Would anyone be interested in Custom Plasma-cut Parts?

[Shane]

Just a feeler to see if anyone out there would be interested in having some custom parts plasma-cut for them? I'm considering the purchase of a CNC Plasma table, and just wondering if anyone can think of some custom parts they wish they could have made at a reasonable price. Things like the instrument cluster plate or center console trim plate here:

Maybe some weld-on or bolt-on brackets to mount various components? An emblem or badge with a logo plasma-cut into it? Pretty much any 2-D shape cut from metal, or anything that you could make into a 3-D shape by cutting out the 2-D shape and bending into a 3-D shape?

My thoughts are that you could draw what you want in a CAD program and email me the file in .dxf format and I could cut it for you, or if you're not experienced with CAD, you could give me enough dimensions or a sketch so that I could draw it up for you and cut it.

I guess my angle here is that most laser/waterjet companies will either not consider doing a single part, or they tend to charge a small fortune for it, since most of these places are set up to run large quantities of parts....not one or two of a single part. Give me your thoughts! Thanks!

 

[JohnC]

I need parts occasionally, and it's always a struggle to find someone who's willing to do only 1 or 2 pieces. There's a water jet place I use on occasion, but they're always backed up, and it takes at least a week to do a 5 minute job.

What's the maximum thickness of metal you'd be able to do, and any constraints on the type of metal, ie can it be ferrous and/or nonferrous. What about plastics & carbon fiber? (I know little or nothing about plasma cutting)

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

John..do you really think a week is a long time to have a custom part made?...especially in a shop that is obviously busy?

 

[Chris Headon]

Fran, hell yes :shocked: Don't you know the Mantra? "I don't know what I want, but I want it NOW!" Seriously though a week is quite a short time for a custom part and I for one would be happy to get something like that done in a week. As for parts that might be needed, well the obvious one is custom gear lever gates, switch gear escutcheons for the dash, some might want personalised vent plates for the rear clip etc.

 

[Shane]

I need parts occasionally, and it's always a struggle to find someone who's willing to do only 1 or 2 pieces. There's a water jet place I use on occasion, but they're always backed up, and it takes at least a week to do a 5 minute job.

What's the maximum thickness of metal you'd be able to do, and any constraints on the type of metal, ie can it be ferrous and/or nonferrous. What about plastics & carbon fiber? (I know little or nothing about plasma cutting)

Well, the max thickness of metal I'd be able to cut will depend on what plasma cutter I decide to install on the table. If I feel rich if/when I actually purchase this whole thing, I will be able to go as thick as 1". If I don't feel so rich, maybe just 3/4". As I understand it, I will be able to cut pretty much any conducting metal....no plastics or CF.

 

[Shane]

As for parts that might be needed, well the obvious one is custom gear lever gates, switch gear escutcheons for the dash, some might want personalised vent plates for the rear clip etc.

Now we're cookin'. Those are the types of things I'm talking about being able to provide. Maybe some custom cut and bent brackets to mount things like fuel pumps, coolant tanks, oil tanks, oil pumps, ECU's. For those using the street tail, maybe a nice perforated/vented panel with exhaust "trim rings" burned into the panel?

 

[JohnC]

John..do you really think a week is a long time to have a custom part made?...especially in a shop that is obviously busy?

Sure seems like a long time when I'm waiting for it! I'm not talking about anything complex here either; usually just a flat chunk of ally or steel, for use as a bracket, mounting plate, etc.

The last little project did get moved to the head of the line, and I had it the next day when I brought the shop an ice chest full of Bud.

 

[Dave]

I usually can get things done within a day or two but I live in SF and have a few options at my disposal and I prefer water-jet cut parts btw. I guess it all depends on the quality of the plasma cutter though but in my general experiences, water is better than plasma.

I also find the term "cash sale" sometimes expedites the process along with the fact I do my own drawings in CAD, or whatever is required.

Shane, after seeing some of the goodies you've come up with for the GTM, I'm eager to see what you can come up with for the SL-C. Do you have any RCR products in line to build yet?

 

[Randy V]

As I understand it, I will be able to cut pretty much any conducting metal....no plastics or CF.

You can cut through anything (including flesh) that conducts electricity...

Note: Carbon Fiber get's really messy when you hit it with a plasma cutter - The edges have a tendency to catch fire and when you go do disconnect the ground cable from it, you find that the resin has leeched out of the CF and is not re-solidified and has a death grip on your work... Note - I tried this just for S's&G's one day on a scrap piece...

 

[Doug Clark]

John..do you really think a week is a long time to have a custom part made?...especially in a shop that is obviously busy?

When I supply the DXF files I can get parts turned around in 2 or 3 days here. This is for laser cutting, they can to up to 10mm steel, there's a min order of A$60, which buys a lot of steel.

If I did not supply the CAD data then I would expect it to cost way more money and take way longer to do.

The finish with laser cutting is excellent, but I expect that there's a big difference in the price of the equipment to get set up (between plasma and laser). If I were setting up to do this sort of work commercially I'd be scouring a good 100miles around me to see who the competition are and what their business is like before I made the investment.

For myself I'd love to have a laser cutter but looking at what I pay commercially it has to be a cut throat business to get into and just getting get the money back on the machine would scare the hell out of me.

 

[Alex]

I don't need anything for myself Shane, but that would be a cool toy to have!

John..do you really think a week is a long time to have a custom part made?...especially in a shop that is obviously busy?

My friend usually punches me out my stuff 2-3hrs after I ask him for it ... and most of the times I don't even give him a solidworks file, I just wave my arms in the air and make random noises and hope he interprets them properly ... I'm spoiled :laugh:

 

[Doc Kaler]

Shane,

Here's an area of the SLC build needing reinforcing plates. Most are currently fabricating their own solutions.

 

[Shane]

Doc Kaler ..... good example there, and yes, probably would be a great seller. Dave ... No, I don't have any RCR kits in the queue just yet....hoping something comes along soon!

As far as this plasma thing goes, I know it's a competitive business, and I do think it would be difficult to try to make a living from just cutting parts for paying customers. I guess I'm just looking at it more as a very useful tool for my business so that I can be better at my job of building these custom turn-key cars......making the parts I need when I need them and having them look professional ..... but I can't justify buying it just based on that alone. It would be sitting idle for days or weeks at a time when I'm done with the mechanicals on the GTM's and I'm spending all of my time with bodywork.

However, if I can keep it busy enough to bring in even just $75-$100/week, it will take a lot of the "bite" out of owning it. I'm hoping I could do that between the GTM guys, the RCR guys here, cutting repair parts for the local farmers equipment or even making signs and "decorative" stuff and putting my wife to work marketting it.

 

[Schills]

Shane,

Here's an area of the SLC build needing reinforcing plates. Most are currently fabricating their own solutions.

Newbie question. . .

The part that needs reenforcement. . . is it the part where the door attaches to the body/chassis, or where the hinge attaches to the door?

 

[Jack]

IMO it is helpful. 1/8" aluminum is fine, epoxied to the fiberglass. Not sure it is absolutely necessary though. Use for both inside the door and the inside of the body hinge bolt area. Large fender washers would likely be just as effective.
Very easily DIY should you choose. I'm doing it "Just because".

 

[Tom]

Shane,
I could use a couple of 4" x 8" oval blank cover plates cut out of 1/4" aluminum.