Home Machine Shop 300K Year Challenge 2025 Episode 1 (Beginning Layout)

[@hotpass79]

This is the best small shop info channel on KZbin thank you

[@chadmaurer4002]

Thanks for posting your journey.

[@AscendedTechnologies]

Of course! I hope that my experiences help any aspiring machine shop owners in the future. We really started with bare bones!

[@chadmaurer4002]

@@AscendedTechnologies the way you are doing it is great! Looking forward to watching your success

[@simonpercival-f6r]

I do a bit of machining mainly 6061 aluminium - the best bang for buck piece of equipment I bought recently was a bead blasting cabinet I think with the glass media this was around £160 - this leaves a matt very slightly textured finish on the parts similar to say optical adjustment stages - it removes the surface cutter pattern marks and is quite quick to do. Leaves the parts looking far more professional looking IMO 👍

[@toolpath]

We have a SYIL X7 at our R and D shop with the LNC control, and while it's not the sexiest control it does everything we need it to. We also created custom probing macros if that's handy for you! Great work on these videos and the information is gold! Keep it up. *subscribed*

[@AscendedTechnologies]

Thanks, man! Downloaded a Github repository of macros that we can use on our syil! It operates with the sub program call functions to different programs. I wonder if it was yours? Thanks for the support!

[@CDubs754]

Thanks for sharing this information with the community we all can learn something new. However your business would do well in the long run to add a labor factor into your financial statement for each job. Even owner/operator time has a cost associated with it. The same is true of a personal garage machine shop. An apportionment of all the household expenses across the SF occupied as a fixed cost should also be a factor. Congratulations and Good Luck!

[@AscendedTechnologies]

I really like this advice and perspective. I will try to develop a model that accounts for this in Excel for easy calculations

[@JFirn86Q]

Good luck!!

[@raybarry1723]

I'd be curious to know who your customers are and what you are manufacturing. I have a machine shop 3 times your capacity running 12 hrs a day 7 days a week 350 days a year and I don't generate the amount of $$$ per day that you do. Something seems off.

[@AscendedTechnologies]

My customer base is primarily centered around tough alloys with tough GD&T constraints. Grade 5 titanium, Ivar 36, Monel, Some aluminum, some steel, some stainless. Most of the parts I do are 1-5 PCS. Typical challenges are .010 Corner Radius on a pocket .350 deep, M2 x .4 tapped holes, and .039 holes drilled .800 deep. All of this is in grade 5 titanium or some other exotic. I'm doing the parts others no quote primarily I have my customers do a zoom audit of my QMS since I don't have any official certifications. In short, lab equipment, or really tough parts.

[@AscendedTechnologies]

I cannot share customer information, So I recommend Xometry as default as they have assisted in growing my shop a ton. What are the primary markets you serve? Are you competing with over seas? Are you doing any DOD, DFARS, or ITAR components? I'd love to help anyone in any way I can. This is my little shop growth channel, but I do have quite a bit of experience in customer development.

[@erikjohansson4390]

@raybarry1723 its seems you are too cheap then? Im doing 400k per year per person in the shop 🙂

[@dylanmowry9419]

He's also talking about "sales" which isn't all profit, especially with xeometry work.

[@davidawaters]

This doesn’t seem too far off to me. I have had ~$250k in sales for the last 4 years I think with just a Haas mini mill 2. I specialize in aluminum and plastic tooling, almost all single or very low quantity. I’m just a 1 man garage shop.

[@rogerjohnson378]

Love this series

[@rhokdatroll]

Great video, keep crushing it 💰

[@Browningmotorsports]

Thanks for doing these videos, how do you manage waste? like chip waste and expired cutting fluids?

[@AscendedTechnologies]

Thanks for the support! At the 12 second mark you can see a stack of totes in the corner almost touching the ceiling. All the chips are organized by type in there, then taken to the scrap yard. For waste oil, the local landfill here has a waste oil program. I just take my waste oils in sealable 5 gallon buckets to the oil area at the landfill.

