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Side Hustle - Plasma Table

All good info everybody thanks! Will contemplate my options.

The rig has to be wheelable first! summer is slow season at work, will be prepping for this I think.
 
SomeGuyFromOlympia said:
you are aware small tables take small pieces of metal, that is going to up your cost at the Wholesale side of things
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Yes, but most of the things I “think” I will be making are from scrap from my best friends pile. He buys sheet by the semi load and recycles pieces larger than I think I would be using. If not, I could resell it for penny’s on the dollar to someone here, right? :flipoff2:
 
cervelorod said:
Yes, but most of the things I “think” I will be making are from scrap from my best friends pile. He buys sheet by the semi load and recycles pieces larger than I think I would be using. If not, I could resell it for penny’s on the dollar to someone here, right? :flipoff2:
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and why are you not doing that now?
you know side hustle and all :flipoff2:
 
SomeGuyFromOlympia said:
aa-mfg.com

Home - A&A Manufacturing

A&A Manufacturing has been the leading manufacturer of custom chassis components since 1966. Made in the USA
aa-mfg.com

can't do it much cheaper than this
I have a table, but order from here often
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Then, by IBB law, you need to sell me your table for pennies on the dollar. I'm not to far away, shouldn't cost you much in shipping...
 
cervelorod said:
Then, by IBB law, you need to sell me your table for pennies on the dollar. I'm not to far away, shouldn't cost you much in shipping...
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I don't make brackets on it, I cut plate that is 1+"
if you find a cheaper way, I am all ears:grinpimp:
 
I've never been a off the shelf bracket guy, they just don't usually fit anything as is in my over complicated mind.

I end up modifing them to the point I didn't really save any time or money.
 
cervelorod said:
Where? I’m already kinda good at CAD and have had a tab opened to Langmuir for months. I’ve built 2 different CNC setups, but kinda want this to be turn key. I have a friend with a water jet, but I’d like a small table for little things on Friday afternoon, when he is closed.
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That's been the common cycle of CNC Plasma for at least the last 10 years. You can tell who will end up selling their CNC Plasma tables in the next year or two if they are in all the groups/communities, and all they do is ask for files or ask what files people are making money on. They are the type of people who see others at a craft fair with 20 pieces of art at $100. So they see that at $2000, and see the cost of tables and think it's easy to make money/pay off.

They don't like it when you reply with "What makes me the most money is base plates for railing". They REALLY don't like it when you tell them they should learn the CAD and design their own things.
 
I basically agree with all of the above. I bought a 5 x 10 table a couple years ago. Since having it nearly every part I’ve looked at making for other people can be found online cheaper than I can bother with it. As a result, it has seen very little use, and in hindsight, not nearly enough to justify having large machine in the shop.

It does have some value making parts to fix other things though the same day. So far I haven’t been able to transfer into any sort of production items though.

If I was to do this again, I’d probably get a 4 x 4 table or none at all.
 
RGLMotorsports said:
That's been the common cycle of CNC Plasma for at least the last 10 years. You can tell who will end up selling their CNC Plasma tables in the next year or two if they are in all the groups/communities, and all they do is ask for files or ask what files people are making money on. They are the type of people who see others at a craft fair with 20 pieces of art at $100. So they see that at $2000, and see the cost of tables and think it's easy to make money/pay off.

They don't like it when you reply with "What makes me the most money is base plates for railing". They REALLY don't like it when you tell them they should learn the CAD and design their own things.
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Sawmills too. :laughing:

I'd have never gotten into that shit if it wasn't vertical integration for the guy I'm in it with. Even back at the height of lumber costs the numbers don't pencil out without huge capital investments.

ProjectTwin has the right idea IMO.
 
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I will easily recover the cost using my miniscule table for my NON plasma oriented side business no problem there.

Ive decided as long as I can index 4' width material I can do anything I need to do. It will be very easy to build folding outriggers to support the full sheet.

I can leave the table in the corner, up against a wall etc. and roll it out as needed for 4x8 projects.
 
It kind of works two ways. You buy the table to increase your capability, but then the table drives the your shop to design to use it and increase profits.

If your thinking about craft fair shit forget it.

Here is an example. Production run of ship stairs. Traditional fab with channel stringers and pipe rail can't come close to cad designed cnc cut stringers, rail brackets and mounting brackets.

End result is a better product and much less labor invested. This jobs profit alone would buy a table. The other supporting tools play an important part to consider.



1000001045.jpg
 
Dethmachinefab said:
It kind of works two ways. You buy the table to increase your capability, but then the table drives the your shop to design to use it and increase profits.

If your thinking about craft fair shit forget it.
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The biggest hurdle with stuff like that is getting your foot in the door with the customer. If you have a better product even if it’s cheaper but no relationship with the customer you’ll maybe pick up 1 out of 10 jobs you quote, quickly making it not worth your time.
 
Pocahontas said:
The biggest hurdle with stuff like that is getting your foot in the door with the customer. If you have a better product even if it’s cheaper but no relationship with the customer you’ll maybe pick up 1 out of 10 jobs you quote, quickly making it not worth your time.
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Yes that's absolutely the case. My post is only addressing the how the machine can change your product and make money.

It only takes one time where a regular contractor can't schedule a job to open that door if your good.
 
