I wasn't even particularly interested in searching for this information, and I watched until the end because of how well you broke that down. Well edited, clear, concise and short is the only reason I stuck around 👍.
" there was a lot of talking in this video". Yes and I thank you for it. I click on the video for clear and informative insight into CNC and you delivered exactly that! I can't fault you for doing something that I wanted; I appreciate it! So, thank you¡
I agree with the other commenters praising this video - you make some great points. To summarize my favorite - running a CNC business is like having 4 jobs. You have to know how to make it, how to sell it, how to design it, and how to keep the books straight. If you aren't prepared for this, you need to determine how to address each area you will NOT be working in.
Owning a small WW business myself, I can tell you for sure that the most key point you made is that YOU HAVE TO SELL IT...otherwise there is no one to buy ANYTHING you make. Thanks SO MUCH for this video Izzy, just like when you spoke with me about my wooden latch, the real-world info you give is priceless.
@@applebutter4036Unless you are in a niche market and own the niche that requires a lot of skill and advanced 3d modeling. Just 2D cookie parts are going to meet a lot of competition out there and drain many hours and you will want to hire someone to be your slave.
I personally only sell enough to pay for hobbies and yes. you need to market people need to know you and your services exist. A lot of people dont realize that most comercial products can be made by someone besides the 1-3 brands that really market
Fellow Brown Coat here! I was pleasantly surprised to see the Serenety on the CNC machine along with the famous line from Captain Reynolds. That show was the best. *sigh* ..the joy and heartbreak that came along with it.. I only discovered the show around a year ago so the wound is still fresh. Thanks for sharing that!
I watch a lot of YT because I am retired and like to stay at home so I have some knowledge about the way videos are done along with my own personal bias in taste and information quality and clarity. This video is one of the top 10 videos I have watched in the last year. You are a great orator, your scripting is spot on and the videography was great. Interesting subject, interesting depth of knowledge, all the bells and whistles that make a good vid a great one... AND you do not undersell the importance of WORK... you have to work somewhere, somehow to make money be it brick and mortar, on line or anywhere there is no free lunch like most talk about now. Thank you sir.
Now this has me wanting to build a 48x48 router and start a sign business. Just recently got laid off and have very little desire to find someone else to work for, so this is quite tempting. With my professional CAD/CAM and CNC Router experience, it almost seems like a no-brainer.
@@andyminch9156 It was little more than just a thought. I was unemployed for 4 months and then took a job that is a downgrade from my previous job and that I hate. So maybe I should actually try acting on the thought instead of doing what I'm doing.
I used to run a New Hermes engraving machine at a company that made oilfield equipment. The phenolic plastic laminate we used for tags and instrument panel instructions was extremely durable, even is salt or heat. Just some fyi for anyone wondering if its good for signs.
Great informative video. I have been working HDPE for almost 2 years. I have a woodworking business and now using HDPE for all my jigs instead of using plywood. A little pricy up front but when you take in to consideration have to make jigs over and over again because of warping, cracking and twisting out of square, the HDPE , has made a huge difference. HDPE slides on my tools, no need for waxing and simply I will not need to remake any of my jigs.
There's different kinds of HDPE. It's all HDPE but there's HDPE with additives in it. Those additives give the material different properties. Some HDPE is more slippery than other kinds are. The most slippery kind is very slippery indeed.
I owned and operated a small format full color printing company for 10 years back in the 1980’s. Before digital and full color copy machines made that business obsolete. I spent the other 33 years of my professional life working as a structural designer in the offshore oil and gas business. Now retired, I have been considering starting a hobby business and CNC router is one of my considerations. My experience in running a small production type business taught me a lot. There are so many things to consider. I would suggest anyone wanting to do this should really, really, really do your homework. The great thing, as I see it, with a hobby business you can avoid the biggest hassle and the biggest problem with owning a business. That is employees. I would never ever again own a business that required me to have employees! Period! Everything else is just technical. Stuff that can be learned. Sometimes the hard way.
Employees are necessary in order to make more than $50k a year doing this, since while they are loading and checking on the machine(s) and doing the QC, you are out looking for the next easy to sell product and doing designs.
@@rRobertSmith That’s why I would only do it as a hobby. I’m retired. Don’t need to make a living anymore. It’s was that whole thing about having employees produce while I was out selling that stunk. Too many times it was employees not producing while I was out selling. Or what they were producing was garbage. I have know a guy that owns several fast food location Mac something or others. His only real problem in employees.
@@rRobertSmith You can easily make more than $50k a year on your own if you get into the right line of work. Hiring people doesn't work anymore. But if you are just going to make simple parts anyone can program the competition will be stiff and the hours long and hard.
People that have to ask how much the machine was and how much will you make are not going to succeed. A faith step is required for success. I built the machine earlier in life, took an engineering degree and am dominating on my CNC even with inflation. When people ask how much you make for how much hours you put in, just go work for someone else if its just about the money, you have to be in it for different reasons. Your business becomes your identity and name it is not really about dollars.
Thanks for this nice video about business. You said something very important: "It depends how much you want to work", it's right for every thing, how much heart you want to put in your work, that's the secret.
Izzy, I've been watching your videos for 9 years now. I discovered your vids when I was recovering from back surgery in 2014. I had a lot of downtime and watched a LOT of UA-cam. Then as my health improved, I did more and more woodworking. Then I was surprised to see that you ended up having the SAME spine surgery that I did. Hope you're doing well brother! Keep up the awesome vids! 👍
Thank you man, hope your back is treating you ok. It is crazy how painful a really bad back can be. If you havent felt it there is no way to really explain it to people.
