isn't a 'job' - there is no tax, so they aren't interested if I earn money. So it seems like a good idea.

AS we will be here for a few more years yet, then most likely a move somewhere else in Borneo, I will be able to take whatever plant I acquire with me, unless I sell it as a going concern.

[Dan85]

Hi devan,

I have to agree with some of the comments on here. Having run a few different businesses in my time(not machining) it is very difficult. You need money, lots of money. The more start up you have the bigger chance of success your giving your self. If I was to start another business I'd be factoring in costs of all equipment and living expenses for at least a year. It can take at least a year to start turning a profit that you can survive on, if you manage to turn a profit at all. Insurance costs are huge, hours are very long and to be honest your hourly rate will probably be lower than if you worked for someone else.

I'm not trying to put you off but think before entering into something like this you need to know its not easy. One week your in famine, the next your feasting then just as quick your back to famine again. If take a good 12-18 months formulating a business strategy and doing some more research and then by the time that 18 months is over you have some capital you have a good plan and a good business strategy. Planning and preparation is the key to a successful business.

Good luck.

Regards

Dan.

[cncmakers001]

Too many options, depends on what kind of work piece are you going to make and how much budget are you going to pay.

[jeffrey001]

For every new job a customer ask for, it seems that I never have the right tool for it.

Have to buy one.

Always need one more inch on the lathe or mill.

Why do I always want to use a new end mill for every new job?

Why every customer asking for a job tell you that it is a simple and easy job and any tolerance will work and when you show him the part, the bearing he brings with him does not fit the simple hole he asked you to drill.

And the list never end.


Jeff

[thefu]

lol like ive read on here before...dont start while you are ahead...stuff is just way too expensive! that being said..im just starting!

[Coxsteve]

Start small at home as a hobby and if you have the talent it can evolve into a business and in the meantime having a job allows funds to expand your capabilities,There will always be an opening for Jobbing machinist work and small runs of specialised components.
It is up to you to not lose money doing such work and word of mouth is always the best advertising if you are good enough.