hexonxonx

My Feedback: (2)

speek up if you have ever needed machine work done but had no economical options. this is my market research and all feed back will be helpful. i have a small but heavy collet/ turret lathe and am looking for a mill. this is not an ad im just wondering.

Teachu2

My Feedback: (133)

I'll speak up - but on the other side. Very little machine work needed, and all of that has been easy to get done for free or a six-pack. The overwhelming majority of modelers will never need lathe or mill work done, and most of the rest will do it themselves.

With so many vendors of good, inexpensive equipment, it's a tiny niche to repair anything in this hobby. Clarence Lee has a small business fixing stripped glow plug holes in heads, and a couple of guys do retracts. PSP makes a premium engine test stand.

What do you have in mind?

Gremlin Castle

My Feedback: (14)

What machine work I have done I do on a Shop Task lathe mill combo which is a compromise for anything but model size parts.

As always the time is in making the setup not the actual machining operation.

Do not want to discourage you but unless you have a zero overhead operation it is tough doing custom work for modelers. The majority of them have a limited understanding of what is entailed in making a custom part or doing a repair on an existing component. As such they almost always feel the the cost was too much and that the turn around time was too slow.

hexonxonx

My Feedback: (2)

the over head will be the electric for equipment and 2 window units to keep grarage humidity resonable and my time. im wondering if it would be worth it to advertise. i made a motor mount for my axi 2820/12 and it works great.

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

I must agree with the posts above...what little custom machine-work I've needed, I've had little trouble finding someone to do.

Furthermore, in MY experience anyway, it's substantially easier for me to be able to take the part, or a diagram, or whatever, WITH me, and be able to be there as the work was being done. It saves an immense amount of "what did you mean?" or "Would you rather this?" type e-mails, calls, etc.

Now, on the flip side, you mention that you've already made a custom mount for your electric motor. IMO, THAT is where you might have a business opportunity...in making custom (and, in some way, superior) parts or assemblies that are difficult to find, or need an inexpensive, or more sturdy, or more user friendly, or somehow "better" alternative.

Ask yourself..."Why did I make this mount, rather than buy one?". If you can say that yours was superior in some fashion, then there might just be a market for it.

Teachu2

My Feedback: (133)

Is there a commercially available motor mount for that motor? If so, how much does it cost? What would yours cost you in time and materials? How is yours superior? What is your time worth to you?

I have a small welding "business". I started making gates for my own home, and then family and friends wanted some, and then other people saw my work..... I charge $60/hr base rate, $75/hr mobile - adjusted for customer's attitude. Some folks can't hire me at any price, but I do a fair amount of work at no charge - flying fields, school projects, church and elderly fixed-income types as well. My profits go right back into the business, adding new tools and equipment. The "business" is really a self-supporting hobby.

My regular job as a teacher pays the bills, provides insurance, and allows me to have fun with my welding business. I don't advertise - many times I have a When-You-Can-Get-Around-To-It List of people who have expressed an interest in having me do work but are not in any hurry. That allows me to dedicate a weekend now and then and fab several jobs at once. This saves me setup time, cleanup time, and allows me to buy steel in quantity. That saves my customers money, and allows me to work more efficiently.

I have often fantisized about adding a machine shop to my collection of tools - I enjoy using machine tools to build and improve. I trained as a gunsmith many years ago, and have toyed with the idea of doing custom gunsmithing. Even that is hard to make money at, though, and the liability insurance is prohibitive.

I've fooled around with models for 40(!) years now, and I just don't see a viable business doing machine work in a hobby environment. A very few guys have made a go doing machining of gas engine conversions, even fewer make custom retracts. The problem is finding a niche - you have to sell enough to make the investment in equipment and tooling worthwhile, but not so much that you attract competition from better funded and established firms. Then there's the tax man......

Teachu2

My Feedback: (133)

And if yours IS better, you'd best PATENT it !

hexonxonx

My Feedback: (2)

thanks for all the reponses and if anyone else has some thing to say go ahead and thro it in. the motormount i made was for a specific application but could be used in other models.