I agree with all the other positive comments, you are smart and make your points clear through your videos! I have been watching you almost a decade and you are one of the best University of UA-cam Professors!
Want to bang up your feeds and speeds? Go to a high helix (up or down spiral cut) type cutter depending on your usage/needs... you'll be amazed! They excel at getting the chips out so you can go faster. And if a bur is a problem on the face, change to a reverse cut to leave the bur on the back. Crazy results IMO.
Good video! Having had relatives attempting side hustles via various means, I'm glad to hear you baldly state that you have to WORK at your hustle. My relatives had unrealistic expectations regarding a hobby business and it showed. I have an extensive list of "things I want to play with" when I hit the lottery and home CNC has always been on that list.
I agree with others here- you absolutely brought the main points forward with "all your talking." You know, there are a LOT of producers who talk over B-roll video as their default communication workflow. You did that here, with a great balance between interesting shots with voice over, and static shots of you making important points. Hell, keep it up! You've always been good at this balance in your videos! I appreciate your take on this. I've seen and thought about these automated CNC devices (routers, laser, 3D printing,) and figured there would be a saturation point as they became more affordable. Aaaannndd... having been through the film/digital camera thing, and possessing a certain level of disdain for non-handcrafted anything- I decided not to invest so far. But what you've said has always applied to these technologies: it comes down to salesmanship and marketing. I wish I would've made that part a priority in my own thinking, because I think outside the box and can sell very well. Maybe someday... but some CNC is highly utilitarian for what I do and will fulfill other needs so we'll see... Great video once again!
WooHoo! I can't wait for your CNC Videos. I have a request. Please do some videos on how to make tooling for multi sided work. I have thirty years of experience with CNC programming and manufacturing, and the hardest part, for me, is the transition from one face to another while maintaining location and rotation and repeatability.
I became disabled a few years ago and lost a very lucrative Senior Management IT position and a drastic $ reduction. I am hoping something like this will get me back in the game. So I really appreciate you doing this video and the talking and detail aspect of it.
It won't. All of these youtube side-hussle/hobby business things are completely saturated markets with little or no barrier to entry. In reality, these types of youtube videos are actually advertisements for their own businesses and a means of getting equipment makers to send them free stuff. Also bear in mind that, whilst he identifies marketing and sales as the key factors in success, his juicy profit per hour figure doesn't include the cost of sales or marketing (in terms of man-hours and expenditure on advertising, etc), or any other business administrative costs/overheads other than running the machine. These types of videos are all smoke and mirrors, unfortunately.
Don't be discouraged, just do your due diligence. Market research and even some market development before making the financial plunge is prudent, but no market is so saturated that you can't find a niche.
@@jtaylor8606 I was told I couldn't do what I did. I was a company semi driver for less than a year and wanted to buy a truck. I was told the prices were too inflated, trailers were unavailable, and there was no way I could get insurance with less than a year experience. I've owned my truck for over two years and making quite a bit more than I did as a company driver. If a market is saturated, that means there is a market. There's always risk, but that's no reason to quit before starting.
I disagree, today, if you can produce you will get business as long as someone knows you answer the phone, and meet promises made. Doers are missing in the market of providers today….look around your area….and be ready to produce.
Well-explained in a way that is realistic and not glamorizing the cnc. For future video ideas I would love to know more about workflows from receiving a order, setting up the file, and optimizing material layout. I have a small laser and the computer time is always where I lose the most time. You always focus on efficiency and I’d like to see your tips to streamline that side of things.
Noted! I will give it some serious thought. the biggest problem is it is not something that would attract many views but i think your right it would be really good content. Stream lining process's make work flow so much more efficient
@@izzyswan I know if I saw a title about how to make more in less time I would watch it. That is really what efficiency is all about getting more done in equal or less time. It is stressed a lot with repeatability in most woodworking, but I can’t say I have seen it as much for CNC and laser work.
@@allystrya The big secret to making money with a CNC machine tool is making the same item again and again. One-off items typically take longer to program and set up than the job can be sold for. The only one-off items with a real potential to be profitable when machined on a hobby grade CNC are those which are customized with a name or logo for a specific person or business, and such items are difficult to sell due to a lot of competition in a niche market.
Great video and well spoken. I honestly got alot out of this and it was refreshing to hear someone speak facts and include all the details unlike alot of the other spruikers on here. Keep up the great work. I think there is some real markets here in Australia and videos like this help alot.
Nice video and some good info. I’m am looking to spread my wings and start up a little side gig with my 13 yr old daughter. All info you provided in the video was some stuff I have been hunting. So it now gives me a little idea of and some thing as I keep doing my research on machines to look into to get started and other things. I was a Cnc programmer for years and also a jig and figure builder for 25 years so I get all that but the start of a business I lack like zero knowledge. So before starting this little adventure I’m doing lots of researching on UA-cam and other places on ways to start and how along with what to buy for a machine for start up. Thank You for the video and look forward to more
Dissappointed that "running the numbers" doesnt include capital costs of the machine and extraction, and power costs, or do Onefinity give everybody a machine for free ?
When it comes to people investing in business models, you did NOT do a lot of talking. Most YT channels don't do enough talking and mostly dishonest because they are too lazy to cover the bases. Covering all of the bases of a businesses opportunity should be in depth and thorough. So anyone who thinks that there is "too much talking" is not your audience anyway... they think if they buy a machine, the customers will line up at the door.
Other UA-camrs don't want to let out their secrets. That's why they don't get into details about their operations. Just like older tradesman, they think they'll get pushed out if someone else gets in on the action. Glad UA-cam helps tons of people learn other avenue for every aspect of life for making ones life easier.
