# looking for a CNC machine shop



## Tekstyle (Jan 24, 2010)

Hey guys,

I have designed a part on solidworks and i need it milled. There's a shop locally that I sent my design to but after the initial quote, they haven't responded to my concerns for about 3 weeks. can anyone recommend a CNC machine shop?

Has anyone have experience with lost communication with your machine shops?

thanks guys!

PS: this is just a project of mine that I am working on. the part will be milled in abs black plastic, -/+ .2mm tolerance and the size is about 1 cubic inch.


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## Archie Cruz (Jan 24, 2010)

This place is highly recommended, though I've never used it
http://www.emachineshop.com/


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## precisionworks (Jan 24, 2010)

> I have designed a part


The key word is *a* part ... figure on an easy 2D (flat part) about 2 hours to generate coordinates + 2 hours to machine ... roughly $500 if the part is simple 2D, more money for complexity or more involved 3D.

If you have no local CNC shop, click on http://www.mfg.com/en/ and create an account. Submit your drawing & you'll have shops across the country quoting on the part.


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## PEU (Jan 25, 2010)

can you post the model? maybe cnc is not needed and can be made much cheaper.


Pablo


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## SquareJ (Jan 25, 2010)

PM me the specs, i may be able to whip it up for you.

Jason


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## mototraxtech (Jan 25, 2010)

I have a lot of experience with emachineshop. I have never ordered anything but I post a lot of questions in their forums. And to make your part depending on the complexity would cost 180 to 300 dollars using 6061 aluminum. I don't know what its for but you probably wont find a cheaper price on cnc unless you know somebody.


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## gallonoffuel (Jan 25, 2010)

mototraxtech said:


> I have a lot of experience with emachineshop. I have never ordered anything but I post a lot of questions in their forums. And to make your part depending on the complexity would cost 180 to 300 dollars using 6061 aluminum. I don't know what its for but you probably wont find a cheaper price on cnc unless you know somebody.



I didn't think eMachineShop had CNC equipment yet? And converting his model to their software might be challenging at best, impossible at worst. I have used them, and for what I needed it was fine. Their shipping time, however, was the most fluid shipping date I've ever experienced. It went from 2 weeks, to 2.5 weeks, to 3 weeks, and finally arrived a month after I submitted the order. It would have been fine if they just told me one month from the beginning instead of pushing back the date every few days.


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## Tekstyle (Jan 25, 2010)

PEU said:


> can you post the model? maybe cnc is not needed and can be made much cheaper.
> 
> 
> Pablo




thanks for the advice. you are right tho. looking at the part i made, it seems like it can be made without the use of CNC. probably even able to cast it with the exception of the 2 holes on the arms. below is an image of the part.







what do you guys think the estimated cost would be to mill a simple design like this?


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## rmteo (Jan 25, 2010)

Download the part to http://www.firstcut.com/ and you can get an on-line quote. Have used them for CNC parts (as well as injection molded parts from their other site http://www.protomold.com/)


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## mototraxtech (Jan 25, 2010)

gallonoffuel said:


> I didn't think eMachineShop had CNC equipment yet? And converting his model to their software might be challenging at best, impossible at worst. I have used them, and for what I needed it was fine. Their shipping time, however, was the most fluid shipping date I've ever experienced. It went from 2 weeks, to 2.5 weeks, to 3 weeks, and finally arrived a month after I submitted the order. It would have been fine if they just told me one month from the beginning instead of pushing back the date every few days.


 

Yes emachine has cnc machines. In fact they have cnc for almost all of their operations. To transfer the file shouldn't be to hard and I bet that part cut out of 6061 aluminum would be under 250 for a one off and much cheaper if you get a few. The only reason I know general prices in 6061 is because I use the material alot.

Remember that most machine shops charge over 60 dollars on hours and much more if you have in made on a cnc machine so if it takes more that a couple of hours it could cost quite a bit. That exactly why I just bought a lathe is I was tired of pay machine shops all my money for simple parts. Yet I still send that complicated stuff to the guys that have the right equipment(mills, cnc, etc). 

I do agree that the shipping times are pretty odd but other that that they are pretty good.

I dont work for emachine or anything I just have never found a better price on anything but waterjet part than emachine can give so if someone knows of a CHEAPER place let me know.:twothumbs

Also I don't think that part would be very easy to manual machine. It is pretty difficult to machine arcs manually without alot of special equipment. And usually when they have to us special equipment they have a special price.


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## gadget_lover (Jan 25, 2010)

Sometimes the parts are easier to make than they appear, especially if you can fudge here and there. In this case the tolerances are loose (.008). There's no information about which parts are critical and which we simply pretty to draw.

For instance; can it be made in two parts and welded together with abs plastic cement? I could not read any of the text in the picture.

If so, the main ring will turn easily on a lathe, and then moved to the mill where a flat is milled on one side and the groove deails made with end mill and rotary table. The mounting lugs would then be milled on a mill, rounded with a sander (or radiused in a rotab) or even left square if it does not matter. Drill the legs and bush as needed. The two parts are glued togteher and you have the part.

It sounds so simple, doesn't it! 

Daniel


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## mototraxtech (Jan 25, 2010)

good point, I never thought of that. Yes it is true alot a designs don't have to be pretty which makes them much easier and cheaper to make. Also didn't think to weld it together. I guess it really depends on the critical aspects of the design.


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## Tekstyle (Jan 25, 2010)

thanks for all your responses. i have submitted the solidwork file to protomold.com and currently waiting for a reply back. I'll see if it's smarter to get this little thing molded than milled. I will update everyone when i hear anything back.

@gadget_lover: the tolerance i require are very loose. around -/+ .1-.2mm. however, it needs to be made as 1 piece, not 2 cemented together.


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## rmteo (Jan 25, 2010)

If you are making just a few pieces, the tooling costs of a molded part will most definitely be unjustifiable. Their prototype division (http://www.firstcut.com/) will do parts in plastic as well as metal.


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