I recently read on a web site that to get started in the fabrication of stone, and I quote: "The investment to get started fabricating these materials, excluding a forklift can be as little as $20,000.00 to $25,000.00."

UTTER BS !!

 

The unmitigated gall of some of these poop for brains. I see this a lot. Sell you more crap than you'll ever need to "get started". I will submit that to "get started" would cost 10% of that figure. It has been proven because several of you here on have started that way and you know who you are.. 100's of others in our customer base have started that way.

I simply tire of the unethical!

Dave, I spent about $4,200 to date, including a new slab clamp.  Far more than what you need to get started, but not as much as I need either.

 

I would say you could do in for under a grand if you had modest expectations.

Yes Al, 10 to 20% od the afformentioned dollar amount. Of course, if you're flush with cash, you could go right out and spend a 100 grand on a stone CNC. Not going to happen in the real world.

I've had many fabricators call and ask if we offered "package deals". They see sites offering this. I tell them that usually in these "package deals", part of the package is simply not needed. And, it's not. There are must haves to get started but it DOES NOT cost 20 grand!

[QUOTE]FEDSAWDAVE wrote

if you're flush with cash, you could go right out and spend a 100 grand on a stone CNC.

[/QUOTE]

That will only get you a deposit on one.

And I don't think you can get into this to be really productive for less then 10k.  20 is a better number to help out in material handling.

Guy

Guy, I have many "productive" guys who spent no where near that. And, make money! The problem hear is that to many of you guys buy in to the big catalog boyz way of doing business. Doesn't matter to me. That's your choice. If you wish to support their 40' gold embossed conferance tables and golf club memberships, so be it.

And yes, there are reasonably price CNC's.

You know, I just have to post on this utter ignorance again. What the hell does "really productive" mean? Do you think you're going to get in to stone and take over the Houston market?

We're talking about: "GETTING IN TO STONE."

[QUOTE]FEDSAWDAVE wrote

You know, I just have to post on this utter ignorance again. What the hell does "really productive" mean? Do you think you're going to get in to stone and take over the Houston market?

We're talking about: "GETTING IN TO STONE."

[/QUOTE]

Really productive to me means being able to do a kitchen and make it worth my time.  Yes you can go ultra high tech cnc etc, but then you must sell 2+ kitchens a day to make your nuts each month.  Or you could go the other way and buy $200 worth of hand pads and do everything with them.  Do I want to do it either way?  NO!!!  We have found that happy medium between the two.  Yes, we are productive and MAKING MONEY!  Could we do it for less dollars.  Yes.  But I would rather spend the 4k on a profile machine (Sector type of machine) and knock out the profiling in 1 hour as opposed to grinding that bullnose with a 60 grit hand pad for 3 days or a cup wheels and spending 4 hours.

When we got into this industry 5+ years ago, we thought we could do it for 10k.  We did.  Within 2 months we spent another 8k and felt that is where we should have gone to start with.

Ignorance...... I think that was a harsh way to start your thread.  I'm giving you real insight from someone who is producing day in and day out.  Not from a salesman who only talks to fabricators and doesn't get wet every day.

I do not know you personally FedSawDave, so I reserve opinion on you.  I just know that I was trying to be realistically helpful to those that are thinking of getting into this market and your response rubbed me the wrong way.

Guy

By getting into it, Guy, (and I certainly don't want to put words in his mouth) may see a top or two a day going out the door.  Whereas I would see a top a week.  Scale baby, scale. 

Getting into somthing doesn't have to mean low volume.  And 10 grand wouldn't be at all unreasonable if you were truly starting from scratch.  Most people here aren't.  If you really needed a good lift and you had to have it tomorrow and you needed it too work all day everyday you could easily  drop 5 or 10 grand on it.

As for us, when we fab our first we will definatly be on the $1K side of the bell curve on this one.

 

Chris

 

[QUOTE]sanitychaser wrote

By getting into it, Guy, (and I certainly don't want to put words in his mouth) may see a top or two a day going out the door.  Whereas I would see a top a week.  Scale baby, scale.

[/QUOTE]

Nope, we got into it to do 1 a week.  We are over that now doing 2+ a week.

Fair enough. I think we posted at the same time.

 

Chris

I actually like hearing from both sides.  Taking a happy medium and getting all the information is great.

For me I think getting into stone means, what is the bare minimum to actually produce a top and be able to make money.  Guy's insight is very helpful and much appreciated.  Dave is the go to supplier cause he doesn't try to sell me crap I don't need.  Plus he tries to save me money if possible.

Keep the information coming an thanks for the help.

I can relate to both sides on this.  I myself started with 10k and soon spent another 8-10k, then 20k on a used bridge saw.

It's all about level of comfort.  I could probably have started with a circular saw with a diamond blade, grinder, polisher, and some hand pads if I wanted.  When I started I already had experience fabricating with another shop.  That experience made me biased to the speed and efficiency of better tooling.  I also didn't want to hand carry large slabs and lay them down so I bought an Abaco lifter and a woods vaccum lift.  I bought a router and a lot of bits to offer several profiles.  The bits alone probably cost 4-5k.

Yes you can produce tops at very little investment, but you will work yourself to death tring to make a profit.  When the guy next door is cutting your price right and left its tough.  If your fabbing yourself, its not too bad, but if your paying guys good money to work for you the time adds up quickly.  If you spend more money on anything I suggest material handeling.  Safety is the most important thing in our shop.  I would rather spend the money and have everyone go home at night in one piece.

Just so everyone knows, I am not taking a side on this issue.  I'm just stating my personal experience.

Dave I read your post about not spending alot to start fabbing granite Im really interested. We have  been fabricating laminate and corian for years. we have a fabricator that does our granite tops but we just want to do them in house in 2010. Can you help
Richmond Virginia
Thank you

Chino

Chino, Dave is no longer a member of the Fabnet.

With the prices around today, I think your better off to cut a deal with a local fab shop. If the one you have been using is too high, shop around. Shops are almost giving the stuff away today. I know the grass always seems greener on the other side, but age has taught me typically its because there is more BS over there

Good Luck

Try calling www.BruceAdhesives.com or www.DomainIndustries.com

Both are FabNet Sponsors

There's a steep learning curve when it comes to fabricating granite. Even if you get by on only spending $20k on machinery you're going to screw up thousands of dollars worth of material over the first year. I hate pushing traffic to a different site but if you're serious about fabricating your own stone the place to go to learn about it is http://www.azschoolofrock.com/index.htm