Ideas needed please?

[Wayne]

Hi guys (ladies inclusive),

Like 3 years ago now, I bought my CNC machine with the crazy idea of building a side hustle that might help once I retire. I bought it, I built it, there it sat until recently. Now, I've built 3 or four projects, mostly utilitarian things for myself like wall shelf brackets, router bit trays for my rolling cabinet, etc. I built a couple of small gifts for Lisa (the boss, aka wife) as either "leaving on a trip" notes, or most recently a jewelry tray for Valentine's Day.

That's where my ingenuity dies.

All of the ideas for which I bought my CNC machine have led to a completely saturated market. Even local craft markets are completely awash in cutting boards and other CNC-created ideas, so I'm honestly out of ideas.

I know that none of you have focused on the idea of CNC-created stuff, but I'm honestly hoping some of you might have a niche idea or two to help me justify keeping the stupid thing...

My latest niche idea (being in Florida) is to prototype and sell some fishing rod holders and gear, but I don't know. I'd have to move beyond wood and into HDPE or other plastics, which gets expensive..

I'm just flailing for good ideas here guys... Stuff that's simple to mass produce, cheap to build, and if larger, could be flat-pack style.

Wayne

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

Hi guys (ladies inclusive),

Like 3 years ago now, I bought my CNC machine with the crazy idea of building a side hustle that might help once I retire. I bought it, I built it, there it sat until recently. Now, I've built 3 or four projects, mostly utilitarian things for myself like wall shelf brackets, router bit trays for my rolling cabinet, etc. I built a couple of small gifts for Lisa (the boss, aka wife) as either "leaving on a trip" notes, or most recently a jewelry tray for Valentine's Day.

That's where my ingenuity dies.

All of the ideas for which I bought my CNC machine have led to a completely saturated market. Even local craft markets are completely awash in cutting boards and other CNC-created ideas, so I'm honestly out of ideas.

I know that none of you have focused on the idea of CNC-created stuff, but I'm honestly hoping some of you might have a niche idea or two to help me justify keeping the stupid thing...

My latest niche idea (being in Florida) is to prototype and sell some fishing rod holders and gear, but I don't know. I'd have to move beyond wood and into HDPE or other plastics, which gets expensive..

I'm just flailing for good ideas here guys... Stuff that's simple to mass produce, cheap to build, and if larger, could be flat-pack style.

Wayne

What's your workable area? Are you looking for more artsy or more utilitarian things? If I had one I'd be looking at just playing - like if I just get an idea for a ":wouldn't it be useful if I had" kind of thing. Sometimes there's a job that needs doing that you can see in your head would be better if you had something of a particular shape - like you know what the part would look like, but there hardware store doesn't have it ... kind of thing.
So my approach would be instead of trying to figure out what other people want, I'd make things I want. That way I'd at least always have a customer!

 

[Wayne]

What's your workable area? Are you looking for more artsy or more utilitarian things? If I had one I'd be looking at just playing - like if I just get an idea for a ":wouldn't it be useful if I had" kind of thing. Sometimes there's a job that needs doing that you can see in your head would be better if you had something of a particular shape - like you know what the part would look like, but there hardware store doesn't have it ... kind of thing.
So my approach would be instead of trying to figure out what other people want, I'd make things I want. That way I'd at least always have a customer!

48 inches x 32 inches is the working area, and yeah, I bought the thing so I'm playing with it to learn. Tonight for example, I cut out some french cleat shelf brackets to help organize the garage. Saturday, it was 6 CNC Bit holder trays to go in my rolling tool chest since all the CNC bits had been -- until now -- rolling around in a deep drawer..

I've been watching all the videos and even sat in on a live discussion today which was helpfully illuminating as for how to create ideas of things to sell.

Start with your area,

• Figure out some landmarks,
• figure out some unique local businesses,
• some unique things about the area.
• Decide where you're going to sell,
• try to picture your market,
• toss out 10 one-wordish ideas that might fit your customers, etc.

Al that seems simplistic and duh, but I'd never considered it in such a linear progression, so I might be able to use the sheet to bake up a few ideas.

 

[Pyromania]

Wayne, you should make the next generation Amiga 6000 computer workstation with your CNC machine. Not sure if you would license ApolloOS, AmigaOS 5.0 or AmigaOS 3.2 to run it. I know you defiantly won’t use MorphOS.

 

[Wayne]

Wayne, you should make the next generation Amiga 6000 computer workstation with your CNC machine. Not sure if you would license ApolloOS, AmigaOS 5.0 or AmigaOS 3.2 to run it. I know you defiantly won’t use MorphOS.

I know we're going way off point here, and yes, I get the attempted humor, but...

As someone who hasn't paid attention in about 20 years now, did anyone ever actually DO anything with the Amiga, other than repeatedly go bankrupt?

I mean, the classic systems are fine for what they are if you enjoy tinkering with them, but in 2024 is there really any point in trying to move forward as a brand? Seems to me, anything the Amiga WAS has now been long surpassed by Mac and Windows, and anything that could be created would never be accepted as "Amiga", so honestly, what's the point...?

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

I know we're going way off point here, and yes, I get the attempted humor, but...

As someone who hasn't paid attention in about 20 years now, did anyone ever actually DO anything with the Amiga, other than repeatedly go bankrupt?

I mean, the classic systems are fine for what they are if you enjoy tinkering with them, but in 2024 is there really any point in trying to move forward as a brand? Seems to me, anything the Amiga WAS has now been long surpassed by Mac and Windows, and anything that could be created would never be accepted as "Amiga", so honestly, what's the point...?

As a brand? Anyone now 30 as not even alive when Commodore went bust. Commodore is a long gone brand itself. Everything that the Amiga did (and all of the talented developers it inspired) has diffused into the wider tech culture. In a way it was a blazing hot sun that burnt its fuel fast and ended in a super nova spreading itself across the universe birthing new stars and worlds. Oldies like us remember all sorts of things now gone - Radio Shack, Woolworths, Pan Am, Blockbuster, hundreds more.

Even people on the moon and supersonic passenger flight are things of the past. DeLorean manages to maintain some mystic cultural memory because of "Back to the Future" but how many kids have seen that movie these days?

'The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.' - L.P. Hartley

 

[Pyromania]

@Wayne

Understood and you don’t have to keep up with the Amiga niche anymore. The Amiga is a hobbyist system now with a few different factions; even though I have an Amiga X5000 I’ve been playing with the Vampire V4 stand alone more. It’s like a true Amiga successor with a chipset better than AAA.

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Since the Amiga is a hobbyist system now there is no stress of fighting against Windows or Mac. It’s just a fun part time retro system for Amiga fans. The A500 Mini has already sold hundreds of thousands of units. Even the Vampire V4 which is pricy compared to it has sold over 10,000. Tiny numbers in the computer market but Ultralight's and e-Bikes that can go highway speeds when you peddle also sell in small numbers but they sure are fun to play with regardless. In this high stress strange world we live in at least the Amiga survived in some form that we all can enjoy if we choose to. Everyone should have fun hobbies that they like. It could be the Amiga or many other things that are lots of fun.