Very New To This

[pcworx]

hello,

I am very new to all of this and wanting to start a small manufacturing business. My questions...we'll start with just a couple lol...is although I know next to nothing about machining would I be better off to start with manual controlled machines or just directly to cnc controlled? As I said I will be production identical items in the future and of course the cnc would be the best for that....but with learing..and being able to produce the items is manual the way to go? This is a very small startup operation working out of my basement so benchtop equipment is the only option for now. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dan

[Runner4404spd]

i did the same thing, although i had machining experience. start with teh manual machines to get a feel for what your doing. it will be slow going at first, but if it doens't work out for you, then you have a $1500 clothes rack as opposed to 6-10000 clothes rack. take on jobs that are one peice and start slowly. i got into machining to make my own parts and not someone elses, if you are strictly trying to do someone elses then your business will not succeed unless you have a unique skill set.

is this your only form of employment?

[pcworx]

no this is just going to start out as a hobby then hopefully lead to the business end. i actually am the "grunt" in my wife's business which gives me a lot of free time! I am just wanting to make parts for myself and hopefully have a market for them once they are perfected. I am finally at a position in life to do this...its just i have no idea about the machining part lol maybe not a good way to start but you have to start somewhere.
dan

[jackson]

i would look at what you want to spend then weigh out all the options you sound like you want to get into it for a long time so you need to figure out if you will be better off spending money now on machines it sounds like you are going to replace later or go ahead and get some start up machines that even when you grow you will still have a use for and remember you are limited to your equipment