| Mostly what I'm thinking about is signs and cabinet door panels.
2' x 2' will get you started on signs. If you're able to build a good reputation for good quality at a good price, you'll know when to get a bigger machine (and you'll be able to afford it if you plan for that move from the start!) Murphy's Law applies here: people will ask for signs 50% bigger than whatever size equipment you have...For cabinet doors a 2' x 3' capability makes more sense (measure your own overhead cabinet doors!) Beside doors, that size will handle other cabinet parts - and can handle hinge receses, pilot holes for drawer slides, and all of the system and construction holes for the euro-cabinets. Here, too, this is a 'getting-started' size machine. If it works for you at all, then it won't be long before you'll be wanting to work on full 4' x 8' sheets with a larger machine.
Both of these applications involve working with sheet goods and so don't require much z-axis capability - which helps hold the cost down.
A good guesstimator might be to figure $1K/foot of width plus $1K/foot of length. There's probably a point at which that algorithm breaks down; but it should work for machines with a small z-axis capability.
| Who knows what else I would think of if I had the capabilities.
I can guarantee that you'll never run out of possibilities. Your "want to try" list will grow much faster than your machine (regardless of size and speed) can cut. Eventually, you'll find yourself thinking about /building/ machines to do operations that aren't possible/convenient with whatever equipment you have. DAMHIKT :-)
-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA