I’ve actually always wanted to do some fluid caps but could never find some blank aluminium ones for cheap anywhere
“It doesn’t always have to be fancy”
I did a post about the business we bought the X-Carve to start. In four months we paid off the X-Carve as well as the initial tools that we bought to start our shop (table saw, miter saw, air compressor and nail guns). Now, a year later we’ve also bought and paid for a benchtop belt/disc sander, drill press, bandsaw, shop air filter along with all of our miscellaneous tools and bits, etc. all from this initial business. My newest toy just got setup last week, we bought a drum sander because we just had our second kid and are trying to cut down on hand-sanding time.
Hopefully at some point I can find some time to use it as a hobby machine and start knocking some “fun” projects off my wish-list.
1 Like
I make a bunch of different things, but cake toppers have been my busiest seller for the last little bit. I buy a 12"x30" board for about $5 and can make 6-8 toppers from a board, selling for $35-$50 each.
Can you post some pics?
Would be interesting to see
I got my xcarve fairly cheap, used, and considering that I have made a decent amount of money… But at the same time I have issues all the time I have to fix… So it depends on the time spent repairing things, belts, loose vwheels, etc… but I still have made more than I spent on it…
some project photos that I have made are here…
1 Like
yea same here I got tired of upgrading my machine and tweaking it to work when I want right now its just a table collecting dust
Having this machine allowed me to build a model airplane copy of a commercial plane priced at $ 3000, last week-end I had the opportunity to compete against a top pilot with such a plane, sadly I lost by 1.3 points on a total of 2023.6 
so my plane is as good as a factory item.
The machine allows me to build faster and more accurate than before and I can put my ideas into the product. Although not earning money not spending feels like a reward.
5 Likes
nice. I just wish I had a garage. 
The limited space and time I get is killing me.
What are those wedding toppers made from?
Baltic birch plywood
I am getting married and have been trying to use my X-Carve to cut our cake topper for months. I was using 1/4 inch birch but that was too thin and the wood was breaking. Lately I have been trying it with a .04 inch bit and the letters are still getting cut off and breaking. Do you have any advice as to what I could be doing wrong?
Thanks!
I use Baltic birch plywood for all my toppers. I have used 1/4" for some, but usually go with 1/8". And the largest bit that I can depending on the level of detail. Usually a 1/16", but often a 1/32". Using these small bits requires low feed rates and shallow cuts. I hear the debates on spindle speeds with some saying never go over 1 on the dewalt 611. I usually speed it up a little (3ish) when using such small bits. After making several toppers, I can usually tell where weak points are and add tabs where needed. Sometimes I cut the whole topper almost but not al the way through so I can turn it over and sand the topper free of the wood, avoiding the need for tabs. When I’m feeling brave, I just cut it with no tabs and it works fine even ether pieces coming loose on their own.
3 Likes
Allan Davis.
Why have a machine that large unless you make thousands of products.
Why buy a corvette when you can buy a Honda Civic?
3 Likes
My guess is that he is making thousands of products 
1 Like
Drawing patterns to door faces for door makers. Back and front sides. 75 to 120 doors per day (makes 150 to 240 faces) depends on pattern complexity. 6 days a week. Planning to buy another one for room seperators and other projects. Three guys working on already, they can operate both machine in same time as long as I feed them with toolpaths.
2 Likes
Why buy Honda Civic when you can ride a horse.
Matter affect we do. Approximately 2400 door panels per month makes 4800 single faces. Like that smiley face.
what do you use to scan the guns for the molds?
Or where do you get the 3d models of the guns?
Ive got some 3d signs I want to make with realistic handgun models on them, and I am considering the pain it will be to get multiple hanguns scanned in, even as just 3d shells…
This should get you started…
1 Like