The info you are referring to is available on YT and can be built up by compilation and extrapolation, so do the due diligence. There is only so much time that one can place into a video before a viewer nods off and goes somewhere else and izzy knows this. Happy hunting!
@@natepeterson7145 I haven't found very many YT'ers that actually do what they teach, rather they scour opportunities others are doing and exploit them to hundreds of thousands of others. Nobody in their right mind is going share their own trade secrets and the ones that have in the past straight up created their own competition. It's not rocket science, If you have found something that is working, and is very profitable, do NOT share it... Some YT'ers sacrifice knowledge of things that work in hopes of making their YT income their main income source but how silly is that? People have this phenomenon mentality that they are the only "one" watching the video and ignore that some 256,000 people have seen it too... now what are the chances of online success if 120,000 people jump onto an idea at the same time you do lol.
@@natepeterson7145 most UA-cams don't talk about their secrets is be cause they don't have any. Most UA-camrs make their money from sponsors and UA-cam ads. They are posing as woodworkers to make a video to make money not a woodworker that makes money by making wooden things for clients.
Most newcomers to business I've met balk at the idea of spending $1000 on advertising, much less 10 times that much, but they expect to be kept busy all year round with free or very low cost advertising. I'm not sure where the idea came from, that was even a possibility. Maybe if they ate so cheap on labor that they sell every job, and maybe if they never expand to have more than 1 employee, but to succeed, they need to be clear on the very few requirements, a license, a tax ID, lots of insurance, and advertising. It seems like the business model that actually works is simply preying on them with lead services for $50 or $100 here and there... 😂
I have a OneFinity Journeyman X50 that I upgraded to the 2hp water cooled spindle and I'm jealous of the newer controller and I can see little upgrades here and there. Still agree they are the best hobby machines.
This video is amusing to me because me and my son have watched you for YEARS! and I always joked about your cuts looking like they were done on a CNC even tho I watched you cut the wood etc. This will be a interesting series to watch, We look forward to your videos. Also I noticed it didn't show me subscribed which is odd since I know I have been watch since under 30k subscribers.
I’m a regular cnc prototype machinist and I’m looking at the onefinity elite. I’m going to retire in a few years and I have some wood products I’ve made and sold in the past that I’ll probably pick back up. Selling stuff is hard. I have a older Prototrak and a few manual lathes in my home shop, so I’ll probably keep machining some too. Thanks for the video
My idea of a hobbyist CNC is the drawer slide machine I build for less than $300. Which can still run 200 inches per minute. I keep it at 90 though. I'm not in any rush. I don't have any debt I'm trying to pay off.
Thanks for sharing. All thou I have no interest in starting a hobby business. I'm 72 and a retired Painting contractor. I enjoy learning about different types pf business. I've been watching you for year and appreciate your craftsmanship.
Fantastic video thanks for the information. I've been thinking about doing this and 3d prints on the side after I get into the hobby for fun. Good to get an understanding before I start buying or doing anything.
Just subbed, and this is your second vid I watched. In both you mentioned talking too much. In my opinion you are highly educated in your field and convey that information in a very intuitive way. Please do not stop. I'm a carpenter for the last 27 years and find the videos without commentary that I've seen on YT to be sub par, even if I know the subject.
You are obviously very experienced in what you do. I don't have a cnc machine, I have a 20w diode laser and have been having a blast with it for the past month. i will be upgrading to a 50w co2 laser soon. Just wanted to say that I find your content interesting as far as making $$$ working with machines go. liked and subscribed!
Even though what I'm about to say has already been said in previous comments. I found this video to be very informative, you didn't take a deep dive into all the specifics about everything and anything thank god. Your CNC machine looks like monster. Hopefully in future videos you might give us a more detailed look into model and why you chose the CNC machine that you currently using keeping it short and sweet like you did in this one. Great job I hope to see more.
Ive been looking at getting a small cnc to cut gp03 fiberboard for our electrical enclosures at work and your video came across my feed. Ill be subscribing Thanks for sharing
One thing you didst specifically mention is the cost of the actual machine. It has to be included as a fixed cost on each item. It eventually has to be replaced so every piece produced should be " charged" .
I just got a OneFinity with the old controller. I look forward to these videos. My Makita router just crapped out on me, I had less than 5 hours on it and it gave up the smoke. I sent it back in and hopefully they replace it as I suspect it had a bad barring. Unfortunately, I am on a fixed income and I don't have the money to buy a fancy spindle, but I am going to start saving my pennies.
Home Depot / Lowes / Amazon are your friend. Home Depot in particular has 1 year returns if you buy it on an HD card and the Amazon protection plan is only a few dollars. These routers are hit or miss, spend wisely so you don't end up paying for multiple in the search for a good one.
Great video. The art is in the hustle. There is no shortage of grass signs for people wanting to do "pressure washing" with a gadget they bought. No one though says they want to do exterior house cleaning (which is what I actually need, without damaging anything).
Outstanding video! I appreciate the information. It's far above my head at this point but you are very informative. Thanks for sharing. I just bought a little 3018 because I didn't know what I was getting into. Could you please give a little advice on what type of machines would be good for an absolute beginner? Please consider that I am constrained in every possible aspect, that being, financially, experience, and space. I had a heart transplant in April and I'm trying to find something to do that will help to motivate me to keep busy this winter and the possibility of generating a small income is also quite a driver also. I do have very limited experience with my 15watt laserGRBL engraver with a usable work area of around 36"x36". Thanks again for all of your help.
