How to Make Money with CNC Router (15 Best Ways & Projects)

Computer numerical control routers are masters at cutting manufacturing materials to perfection.

You can practically use them to make just about anything from wooden frames to furniture.

But what you didn’t know is that there are many ways to make money with them.

This article explains how it works and reveals some of the best ways to make money with them.

 

Why Make Money With CNC Router?

CNC routers are pretty impressive pieces of machinery and they come with a hefty price tag to match.

All that you need is the assistance of a Computer Assisted Design program, some major engineering skills, and a huge storage area. Don’t forget lots of cash too.

Making money with them isn’t easy but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to.

Stay tuned for several ways to get a huge return on your investment.

 

15 Best Ways and CNC Projects That Make Money

 

1. Open A CNC Shop

One of the best ways to make money with a CNC router is to open your own CNC machine or welding shop.

It may require a substantial amount of investment or business loans upfront, but it will all be worth it in the long run.

Be careful that you don’t just purchase a building and add some equipment though.

There are lots of factors that determine how successful your shop will be.

• The size of your shop
• How much equipment you will need
• The amount of business you project you will do

Once you have these figures and projections calculated then meeting your annual projections will be fairly achievable.

 

2. Bid On a Contract

Contracts are awarded on a pretty consistent basis to business in various industries. The amounts that you can earn when bidding on the right one is astronomical.

Some of the most common ones are space(aeronautics), finance, technology, industrial, defense, and oil gas.

The highest reported contract amounts ever awarded comes in at a staggering $120 million.

During the bidding process, things can get extremely competitive and it’s important to have all of your ducks in a row.

If you are ending up winning the contract, your business could be propelled to new heights.

 

3. Create Billboard Signage

Billboards are some of the first things that you see when you enter a new city aside from the buildings.

The stunning billboards and awnings that light up the Vegas strip are the epitome of knowing that you have arrived.

Those signs are often worth hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars and must be made to perfection.

As a CNC craftsman you can make many of those custom-made signs and charge thousands of dollars to do so.

Each project can take you months to complete and earn you repeat business.

 

4. Craft Musical Instruments

Musical instruments are about as old as time and many of them are considered timeless treasures.

Long ago they used to be made from whittled down wood or smelted metal but not anymore.

You can use your CNC router to create custom woodworking instruments with a delicate technique and all types of craftsmanship. Some of the most popular ones are:

• Clarinets
• Violins
• Drums
• Flutes
• Kazoo
• Trombones
• Piccolo

These can be sold to places like opera houses, symphonies, orchestras, and schools around the world for a minimum of $4,000 for each one.

As time goes on, they only appreciate in value.

 

5. Create Toy Models

Toys are considered a billion-dollar industry as toymakers create intricate designs and lifelike features to put smiles on children’s faces everywhere.

They can be as tedious as the real-life model of The Nutcracker to a custom-built replica on Grand Central Station.

Toy building lets you choose from a wide range of categories when considering which specific lines will net you the most profits.

As of the last three years certain types of toys have become more popular than others including ones that require more specialized machines and programming to make such as:

1. Building Sets
2. Action Figures
3. Dolls

This is also an opportunity to become an exclusive provider for a global design or global product line.

Also See: How to Earn Money Playing Minecraft Game, How to Earn Money as a Music Producer & How to Earn Extra Income.

 

6. Build Theatre Sets

When you visit a theatre such as The Apollo or Broadway Theatre in New York City or Manhattan, you typically reserve the fanfare for the excellence in which the artists or performers execute their roles.

However, the stage on which they do their performances matters just as much as the acts themselves.

Theatre sets are customized and built for dozens of reasons from every show to every scene. And although the props and actors change, the backdrops usually don’t.

A custom-made theatre set can cost as much as $50,000 up to $2 million but they will last a lifetime.

 

 

7. Custom Made Furniture

Furniture comes in all different shapes and sizes and when it comes to building it, the devil is in the details.

Whether people like contemporary, modern, vintage, patio, or any of the tens of other types that exist, someone has to create it.

While it’s true that many types of furniture can still be made by hand, there’s nothing like a custom-built piece that will sit and feel like a million bucks.

You can easily use your design skills and equipment to create looks that are sleek and elegant or charge hundreds of dollars for recreating that old school charm.

Some of the most customizable pieces currently in market are as follows:

1. Headboards
2. Couches
3. Chairs
4. Dressers
5. Armoires

 

8. Construct Home Model Designs

As futuristic home trends are taking over the world some of the most renowned architects are being brought on to design the most eclectic, environmentally friendly, and one of a kind domains.

