With clear steps and the right support, starting a CNC business doesn't have to be risky. Blue Elephant CNC has helped businesses around the world move from side projects to full-time production shops ...

Do it yourself CNC machines can be never ending projects ... Most of the mounts and small parts are made from easily worked PVC sheet stock. Precision rails were scavenged from old Ricoh copiers.

If you take either of these routes you don’t need to know much about CNC, but why not use the tool to learn? This is what [Wootin24] did when building a 3D printed plotter with DVD drive parts.