Just wondering if there are any friendly CNC milling operators around that might be interesting in helping out with my project.

I need a new cam cover for the new race car which is used to mount the engine to the monocoque. I've had a few quotes for machining them, and I can't afford it. Was hoping someone might like a little project to do on the side for a little bit of money (and I'm willing to pay material/delivery costs etc as well!)

Anyone fancy it? I've got a 3D CAD model here (in Inventor), and can supply DXF/DWG/IGS/SAT file types (amongst others). I think it would be a 'simple' two operation part - from above and from below - and I can adjust radii etc to suit whatever machine tools you have. The overall size is going to be 416x270x55.

Attached is a PDF of the design as it stands at the moment, although I keep tweaking it. Hole centres were found digitally, so I trust them to be accurate.

Please help!

It's a shame I am not in engineering anymore, I'd have done it for a beer or two, I used to do 3D CAM machining programs, aswell as CAD work.

However, a guy at my old firm may be able to help out, drop me a PM, they are very local (Snetterton), so that will save on postage.

My ribs and backbones are visible, does that count?

Not really a machinist, just used it a couple of times

I know someone here who is interested in this kind of project, but of course he's a bit of a way from the UK

I don't know how much postage would be across "The Pond", but if it's reasonable (for a lump of ally at about 4kg) then I'd be happy to pay that too! Location isn't always such a problem!

I also have customers in Americaland, so it might be possible to get it brought over with them or with a car/part to save on postage. The possibilities are endless!

Well I'll send him your pdf and see what he thinks. If he's interested I'll get you some details about cost and postage... but I know he's doing this because he enjoys it and wants to get experience with a variety of things, rather than to make lots of money...

I heard back from my friend and he said he'd love to help, and that it looks like it's going to be a great piece when it's done, but that's beyond the scope of what he's currently able to do... I said I'd send him some pics of it when you have it done, so make sure to post some up

Thanks for trying. Waiting for some quotes to come back, but if they are anything like the £1300 one company quoted then it won't be made at all!! £400 I can justify, £500 I can afford, but £1300 is just silly.

Especially as the whole point of CADCAM was the work is in the design phase, and the machining phase is just bolting down a block of material, pressing Go and coming back in an hour or two. (I know it's not that simple, but at £1300 and say £100 per hour that's 13 man hours!!!!!!!).

Maybe worth the extra cost to get it done properly. Where are you getting the material from? ensure it is the correct spec and certified so. Also I assume you have detailed drawings Tristan? the drawing you show is basically a sketch.

Edit: Sorry just noticed sht 1 of 9

Quote from tristancliffe :

Especially as the whole point of CADCAM was the work is in the design phase, and the machining phase is just bolting down a block of material, pressing Go and coming back in an hour or two. (I know it's not that simple, but at £1300 and say £100 per hour that's 13 man hours!!!!!!!).

Not exactly that straight forward, CAM programming takes time, cutters and holders are expensive. and cutters tend to break, and even "lights out" machining has an hourly cost, machine cost, servicing, oil, cutting fliud, operator etc etc etc.

That said, £1300 is a lot of money.

Quote from danowat :

Not exactly that straight forward, CAM programming takes time, cutters and holders are expensive. and cutters tend to break, and even "lights out" machining has an hourly cost, machine cost, servicing, oil, cutting fliud, operator etc etc etc.

That said, £1300 is a lot of money.

From my experience £1300 is not bad at all for a bespoke item like this.

I reckon the job cost would come in around £600, looking at the PDF, obviously that doesn't include material.

But it depends where you go, I used to work for a small toolmaking firm, I am (was) a toolmaker by trade, who "upgraded" (LOL) to being a CADCAM guy, obviously small firms have less overheads, so you will get a better price from a smaller firm, than a larger one.

@ Tristan, if my guy doesn't come through, theres a guy I used to work with who has his own small engineering firm in Long Stratton, he may give you a good price.

The firm I got the quote from (the only quote I've had so far, but three or four other firms are meant to be quoting on it today) was going to use 6262 grade aluminium and a lump of that was something like £80 to them (a bit more to us as my firm doesn't buy in bulk as much as they do).

I know that the costs aren't quite as simple as I made them out to be, but I still think £1300 is unreasonable. I reckon there is three hours cutting time there, so essentiallt the hourly rate is £400/hr. If I wanted that hourly rate I'd hire a solicitor!

Dan, I hope your estimate is about right, because I might just be able to justify it. I've got a local foundry pricing up taking a mould from the existing part and modifying the mould to make the changes. I think that's going to end up at around £500 minimum.

I was actually thinking that sand / wax casting may be cheaper when I was looking at the PDF.

I would say theres a few more than 3 hours machining time in that piece, probably closer to 10.