In the (first two cutaways) where you talk about the larger machine (cutting parts) and the one cutting signage, you show machines with extractors and the workplace brush but neither of them are covering the work with the brush - and the second one someone is actually using an airline to blow away the chaff! The whole idea of the brush/extractor is to remove the chaff at source...
I'm still growing me beehive building business and was only able to upgrade to a 20" planer this year. Your OneFinity is exactly the model I have been eye-balling for a while now. Would love to see more videos on this. Have lots of ideas of some crazy cool bee box designs...
Great choice on the Onefinity. I bought their X-50 Journeyman last year. I look forward to seeing what you and Maggie share as you get more familiar with it.
I had an Xcarve CVNC that was much smaller than that I was using for wood based projects. The software that came with it was simple enough but very limited. I forget the name of it but the popular software most everyone used for custom work had a huge learning curve. At least for me the biggest challenge by far of the whole CNC experiment was that learning curve.
OMG I just looked at the onefinity website and I'm blown away at how reasonable the prices are for the quality of the machines. I think I paid about $2k for the Xcarve about 4 years ago and it was no where near as good a machine as the one in your video.
Thank you for sharing this information. I am retiring and thinking of setting up a home workshop as a way to both keep busy and make some money. This is really valuable for guiding my decision making.
I love this video ! Will you set your playlist up with CNC as a header so that I can always find them easily as you make them on your UA-cam playlist? Thank you. Love your videos. Have a wonderful day😊
I find your content to be very interesting and educational as well. What a great job in your presentation. I look forward to more of your videos. I was wondering where do you find the HDPE with the metal on it? I really like the crab you cut out.
Thank you for the video, I dwfinitely found value in it. I havent considered hobby CNC as a business, but a lot of it translates. Thanks again. All the best.
Nice video and explanation on "what it takes" . Can't wait till the next one. I like the Onefinity machines. Just have not been able to $$$ one yet. Keep up the great work.
I'm finally about to start with an hobby lever CNC router. I already have, use and learn about a 3D printer. I know some sketchup, I'm learning Fusion360 and Cura as part of that process.
Great video explaining the basics on getting into CNC business. We’ll done and excellent info. Looking forward to your future CNC videos. Keep it up man!
Hello I have a small sign shop and I cut similar things out of aluminum composite and that runs me $55 for white and black and colors run $75 a sheet but the colors are limited to just a few. But you would save a good about of money and the finished product is much more durable.
Maybe I missed it but I didn't hear a word about the man/machine interface aspect, what you need to do for programming, etc.? A nutshell explanation of that would have been useful. Thanks.
This video is super cool. Love to have real life story behind it so that people get more information. Could you write in description exact machines/models you have in order to be able to put that into calculations.
I just want to say I love your vids and have been a fan from the beginning. I'd like to know what do you get for $320. I know the spindle wasn't included but was the display? Love to see a vid on the cost breakdown. Keep up the great work
I went to the children's museum today and saw ColorCore and ColorBoard everywhere. Thanks for the heads up on the material. I think there might be a market for children's items made from the material in my area.
I wasn't even particularly interested in searching for this information, and I watched until the end because of how well you broke that down. Well edited, clear, concise and short is the only reason I stuck around 👍.
Same here, kept watching bc it was well explained!
" there was a lot of talking in this video".
Yes and I thank you for it. I click on the video for clear and informative insight into CNC and you delivered exactly that! I can't fault you for doing something that I wanted; I appreciate it! So, thank you¡
Your video is clear, concise and best of all no music. Thank you
I agree with the other commenters praising this video - you make some great points. To summarize my favorite - running a CNC business is like having 4 jobs. You have to know how to make it, how to sell it, how to design it, and how to keep the books straight. If you aren't prepared for this, you need to determine how to address each area you will NOT be working in.
Owning a small WW business myself, I can tell you for sure that the most key point you made is that YOU HAVE TO SELL IT...otherwise there is no one to buy ANYTHING you make. Thanks SO MUCH for this video Izzy, just like when you spoke with me about my wooden latch, the real-world info you give is priceless.
Thank you for pointing that out. It cant be stressed enough. Its all about the marketing.
You nailed it! Nobodies going to come looking for your product. Marketing isn't rocket science, but it does take some guts and persistence.
yup, its all about selling, theoretical machine $/hour gets thrown out the window when you cant keep it running.
@@applebutter4036Unless you are in a niche market and own the niche that requires a lot of skill and advanced 3d modeling. Just 2D cookie parts are going to meet a lot of competition out there and drain many hours and you will want to hire someone to be your slave.
I personally only sell enough to pay for hobbies and yes. you need to market people need to know you and your services exist. A lot of people dont realize that most comercial products can be made by someone besides the 1-3 brands that really market
This might be the best single CNC video I've seen. I am grateful for your calm. Thank you.
I dunno. I prefer it when the narrator is hopped up on caffeine, talking so fast I can't understand it.
Fellow Brown Coat here! I was pleasantly surprised to see the Serenety on the CNC machine along with the famous line from Captain Reynolds. That show was the best. *sigh* ..the joy and heartbreak that came along with it.. I only discovered the show around a year ago so the wound is still fresh. Thanks for sharing that!
"The one that got away" is how the creator described "Serenity"
I watch a lot of YT because I am retired and like to stay at home so I have some knowledge about the way videos are done along with my own personal bias in taste and information quality and clarity. This video is one of the top 10 videos I have watched in the last year. You are a great orator, your scripting is spot on and the videography was great. Interesting subject, interesting depth of knowledge, all the bells and whistles that make a good vid a great one...
AND you do not undersell the importance of WORK... you have to work somewhere, somehow to make money be it brick and mortar, on line or anywhere there is no free lunch like most talk about now. Thank you sir.
