12 CNC Router Business Ideas

If you want to start a business manufacturing and selling products, investing in a CNC router is a great way to do so. A CNC router is a computerized cutting tool that can make complex shapes and designs from wood, metal, plastics, or even glass. They cost between $4,000 and $10,000 but you could make a serious return on your investment. 

Here you’ll find 12 CNC router business ideas that may spark your interest. 

1. Wall Art

If you’re creative, you could actually use your router to become an artist. You could make complex and aesthetically pleasing wall art out of metal or wood and sell it online on a site like Etsy. If you can create truly unique pieces, your business could be very profitable since nearly everyone likes to spruce up their walls with art. 

2. Furniture

If you want to think bigger, a CNC router is great for making wooden furniture. You could make accent tables or chairs, outdoor furniture, or desks. These could be big ticket items that you could offer on Facebook Marketplace for local furniture store. You could also offer custom pieces made to your customers’ specifications. 

3. Frames

Picture frames are another option, and quite simple to make. You could get creative, though, and make wood or metal frames with unique etchings to sell on Etsy or from your own custom framing store. The picture frame industry is worth $2 billion in the U.S. alone, so there’s definitely money to be made.

4. Wooden Kitchen Items

Salad bowls, cutting boards, spoons, and more can be made with your router. Kitchen items are always a hit, and you could sell them on Amazon or Shopify and make a good profit. You could create various designs and sell items in sets to get more revenue per sale. Customized cutting boards are also popular.

5. Desk Accessories

Plastic, wood, or metal could be used to make pencil holders, desk trays, organizers, and a host of other items. Now that people are working from home more, there’s a higher demand for home office accessories, so it’s a growing market to tap into. Again, you could sell the items in sets to have higher ticket sales.

6. Wooden Signs

Custom wooden signs are extremely popular, boasting family names or inspirational phrases. You could make these wooden signs in various shapes and sizes, with unique designs. Wooden signs with phrases are popular at art festivals, so you could take advantage of the summer months with your own festival booth.

7. Toys

All sorts of wooden or plastic toys can be crafted with a CNC router. You could even create board games or puzzles that can’t be found anywhere else. It’s no surprise that the toy industry is huge, worth more than $100 billion, so selling any kind of toys could be very profitable. 

8. Snowboards

If you live near the mountains, you could make snowboards with cool designs, and sell them at shops near the slopes, or even open your own shop. Snowboards sell for about $400 on average, but they don’t cost much to make, so you’d make a nice profit margin. You could also make custom designed snowboards to sell for a higher price. 

9. French Doors

If you want to get in on the growing remodeling industry, French doors are a great option. You could use your router to cut the frame and the glass panels, and then put it together. If you’re handy, you could even offer installation services. You’d make thousands of dollars from each sale, so you’d be getting into some serious money.

10. Mailboxes

Every home needs a mailbox, and some people like their mailbox to be part of their outdoor décor. You could design and manufacture all kinds of mailboxes or make custom mailboxes with people’s names and addresses. You could get really creative with this idea and make really unique items. 

11. Belt Buckles

Metal belt buckles are quite popular, and some people like them big and outrageous. You could design and make all sorts of shapes, sizes, and patterns, and offer them for a premium price as one of a kind pieces. Customized belt buckles are also an option.

12. Fireplace Mantles

A fireplace is often the focal point of a room, and people want their fireplace mantles to be attractive as well as a functional display space. This is a great kind of item to make to a customer’s specifications, which means higher prices. People pay well into the thousands for custom mantles, so even a few sales a month means good money.