I have just finished designing my molle panel. I wanted something with a slightly thicker border and with one windo opening instead of two.
Most sellers online sell 80 series panels for around $120-180 a piece so I thought that maybe Send Cut Send will be the way to go: my own design and also cheaper. Well I was wrong.
Does anyone know someone either local to SD county or OC or a company that can ship but doesn't cost a kidney?
I have just finished designing my molle panel. I wanted something with a slightly thicker border and with one windo opening instead of two.
Most sellers online sell 80 series panels for around $120-180 a piece so I thought that maybe Send Cut Send will be the way to go: my own design and also cheaper. Well I was wrong.
Does anyone know someone either local to SD county or OC or a company that can ship but doesn't cost a kidney?
How much did it cost from Send Cut Send? I did the same for a part I designed and one unit was prohibitively expensive, but 1000 pieces of the same part was somewhat affordable.
I have just finished designing my molle panel. I wanted something with a slightly thicker border and with one windo opening instead of two.
Most sellers online sell 80 series panels for around $120-180 a piece so I thought that maybe Send Cut Send will be the way to go: my own design and also cheaper. Well I was wrong.
Does anyone know someone either local to SD county or OC or a company that can ship but doesn't cost a kidney?
One piece was around $275 so basically 2x more expensive than buying one online. I have a CNC machine but for wood and this price is really outrageous. I was hoping around $100 per piece.
If I don't find any other option, I will simply make the panels out of carbon fiber sheets. A 3 or 4mm carbon fiber sheet will cost me $60 and to cut it on my CNC, I will need a $20 bit for composites.
The world is crazy: you need to use carbon fiber because you are poor, haha. But the benefit is that it won't rust. will be stiff and lightweight and might need only a light clearcoat.
You will probably find a better deal locally at a CNC shop who can cut it from a plasma table in their spare time. Then you do the work of cleaning up the rough edges with an orbital sander. I did that for a couple of pieces.
Considering your location I would think finding that kind of thing somewhat local to you would be relatively easy. Perhaps even easy enough that you could drive there instead of having to ship.
Alternatively work with an up and coming "overland" company to purchase your design to add to their catalog. They can order the bulk and you get the cheaper investment. They get the design to sell and co-branded between the two of you, plus opens up a future design line for more products.
I had SCS do some work for me over the summer. I thought the prices were outrageous; for what they quoted me, I would have expected them to retain courier services, both ways. I used to work in a machine shop; I know what work costs.
You will probably find a better deal locally at a CNC shop who can cut it from a plasma table in their spare time. Then you do the work of cleaning up the rough edges with an orbital sander. I did that for a couple of pieces.
Considering your location I would think finding that kind of thing somewhat local to you would be relatively easy. Perhaps even easy enough that you could drive there instead of having to ship.
Alternatively work with an up and coming "overland" company to purchase your design to add to their catalog. They can order the bulk and you get the cheaper investment. They get the design to sell and co-branded between the two of you, plus opens up a future design line for more products.
I have a lot of designs and mods for the 80 series but I don't know how to make a company 'work with me'. That's probably a good idea.
I can also order 20 of these sets and the price will go down substantially but for a similar price I might as well buy a plasma CNC or a regular CNC and convert it to plasma cutting.
You will probably find a better deal locally at a CNC shop who can cut it from a plasma table in their spare time. Then you do the work of cleaning up the rough edges with an orbital sander. I did that for a couple of pieces.
Considering your location I would think finding that kind of thing somewhat local to you would be relatively easy. Perhaps even easy enough that you could drive there instead of having to ship.
Alternatively work with an up and coming "overland" company to purchase your design to add to their catalog. They can order the bulk and you get the cheaper investment. They get the design to sell and co-branded between the two of you, plus opens up a future design line for more products.
The problem with just any plasma is the heat input on that piece is going to make it look like a potato chip unless you wait ages in between pierces & cuts. We have a 200a 5x10 plasma and even on the 50amp setting thin aluminum is my arch nemesis. I absolutely hate working with it. Probably needing some more expensive equipment to cut this right, either water jet or laser, neither of which I have experience with other than knowing its a much more expensive process than plasma due to both equipment & consumable costs.
OP, some alternatives/competitors to SCS are OSHCut & Xometry. No experience with either, just know about them from absorbing marketing from both companies over time.
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I can also order 20 of these sets and the price will go down substantially but for a similar price I might as well buy a plasma CNC or a regular CNC and convert it to plasma cutting.
Probably needing some more expensive equipment to cut this right, either water jet or laser, neither of which I have experience with other than knowing its a much more expensive process than plasma due to both equipment & consumable costs.
Yes you are 100% right, and it didn't even cross my mind about the fact this is large and thin with tons of cuts. Water jet is probably the way.
I still think OP is likely to find something close by, considering their proximity to L.A. Like if I search for Bonsall, CA in google maps. Then search water jet cutting, I can find eight places less than 10 miles away, furthest is Performance water jet which looks like its in Escondido. I imagine laser is going to be more expensive. Worth in this case to reach out to a few of these places and ask how much to cut one of these, vs cutting like five to 10. Then just sell the other 4-9 pieces over time worst case.
Yeah Checkout OSHCUT. I’ve sent tons of designs for work there over the past few years. Xometry isn’t historically the best for Low volume sheet metal but has gotten better.
Protolabs/Protolabs network and Fictiv are a couple more quick turn easy to use places but likely won’t be cheaper than oshcut.
I've used Osh Cut. They were very good, priced fair, good turn around. They clean and burnish their holes better than Send Cut Send - in my experience.