[@seva7834]

Syil x7 with LNC controller working with 220 single phase power or using 3 phase? Thanks for all helpful videos and information

[@AscendedTechnologies]

It is the 220V single phase version. Thanks for the support!

[@jeremyelliott4652]

Your channel is great man i give you props bc it isnt easy stepping out and taking the risk but i believe it is key to becoming successful, otherwise your always just earning a piece of another mans pie. My question is how much experience as a machinist have you had before you felt comfortable enough to make this leap? I went to TCAT here in TN for Machine Tool Technology n graduated with a diploma in machine tool technology and fell in love with it, but their was still alot more i felt like i could of learned that i didnt get a chance to learn. Now im in the camp of wondering should i go work in a machine shop for a few years to get experience up or will i never feel ready enough until i just do it.

[@AscendedTechnologies]

I should really make a video covering all these topics. I've seen JR machininsts start their own shops after 2-3 years in the trade. I have over 10 years of dedicated studying, operating, set-up, programming, and process development. 3 years of MBA related processes. If you have skills and drive, you can do this in a much shorter time frame!

[@omerkaraman7564]

amazing content

[@Kevin-gq2qs]

Have you ran any tight hole to hole tolerance parts with Syil? I was looking at purchasing one of these but I have .0005 position tolerances on some parts I run.

[@AscendedTechnologies]

If you helix bore the finished holes, you can get under .0001 repeatability

[@DanielTaylor-m4c]

How much does all of your equipment cost combined? How much did you have to invest into this to get it going? How many hours do you work in the shop per week?

[@AscendedTechnologies]

CNC Mill 60K ($1,726/Mo 32 months 5k buyout) Saw(1.2k) Bought on month 3 Catch me out here using endmills to part off barstock lol HT Oven(1.8K) Bought on month 3 Air compressor ($400) Upfront Used 5k in machine transit, wiring, and forklift rental out of pocket. Machine payments were delayed for the first 2 months my loan company Tooling (Gradually grew +20k) not direct purchases, tools over time Started my shop on a 8k cash pool, dropped down to 3k ish, bounced back up with no job and a cnc mill in my LLC with Xometry Premium. I live in my shop practically. I'm typing this on a saturday sitting next to my mill looking at zero-point systems.

[@jerryc6018]

are you planning on doing all this work through xometry or a variety of customers?

[@AscendedTechnologies]

I have structured sales systems now in place that took weeks to build, we are heavily reliant on Xometry, we'll be developing newer customer relations in 2025 to diversify our customer pool.

[@jerryc6018]

@@AscendedTechnologies so the plan isnt to rely on xometry for the 2025 sales target. that makes sense. good luck and hope it works out for you

[@aliaklee765]

Mashallah pro inshallah iam gana open machine shop one day ❤🎉

[@aliaklee765]

Buy 5 axis cnc and you will make a 300k year ❤

[@AscendedTechnologies]

We are 100% going down that path!!!

[@dylanmowry9419]

If you had a bigger space, would you have considered a Haas vf2ss over your x7? I'm in my senior year of high school cte in a machining program and I'm looking to start my own shop. I am lucky to have a pretty decent sized space in a shop that is used for auto repair. Has air, fairly thick concrete, 3 phase, actually used to be a machine shop many years ago. I am already in a co-op program in a machine shop and have been offered a full time position after graduation. My plan is to save up a substantial amount before buying a machine and I would like to hear your input on what would be a good first machine. I'm leaning towards a used vf2, from my research i could get one with low hours for around 50k plus shipping. I like the idea of a haas because it would be easy to automate in the future when i may want to run lights out, i also think being able to get all my machines from one company would be best, and obviously syil is limited to the four mills, two lathes and one five axis. Whats your thoughts and what machines do you plan to have for your shop in the future? Thanks!