Now this has me wanting to build a 48x48 router and start a sign business. Just recently got laid off and have very little desire to find someone else to work for, so this is quite tempting. With my professional CAD/CAM and CNC Router experience, it almost seems like a no-brainer.
5 months later, wanna share on your journey?
@@andyminch9156 It was little more than just a thought. I was unemployed for 4 months and then took a job that is a downgrade from my previous job and that I hate. So maybe I should actually try acting on the thought instead of doing what I'm doing.
@amorton94, There’s a lot more to running a business than many think. Now, nearly a year on.. how has your venture faired?
I used to run a New Hermes engraving machine at a company that made oilfield equipment. The phenolic plastic laminate we used for tags and instrument panel instructions was extremely durable, even is salt or heat. Just some fyi for anyone wondering if its good for signs.
Great informative video. I have been working HDPE for almost 2 years. I have a woodworking business and now using HDPE for all my jigs instead of using plywood. A little pricy up front but when you take in to consideration have to make jigs over and over again because of warping, cracking and twisting out of square, the HDPE , has made a huge difference. HDPE slides on my tools, no need for waxing and simply I will not need to remake any of my jigs.
There's different kinds of HDPE. It's all HDPE but there's HDPE with additives in it. Those additives give the material different properties. Some HDPE is more slippery than other kinds are. The most slippery kind is very slippery indeed.
I owned and operated a small format full color printing company for 10 years back in the 1980’s. Before digital and full color copy machines made that business obsolete. I spent the other 33 years of my professional life working as a structural designer in the offshore oil and gas business. Now retired, I have been considering starting a hobby business and CNC router is one of my considerations. My experience in running a small production type business taught me a lot. There are so many things to consider. I would suggest anyone wanting to do this should really, really, really do your homework. The great thing, as I see it, with a hobby business you can avoid the biggest hassle and the biggest problem with owning a business. That is employees. I would never ever again own a business that required me to have employees! Period! Everything else is just technical. Stuff that can be learned. Sometimes the hard way.
Employees are necessary in order to make more than $50k a year doing this, since while they are loading and checking on the machine(s) and doing
the QC, you are out looking for the next easy to sell product and doing designs.
@@rRobertSmith That’s why I would only do it as a hobby. I’m retired. Don’t need to make a living anymore. It’s was that whole thing about having employees produce while I was out selling that stunk. Too many times it was employees not producing while I was out selling. Or what they were producing was garbage. I have know a guy that owns several fast food location Mac something or others. His only real problem in employees.
Most business would be a joy if not for employees and government...
@@rRobertSmith You can easily make more than $50k a year on your own if you get into the right line of work. Hiring people doesn't work anymore. But if you are just going to make simple parts anyone can program the competition will be stiff and the hours long and hard.
People that have to ask how much the machine was and how much will you make are not going to succeed. A faith step is required for success. I built the machine earlier in life, took an engineering degree and am dominating on my CNC even with inflation. When people ask how much you make for how much hours you put in, just go work for someone else if its just about the money, you have to be in it for different reasons. Your business becomes your identity and name it is not really about dollars.
Straight forward and honest as always Izzy. look forward to seeing more on CNC work.
Thanks for this nice video about business. You said something very important: "It depends how much you want to work", it's right for every thing, how much heart you want to put in your work, that's the secret.
Predictably well done. You're a smart guy and a talented presenter, Mr. Swan.
I have been watching you for years. The changes you have gone through are incredible.
Izzy, I've been watching your videos for 9 years now. I discovered your vids when I was recovering from back surgery in 2014. I had a lot of downtime and watched a LOT of UA-cam. Then as my health improved, I did more and more woodworking. Then I was surprised to see that you ended up having the SAME spine surgery that I did. Hope you're doing well brother! Keep up the awesome vids! 👍
Thank you man, hope your back is treating you ok. It is crazy how painful a really bad back can be. If you havent felt it there is no way to really explain it to people.
As always, love the value and simplicity of your content.
I appreciate that!
I agree with all the other positive comments, you are smart and make your points clear through your videos! I have been watching you almost a decade and you are one of the best University of UA-cam Professors!
Want to bang up your feeds and speeds? Go to a high helix (up or down spiral cut) type cutter depending on your usage/needs... you'll be amazed! They excel at getting the chips out so you can go faster. And if a bur is a problem on the face, change to a reverse cut to leave the bur on the back. Crazy results IMO.
Good video! Having had relatives attempting side hustles via various means, I'm glad to hear you baldly state that you have to WORK at your hustle. My relatives had unrealistic expectations regarding a hobby business and it showed. I have an extensive list of "things I want to play with" when I hit the lottery and home CNC has always been on that list.
I have nearly the exact same setup. I went with the 2.2kw water cooled spindle tho. I also got the tool setter which is nice to have.
I agree with others here- you absolutely brought the main points forward with "all your talking." You know, there are a LOT of producers who talk over B-roll video as their default communication workflow. You did that here, with a great balance between interesting shots with voice over, and static shots of you making important points. Hell, keep it up! You've always been good at this balance in your videos!
I appreciate your take on this. I've seen and thought about these automated CNC devices (routers, laser, 3D printing,) and figured there would be a saturation point as they became more affordable. Aaaannndd... having been through the film/digital camera thing, and possessing a certain level of disdain for non-handcrafted anything- I decided not to invest so far. But what you've said has always applied to these technologies: it comes down to salesmanship and marketing. I wish I would've made that part a priority in my own thinking, because I think outside the box and can sell very well. Maybe someday... but some CNC is highly utilitarian for what I do and will fulfill other needs so we'll see...
