Online Machine Shop

Looks like a great idea. We'll have to see if anyone has used this service.

 

I think rayjohns may have used this site to make some custom parts. Hopefully he will see this thread.

 

I used their CAD program (free download) and did the tutorials (I never used a CAD/CAM before but did take high school drafting...20+ years ago). Then I made this as my very first tool:
http://www.icbm.org/cmgallery/thumbnails.php?album=51
Steel, wire EDM cut due to the tight radius's, and flat ground smooth.

Instead of calling/visiting machine shops and getting turned away because I won't do batches of 100 or because their pricing is ridiculously high, this place did it for me for less than $150.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I'd be suprised if this guy even has a machine. It looks like you do all the design work and he subs it out. Your better off using a local machine shop for all but the most basic of parts. Machining is very competitive, and some shops will give the little guy a break, so look around.

 

You're correct and it is farmed out, so you get a very big selection of processes that most machine shops don't have Speaking from my personal experience, there aren't many machine shops that will do small run stuff from my looking around.

 

The ones around me seem more than happy to go out of business rather than do a single piece. Maybe I just had bad luck with the shops I checked... but they must have had bad luck too since they aren't around anymore

 

Yea, I guess that's why they go under. We usually do small odd jobs in between large runs or after hours.

 

Actually, if that was a single run of one piece the price was pretty good. Looks like it was water jetted. If anyone needs some machining done let me know, we service the semiconductor market, but would love to make a small segment for our passion of cars

 

No, it was wire EDM. When using their CAD software you have to specify which machine will be doing the work. The software will sort of make suggestions as to what tools can be used and will definitely warn you when a tool selected cannot do the job asked. Take my tool for example; wire EDM cutting for the shape (especially the teeth) but a drill press for the two outer holes.

So you think a water jet could make such tight and clean cuts? If so, there is a place close to me that does this (Seals Unlimited, Ltd.). I would like to have work done locally - it supports my community and communication can be face-to-face (which I prefer). I have had a couple people ask if they could buy it but I haven't reproduced this tool because the cost IMO would be too high (it's a niche item, I'd be lucky to sell more than three).

 

Yes, I have used them before. Very good service. The CAD software is free and very nice. If the parts are very complex, it can become difficult to get the software to "authorize" the design (there is a process where it checks the design to make sure it's acceptable to their system, etc.). I have used the software to design a number of items in my spare time and always had real good luck. The software will produce a very nice 3D image so you can fly around the part. You can select from many different types of production materials. Aluminum, plastics, steel, etc, etc.

The only draw back is that it can be a little on the expressive side to produce just 1 or 2 parts. In the cases where I have used it to produce parts, I generally make 15 or 20 parts, then try to sell some of the extras to offset the costs.

Takes about a month or so for your part to show up via UPS. In the two cases where I sent the parts for production, the resulting items were very good. In one case, one of the parts was a little off due to the heat involved in the hot black oxide treatment, but I was able to bend the defective parts back within tolerances and file them a bit. Out of the 20 or 25 parts, all but 3 were pretty much perfect. The part was very complex also, so I was impressed that they did as good a job as they did.

The program can be a little temperamental at times, but overall it's good for hobby stuff. If you are building parts for the space shuttle or something, then perhaps you want to use something more professional/$$$, but for your average car part or whatever (where you don't want to spend a huge amount of money for a small number of parts), emachineshop.com is very very good.

Ray

 

Would someone like to do an emachine project for me? I never took the time to figure out their cad software. I want to make aluminum spacers for the plenum cover on the 348 to increase the plenum volume like the euro cars with the tall plenum. Both sides of the plenum is the same so 2 spacers/car would be needed. This to produce more power of course. Any takers????

 

I agree. It's nearly impossible to find a local shop, small or large, that's willing to EDM or waterjet one simple little bracket. They want rediculous setup costs, and large minimum runs. CNC milling, lathe work, etc.. foget about it.
Emachine shop is a great idea, and it should be doing well.

 

Might be able to help you out there . . . PM me or give me a ring if you still got my number.

Sean

P.S. I make these.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

What is it??

 

Well clearly it's a machine and a computer that both fit in a truck...........


I was wondering the same thing.

I've got it pretty good. I have a mill, lathe and tig welder at home that I can make most things on. If I can't handle it at home, the prototype shop at work has several cnc mills and lathes, wire and plunge EDMs......and my badge opens the door 24/7. My biggest problem is just finding time to work on car stuff anymore, there are so many house projects on the honey-do list.....

 

Clearly, it's a portable ray gun, which I like to call a "laser"; It is designed to hold large cities or small states, like maybe Delaware, for extortion money. It's similar to the one seen in the movie "Goldfinger", but is portable to avoid property taxes.

 

It/she's a golf R&D robot I designed back in '94 and have been manufacturing ever since . . . I think this is number 25 or 26.

Maximum club head speed is about 160 mph which means the ball leaves about 250 mph. USGA and all the major manufacturers have been using these machines now for years which is great for me. We're going to do a man against machine round of golf in the near future. Not sure if any of ya caught it, but I was on junk yard wars years ago where we made some machines to play a round of gold with a soccer ball. I was in charge of the loosing team but if you saw the show what the other team built didn't even hit the ball . . .. kinda bowled it instead . . . was a great time though We mounted a dirt bike to an automotive rear end to get the right ratio to then swing an arm that hit the ball.



Sean

 

Yes a waterjet with compensation for the head could cut that easily