TM-1 and milling stainless

[Edster]

Geof, For the job you mentioned your spot on, but it sounds like this guy is paid by the hour. And there is no talk of a 100 piece order. If it takes 8 hours to do at $20 hr. $160 just for labor. and there is no way of knowing how long it will actually take or if he can even do it. So he might spend 8 hours making scrap before the boss takes it to get lazer or waterjet or whatever. If your making this in your garage for a buddy's car on your machine you have for a hobby and time is of no importance I say go for it. I personally would just do a nice 2d cad drawing and take it over to my waterjet buddy, and ask to squeeze it in when he has some free time.

[CJH]

Thanks for all input on this. Most of the things mentioned were things I thought of already, but glad to know that I am think along the lines of others. Hadn't really thought of the laser though. Could be worth exploring. The project is more of a favor for someone, so there really isn't any money laying around for it. They had wanted to know if it possible to do. I said Anything was possible with the right amount of time, resources, or equipment. Plus is could also be jobbed out. All you guys know the story.

As far as the waste fixturiung, I was think of laminated acrylic sheet. I use that method for quite a few things I machine since it is readily on hand from our plastics guy making vitrines for artifact display cases. When it comes to CNC technology in our office people have a hard time wrapping their minds around what our mill can do. Most of them think that CNC means a big format router for cutting woood and plastics, since we work in museum environment that tends to be the use for the technology. In our micro world within the model shop we know it means so much more since the mill is on the shop floor. But hopefully we'll have a router soon enough, and it will open eyes to all the possiblities large and small for what we can do. Thanks again to all who contributed.