CNC hobby and slide milling

[jlesser27]

[Toxic Shock]

Do you have a manufacturers license? If you plan on making gun parts for sale make sure that you do it legally.

[jlesser27]

[kurac]

Well, since you are not a known manufacturer, they would have to be pretty cheap or super amazing and not cheap for buyers to assume the risk of purchasing your hypothetical product.

[nn21]

thought if I go CNC and mill a few slides to pay for the machine that would be great.

You're going to have to do quite a few slides before you get into "pay off a cnc machine" territory. Even cnc converted bridgeports aren't that cheap.

What are you looking at machine wise and what's your CAD/CAM background? The answer to both of those should pretty easily determine how realistic of a short term goal this is.

[Oldmandan]

You could make some money by machining A2 receivers to A1 profile, lots of people doing retro builds right now. Nodak & Brownell’s can’t keep A1’s in stock.

[WTSGDYBBR]

You should go full legal in the future but as long as you are not making frames and slides only you are still good to go.

[ar15barrels]

I’m just seeing if the investment will be worthwhile.

It won't be.
Don't let that keep you from buying what you want though.

Look at what other places are charging for the service.
Figure out your total investment to be able to equal their work.
Now lower their price by about 1/3 to 1/2 to be able to take away their customers.
How many jobs is it going to take you to break even?
Definitely 1000+ jobs.

[jlesser27]

[17+1]

Thanks for all the responses. This is mostly a hobby and if I can help pay down some of the hobby expenses and provide some wanted services then great. I have no experience with CNC or machining, I just bought a lathe and now I’m looking for a mill. My background is very technical and mechanical so learning curve will be shortened a little I hope.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I built my own CNC in my garage and taught myself Fusion 360.

It’s going to be a helluva lot of trial and error, and I already had programming, CAD, and machining experience. You’ll learn a lot but be prepared to spend a ton of time on this if you go for it.

[IVth Horseman]

[ar15barrels]

He is going to quickly learn that you don't machine HARD stuff like slides on a 500lb machine.

Then he's going to move to a 2500lb machine and find out that he can't get the finish that the other shops are getting on their 7500lb machines.

Then he is going to price out 7500lb machines and stop.

[17+1]

He is going to quickly learn that you don't machine HARD stuff like slides on a 500lb machine.

Then he's going to move to a 2500lb machine and find out that he can't get the finish that the other shops are getting on their 7500lb machines.

Then he is going to price out 7500lb machines and stop.