How much would it cost?

All too often folks show up here with tasks like this that can simply never be pinned down.

There's a dropbox where one can download sketches - what I do is a simple pencil sketch, and then snap it with a camera. Here's an example:

Notice this was purely a hand pencil sketch - but it has all the dimensions and whatnot. The tolerances are implied in this case, with the three decimal numbers being within a thou, and the two decimal numbers within ten thou. It gets the idea across.

In your case you sketch up what you want, dimension the things you need done close with decimal, and the ones you don't need close as fractional, for example. Or you could put a note saying 'all dimensions +/- one quarter inch, except as noted' or something to that effect.

The fact that you put a dimensioned sketch available puts you in an entirely different group for folks to comment on.

Jim

Reply to
jim rozen
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oops..sorry. got the post to the wrong person

Reply to
Koz

What I started out was recreating a wood column. Square base, cylindrical center. I have seen some with flutes. I have seen some with a little ring around the bottom and at the top of the cylinder dividing the cylinder and square parts.

After finding out the flutes would be the complicated costly addition, that idea is 86ed.

There is no tolerance to speak of. They are only decorative, and I would estimate that so long as they looked alike, they could be off a lot to a machinist.

Knurling wouldn't look like an old column. It would add cost, and wouldn't paint well.

So, just back to plain Jane wood column duplicate.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

I totally understand what you're saying. All I wanted was a range to see if something was practical. From the verrrrrrrry vague description of mine, I figured I would get back a verrrrrrrrrry broad range.

I just didn't think there would be a protological exam involved.

Steve ;-)

Reply to
SteveB

"Koz" wrote

It's a bitch being human, isn't it?

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

Suggest you download the software from emachineshop.com enter you part design and let it give you a price.

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.

And that is what you got.

12 answers and they all want a drawing... Makes me go Hmmmmmmm "I must have a drawing" Marc

SteveB wrote:

Reply to
Marc

Hmmmm. I need a drawing to imagine a miniature antique wood architectural column. What is wrong with this picture?

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

"SteveB" wrote in news:zGMFe.50686$4o.49024@fed1read06:

I'll say this...... Without a print, there will be no price, from any even 'semi-pro' shops. The print is part of the contract, and without it, they will refuse to quote because they do not know the 'Terms' of the contract.

Reply to
Anthony

To me, a price is a prelude to an offer. I was about three steps prior to that. I was in the "what if" and "a ballpark price" and "a scientific wild ass guess" stage.

Anyone who mistook it as me asking for a written proposal was not paying attention.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

After reading all of this, the one thing I am certain of is that I would never want to make anything for Steve...

Mark

Reply to
M

Yet ANOTHER reading comprehension challenged person! Who said anything about MAKING? I was asking for a guesstimate.

Either keep up with the conversation, or kindly opt out.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

Ionic, Doric or Corinthian?

Tove

Reply to
Tove Momerathsson

| | It would be on a live tool, Y axis equipped lathe, or someone with an | Integrex. Probably a 8 minute job or less including the flutes.

You can go simpler and pay more for labor, or you can go more complicated and pay for the machinery and the programming. Only a run of a really large volume would the per piece count get attractive. At some point the labor surpasses larger volume discounts. Perhaps a mix of processes and materials might do the job. If the ends were simply square stock with a hold and light machining to it, and the fluted shank a separate piece, either joined by friction or all thread or something it might get cheaper, but only by providing detailed part definition will you get a quote.

Reply to
carl mciver

Thank you. You have unwittingly proven my point far more eloquently than I ever could.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

"SteveB" wrote in message news:_sRFe.51069$4o.2923@fed1read06... | | "Harold and Susan Vordos" wrote | | That's why I suggested a | > ballpark price of $45. | | Thank you. A simple answer to a simple question. This now tells me that | having them made is impractical. | | People were acting like I wanted them to enter into a billion dollar | contract with nothing down, and if I didn't like the finished product, I | could refuse them. | | Sometimes simple is just plain elusive. | | Steve

Steve, perhaps you're going down the wrong avenue. If the part were cast, it would definitely be easier and cheaper to do, either from a home shop or other perspective. The hex ID will have a machinist hating you, however it makes little difference to a caster. I will provide you with no information as to it's feasibility other than perhaps look in the phone book for foundries and start asking around. I was interested in a plastic part for my car being replaced with an aluminum one. If I wanted more than one, the casting starts getting very attractive, but for a one off, a CNC mill would have been the way to go.

Most cast parts require some degree of finish machining, so that needs to be part of the picture.

I was recently working in a shop building a lot of prototype and one off stuff, and there was a tool and die maker there to support us. He was more than willing to work with me to design a part that was both simple to build and met me needs, and sometimes his feedback had me start all over with something much simpler. Visit one in person and spend some time with him. Perhaps a local home machine shop will help you design it, even if he doesn't do the work, providing you compensate him for his time.

Reply to
carl mciver

Maybe I'm being dense but it seems like he's only asking for a ball park estimate on these parts (not a firm quote) to see if fabrication of the parts might be within his budget. I don't see anything wrong with that request so long as he understands that the estimate is not a firm quote and could be grossly under the actual cost, pending submittal of a proper drawing. The point every one else is making is those shops that have made ballpark estimates without a drawing are unlikely to repeat the mistake.

It does seem to me that all of his effort posting here could have been better spent making up a simple drawing and uploading it to the Drop Box or calling a few local shops. It also seems a bit presumptive to expect someone else to go to the trouble of working up even a rough estimate if the OP is unwilling to invest the time in even a simple drawing.

Mike

Reply to
Mike Henry

"Mike Henry" wrote

It also seems a bit presumptive to expect

If a machinist couldn't guess at a price with the description I gave, they ain't much of a machinist. It wasn't a rocket component.

STeve

Reply to
SteveB

I didn't say that they couldn't - only that it seemed presumptive to expect effort on someone else's part if you aren't willing to extend more than a little on your own behalf. Seems like you got an answer, though, and that $45/part is out of the question for you.

Reply to
Mike Henry

A- Most people don't have very good 3-dimensional imaginations & B- Drawings and prototypes help you to work out the bugs before wasting wood/metal/plastic/foam on the project.

Troll on, SteveB. You've hooked a ton so far.

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

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