emachineshop.com
 

Several of you have probably seen this site before, but for those who haven't they provide software that enables you to design parts with a watered down CAD type software then submit the item to be made.

You can select material, type of finish, and see the price ahead of time.

As with any machined parts, price per part is lower if you order in larger quantities.

A drawing I did at work today...

http://www.projecttwin.com/files/tranny.jpg

If nothing else, the software is good to mess around with if you don't have a full-on CAD program.

Thats Pretty kewl indeed, make sure you update us with the Cost after you submit your design. I'd be very interested to know whats up.

Awesome service! The CAD software sucks butt, especially if you want to change small things in your design down the road, since you can't define distances as being set; however, turn around time is excellent and pricing was pretty darn good I think. They are who I used for my chassis'. Just make sure you send the right drawing.... like I didn't do. One of the big things is checking and rechecking cost effects of different options, such as machines used, changes certain shapes to a more machine friendly shape, packaging, surfacing/prep work, etc... All of this can dramatically change part cost.

You can see cost and stuff in the software before you submit the part for production.

I won't be sending this to them to be produced, I'm going to make it at home on my lil' Sherline this weekend. ;-) Also didn't bother looking at cost 'cause the software gave me production errors because there are multiple parts in the drawing.

I was mostly messing around with the software to get design ideas for my tranny mount.

I use my little QuickCAD software & export the data into emachineshop.com as a .DXF file, just to see the wireframe rendering and the 3-D effects.
I do this to catch any gross errors in my drawings.
It is kinda fun though, looking at the price for making 5000 widgets & dreaming of all the money I’ll make.
But then reality sets in & I realize the marketing guy’s salary will cost more than my profit. :shock:

I just need to buy a better CAD program. :lol:

Nice drawing/design Jason. Is it for the new two-speed transmission you fabbed up recently?
Looks like your rotary table will be getting a work out. :lol:

Did you have to make the gears from scratch or do they have a gear maker within the program? I didn't investigate that at all.

bultacojim,

Yup, that's for the 2-speed and as you guessed, the rotary table is going to be working overtime. :lol:

Playwithboys,

There's a gear tool in the program...I just set it up for 1 module gears, told it the number of teeth, and it spit the gear out. To make a gear just click on "tools" in the top menu bar then "create" then "gear".

The odd thing with gears is that you can't locate them on center as you would with a circle, you have to locate them by the southwest corner of the box it's placed in.

Put the drawing in photoshop this morning at work, just screwing around...

http://www.projecttwin.com/files/tranny2.jpg