I’m attempting to establish a business making wooden accessories related to firearms, small simple stuff at first. I purchased a decent sized CNC that will cut wood, Delrin, foams, and other light stuff. It will cut metal but I’m not set up for the coolant and chip mess.
I have a few ideas for items like shell holders and primer trays for a start so I want to stay focused in the reloading/range shooting accessories area. I have a fairly large regional hardwood supplier nearby so I will get to hand select nice lumber and add some pretty good detailed carving, hopefully I can be an operator that makes that happen. The machine has a 4x4 bed but I’m trying to keep the packed item fitting in a less than 12x12x4 box for shipping. I’m getting a rotary attachment for it as well. It has about a 5 inch carve depth in theory but 2 1/2 inch deep carves looks to be more doable to me, I still don’t have a good grasp on the design software yet but I then I learned to swim by being thrown in the pond and software can’t drown me.
I’m hoping I can convince people to give me free ideas for products they might want and the best and nearly only places left I can go to ask is here. When I get a product ready for public consumption the site can have a giveaway and I’ll mail it to the winner for scrutiny.
I decided reloading was a good area to look for extra cash, true reloaders always have cash on hand for primers and that fund has had way too much opportunity to grow these last many years.
Thank you for the time, looking forward to the feedback.
If you can get some great detail wood you could do something like these at a higher mark up, I’d hunt down burls as they have the best detail, my step dad uses burls to carve turtles and they sell for big bucks
Looks like a nice beefy machine. CNC software takes some time in the saddle, first the design, then the code to the mill. What software do you have for it? Any sample pieces done? Something else you can do with a lot of similar machines I assume yours as well is add a diode laser module, opens up some additional possibilities.
Yes, I fall asleep to instructional videos for Vectric Aspire design software. Way more program than I need to start but figure I have so much invested I have to get it. G Code is the interface with the machine, much simpler than the design software to start anyway. A video of a guy standing on the gantry while it was carving helped me pick this one. That and the speed the motors transition at, it is closer to what the small industrials run, carve times are real good for the money. They do sell a laser module for it but I’m thinking I might just want a separate machine for what they cost now, keep the big machine moving on the hard stuff, my grandson has one so for starters he will do some logos for me on items.
I had just finished getting the wiring ran so I would have enough power and light in the room last Monday. I was getting off the couch to go hit the power buttons for the first time and tore my meniscus, or so they tell me that’s why the leg wouldn’t go straight. So I guess I’m stuck learning the design software or at least attempting to design something while I kick around on crutches for a bit, I haven’t made near as many trips up and down the stairs as I would like, uses a whole different set of muscles like this!
I hadn’t run across that form yet, had to slap my head for not thinking of something that simple. It would be a super simple cut and minimal on waste as well. Looks like an economy line might work as well.
Honestly i’ve been seeing a lot of Pistol Stands that I can 3d Print and sell as is. I’ve been considering that myself as something to sell, that and 3d printing bump stocks
