i have a cnc machine, help me with product selling ideas.

[arthur80]

I recently bought a cnc machine, a very good one, and i'm starting to get used to it and making different shapes and cool stuff out of it, I saw in a facebook group, some people that are making tons of money with their machines,so i said why not i make some profit too, i'm thinking about using ebay or etsy, but the thing is, what should i sell? i can make plenty of stuff with my cnc, but what do people buy the most? i don't wan't to lose resources or materials on objects that will stay in my garage while the dust eating them, i need ideas , please help.

[turboguy]

Welcome to the forum arthur. Can you clarify what you have for me. CNC is generic for the a computer controller. That could be a CNC brake, a CNC sheer, a CNC milling machine or lots of other pieces of equipment. My guess is you have a CNC plasma cutter. If you clarify that we might be able to offer better suggestion. (if it is the plasma cutter we have one too and it is one of the best things we ever bought.)

[arthur80]

ok my machine is badog X2 a swiss one,here is a link for info Badog X2 CNC (http://www.badog.ch/en/cnc-shop/cnc-machines/badog/badog-x2-cnc.html)
790
can mill even metal plates.I can do plenty of things with it,but i want to do something that people buy.and thanks for the help.

[turboguy]

Thanks, So it is a CNC router that can work in wood, plastics and aluminum. I would think that signs would be one area where there is a lot of potential business. I have a CNC burn table that can also be set up as a router. The company I bought mine from has a lot of videos showing some of the artistic creations done with their machine. You might pick up some ideas by watching their videos. The web site is CNC Plasma Tables, CNC Router Tables, CNC Torch Tables, CNC Water Jet Tables. CNC Austin TX (http://www.burntables.com).

[BNB]

As I always say, selling is the hard part, making stuff is easy.

Check Inventables: The Hardware Store for Designers (http://www.inventables.com) for some ideas as well as supplies that you might like. The reality is that a CNC like yours is pretty basic and does what hundreds of thousands of other machines do. If someone here could tell you exactly what to make that would sell and be profitable, believe me, we'd be doing it. A CNC can be purchased quite cheap.

I think you are going in the right direction, don't get me wrong, but it's really just a tool. Kind of like saying "I bought a table saw, a nice one, what can I make and sell?"

We see this a lot with sublimation. You can buy a sublimation kit for under $1,000 and be able to decorate thousands of products. But most people fail miserably at it. Selling is the hard part, making it is the easy part. Use the CNC to invent something new and interesting. Some sort of cool product people want and need. Then focus on marketing, sales, and selling. But don't expect that just because you have a CNC, you somehow have the key to make a standard product and sell millions of it.

[tallen]

Are you going to do custom work to order, or just want to produce some standard items and maintain an inventory? (or some combination of the two)

[Fulcrum]

Thanks for that link Ray. Burntables waterjet looks attractive. How's their service and quality on the machines?

[turboguy]

We have been very pleased with both their products and their support. Actually I went to the factory in Texas and picked up ours. My plant manager and I spent a few hours going through their training program and they were quite happy to spend the time with us to go over the cad operation and machine operation. It has been one of our best purchases. I would say the unit we bought pays for itself 2 to 3 times a year.

We don't have the water jet but rather the plasma one

[arthur80]

Are you going to do custom work to order, or just want to produce some standard items and maintain an inventory? (or some combination of the two)
i'm thinking about finding a product to sell but suppliment income by outsourcing to my friend.