College Apartment Job Shop?

[Gage Johnson]

Hey everyone! New member, long-time reader here. I'm getting ready to start classes part-time for the semester while I work 2nd shift at a major local company as a machinist (CNC operator really, machinist just looks nicer on their website). I am pursuing a degree in engineering. I have my own apartment in town, and I was thinking about buying a manual lathe to do light machine work for supplemental income. (No, it does not violate the lease agreement, I checked.) I've been in the industry for several years, I have a fair amount of experience with manual machine tools, I think I am a proficient machinist, (No master, probably a cumulative 2-3 years, I'm only 23) and decent with people. I am especially good at finding information and learning new things quickly, so I'm not concerned with lack of knowledge or experience on the technical side. On the business side, I have a few good connections from previous employers, I'm in a rural area and there are some industrial/mechanical/agricultural/oil type businesses around so finding local work is feasible. I also have an excellent relationship with a previous employer that I am confident would farm work out to me if I had a machine, and if they had work. Has anyone tried this? Any advice for my situation? Recommendations for a small, cheap, lathe I can haul upstairs? I am reading through the other threads about starting machine shops, but obviously my situation is a smidge different, so I'm looking for thoughts specific to it. Thanks in advance.

 

[memphisjed]

Keep your home away from your income when you can.
Having a small tinkering area in the living room is wonderful- just do not try and justify it with maybe income.
Oil field work and mini lathe are not usually said in same paragraph.

 

[Stoney83]

Manual machines have their place but are going to be hard to make money with.

If you’re looking for a side gig and something to make you a better engineer a a small laser or 3D printer might better?

To make good income you need a good machine… that means an industrial cnc even its older.

 

[EmGo]

A little milling machine I can see, there's a few, but not aware of any tiny lathes you can do real work on. Possibly there's more opportunity with a mill as well. I can see this doing small stuff on the kitchen table ...

 

[Gage Johnson]

@memphisjed Could you elaborate? I hear a lot of stories about successful businesses being started in the home. I don't see this as a maybe income, I'm told by someone in the industry that this kind of work is always available, and I'll be working pretty hard to be profitable. I probably will use it for personal projects (If I have time, Ha!) but I'm not trying to justify the purchase with income, income is the goal, and hobby projects are maybe if I have time.
@Stoney83 I hadn't considered lasers or 3d printing. I don't know where I would go to get work for one of those machines, since from my understanding they are generally reserved for prototyping, but I could be wrong. The only potential clients I can imagine are college students, and they already have access to those machines at my school. We have a pretty good makerspace and an excellent engineering department; but again, I'm speaking from ignorance. I'll have to do some research.
@EmGo What is that machine? It looks like a serious CNC machine in miniature.

 

[Freedommachine]

This is a silly idea to be honest, I'm not saying it won't work - it's just very optimistic. With that said, You're 23 years old; go after it brother. You literally have nothing to lose.

You have enough time that if it doesn't work out, you can modify the plan and try again with more experience under your belt.

You won't learn without trying and it's much better to start at 23 than it is to start at 43.

 

[john.k]

You will surely tread metal particles into the floor of your apartment ,and make dark tracks that dont clean out .........If you own the apartment ,no problem,but otherwise the landlord may be dis pleased and ask for the cost of new floor covering.

 

[Donkey Hotey]

You're going to be far too busy with homework to do any such thing. If you really need side income, try to track down an existing machine shop or other business to give you either part time work or a paid internship. This is your time to learn, not be trying to satisfy customers in your very scarce spare time. Plus: you'll get paid to learn. Where are you going to school? Your location says Kansas but, wasn't clear if that's home or school.

 

[Freedommachine]

Gage,

A few more questions that I wish someone would have asked me early on;

Do you know how to establish an LLC in your state without getting ripped off by a lawyer filing standard forms?

Do you know what an EIN # is and how to get one from the IRS?

Do you know how to get a bank account and credit card for your new business?

Do you know about sales tax exemption forms for your state; how to fill them out and when they are applicable?

Do you know what information should be included on your quote template?

Do you know what a purchase order is and how / why they are used?

I would STRONGLY suggest learning all you can about the things listed above before you get into this.

Have your LLC set up, open a bank account for the business using a pile of your own money. Then, use that to buy the lathe, tooling, computer, pens, staples... everything.

Do not start off on the wrong foot by mixing your personal money and business expenses all together. Business expenses are almost all tax deductible. You need to keep a tight record of your post tax paycheck money that you invest into the company. If not, you could end up paying taxes on it twice rather than writing it off of your overall taxable income.

 

[john.k]

Im not saying no......just be prepared to keep sharp metal ,dirt and oil well separated from your living quarters ......for instance ,a special pair of shoes ,and a pair of coveralls for the lathe alone .......never wear your lathe clothes into the apartment proper ,and wash your hands so the light switches dont get all black .

 

[Garwood]

My first lathe was a Southbend 10K I bought at 17. When I went into business at 23 I tried pretty hard a few times to make money with it and failed. My first real lathe was 15hp and 8k lbs. I still have it. It makes money when I use it. Not enough to live on, but enough not to get rid of it. Not gonna fit one in an apartment.

Little lathes are not very useful unless you're making watch parts.

In an apartment I would maybe try a fiber engraver, but they need good ventilation.

If I were in your shoes I'd rent shopspace instead of an apartment and buy a trailer or RV that I parked inside to live in.

