Custom waterjet work $?$
 

Whose had it done and how much .. did you provide the drawing/dxf. file or material ?

I'm having some custom strut mounts made ... each part has roughly 15" of cut path, I provided the 2D Autocad print to the waterjet shop and they're doing the programing.

I was quoted $40 out the door for a qty. of 8 and they provide the A36 1/4" plate.. I thought that sounded damn cheap.. I wouldn't even start making these on a mill for that.

Any thoughts?

Definatly sounds cheap. I talked to the owner of a local machine recently about making some tabs and such and he said no job was to small right now and all I needed to do was scetch them out on paper with a few measurements. I have yet to get a quote though.

cheap for sure. i was thinking 3 times that if i were quoting it.

Just depends on how buisy the shop is. If they are hungry and need anything you can get stuff done real cheap, if they're buisy you can't get it at all!!!

:D

damn cheap!
 

I am looking to have some custom work done... Maybe post the shop name & number? Then we all can take advantage ofd those smokin rates!:) :)

Once I get them back I'll post some pics .. I haven't seen there quality or accuraccy.

If I'm satisfied with the product I'll get the OK from them to put there shop # out.

For what you're having done and the price they quoted that is dirt floor cheap.

Pmd you, get back to me you fag...

depending on the size, the material might cost that. but on the other hand that might be cuttin your stuff outa some other customers scrap while they are burnin that program;)

I guarantee they are doing exactly that....this is also a legit job with receipt and all.

The shop owner seemed very interested in small/easy/non-contract custom jobs like this.

Here are my brackets...I was very pleased with fit and finish.

...and the verdict is?

I ran into one problem..the owner isn't interested in having to convert a hand drawn print into CAM form.

I have a friend's son that works for the waterjet shop and will , for a small fee, convert your drawing/print into a dxf. file that can be directly loaded into the waterjet.

It will work like this ... contact my friends son and provide him with your drawing/print/ idea in your head... he then draws it into AutoCad and has it quoted ... you get a total cost.

He also wouldn't be responsible if your idea looks like **** once translated to steel..:cool:

can i provide my own dxf?

Like Carwash, I can generate DXFs. Not sure what's up with the secret agent stuff, but, it's a deal killer for me.

Thanks.

No secret agent .. just most people don't have the equipment/ability to generate a dxf. ...He wants the work he just doesn't want two dozen home fab guys knocking on his door with projects doodled on napkins. He's got plenty of work , I'm sure he'll survive without yours..;)

Mike , I don't know if he wants to keep it simple and only deal through my buddies son or if he will take dxf. files directly... I'll try to find out more info and post up.

My two friends own Mainstream waterjet in loveland, off union cemetery rd. Google for their website.

They have quite a few waterjet machines and a hurco CNC mill. I dont know if they will work that cheap, they might.

Being able to do a straight up deal is worth something. The cloak & dagger secret shop where you have to deal through an anonymous "buddies son" with no accountability sounds a bit squirrely.

Thanks.

How is it cloak and dagger? The guy works at the shop, and will convert your file for you for a small fee? Nothing anonymous, and where is there no accountability? Where did you get all this? How is this not a straight up deal, as you call it?

"son that works for the waterjet shop and will , for a small fee, convert your drawing/print into a dxf. file that can be directly loaded into the waterjet."

"contact my friends son and provide him with your drawing/print/ idea in your head... he then draws it into AutoCad and has it quoted ... you get a total cost."

Where is the difficulty here? Seems like it has been made easier for us. We have one contact, he makes a file if you need it, then gets you a total cost for the job. You get a receipt for a legit job done, no back door, no shady etc. Yes, very cloak and dagger indeed.

What's the issue with a customer or prospective customer sending a request for a quotation? I've worked with shops that quote from "machine ready" files or they charge a separate fee, but I haven't dealt with a "buddy's kid" before.

What is the issue with letting a prospective customer know the shop's name? (Cincy is essentially a "small town" and it's hard to hide your reputation.)

The reluctance to name names comes across as somebody doing work "on the side" (i.e. Using the company's equipment and materials) and selling it "out the back door." That may not be the case here, but...

You run a shop, is this how you do business?

I see no issue at all with sending a request for a quote. What do you care what person in the company you send it to?

I think the co. name is being withheld until Jeff knows if this guy wants to do a ton of small jobs for peeps...

I dunno... I don't run a waterjet or machine shop, etc, so i can't say how I would do it.

I'm just saying, doesn't seem very cloak and dagger or secretive to me. Doesn't really matter anyway.... no one is making anyone use them.

Mike ,thanks for "getting it"

Mike I could probably convert something to DXF if you need to. Depends on what you have it in now or if you have it on your computer yet.

For those not wanting to deal with the buddy......if you have a scanner you can download free software that will convert your drawing directly to dxf. Google is your friend here......