Equipping a new shop on $50,000

[Jay Pique]

Hypothetically speaking if you already had an acceptable building within which to house your new woodworking venture (not to mention the hypothetical $50k) and were ready to go whole-hog for new equipment, what would you do? I don't mean which acutal machines/tools you would get, but where you would get them and how would you negotiate for them? I'm wondering if you can get substantial discounts if say you were going to buy BS, TS, RAS, DP, Shaper, Planer, Jointer from one manufacturer. Who would you call? Any info on what types of discount off retail you could expect? Is there a listing of existing shops that may be failing that you could purchase all of their tools from? Aside from Jet/Delta and Powermatic, who would you look to?

Ditto for handheld power tools.

What about other hand tools - ie. bits, blades, clamps, hand tools etc...? If you called Lee Valley and said I need $5,000 worth of stuff would they be willing to offer a better pricing structure?

I'm just sort of brainstorming here.... Any good books on the subject of starting a new commercial shop?

JP

******************************* What if there were no hypothetical questions?

[Brian Elfert]

Classified ads sometimes have cabinet shops for sale or the the contents of cabinet shops for sale. Auctions of cabinet shops and the like are listed there too.

Auctions can sometimes be a bargain for three phase stuff. The single phase stuff often gets bid up by hobbyists.

Brian Elfert

[George]

I wouldn't limit myself to a single brand by trying to make a deal with a manufacturer (besides, your order wouldn't be that big to a manufacturer), but instead, I'd find a distributor who sold all/most of the brands I wanted and negotiate the deal there. After all, many of them already give a discount on 2 or 3 machines and $50,000 would be a good size order to most distributors plus they would stand to get your hand tool and bits/blades business as well. I think the best strategy would be to identify and qualify 3 distributors within your delivery area, specify what you want (brands/models) where you know, have them quote on the package and tell them that you also want them to put in the quotation whatever they are willing to do to support you that would differentiate them from their competitors (who knows what you'll get...loaners when something needs service, extended warranties, discount rate that extends to all future purchases, net 60 terms, or ?????).

[Doug Miller]

[snip]

General

Solid, well-made machines that are beyond my budget (but sure wouldn't be, if I had 50K to spend).

-- Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

[George M. Kazaka]

Start with what type of work you want to produce from there make your list as to what you want for equipment and what kind of cutting tools etc.

Work with an Industrial Distributor on the machinery, A source that sell carbide, saw blades router bits shaper bits and so forth Then a source for power tools

I usually get any distributor to cut me a deal when I want 3 or 4 routers at a time Carbide the same way Hand tools the same way, When I buy clamps I would buy 30 or 40 at a time and you should see the price drop.

Along the way look for special sales, Shops selling equipment for one reason or another. Certain machines I would buy used but never my main table saw unless it was a real steal.

By the way if you were opening a new commercial shop and had 50, 000 cah on hand it would not be wise to spend it on your Machinery, tools and accessories yes, but the main machinery should be financed either by a bank loan or leasing, Save the cash for working capitol which is an indispensable tool in itself.

Good Luck, George

[Unisaw A100]

I wouldn't buy new equipment and I'd take the extra $30,000 and go nuts with it.

UA100

[Mark Jerde]

I'd investigate getting a high-efficiency flywheel and see about setting up a shop with lots of tools whose motive power comes from belts.

I'd look at being able to spin up the flywheel with a Dodge pickup.

Of course, the shop of my dreams is in an area several tens of miles from reliable 365x24 power...

-- Mark

[Jay Pique]

Now that's funny. One of my fall asleep fantasies is a completely isolated timberframe shop/home in the middle of nowhere rural Russia surrounded by nothing but snow and old growth timber. I envision a river nearby that could be outfitted with a water wheel for power generation (electric though) and perhaps some type of windmill as well. It gets quite detailed, and is really entertaining. Then for one week a year I'd come in from the woods to attended a massively popular Sotheby's auction and watch the bidding on my work soar well into the stratosphere.

JP

***************************** Ya gotta dream......

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

And chat with your groupies?

Barry

[Jay Pique]

Oh believe me - there are several Eastern European apprenticettes on hand back at the shop.....although now that you mention it, groupies would be a welcome addition as well!

JP

************************** "The Naked Woodworker"

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Safety First!

Barry

[Jay Pique]

Of course! With the shop as cold as I'd keep it, safety glasses would be a must so as not to put an eye out on one of those things.....

JP

**************************** "Dreeeeeeeeam weaver"