I posted this in the Newb section and I was referred to here....So I am looking at buying a CNC Plasma Table and doing come cutting for the public. My question is: How many of you buy your tabs, gussets, brackets...etc from a vender as apposed to making them yourselves? Do you think that there is enough work to pay for the cost of the table.? I'd love to get some jobs outsourced from leading fabricators if it ever fell that way. Feel free to chime in with some Ideas.

It isn't uncharted territory. Lots of people here have tables and places like BTF already sell a buttload of that sort of thing. So you're going to have to offer something special to compete against the already established places.

You are new so we`ll be nice :flipoff2:

IMHO the "tab" and "bracket" field is pretty full.. if you want to get the table and make small $ on the side then I think you COULD do that but you are going to have to have some unique designs, or have some really good advertising and/or marketing skills.

If you want to get it to make things for yourself but can't afford it and want to pay for it by selling tabs and brackets then I think that would be a mistake unless you have some seriously unique ideas.

Yep, take a look through some of the following links and maybe you'll understand that things are pretty much covered already:

BTF Brackets (http://bluetorchfab.com/store/index.php?cPath=59)
BTF Gussets (http://bluetorchfab.com/store/index.php?cPath=58)
BTF Suspension Brackets (http://bluetorchfab.com/store/index.php?cPath=8_96)

Ruffstuff Link Brackets (http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/3-4-link-brackets-link-tabs-c-2.html?osCsid=ea2807433fc03d4cf1b928769d218dd3)
Ruffstuff Bumper Parts (http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/bumper-fab-parts-c-35.html)
Ruffstuff Spring Hangers (http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/spring-shackle-hangers-c-20.html)

Ballistic Brackets and Tabs (http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Brackets-and-Tabs_c_11.html)
Ballistic Cage and Bumper Parts (http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Cage-Bumper-Parts_c_127.html)
Ballistic Miscellaneous Parts (http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Miscellaneous_c_21.html)

And that is just a small sampling of what those vendors offer, much less all of everything else that is out there.

Don't forget if you are going to be cutting for $ you are going to have go through a good deal of material to make a good profit and loading / unloading 1/4" and 3/8" plate alone can be.. uhm.. well... fun :laughing: It's fine for hobby / personal usage but when you want to actually start doing it to make parts to sale it can be a challenge.

Then you also have to think about storage of the material and getting it to the table itself... there are lil dolly systems I've seen people make so it can be done but it just adds more to the equation.

Same with plasma dust... personal usage puts off a good amount but again if you are running it hours at at a time it's a new kind of problem.