Custom homes are so unique that there is an entirely separate market created whose homes wouldn’t be done justice if the designs and materials were anything less than impeccable.

Casa Porto Cayo and Thiva House are models before their time and as you admire the architecture it’s almost infallible the amount that the designers took in.

 

9. Create Prototype’s

As products go through the developmental stage, they must create prototypes. These help to secure important areas such as patents or seed funding from investors.

Prototypes are typically top secret as its creators don’t want to worry about design infringement or copycats so to speak.

While you may not find as many opportunities to conduct this type of work there are some opportunities out there if you check certain types of catalogs and technical sites.

 

10. Craft Time Clocks

Time clocks are considered a resource tool that everyone needs across multiple zones in any parts of the world.

These clocks serve as the catalyst that literally make the world go round.

However, some types of designs and series are considered fully customizable or one-of-a-kind treasures hat you won’t’ see anywhere else.

Big Ben was one of those that has been rarely duplicated aside from mini models. It’s one of the most famous landmarks in Europe if not the entire world.

You can design these clocks with a more expensive mode of the machines with a few key elements and recoup endless rewards.

 

11. Address Signs or Etchings

The address numbers that are etched on houses across rural and central America let passersby known what part of a city, town, or street they have encountered.

But these numeric designs can be crafted with the help of precise machinery. The diverse nature of the CNC router is the perfect one to craft these tiny parts.

You can even make them with concrete versus traditional materials like wood and metal.

 

12. Material Batches

When doing construction of buildings, homes, skyscrapers, or any other projects that require  lots of material, many builders purchase their supplies in batch orders.

Many times, they have a preferred site or location that can mass produce these items in excess quantities depending on the size of the orders or project length.

Using your machine to keep and stock an array of pieces or materials can help you create an extra cushion of profit in between the larger orders.

Some of the most sought-after products that remain in demand are:

• Wood
• Metals
• Aluminum
• Copper

 

13. Teach Design Classes

CnC routers are one of a series of types of machinery that require the assistance of a hyper specialized design program to get the most benefits out of it.

CAD programs are the preferred software to accompany the machines which will design and create blueprints, graphs, and tables which allow for precise measurements, when bringing the designs to fruition.

Teaching these classes is typically done by obtaining an Engineering degree, however if you are someone who has decades of on-the-job experience then you can charge a nominal fee to train people to use the software to its desired capacity.

 

14. Service the Machines

Any piece of equipment that costs more than a few thousand dollars at minimum is going to require an increased level of expertise when it comes to operations and maintenance of the equipment.

Research shows that most people who use mechanical or technical devices aren’t skilled in repairs if the product malfunctions or breaks down.

By acquiring the skill to service and repair these types of machines you can acquire a skill that will earn you hundreds of thousands per year in additional revenues.

 

15. Distribution or Sales

Many sales representatives around will only deal in items that are easy to transport, have frequent sales and easy customer acquisition.

However, most businesses in certain types of industries simply cannot exist if they don’t have access to the latest states of the art equipment.

CNC routers cost upwards of $5,000 and the pricing can go as high as $300,000 for a top-level design with all of the bells and whistles.

At a commission rate as low as 5 percent you could be earning as much as $4,000 per sale in addition to a $80,000 base technician salary.

 

How to Make Money With CNC Router FAQs

 

Can You Make Money With a CNC Router?

Yes, you can.

People have been making money with Cnc routers as long as they have been being manufactured.

They are one of the most instrumental machines when it comes to the industrialized nation.

Builders, carpenters, designers, and architects are among the few professions that rely on the use of these machines to craft everything from furniture to buildings.

By the sheer nature of what these machines can do the amount of money that you can make is endless.

 

Is CNC Machining Profitable?

CNC machining is highly profitable as it is one of a few highly specialized areas when it comes to manufacturing equipment.

Machines come with a hefty price tag and can be used solo or in conjunction with a room full of others in a warehouse or design shop.

The return on your initial expenditure is almost instant as most projects requiring this type of tool are expensive or costly by nature.

 

What Can You Make With a CNC Router?

There are limitless types of items that you can create, make, or design when you are dealing with a CNC router.

You can produce all sorts of items like theatre sets, dolls, toys, clocks, furniture, awnings, billboards, signage, and hundreds of other things.

As the types of items, you produce become more specialized or in demand the prices for which you can charge increase dramatically.

For every type of product that you can create you can market a new product line or capitalize on existing ones.

 

Conclusion

CNC machines or routers are some of the most expensive industrial equipment created. They also allow for diverse ways in which to maximize their usage.

In this article we have provided tips, tricks, and other ways in which you can capitalize on the extent of their dominance in the supply chain.