Great video once again!
WooHoo! I can't wait for your CNC Videos.
I have a request. Please do some videos on how to make tooling for multi sided work. I have thirty years of experience with CNC programming and manufacturing, and the hardest part, for me, is the transition from one face to another while maintaining location and rotation and repeatability.
Great suggestion!
I became disabled a few years ago and lost a very lucrative Senior Management IT position and a drastic $ reduction. I am hoping something like this will get me back in the game. So I really appreciate you doing this video and the talking and detail aspect of it.
It won't. All of these youtube side-hussle/hobby business things are completely saturated markets with little or no barrier to entry. In reality, these types of youtube videos are actually advertisements for their own businesses and a means of getting equipment makers to send them free stuff.
Also bear in mind that, whilst he identifies marketing and sales as the key factors in success, his juicy profit per hour figure doesn't include the cost of sales or marketing (in terms of man-hours and expenditure on advertising, etc), or any other business administrative costs/overheads other than running the machine. These types of videos are all smoke and mirrors, unfortunately.
Don't be discouraged, just do your due diligence. Market research and even some market development before making the financial plunge is prudent, but no market is so saturated that you can't find a niche.
@@jtaylor8606 I was told I couldn't do what I did. I was a company semi driver for less than a year and wanted to buy a truck. I was told the prices were too inflated, trailers were unavailable, and there was no way I could get insurance with less than a year experience. I've owned my truck for over two years and making quite a bit more than I did as a company driver.
If a market is saturated, that means there is a market. There's always risk, but that's no reason to quit before starting.
I disagree, today, if you can produce you will get business as long as someone knows you answer the phone, and meet promises made. Doers are missing in the market of providers today….look around your area….and be ready to produce.
Can't wait for your CNC content. Excellent explanation of cost breakdown.
Well-explained in a way that is realistic and not glamorizing the cnc. For future video ideas I would love to know more about workflows from receiving a order, setting up the file, and optimizing material layout. I have a small laser and the computer time is always where I lose the most time. You always focus on efficiency and I’d like to see your tips to streamline that side of things.
Noted! I will give it some serious thought. the biggest problem is it is not something that would attract many views but i think your right it would be really good content. Stream lining process's make work flow so much more efficient
@@izzyswan I know if I saw a title about how to make more in less time I would watch it. That is really what efficiency is all about getting more done in equal or less time. It is stressed a lot with repeatability in most woodworking, but I can’t say I have seen it as much for CNC and laser work.
@@izzyswan Yes i would easily watch it too. Please do consider it, even if you think it may not go viral.
@@allystrya The big secret to making money with a CNC machine tool is making the same item again and again. One-off items typically take longer to program and set up than the job can be sold for.
The only one-off items with a real potential to be profitable when machined on a hobby grade CNC are those which are customized with a name or logo for a specific person or business, and such items are difficult to sell due to a lot of competition in a niche market.
I'd watch that video as well.
@@izzyswan
Great video and well spoken. I honestly got alot out of this and it was refreshing to hear someone speak facts and include all the details unlike alot of the other spruikers on here. Keep up the great work. I think there is some real markets here in Australia and videos like this help alot.
Nice video and some good info. I’m am looking to spread my wings and start up a little side gig with my 13 yr old daughter. All info you provided in the video was some stuff I have been hunting. So it now gives me a little idea of and some thing as I keep doing my research on machines to look into to get started and other things.
I was a Cnc programmer for years and also a jig and figure builder for 25 years so I get all that but the start of a business I lack like zero knowledge. So before starting this little adventure I’m doing lots of researching on UA-cam and other places on ways to start and how along with what to buy for a machine for start up.
Thank You for the video and look forward to more
Izzy. This was incredibly helpful.
It would be great to hear updates as you guys continue to fine-tune the sign business.
The Crab on the table at about 3:50... same crab as sign, selling Crab in Juneau AK. side of the road. AWESOME
Love the straight, honest talk on the reality of CNC sign work. Thank you!
Man, so much value in this video. I really appreciate your willingness to share these details - thank you.
He told you everything except for how to get work and how to make money. ;-)
Thanks!
thank you
Dissappointed that "running the numbers" doesnt include capital costs of the machine and extraction, and power costs, or do Onefinity give everybody a machine for free ?
This is a stupid comment. 😂. If you are too lazy to research the cost of the machine yourself then you will likely fail if you start any business
Very excited about your CNC series and the knowledge and experience you're going to share! Thanks!
Thanks for watching! We are looking forward to it too!
You didn't talk too much. You put out a lot of information that I was curious about but didn't know who to ask. Thank you
Great overview of the reality of CNC printing. It's a lot of work. Looking forward to watching the CNC series!
When it comes to people investing in business models, you did NOT do a lot of talking. Most YT channels don't do enough talking and mostly dishonest because they are too lazy to cover the bases. Covering all of the bases of a businesses opportunity should be in depth and thorough. So anyone who thinks that there is "too much talking" is not your audience anyway... they think if they buy a machine, the customers will line up at the door.
Other UA-camrs don't want to let out their secrets. That's why they don't get into details about their operations. Just like older tradesman, they think they'll get pushed out if someone else gets in on the action. Glad UA-cam helps tons of people learn other avenue for every aspect of life for making ones life easier.
The info you are referring to is available on YT and can be built up by compilation and extrapolation, so do the due diligence.
There is only so much time that one can place into a video before a viewer nods off and goes somewhere else and izzy knows this. Happy hunting!