Dethmachinefab said:
It only takes one time where a regular contractor can't schedule a job to open that door if your good.
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Go into place over perform then get referrals forever. The amount of times the client is explaining a problem and a previous client said “just call Pocahontas, they can do anything.” So they call then becomes a self perpetuating cycle of business forever.
 
And a lot of time response time is a make or break for one off jobs.

Having the table in house greatly effects response time.

I got a job one time to make a bunch 1/4" timber frame brackets but with no table I was going to have to hand make them and it would have killed me and might not have done it in time so I had to decline. That would have been a great job for a plasma table.
 
Pocahontas said:
Go into place over perform then get referrals forever. The amount of times the client is explaining a problem and a previous client said “just call Pocahontas, they can do anything.” So they call then becomes a self perpetuating cycle of business forever.
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Do this for years.

Start declining jobs

Jack prices.

Keep printing money for awhile as your current customers aren't shopping alternatives that hard.

Say dumbass chest thumping things online when you get undercut by some dude with tools and a space that aren't as nice as yours who produces a product 99% as good as yours.

:flipoff2:
 
FYI
every time a customer hasn't paid the bill has been another existing business that wants you to bend over backwards to help them
poof, gone

get paid up front (they don't like that)
 
arse_sidewards said:
Do this for years.

Start declining jobs

Jack prices.

Keep printing money for awhile as your current customers aren't shopping alternatives that hard.

Say dumbass chest thumping things online when you get undercut by some dude with tools and a space that aren't as nice as yours who produces a product 99% as good as yours.

:flipoff2:
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We decline about 50% of the jobs I look at, most always because client or the job is going to be nothing but a nightmare. We are definitely not the cheapest but also not the most expensive.

I need about three more years of business and we will be only working on my own buildings. I figure we can turn 6 properties or 60 units a year comfortably, if we get slow then can pick up random projects here and there. Just this weekend got called about 10+ or more sump pumps that weren’t working.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
The best option I've come up with is having a local shop bend up a pan with no stupid ass seam in the middle. I will probably do that soon. Other than that, 11/10 experience with the control software, THC, everything else.
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This discussion made me finally buy a piece of 304 to make a new water pan for my table. Now to figure out how to bend it.


I am happy with my smaller table, but like others, i'm finding it's hard to compete with send cut send, especially without a cnc press brake. I think that's why Langmuir just came out with a small cnc press brake, and it's very tempting tbh.

Another downside with plasma is that it's hard to tig aluminum right off of the table without sanding all edges. That's annoying. No issues I've experienced with steel right off the table after knocking off the slag.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
This discussion made me finally buy a piece of 304 to make a new water pan for my table. Now to figure out how to bend it.


I am happy with my smaller table, but like others, i'm finding it's hard to compete with send cut send, especially without a cnc press brake. I think that's why Langmuir just came out with a small cnc press brake, and it's very tempting tbh.

Another downside with plasma is that it's hard to tig aluminum right off of the table without sanding all edges. That's annoying. No issues I've experienced with steel right off the table after knocking off the slag.
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The cyclops brake looks tits for small platform home gamer, seems sort of hard to get but maybe not via eBay as they are European.
 
CarterKraft said:
The cyclops brake looks tits for small platform home gamer, seems sort of hard to get but maybe not via eBay as they are European.
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I've got a swag one, need to make some more tooling for it. You're right though, don't need a cnc press brake to get good results.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
I've got a swag one, need to make some more tooling for it. You're right though, don't need a cnc press brake to get good results.
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I have a setup similar to swag on my press. For my personal use it's fine. It takes a bit of effort to get two brackets to be bent at the same angle. Sometimes on longer pieces I have to flip the part 180* and press it again to have it be consistent across the part.

When I see someone like Adam Deuling (adeuling on instagram), it makes me realize how much more efficient his CNC press is for knocking out jobs. He also has his plasma table dialed in. He's worked hard since his early days on the other site to make a nice small business.
 
The cyclops is really a step up I think using linear guides instead of sleeved tubing. It uses legit press brake tooling and should be very precise when dialed in.

This guy did a good video on building a press with it. He built a NC back gauge for it too which is good but he's using some goofy stepper driver to control it and a DRO for the readout, using LinuxCNC in DRO mode would be smarter I think but maybe not.
I have enough trouble with it as a plasma.



 
CarterKraft said:
The cyclops is really a step up I think using linear guides instead of sleeved tubing. It uses legit press brake tooling and should be very precise when dialed in.

This guy did a good video on building a press with it. He built a NC back gauge for it too which is good but he's using some goofy stepper driver to control it and a DRO for the readout, using LinuxCNC in DRO mode would be smarter I think but maybe not.
I have enough trouble with it as a plasma.



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That's pretty slick. I have a design for a press brake that uses laminated dies that I made, but could just use off the shelf stuff if you needed to as well.

It's a balancing act between bend capacity and footprint though.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
That's pretty slick. I have a design for a press brake that uses laminated dies that I made, but could just use off the shelf stuff if you needed to as well.

It's a balancing act between bend capacity and footprint though.
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Absolutely just like the table if you can bend 22" the first job will be 23":homer:

I have 42" 3 in 1 brake/shear/roll and I want to make a bender that uses those dies and laminated dies I can cut on the table.

I recently saw a video of a dudes 8' bender that is really slick, made out of doubled 1/4" plate with two air engine hoist jacks.

It really just needs proper synchronized hydraulics to bad ass but he does pretty good with it as is. He seems like he should be a member here...

 
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