[@AscendedTechnologies]

If I was in your shoes, I would 1000% go with a haas VF2 over Syil!! Especially at your age, stay focused and get equipment early and keep your personal debt low, you will go far! I am personally a fan of Moriseiki now known as DMG Mori. I've worked with tons of machined from the 80-90s that still hold great sized and hardly ever break down. I am aiming for one large mill with over 60" travel in X, one 5th axis, one multitask lathe with sub spindle and milling head, wire edm, sinker edm, and hole popper. Time will tell what I will need in the future tho, all depends on what comes in the door. Good luck!

[@beargamingvr9241]

@@AscendedTechnologies I'm curious about some of your items in that list and would love to hear some of your reasoning! For a large mill, it sounds like you mostly do hard materials (Titanium, Monel) so how does a large travel area cater to your needs specifically? Also, curious about your draw to an EDM. They hold amazing tolerances of course, but are typically slow or difficult to maintain? Correct me if I'm wrong there. Also, I saw another comment asking about your customers. How are you able to find them typically? You responded in that comment that you recommend Xometry; do you still use them for most work or have you transitioned away from it, and if so, how? Thanks for giving out this information!

[@Johnnyreengo]

What kind of spindle runout do you get on the syil?

[@AscendedTechnologies]

.00003 ish, It really depends on the tooling body accuracy, spindle alignment. I have some junk ER20 collets that have .006 runout from the factory. If I indicate the spindle taper direct, i get zero runout. But, if your have an unaligned spindle, you will see a gradual increase in tool oscillation as your tooling gets longer.

[@Vankel83]

How many hours a day are you spending in your shop? How many days of the week are you there?

[@AscendedTechnologies]

All of them. From 9am to 7PM is my standard schedule. I usually work 7 days a week. If my schedule is packed, I work constantly. Note that I will turn the machine on and just walk inside the house and set a timer.

[@SunshineLaundromatonVine]

How much of the 100k a year is profit?

[@AscendedTechnologies]

Net revenue is 90-85% of Gross revenue, then overhead hits. My operating costs are close to 3-4k / month if i remember correctly. Gross revenue is 85,000, Anything after 48k Overhead is profit. I took home 24k last year. That's why i'm aiming for 300k. I will have the same overhead until I relocate / buy more equipment / hire more people. If I can hold 90-85% net revenue over 300k sales, that comes out to $255,000 net revenue. Then over head deducts. Coming out to $207,000 profit. Note: I pay my self 24k personal, live in my business, and don't do much else. I aim to 3x my sales every year until 2.5M Gross revenue then relax. I know it's a tough goal, but all i can do is try :)

[@Vankel83]

@@AscendedTechnologies buy more equipment / hire more people. Been at it 20 years owning a shop. Be careful what you wish for. Had up to 6 guys, 3 machinists, 2 button pushers and shipping gopher kid. Talk about a headache almost every day. Now just myself and a guy who's been with me 15 years. A lot better, no headaches.

[@SunshineLaundromatonVine]

@ so that 100k is from you doing it full time? do you have a side job?

[@SunshineLaundromatonVine]

@@AscendedTechnologies isnt it tough living on 24k a year? i feel like you should become more successful before selling your community

[@dennisseldon9001]

How'd you do $6000 in one day.

[@AscendedTechnologies]

That was over a few days' time. I'm just showing the duedates here. That job was grade titanium with odd features and tight tolerances

[@justinsturgeon1]

1k per day is not 300k when including weekends and vacation. Own my own business also, but think ypur going to up you daily sales goal. Specially if you have a breakdown at some point. Specially since your goal already has you working alot of weekends and holidays. Most business plan on 250 to 255 working days and that does not include vacation. Overtime is always an option but shouldnt be part of a plan

[@justinsturgeon1]

Ps not trying to be negative. Been checking your stuff out. Seem to be doing alright

[@AscendedTechnologies]

Haha, My apologies. I put something in the description about that statement being incorrect! I work 7 days a week almost all day in an effort to not do this for the rest of my life! I have a feeling I will have to recorrect the daily sales goals if I have and issues. Thanks for the feedback and support!

[@DanielTaylor-m4c]

Hey, I'll film a high quality marketing video for your manufacturing company for a good rate.