@@natepeterson7145 I haven't found very many YT'ers that actually do what they teach, rather they scour opportunities others are doing and exploit them to hundreds of thousands of others. Nobody in their right mind is going share their own trade secrets and the ones that have in the past straight up created their own competition. It's not rocket science, If you have found something that is working, and is very profitable, do NOT share it... Some YT'ers sacrifice knowledge of things that work in hopes of making their YT income their main income source but how silly is that? People have this phenomenon mentality that they are the only "one" watching the video and ignore that some 256,000 people have seen it too... now what are the chances of online success if 120,000 people jump onto an idea at the same time you do lol.
@@natepeterson7145 most UA-cams don't talk about their secrets is be cause they don't have any. Most UA-camrs make their money from sponsors and UA-cam ads. They are posing as woodworkers to make a video to make money not a woodworker that makes money by making wooden things for clients.
Most newcomers to business I've met balk at the idea of spending $1000 on advertising, much less 10 times that much, but they expect to be kept busy all year round with free or very low cost advertising. I'm not sure where the idea came from, that was even a possibility. Maybe if they ate so cheap on labor that they sell every job, and maybe if they never expand to have more than 1 employee, but to succeed, they need to be clear on the very few requirements, a license, a tax ID, lots of insurance, and advertising.
It seems like the business model that actually works is simply preying on them with lead services for $50 or $100 here and there... 😂
Thank you, you gave this retired guy a lot of good information.
I have a OneFinity Journeyman X50 that I upgraded to the 2hp water cooled spindle and I'm jealous of the newer controller and I can see little upgrades here and there. Still agree they are the best hobby machines.
This video is amusing to me because me and my son have watched you for YEARS! and I always joked about your cuts looking like they were done on a CNC even tho I watched you cut the wood etc. This will be a interesting series to watch, We look forward to your videos. Also I noticed it didn't show me subscribed which is odd since I know I have been watch since under 30k subscribers.
I’m a regular cnc prototype machinist and I’m looking at the onefinity elite. I’m going to retire in a few years and I have some wood products I’ve made and sold in the past that I’ll probably pick back up. Selling stuff is hard. I have a older Prototrak and a few manual lathes in my home shop, so I’ll probably keep machining some too. Thanks for the video
Thanks Izzy. It is nice to hear a pro give a true breakdown on this subject. I love the talking vids as much as all the rest. Keep it coming.
Love your projects. My idea of a hobbyist CNC is LowRider3, cut 4x8 for less than 1K. Cheers!
My idea of a hobbyist CNC is the drawer slide machine I build for less than $300. Which can still run 200 inches per minute. I keep it at 90 though. I'm not in any rush. I don't have any debt I'm trying to pay off.
Thanks for sharing. All thou I have no interest in starting a hobby business. I'm 72 and a retired Painting contractor. I enjoy learning about different types pf business. I've been watching you for year and appreciate your craftsmanship.
This was helpful for someone like me who is considering getting into this as a retirement gig. Thank you!
Why are you trying to run a money losing business in your retirement? Are you getting too much social security? ;-)
Fantastic video thanks for the information. I've been thinking about doing this and 3d prints on the side after I get into the hobby for fun. Good to get an understanding before I start buying or doing anything.
Just subbed, and this is your second vid I watched. In both you mentioned talking too much. In my opinion you are highly educated in your field and convey that information in a very intuitive way. Please do not stop. I'm a carpenter for the last 27 years and find the videos without commentary that I've seen on YT to be sub par, even if I know the subject.
You are obviously very experienced in what you do. I don't have a cnc machine, I have a 20w diode laser and have been having a blast with it for the past month. i will be upgrading to a 50w co2 laser soon. Just wanted to say that I find your content interesting as far as making $$$ working with machines go. liked and subscribed!
I love your approach to all your videos I have watched, but this one has touched apart of my soul that has ignited a fire 🔥
If you made a video on how to watch paint dry I’d watch it. Keep doing what you’re doing it’s always informative
You're the best thank you for making me smile!
Even though what I'm about to say has already been said in previous comments. I found this video to be very informative, you didn't take a deep dive into all the specifics about everything and anything thank god. Your CNC machine looks like monster. Hopefully in future videos you might give us a more detailed look into model and why you chose the CNC machine that you currently using keeping it short and sweet like you did in this one. Great job I hope to see more.
Ive been looking at getting a small cnc to cut gp03 fiberboard for our electrical enclosures at work and your video came across my feed. Ill be subscribing Thanks for sharing
One thing you didst specifically mention is the cost of the actual machine. It has to be included as a fixed cost on each item. It eventually has to be replaced so every piece produced should be " charged" .
I just got a OneFinity with the old controller. I look forward to these videos. My Makita router just crapped out on me, I had less than 5 hours on it and it gave up the smoke. I sent it back in and hopefully they replace it as I suspect it had a bad barring. Unfortunately, I am on a fixed income and I don't have the money to buy a fancy spindle, but I am going to start saving my pennies.
Home Depot / Lowes / Amazon are your friend. Home Depot in particular has 1 year returns if you buy it on an HD card and the Amazon protection plan is only a few dollars. These routers are hit or miss, spend wisely so you don't end up paying for multiple in the search for a good one.
Great video. The art is in the hustle. There is no shortage of grass signs for people wanting to do "pressure washing" with a gadget they bought. No one though says they want to do exterior house cleaning (which is what I actually need, without damaging anything).
Great Video Izzy! Awesome to see how you can use a Onefinity to start your own business!
Izzy, you're a great speaker. Thanks for the video man.
Outstanding video! I appreciate the information. It's far above my head at this point but you are very informative. Thanks for sharing.
