Per the title really, as this CV19 thing rolls on and I’m bored and wondering about future employment prospects it occurs to me that I have the necessary tools and skills to fabricate stuff in metal or wood/plastic etc. and a sufficiently open mind to be willing to make anything for money
I’m in the UK so that limits the market a tad, and also I actually value my time so wouldn’t be throwing stuff together for cheap.
Wondering if there’s any folks who have had stuff made or would like stuff made that could give thoughts/suggestions or indeed point to any outfits doing this sort of thing already for me to see what’s out there.
I greatly prefer working in metal, which I guess feels more BDSM than ABDL but a coat of pastel-coloured paint can work wonders I guess :unsure:
Generally to expensive and cumbersomen for me. It would be great though if you had some designs that could be easily concealed. A crib that become a regular bed easy, a changing table that quickly diffuses as a desk it something else.
I think it will always be a small market, but they’re is money that can be made.
Yeah I was thinking that a lot of the stuff I’ve seen is often fairly badly made / inelegantly designed and also requires either a huge space or a dedicated play room which is not practical for most of us.
That said I’m pretty sure I’d rather be doing high-end good quality stuff than trying to churn out cheap bits, it’s no fun at all and someone else will always under-cut you.
Maybe not a big problem in the UK, but in the States freight for shipping a full size high chair any distance will cost mega bucks. I shipped a box from Illinois to New York. 600mm X 450mm X 450mm weighting 10 kilos That cost $60. Now most adult furniture items wouldn’t fit in that container. A fully assembled high chair could cost hundreds.
And that’s before any money for your work. Then take the minimum wage and double it. That is the minimum hourly labor cost. So if you spend ten hours (which is too little time for these small quantity items) you’ve got $200 into it. Then there are the material costs (you have no volume discounts). A set of high chair tray hardware will cost $15 alone. So figure $150 for materials.
So now you’ve got at least $350 invested. Now don’t forget all the “little” things. Cost of machinery, light, heat and taxes. The costs of your time purchasing and obtaining materials. As a general rule, the sales price should be about double that or $700. How many potential customer will pay that amount? And you certainly haven’t made big money. You probably would have made more if you found a decent part time job.
Yes I’m sure there is a market but it is probably so small and after a couple of pieces you would have depleted it. I do a lot of woodworking, now that I’m retired. But most of it is small craft show type items. And I am just trying to break even. And I think most years I’m lucky to do that. Don’t forget the fun of dealing with the tax man.
I wish you all the the luck in the world but be aware of what you’re getting into.
Don’t worry, I know all the pitfalls of self-employment and the hidden costs of doing business, that’s why I said I’ve got zero interest in doing cheap stuff, there’s no point.
I’d rather get a few good commissions from people who want really good / special stuff and are willing to pay for it.
Courier costs aren’t too bad here, £50 can get a pallet across the country.
TBH it would most likely be an entertaining side-line than any prospect of being a full-time job.
Then you should be alright. A lot of people think wouldn’t it be nice to do this as a full time job and let the fantasy over come reality.
And I think in part this open conversation is also aimed at those who would like this type of thing. But only have a hamburger budget. Low price, like IKEA, and custom can’t happen, unless you find some one to work at third world wages and they use cardboard to build with.
