Part Time Machine Shop in Rural Town?

3RRL · May 10, 2006

I wonder if a service like that would be useful in a small, rural town? I'm going to re-locate my garage shop anyway when I move up to my property and transfer my business license so I can continue to do specialty mold making up there. That only keeps me busy for a couple months out of the year.

I was thinking about putting an add in the paper to let my neighbors know I can also do small machining jobs on a 2 or 3 day a week basis...milling, turning, grinding, welding, and some machinery repair.

What do you think?

Jagmandave · May 10, 2006

I think it's a great idea, and you might be surprised how much work you bring in once the word gets out..........

dubba · May 11, 2006

I am not really rural (20 min to pop 40k, 40 min to 90k) but I can't count the amount of small one man band machine & welding shops around here. They all have waiting lists from 1-4 months with all the work they want to do. I don't think any of them advertise other than a sign on the road. Seeing the finished results of your "weekend projects" I would just build a big shop & get it on.

tlbuser · May 11, 2006

Sure, why not. The only problem might be with the zoning police, because then it would be "open to the public".

A good machinist is always an asset to the comunity! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

waynokakid · May 11, 2006

Sounds like a good idea to me also. There is a machine shop a quarter mile from me and he stays busy all the time. And the county I live in is around 10k. I say go for it, may find all the business you want /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

3RRL · May 11, 2006

Reply to all (so far)
The town has a population of around 3,000 but there are 2 other towns (same size or smaller) within 10 or 15 minutes down the highway. I don't recall any of them having a machine shop. Nearest one, I think, is 35 mile (55 mins) away. Good suggestion on the zoning if walk-in. I'll have to check that out. If I make it like a plumber or electrican, making house calls instead of walk-in...I might not have a problem with garage-home business on the ranch. I could always have them call me first for an "appointment". Ha ha...listen to that.

hudr · May 11, 2006

I live in a town of less than 5k. There are several towns/communities around us. Several "homegrown" machine and welding shops operate in my vicinity. None of these guys seem to be rich, but their shops are right behind the house (short commute) and they all seem to be making a comfy living. And every one of them seems to really enjoy what they are doing. I say go for it. Of course, around here we don't have all the zoning y'all do.

EddieWalker · May 11, 2006

I'm in the middle of a nightmare project rebuilding my dozer engine and in the need of a machine shop to do my valves. I live near a city of close to a hundred thousand people with dozens of small towns surrounding Tyler like the spokes of a wheel.

There are four machine shops in the BBB and a dozen in the yellow pages. I asked the mechanics at New Holland and Case, plus the guys at Napa who to bring my cylinder head to. They all said the same guy.

Funny thing is he's not in the BBB and not in the Yellow pages.

They use him because they have to gurantee the work and he's the only guy who does work that they trust enough to gurantee.

Eddie

scott_vt · May 15, 2006

Hi Rob,
I cant see how you could go wrong !!! I know that if I had a shop up in East Wells I could get work /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

My problem is that I would rather be building upscale furniture than cranking handles and making metal chips /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Wood chips are much easier on the feet in case you forget to put your shoes on running out to the shop /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

scott_vt · May 15, 2006

Hi Rob,
I cant see how you could go wrong !!! I know that if I had a shop up in East Wells I could get work /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

My problem is that I would rather be building upscale furniture than cranking handles and making metal chips /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Wood chips are much easier on the feet in case you forget to put your shoes on running out to the shop /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif