I can do custom parts out of sheet and/or plate steel. Right now, I can have them done primarily out of 14 Ga. (0.075"), 11 Ga. (0.120"), 3/16", and 1/4", either in carbon steel or stainless. Aluminum might be an option in the near future.

If you are looking at fabbing custom brackets for stuff like AC compressors, or maybe power steering pumps or onboard air or the like, or need any flat bracket or adapter plate cut, then I can do it.

If you would like a turnkey part like engine mounts or welded bracket assemblies fabbed, I'm limited to carbon steel at the moment.

Right now, I'll have to run batches of parts until I can get enough stuff going to offer one-off single pieces at a decent price, so there might be a small time delay until I get enough orders to offset setup cost.

You can send me a simple sketch with overall dimensions, and in turn I'll provide you with a CAD proof for you to verify. I'm working on costing right now, and will be able to quote you a price for pieces based on quantity and material. Remember, the more orders I get in, the better your prices are. I definitely encourage group orders if you'd like!

3/5/2008 8:32:30 AM

That's pretty cool... what kind of equipment are you using?

3/5/2008 8:33:39 AM

Laser, though I can have stuff waterjet cut if need be.

3/5/2008 8:50:34 AM

dan if you can get ahold of dimensions for york mounts on a tj 4.0 or 4banger i have some guys that will buy them. i can get dimensions from mine for the 4banger and I can see if anyone has the 4.0 brackets.

3/5/2008 10:10:36 AM

YES!

[Edited on March 5, 2008 at 10:38 AM. Reason : sent pm]

3/5/2008 10:35:58 AM

damnit! why couldnt you have offered this when i was living in raleigh?!

3/5/2008 3:24:19 PM

I'ma need some stuff in the next 2 weeks or so.

3/5/2008 6:02:35 PM

I might have a need for a bracket for an odd purpose (mating a seat out of an old Volvo to a swivel desk chair base). May PM you with dimensions in the next couple days...

3/6/2008 1:39:02 AM

Bring all on, folks. I'll be working with my salesman to figure pricing info; keep in mind I'm still green on these, so it may take a day or two to get back with you.

3/6/2008 9:24:53 AM

Can you work with solidworks files? My brother is needing a few things.. I could draw them in that fine but I hate AutoCAD..

3/6/2008 9:27:02 AM

You can export to dxf from within Solid Works. I can do any exported flat in dxf format.

3/6/2008 1:12:37 PM

Hi ZX,

I have a small run of two pieces in 14 Ga. SS at 1.75" x 1.43" with three holes inside. I can email you a PDF of the part, and can also provide a DXF file if needed.

Would be interested in approximate cost.

Thanks,
Keith

3/6/2008 3:41:36 PM

Hi ZX,

i want my poop into metal

thanks

3/6/2008 4:10:46 PM

i can cut a turd for you. I might even be able to etch some lumps in it.

BTTT, niggas.

3/6/2008 8:36:53 PM

Dan,

Any chance you can you get me a small sheet of 14 gauge copper? I need it to fabricate a heatsink for a Bosch LSU wideband sensor. Last sensor overheated after like 500 miles. I relocated it two feet further back in the downpipe (was 3 feet from the turbo, now is 5 feet right before the catback flange). I figured getting the copper would be easy... but nobody in Raleigh seems to have it. I called a lot of building supply stores and they were all like "uhhhh wtf?"

The places online are going to charge me like $40 after shipping etc and I can't even be sure that this heatsink will noticeably extend the life of the sensor given the high EGT's of the rotary exhaust (1400-1800 degrees). Innovate sells a really nice heatsink (nicer than the DIY kind) but it's about $100 after shipping etc.

The thing is, I can get a brand new sensor from Advance for like $52. It's the OEM sensor for the VW 1.8T engines. And since I'm running leaded gas I don't expect much life to these sensors anyway (was hoping for 2000 miles, got 1/4 of that with the first sensor).

If you can't hook it up for a good price I'll probably just drive the car as-is and hope that relocating the sensor extended its life somewhat.

[Edited on March 10, 2008 at 12:21 PM. Reason : .]

3/10/2008 12:20:05 PM

Can you make me this for less?

http://www.ioportracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=SBB15&Category_Code=IH

Looks pretty simple.

3/10/2008 12:42:21 PM

ah dude even i can nigger rid something like that up.


but i cant guarantee a safety rating

3/10/2008 12:57:36 PM

how big of a piece of copper do you need?
I have a piece 3''x6'' or so.

3/10/2008 2:48:44 PM

^^ & ^^^...

Therein lies the pinch. Safety rated.

I'm not geared up for welding aluminum yet, and it's going to take some to put the thing together.

The rollcage clamp is pretty elaborate as far as braking the piece.

3/11/2008 9:34:03 AM

SpeedFreak can weld aluminum.
pm me if interested.

3/11/2008 9:36:39 AM

Just got a couple of small parts that I had done for CODIY...and they look great. Laser is really good for fairly fine detail, especially in thinner metals.

These are two lock plates cut from 14 gage brushed stainless. I'll post pics when I get home, as I left my Bluetooth dongle at the house and can't upload them here.

Remember, cost goes down with quantity. I actually have to draw the parts in CAD and export to DXF so that the files can be imported into the CNC software. So while initial setup and small runs might be a bit expensive, bigger runs are much cheaper per part.

3/14/2008 2:55:29 PM

what if we do all the work with CAD and just send you the *.dxf?

3/14/2008 3:04:34 PM

Totally acceptable. I can handle that too.

3/14/2008 3:11:01 PM

Okay, shitdickers...bttt.

3/17/2008 5:21:47 PM

I'd love to see some pics of finished products.

Not that I'll probably really ever order anything..but hey, I'd still like to see some pictures

3/17/2008 5:25:58 PM

Can you laser cut my skateboard veneers? 1/16 maple... There would be 4 different profiles though, and like 3 or 4 of each. About 40"x10"

I'm doing it on the waterjet at work right now and works fine but the drying process is a bitch and i'm looking for a better (faster) way

3/18/2008 11:50:09 AM

why in the world are you cutting wood on a waterjet? I can't even imagine the pain that must be.

I can give you the name of a place in raleigh that will CNC mill wood veneer/plywood sheets for 20-35 bucks for a 4x8' sheet, including prep, pull and packing.

----------------

zx: Can you do any bends? IE can I send you my cad for a sheet cut, along with a couple of simple brakes and radii? Also can you tap holes for machine screws? I have a personal project I wouldn't mind throwing some money at

[Edited on March 18, 2008 at 7:35 PM. Reason : .]

3/18/2008 7:34:01 PM

Basically because its easier and more accurate than a jigsaw. It cuts the wood without abrasive and cuts as fast as the machine will run. The only reason the wood gets wet is 'splashback', so if I cut with a big thick piece of foam underneath or drained the tank half way it would be fine and the sheets would come off dry. I've only cut one set so far... Its kind of a pain to drain and refill the tank, and I don't want to waste the foam, so I wanna know how much dan will do it for. I'd like to check out the place you're talking about.

I dried the plies sandwiched between some lengths of expanded metal step stock overnight and then out in the sun for a few hours.

The board will be lammed up like so with glass, first 4 plies, carbon, 5th ply, glass. Cutting the plies like this lets me build in wheel cutouts.




[Edited on March 18, 2008 at 9:25 PM. Reason : d]

3/18/2008 9:24:38 PM

you could get that stuff cut with much less blowout (based on your pictures) on a professional CNC router. A vacuum table and a 20k rpm router will be at least as fast with less prep and cleaner lines (and probably even a bit more accurately).

Waterjets are for primarily cutting metals, wood is waaayyyy too soft and major overkill.

3/19/2008 5:44:41 AM

The blowout is from running at separation speed. It would cut smoother slower but since this is all getting encased in resin/glass the edge doesn't matter. Its just one of those 'use what you got' things (free). I disagree that its "too soft
though, perdue uses waterjet to cut chicken and at high speed the full force of the jet is being utilized to rip the wood, hence the rough edge. But I digress. You are right something else with a vacuum table would be more accurate. Who is the laser shop you refer to?

[Edited on March 19, 2008 at 6:45 AM. Reason : d]

3/19/2008 6:44:14 AM

cool stuff Dan. I've got a design for a piggyback A/C compressor york compressor bracket for my truck I need built. also brackets for mounting bumpers. if you can do bends in the steel, that could open up a ton of other stuff I'd like done too.

