CNC blank cutting where is the best place?

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blackgrub0331

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Aug 17, 2006
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I'm looking to get a few things cut in to metal blanks because I know it would be to hard to just do it by grinding it down. What I'm looking for is a place that does the water jet or laser cutting so I can get a price on about how much it's going to cost me to be this done. Thanks
 
In my experience prices vary by vendor. You'll have to shop it around.

You'll probably want CAD files of what you want (DXF seems to be standard format). Some places can scan parts from good prints to create a DXF file.

If you can, it's bette to have your own files that you supply them. That way you know it'll be right.
If your tolerance is close on the profile, you'll probably want it cut oversized and machine it to final dimension because waterjet cuts are seldom perpendicular. --There's always some taper to the cut. Some guys use 'tilt-a-jet' attachments that help compensate for that, but it doesn't seem that common.
 
I buy laser cut parts all the time for my work, and here is my humble opinion:

Price is a function of three things:

1) material cost
2) actual time in cut, and times to pierce for multiple holes
3) CAD drawing so laser parts suppliers don't have to take the time to lay out the part you are looking for.

Quantities don't affect the price as much as those three things. The best thing for you to do is come up with a .dxf type drawing of your parts and from there it's gravy for the CNC people. If .dxf is a problem for you, I may be able to help you with that.

What type of material are you wanting to cut?
 
Hydro cut water jet out of Ca is the best and cheapest place I have seen and they are very good to work with
www.hydrocutwaterjet.com
 
I'm wanting to do a few tomahawks being 16 to 18 inches long and from the axe blade to the spike on the back of the blade 6 to 8 inches wide and the axe blade being 3 inches. I'd like it to be .750 of a inch thick and I'm not sure what steel to use I'm looking at O-1 and A-2 right now. I'm wanting it to look a little like this one but with a more curved spike.

8dea_1.jpg
 
Wow, that's not going to be a cheap part to make!

The material is not going to be cheap at 3/4 inch O-1 or A-2 plate, and there will be a good deal of waste no matter how you nest that shape.

You're probably looking at waterjetting as your only viable option at 3/4 inch.

I'd be surprised if you could blank that for less than $100 per unit after materials, frankly I'd suspect it'd be more than that... remember, you're paying for the material you don't use too and cutting 3/4 inch plate steel is going to take up some machine time.
 
It might be a good idea to look into how these guys make their stuff.

http://www.estwing.com/

I've had their geology hammers and they're really tough. When looking at their tools, I've often thought, "Hmmm, if you take this spike and stick it with that small hatchet head, on that longer handle ...."

I suspect they're cast, then ground. (BTW, no matter what you do, however, you should probably do a radius where the head turns into the handle, as seen on the Estwing products. There will be a lot of stress right there and those sharp corners are inviting a crack.)

Which steel and HT would be the question, but if you're after an integral hawk like that without costing a fortune, you may want to look into it. --shell casting, I would think would be the closest affordable casting approach for small numbers. ---. It'll still cost money up front for wax molds, etc, but if you're going to do 10 or 12, I would think you'd still be ahead compared with cutting it out of A2 plate and grinding the shape, etc.

The only other think I can think of is if you luck out and score some appropriate steel plate really cheap as salvage or something. It'll still probably cost $40, $50 or more to waterjet that shape ....
 
I just got a quote back from one company it will cost $300 just to get two of them done. I wounder how much it would cost to get more of them done if getting 5 or 10 of them would knock the price down.
 
I priced around and it was rediculous to pay what they were asking. Its better for me to cut what I need when I need it. Good thread :)
 
Have you looked into having a welding shop cut the shape with a torch? There are cnc torches that can do exactly what you want and still give you tight tolerances without wasting all that money.

or maybe it can be forge welded together where the neck and head meet? if you spline them and forge it should be plenty strong.
 
I program and run a laser for a living. Sometimes I get a drawing that I need to create my programs from, sometimes a dxf. The cad file is the best, takes me the least amount of time.

Some places charge for initial artwork/setup, and some don't. Time in cut and material cost are the biggest factors. Quantity does have some affect, but not as much as with punching.

If you're wanting that cut from o-1 or a-2 that is .750 thick, that will be expensive just for material. Most of the stuff I run is mild steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. Let's say that it's a relatively small piece of steel, only 2' by 2'. (I usually run 5' x 10') Now that piece of steel weighs about 122 pounds at .750 thick. Say you got a good deal for o-1 at $2 per pound, there's $244 for materials alone! The $300 doesn't sound like that bad of a deal.

Jamie
 
polarbearforge said:
I program and run a laser for a living. Sometimes I get a drawing that I need to create my programs from, sometimes a dxf. The cad file is the best, takes me the least amount of time.

Some places charge for initial artwork/setup, and some don't. Time in cut and material cost are the biggest factors. Quantity does have some affect, but not as much as with punching.