 

[john.k]

I know one person who makes carburettors for vintage bikes in a room in his house ........average price per carby is $5000 with half upfront and half on completion in four to six months .......the time allows for him to get batches of casting made by another home hobbyist .......note ,the castings are not made inside the house ...that would be silly!

 

[john.k]

Im on the lookout for a small /watchmaker size lathe to make carburettor jets .......it would have to be delicate enough to drill .003 " size holes in brass

 

[EmGo]

You're going to be far too busy with homework to do any such thing.

Depends. If it's some sort of manufacturing certificate with possible business interests as well, hands-on can be a really good addition to the text work.

It's one thing to read about these things, another to find out how it functions outside the halls of academia.

I'd also say little lathes is a no unless you're going to do watches. Desktop fiber laser is a maybe tho. Small scale anodizing in the bathtub ?

 

[???]

I think Marcus had a long post about mini lathes that may not be mentioned. Interestingly they actually were originally made in Melbourne.

 

[memphisjed]

@memphisjed Could you elaborate? I hear a lot of stories about successful businesses being started in the home. I don't see this as a maybe income, I'm told by someone in the industry that this kind of work is always available, and I'll be working pretty hard to be profitable. I probably will use it for personal projects (If I have time, Ha!) but I'm not trying to justify the purchase with income, income is the goal, and hobby projects are maybe if I have time.
@Stoney83 I hadn't considered lasers or 3d printing. I don't know where I would go to get work for one of those machines, since from my understanding they are generally reserved for prototyping, but I could be wrong. The only potential clients I can imagine are college students, and they already have access to those machines at my school. We have a pretty good makerspace and an excellent engineering department; but again, I'm speaking from ignorance. I'll have to do some research.
@EmGo What is that machine? It looks like a serious CNC machine in miniature.

No feet where you eat principle. You can draw, tinker, watch cat videos- if you can avoid real work in your home, do. A separate garage is not your home.

Never mind you really do not want neat oil smell into everything, or coolant film in your sheets.

20’s in college- last place I would normally want to be is in my apartment.

 

[Donkey Hotey]

Depends. If it's some sort of manufacturing certificate with possible business interests as well, hands-on can be a really good addition to the text work.

It's one thing to read about these things, another to find out how it functions outside the halls of academia.

I'd also say little lathes is a no unless you're going to do watches. Desktop fiber laser is a maybe tho. Small scale anodizing in the bathtub ?

Agree 100%. That's why I suggested internship or someone else's shop. No better way to learn than from someone else's strengths and shortcomings. Plus: schools and employers are stupid. He will get more 'credit' for an internship than for making parts on his own. That's just how they work.

 

[michiganbuck]

I think having an eBay product that you might knock out a ton of parts quickly might be ok..but for part-time jobbing, it might be not easy to match the $20 per that you might make at Micky Dees...and I think Micky Dees gives close to $2,000 scholarship money.

I knew a fellow who was making a good living income with just a simple drill press. It had a homemade power verticle feed, a vibrating feed for the small parts. It was a small-part drill and tap operation. Yes, he was very skilled in making up the set-up.

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

College town? Custom piercing jewelry, sex toys, and proto pipes, you'll make a fortune.

 

[Gage Johnson]

It has been a while since I've run a manual lathe, but I don't remember it being so messy and dirty. In fact, I thought it was one of the easier machines and work areas to keep tidy. I seem to recall the chips (mostly dry), being confined to about 3ft back from the operator's position. (I could box it in shower curtains haha) I'm going to be responsible about it, I'll put plywood under and behind the machine to keep the floor and walls nice, and things like that. I also think the scale we have in mind is different. I don't have any delusions about getting a commercial grade floor model or CNC monstrosity in my apartment, and I won't be running flood coolant either. I'm talking about a benchtop 9" or 10" *maybe* 12" machine running cutting oil and HSS; like a South Bend, Logan, or *gasp* Atlas/Craftsman. Or maybe even an 'antique' machine. It could be just me wishful thinking, but I don't think that would wreck or take over my apartment. Am I crazy? It might be worth mentioning that my apartment is not a ritzy high rent building, it's about as cheap as you can get around here, it's in a 100+ year old building and not all that 'nice' (ie. scratches on the floor, cracks in the walls, etc.) It's fine for me, but my property manager would never notice an extra scratch in the floor.

Also, I'm not worried about spending time in my apartment, I don't drink or party, and I don't have the usual vibrant social life of college students my age. I have a few friends that I see now and then; but I'm not the type to go out every evening and weekend.

As to the internship/working for someone else idea, there isn't a lot of opportunity for that around that I know of. I'm not looking to change careers either, and shadowing someone else and sweeping chips is exactly what I am trying to get away from. I am more than capable of producing good parts being left alone with a machine and a print, but no one will hire me to do that without 30+ years of experience in one company and/or certificate from a trade school. By the time I 'prove myself' to my employer, and trusted with the kind of machine work I would like to do, I'll be done with school and ready to get a job as a degree'd engineer. A big appeal to me is the ability to set my own hours and do as much work as time, energy, and desire allow, which is not an option when working for someone else.

@michiganbuck At my current employer I was hired as a level 2 machinist for my experience, but I do entry level operator work, and I only make a little over 20 per, and that's with a second shift premium. Even if it's peanuts to a machinist, it's no pay cut to me. As you can probably imagine, it's slightly frustrating.

As to my location, I'm in Manhattan Kansas and I go to K-State and Manhattan Christian College.

Perhaps a fortune could be made, but on principle and faith, I won't be making sex toys or drug paraphernalia. Though I understand that was probably humor.