Comment by system2
2 years ago
I have a laser/cnc shop as well. I never tried etsy. Are you using just a cnc router to create your products? Does the product price justify the time you are spending for them?
2 years ago
I have a laser/cnc shop as well. I never tried etsy. Are you using just a cnc router to create your products? Does the product price justify the time you are spending for them?
CNC is 75% of the way there, then there is sanding away most of the machine marks, then finish sanding. My current personal best is around 10 minutes per tray, and I make about $15 of each one (after fees and shipping and materials). So My time isn't exactly uncompensated, but its no where close to how much my time is worth as a software engineer with nearly 20 years of experience.
I batch out a bunch of them on the CNC at once (in fact I have to do a boatload more this evening), then while those are cutting, I have a pile of others that I need to sand. About the time I'm done with those, the next will come off the CNC, then takes me 5 minutes to set it up again and keep going. It gets tedious sometimes, but I can basically zone out while I do my sanding and listen to podcasts and music and still be able to hear the CNC start to cut something incorrectly (happens far to often).
Thank you for your detailed response. I just purchased a laser marker (50W) and planning to utilize it for the customized items. I think it might justify my cost eventually. I am also thinking about the software engineering with experience vs handmade wooden / metal things to sell. But I realize I also waste time doing weird hobbies and why not make money while having fun so that would be the justification. Last question if you don't mind, did you try metal or any metal product modification mixed with wood?
Sorry for the late response, had to batch out a couple dozen trays yesterday... The answer to metal, is no. I never learned metal. It's not that I don't think I can, but I have always loved wood. It is warm and soft, and I've been a hobbyist furniture maker for almost 20 years in my spare time.
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