If you're wanting that cut from o-1 or a-2 that is .750 thick, that will be expensive just for material. Most of the stuff I run is mild steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. Let's say that it's a relatively small piece of steel, only 2' by 2'. (I usually run 5' x 10') Now that piece of steel weighs about 122 pounds at .750 thick. Say you got a good deal for o-1 at $2 per pound, there's $244 for materials alone! The $300 doesn't sound like that bad of a deal.

Jamie
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I think I might have places it to thick I'm looking at more of something like .250 to .500. If you have any advice on this please tell me.
 
I think I understand your wanting to have it all one piece and just grind it,but have you thought of forging it. If you don't want to drift in the head for a haft,try this.
Cut out the rough head shape. Forge it into the hawk head you want (weld a piece of rebar to the spike end to make a handle for forging). It can be a bit thin. Cut off the rebar work handle and shape the spike. Take a bar of 3/8"1030 steel and split the end on the band saw.( you can forge/grind/pre-shape the handle before welding it to the head) Spread the split to go up both sides of the head (grind the head to a "V" at the point where the handle joins it). Forge weld it onto the head. Shape up the joint and forge the steel handle to the desired shape.Grind in the final shape and details.This will not be a lot of work, and will give a good all metal hawk.Do the HT and add the handle scales and you are ready to go.
Stacy
 
bladsmth said:
I think I understand your wanting to have it all one piece and just grind it,but have you thought of forging it. If you don't want to drift in the head for a haft,try this.
Cut out the rough head shape. Forge it into the hawk head you want (weld a piece of rebar to the spike end to make a handle for forging). It can be a bit thin. Cut off the rebar work handle and shape the spike. Take a bar of 3/8"1030 steel and split the end on the band saw.( you can forge/grind/pre-shape the handle before welding it to the head) Spread the split to go up both sides of the head (grind the head to a "V" at the point where the handle joins it). Forge weld it onto the head. Shape up the joint and forge the steel handle to the desired shape.Grind in the final shape and details.This will not be a lot of work, and will give a good all metal hawk.Do the HT and add the handle scales and you are ready to go.
Stacy
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I'd love to do that but right now I have no forge and nothing to weld with I'm just restarting my knife making and all I have right now is a grinder and a sander. My wife told me before I buy more stuff I have sell a blade or two.
 
flatgrinder said:
Here's another vote for www.hydrocutwaterjet.com

They're good and much cheaper!
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Just got an email back from them they want $29 per axe just to cut it for SS and $11 for Alu. Just have to find a place that sells the metal I want I was thinking of 1095 .500 thick. Tell me what you guys think I'm also going to be willing to send the axes out to be heat treated if there is a better metal out there that might cut cost down.
 
I would expect a quote for .500 is going to be cheaper than .750. Still, $29 is cheap for a shape like that in .500 steel.:thumbup: I'll have to quote them on some work I have coming up.

Still, I think you might be dissatisfied with .500. I assumed that you wanted it thick so you could carve the thing out ... Trim down the neck .... leave some meat on the head, etc.
.500 is not going to give you much room to do that. It might be fine, but you should make sure.

I would urge you to make this thing out of a 1/2 inch plank of wood first. Carve it out the way you plan and see if the proportions are what you want. A little more effort at this stage can save you a lot of heartache later! Good Luck!
 
blackgrub0331 said:
Just got an email back from them they want $29 per axe just to cut it for SS and $11 for Alu. Just have to find a place that sells the metal I want I was thinking of 1095 .500 thick. Tell me what you guys think I'm also going to be willing to send the axes out to be heat treated if there is a better metal out there that might cut cost down.
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Try McMaster Carr for some 5160 (if you're making an axe, should work better than 1095), these guys can heat treat it for you (if you're looking for a heat treater):

http://www.heinzelmanht.com/knives.htm

Have fun! :)
 
JCaswell said:
I would urge you to make this thing out of a 1/2 inch plank of wood first. Carve it out the way you plan and see if the proportions are what you want. A little more effort at this stage can save you a lot of heartache later! Good Luck!
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Wow the simple things I don't think of !!! That is a great Idea about the wood it cost a lot less if I mess something up and I'd also have something to send to the company along with the metal so they can get there measurements off it. Boy I feel dumb not thinking of that first.

Maybe I'll make a few for some of the knives I want and send them in also heck I have 2 bars of O-1 still one 24 inch the other 12 or 18 inch. I'll also look really at the .500 vs .750



flatgrinder said:
Try McMaster Carr for some 5160 (if you're making an axe, should work better than 1095), these guys can heat treat it for you (if you're looking for a heat treater):

http://www.heinzelmanht.com/knives.htm

Have fun! :)
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Thanks for the metal info!!! Also thanks for the place that does heat treating.
 
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