Homemade custom items make great gifts and can be the start of a fantastic side hustle if you are crafty. The metal lathe projects that sell below are perfect examples of how you can make money from your hobby easily.
Whether you are an experience or up and coming machinist, putting your skills to work can help pay for your tools and equipment while providing you with a fun income stream.
If you are lucky enough to own a lathe, you may have already checked out my list of 25 Fun Wood Lathe Projects That Sell Well. The metal projects below are a great addition to the list.
Remember that you don’t need to be an expert at everything to create a great craft business, perfecting one or two items will make inventory management easier and allow you to really hone your skills.
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What Is A Metal Lathe?
Although I’ve already mentioned some woodturning projects you can make on a lathe, for metal working, you need a specific metal lathe which is a bit different.
Metal lathes are awesome because you can actually use them to make other tools.
If you are a metal worker, then make sure to also check out my list of 25 things to weld and sell.
There are two kinds of metal lathe that you will come across:
Manual Lathes – You do the shaping, planing, or sanding by hand with this classic lathe.
They are a cheaper option if you are just getting started and you can make tons of awesome projects with them.
CNC Lathes – These modern lathes can be loaded with CAD files to create patterns and extensive projects.
If you want to make metal and woodworking projects your business, a CNC machine can be a good investment.
You can find tons of blueprints online for free.
Here are 40 CNC Projects That Sell really well on Etsy.
Where To Sell Your Metal Lathe Projects
Etsy
The number 1 place to sell your handicrafts is Etsy. In addition to being a handcrafters paradise, Etsy will allow you to reach a Worldwide audience inexpensively.
If you don’t have any experience with selling on Etsy, then make sure to check out my step-by-step guide to starting an Etsy store successfully.
You can start your own Etsy shop in mere minutes with no upfront costs.
Etsy does charge 20 cents per listing that you add to your store plus a 5% transaction fee when you sell something but open your store at this link and you will get 40 free listings to start you off.
The other thing to factor in when selling your projects on Etsy are shipping costs. Obviously metal objects can be heavy so you will want to factor that into your pricing.
You may want to limit buyers to your country to avoid extortionate postage fees.
Selling Your Metal Lathe Projects Locally
Depending on where you live, you may also have luck selling your metal creations on Facebook marketplace or at local craft fairs.
Join local Facebook groups that allow you to promote your business and advertise your gift ideas to a local audience.
This is great because you won’t have to worry about shipping logistics.
If you are really serious about building a business selling metal lathe projects, you can also consider creating Facebook and Instagram pages and promoting on there.
Add photos of your new projects and any custom work you do.
People like to see different options before buying so try to build up a portfolio of your work, even if you haven’t sold a thing.
To go even further, create your own website that can take sales (Shopify is a good option for this).
15 Metal Lathe Projects That Sell On Etsy
Below are 15 bestselling projects made with a metal lathe. They range from simple mini lathe projects to more expert ideas.
All of them sell really well on sites like Etsy and would make a great addition to your store.
Wedding Rings
You don't get much easier than this simple lathe project for beginners.
Although you can start off with simple wedding bands, this project can be scaled up with fancy designs and inlays (I've seen deer antlers and wood).
Rings can be made with all kinds of metal, including the softer ones which makes them a great project to spend time mastering.
The profit margin on wedding rings is huge. They sell for $300+ on Etsy and can be a really lucrative business even for a beginner.
Candle Holders
Metal candlesticks are another great idea as you can make all different shapes and sizes.
Patterns and designs can help you build a portfolio of different options.
Skinny simple candlesticks are a great starter projects to help you practise boring a hole which you can then use for more metal projects down the road.
Cups
Once you have mastered boring with your lathe, you can move onto cups. Personalized baby cups are a really big seller that you can design however you like.
Gift sets of metal cups are another fantastic idea.
Replica Bullets
Replica bullets are popular for cosplay and jewelry (think key rings etc).
The nice thing about replica bullets is that you can make them out of scraps of metal.
Goblets
Similar to cups, goblets make a really nice handmade gift for baptisms and weddings.
You can personalize them or create different designs.
Metal Chess Set
This is an advanced project to make on your lathe but it is a high price item that sells really well, especially around the holidays.
Toothpick Holder
This is another great metal lathe project that sells well on Etsy and is good for beginners. You can offer personalization to boost sales.
Personalized items such as these make really popular groomsman gifts.
Spinning Top
A spinning top makes a beautiful gift and can be offered in different metals and colors.
Advertise it as a stress toy or fidget spinner on your listings to get the most search results.
Bracelet Flask
A bracelet or bangle is another really nice metal lathe project that sells well on Etsy.
The one pictured is actually a secret flask so you can sip your favorite beverage on the sly.
Whistle Necklace
Traditional whistles are another good project to make with your lathe.
A nice twist is to turn a whistle into a necklace pendant like this bestselling one picture here.
Vase
Metal vases in a variety of sizes and shapes are another really easy project that you can make and sell online.
Again, offering customizations such as names and dates can help to boost your sales.
Pens
Pens make great gifts and a handmade one with personalization is something that will be treasured for years to come.
Although making pens takes a bit of extra work because of the ink compartment that you need to figure out, it can be a very lucrative thing to make and sell online.
Metal Drinking Straws
Metal straws are all the rage and they are surprisingly easy to make using a metal or wood lathe for polishing and designing.
I found a really easy (4 minute) tutorial on YouTube that you might find useful.
Offering personalized slogans seems to be the way to go with Etsy and also make sure to sell your straws in sets.
Lightsaber
Yes! You can actually make a lightsaber with your metal lathe. These are HUGE sellers on Etsy and would make a business all of their own.
If you want information on making light sabers, there are tons of tutorials on YouTube like this one.
Cotton Candy Machine
Ok so this is for sure an advanced project that you can make with your metal lathe but who knows, it might even lead to you starting your own cotton candy business.
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