online source for laser cutting?

[badhoopty]

thinking about a new build and am wanting to get some custom brackets and fabtab kinda stuff laser cut out of steel. (waterjet would be fine as well, im just not too familiar with the process)

do any of you guys use or know of some decent online resources to do this? i got the file creation and prep side down, i just dont really know why some online shops charge 16 bucks for a single part, while another charges over 100 for the same.

so far lasergist is the cheapest and easiest to get the feel for. like amazingly cheap compared to other places ive found like bigbluesaw.

[cmbscx10]

Though I can't provide any help for your quest I thought the below woukd be a easy way to make your money back for our smaller parts.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...aterjet-cutter

Should have went in on Batch 1

[fr8cture]

Have you asked some of the vendors here? Someone might do it for you for a decent price.

[QuesoDelDiablo]

Can't you just find a local fab shop to do it??

[badhoopty]

Originally Posted by fr8cture

Have you asked some of the vendors here? Someone might do it for you for a decent price.

im trying to find out if there was a popular shapeways kind of place. i prefer to avoid human contact whenever possible. i found a couple places but the prices are so drastically different im suspicious that i dont know what im looking for.

Originally Posted by QuesoDelDiablo

Can't you just find a local fab shop to do it??

i looked up some places, but im concerned it would be like a machine shop and a small one-off project would either cost a shitload or be disregarded as not worth the time.

[badhoopty]

...i suppose i could call a local place and ask. but i hate to be a newb.

[QuesoDelDiablo]

Originally Posted by badhoopty

i looked up some places, but im concerned it would be like a machine shop and a small one-off project would either cost a shitload or be disregarded as not worth the time.

Makes sense..

I'll pm you about an idea I have..

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by cmbscx10

Though I can't provide any help for your quest I thought the below woukd be a easy way to make your money back for our smaller parts.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...aterjet-cutter

Should have went in on Batch 1

No. Just no. You may or may not get one and if you do it could be a total POS. Most crowd funded projects are busts.

[BigSki]

Check for a local maker space. There's a water-jet at my local maker space, it costs $20/hr for tool reservation flat out and $70/hr for run time, broken down to 15 minute intervals. Not the cheapest way to cut metal but it does a nice job.

[RCMFMaxxMan]

Most beginner friendly systems require a 2D DWG file or a CNC file (I'm not familiar with CNC). I've done a bit with AutoCAD and a 60W laser. It's about as easy as printing out a word document. The larger lasers (like you'd need for steel), require a bit more care. This usually means a trained operator. Sometimes universities have this resource. Check around. Our local university (Portland State University) offers fabrication services but an engineering student group. The 400W laser is $50 for setup and $35 an hour for operation and I think that is a fair price. You could get a good amount done in an hour.

MELT: MELT Pricing & Purchasing

[badhoopty]

not sayin a maker space isnt cool, its just not what im looking for.

lasergist is cheap as hell and very newb friendly. i think i'm gonna try it out with something small just to see how it really is. the only thing i dont like are the limitations they have for hole diameter vs thickness of material, which for 1.5mm thick is 3mm. for 3mm thick its 6mm.

[C*H*U*D]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

No. Just no. You may or may not get one and if you do it could be a total POS. Most crowd funded projects are busts.

The company I work for got in on the first round of pricing. I'll try to remember this thread when we get it and give a review.

Hoop, have you thought of just machining them? Just because it's sheet metal tabs doesn't mean it "has" to be laser cut. I machined these on my mill:

[badhoopty]

im just trying to figure out how to get some tabs made for the same or less than you see places like rcbros selling them for. i figured since its just 2d parts that laser or waterjet would be easier and less cost.

[BigSki]

If you could post a pic w/ dimensions of the brackets you want made, I'm hoping to make a run of "builders tabs" sometime in January. I could factor them into my parts run on the water-jet and get an idea of pricing for you.

I understand you not wanting to use a maker space. I had to pay $100 for the orientation class to use the water jet. I've yet to have a project that justified the operating cost of that machine.

[badhoopty]

thanks man. i dont exactly know what i want yet. just planning out stuff.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by C*H*U*D

The company I work for got in on the first round of pricing. I'll try to remember this thread when we get it and give a review.

Good luck!

[RcBro]

The issue with water jet or laser is the run time, not so much material cost... I have larger brackets made for work that cost less then my fab tabs do, and the laser we use is rather quick and very efficient. However when you take a sheet of 30 3x4 tab cards with a ton of holes and line cuts, time adds up.. More so then just making a few cuts.. Time equals money. Sometimes quantity in this line of business doesn't always mean less cost.

Just a heads up.