I just bought a little 3018 because I didn't know what I was getting into. Could you please give a little advice on what type of machines would be good for an absolute beginner? Please consider that I am constrained in every possible aspect, that being, financially, experience, and space. I had a heart transplant in April and I'm trying to find something to do that will help to motivate me to keep busy this winter and the possibility of generating a small income is also quite a driver also. I do have very limited experience with my 15watt laserGRBL engraver with a usable work area of around 36"x36".
Thanks again for all of your help.
As always, an amazing video, but the best part was seeing Serenity still flying! It warmed my Brown ❤️
In the (first two cutaways) where you talk about the larger machine (cutting parts) and the one cutting signage, you show machines with extractors and the workplace brush but neither of them are covering the work with the brush - and the second one someone is actually using an airline to blow away the chaff! The whole idea of the brush/extractor is to remove the chaff at source...
Love your vids,but how much is the cnc cutter,would love to purchase and start up side job.
I'm still growing me beehive building business and was only able to upgrade to a 20" planer this year. Your OneFinity is exactly the model I have been eye-balling for a while now. Would love to see more videos on this. Have lots of ideas of some crazy cool bee box designs...
GREAT VIDEO! A lot of people don't understand what is involved when you have a small business. 💯
Great choice on the Onefinity. I bought their X-50 Journeyman last year. I look forward to seeing what you and Maggie share as you get more familiar with it.
I REALLY appreciate you being transparent! Thumbs UP!
At my work we use Onsrud bits and they have feed rate formulas on the web site. I would hope other bit makers do as well.
I had an Xcarve CVNC that was much smaller than that I was using for wood based projects. The software that came with it was simple enough but very limited. I forget the name of it but the popular software most everyone used for custom work had a huge learning curve. At least for me the biggest challenge by far of the whole CNC experiment was that learning curve.
OMG I just looked at the onefinity website and I'm blown away at how reasonable the prices are for the quality of the machines. I think I paid about $2k for the Xcarve about 4 years ago and it was no where near as good a machine as the one in your video.
Where are you picking up HDPE Color Core for $5 a square foot!? Seriously interested.
Besides a great video, I learned that HDPE multi-colored material existed and what can be done with it. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this information. I am retiring and thinking of setting up a home workshop as a way to both keep busy and make some money. This is really valuable for guiding my decision making.
11:18 It also doesn't include the cost of buying the machine, nor replacing parts when it breaks, nor lost income from down-time when it breaks.
Thumbs up for the serenity/firefly reference on the sign.
Awesome presentation. Thank you. I’m keen to get into CNC. I’m now subscribed and will be trying to learn from you.
Wisdom dispensed. Appreciation expressed. Great insights. Thanks
Pretty smart project of CNC router, I use these machines since 1999 and none of them was so strong like this one.
I love this video ! Will you set your playlist up with CNC as a header so that I can always find them easily as you make them on your UA-cam playlist? Thank you. Love your videos. Have a wonderful day😊
I find your content to be very interesting and educational as well. What a great job in your presentation. I look forward to more of your videos. I was wondering where do you find the HDPE with the metal on it? I really like the crab you cut out.
Thanks Izzy. CNC is not for me, but I like watching how you think. Thanks alot. God bless.
The best video I have ever watched on this topic! Lovely!
Thank you for the video, I dwfinitely found value in it. I havent considered hobby CNC as a business, but a lot of it translates.
Thanks again. All the best.
Nice video and explanation on "what it takes" .
Can't wait till the next one.
I like the Onefinity machines. Just have not been able to $$$ one yet.
Keep up the great work.
Yea, super expensive. A "hobby" for the rich. lol
Great video guys. We really enjoyed. Very clear information. Great jobs goes xxx
I'm finally about to start with an hobby lever CNC router. I already have, use and learn about a 3D printer. I know some sketchup, I'm learning Fusion360 and Cura as part of that process.
Thank you, we have learned a lot from you...we can feel your passion in explain your content about CNC router project in detail..Great job!! ☺🧡
As always, your videos are THE BEST. Understandable common sense advice that is extremely helpful. Thank you Izzy (and Maggie ;-).
Well said Sir! That was good solid advice, for business beginners.
Great video explaining the basics on getting into CNC business. We’ll done and excellent info. Looking forward to your future CNC videos. Keep it up man!
Hey great info I have the same onefinity and spindle is 200 ipm to fast for 1/8 inch 1/4 inch shaft in hpde thanks for your help.
Hello I have a small sign shop and I cut similar things out of aluminum composite and that runs me $55 for white and black and colors run $75 a sheet but the colors are limited to just a few. But you would save a good about of money and the finished product is much more durable.
Best video Ive seen on getting straight up to date information. Thanks!!! I'm a subscriber
Great discussion about the machine and material costs
great video! thanks for the in-depth look at the potential on the business side. looking forward all the ones the come!
Maybe I missed it but I didn't hear a word about the man/machine interface aspect, what you need to do for programming, etc.? A nutshell explanation of that would have been useful. Thanks.
This video is super cool. Love to have real life story behind it so that people get more information. Could you write in description exact machines/models you have in order to be able to put that into calculations.
Yes I can
👍👍Great presentation, wonderful information. YT needs more like you.
Great overview! Really liked your details on the costs and market rates in your area. This was very helpful.
I just want to say I love your vids and have been a fan from the beginning. I'd like to know what do you get for $320. I know the spindle wasn't included but was the display? Love to see a vid on the cost breakdown. Keep up the great work
I went to the children's museum today and saw ColorCore and ColorBoard everywhere. Thanks for the heads up on the material. I think there might be a market for children's items made from the material in my area.