3/19/2008 2:55:47 PM

^^It's not a laser, its a CNC routing table. The guy is down in Garner and does mostly cabinet work, but he's cut quite a few pieces for my last company for high end furniture and built-ins.

But yeah, can't beat free!

3/19/2008 3:25:25 PM

i need this cut from some 11 ga. sometime in the future. I'ma print, measure and convert to .dxf.

3/29/2008 5:44:41 PM

Joey, dont do it, and that ring finger wouldnt work out anyways.

3/29/2008 6:58:48 PM

Okay. For real. I just shipped off some parts last week, and they turned out excellent. The guy was tickled.

Time to gear up and put out some more work. Talk to me if you need stuff done.

dustm...I dunno if the guys are set up to do the thin wood stuff. Our lasers are autofocus, but they don't have proper feed rates dialed in for materials other than steels, silicone and neoprene rubber, aluminum, and they've even done Lexan, but don't like doing it.

Right now, I don't have enough orders to be able to instantly quote a job, because a lot depends on the volume of work of one thickness I have done at one time. If you want to submit a design to me, I'll be glad to store it and try to get you the best possible price within a certain time frame.

The most popular thicknesses I have to work with right now are 14 gage (0.0781"), 11 gage (0.120"), 3/16", and 1/4" in stainless. I also have access to most common thicknesses of standard carbon steel.

I'm not pricing bends right now because I haven't figured the corresponding shop times into my pricing. I don't have access to a simple box brake or a pan brake (though I might look at buying one in the future), and everything I have done is done on a press brake. Setup time is a money hog with a hydraulic press brake. Again, volume is key to keeping pricing low.

4/7/2008 9:29:32 PM

look, im serious about that dildo

4/7/2008 9:30:51 PM

why don't you custom machine a 321 stainless steel dildo to put in that vag for not working on the ZX ?

4/7/2008 9:37:41 PM

so that makes 2 of us.

NICE!!!!

4/7/2008 9:41:57 PM

Quote :

"why don't you custom machine a 321 stainless steel dildo to put in that vag for not working on the ZX ?"

I worked long and hard on the ZX last weekend putting the motherfucker on a trailer and hauling it to the scrapyard. I'm done with that bastard.



[Edited on April 7, 2008 at 10:11 PM. Reason : DONE, DAMMIT]

4/7/2008 10:07:05 PM

Haha

[Edited on April 7, 2008 at 10:38 PM. Reason : even I couldn't swear off Z's for life, though]

4/7/2008 10:38:05 PM

Well, I happen to have a Kaminari air dam for a '79-'83 ZX for sale. Cheaper than you'll ever find elsewhere.

And a 5-speed tranny. And an R200 diff with 3.90 gears and tripod-style halfshafts (like the turbos came with).

And an engine that's not quite together but should run like a champ when it is.

4/7/2008 11:40:22 PM

Hey Dan,

Thanks again for the two lock set plates. I am very happy with the way they turned out. I saw that you mentioned you have waterjet capability too. Are you doing any 3-d work with it?

If you do start quoting bending, I would also have some more work for you, if that helps make your decision.

Thanks,
Keith

4/23/2008 8:50:27 AM

sent you a pm.

4/23/2008 11:17:18 AM

^sent you one in return.

^^Keith...I can get one of our vendors to do waterjet, but I've not done anything 3-D. A better person to ask here would be dustm. He has extensive waterjet cutting experience.

4/23/2008 8:14:27 PM

Dan, Now worries. I was just thinking that the laser cutter would not be able to do countersinks for flat head screws. I can always cut them myself, though. Just laziness, really.

Do let us know when you get into the bending business.

Thanks

4/24/2008 5:53:48 PM

I need a few hoppers for cole duplex planters. they are entirely flat parts except for 2 conic sections in the bottom of each hopper. the rest of the unit is cast iron. I can measure what I have and draw it with cad. These are the ones with square lids. http://www.coleplanter.com/new/twin7.html Stainless would be really nice.

4/24/2008 7:29:58 PM

Can you send me detailed pics?

4/24/2008 8:14:55 PM

hey dan, have any detailed pics or your girlfriend naked you can send me?

4/24/2008 8:19:43 PM

I can have the pics to you by the first of the week.

4/24/2008 8:43:44 PM

^^not a snowball's chance in hell. Tho she is pretty damn cute nekkid.

^That sounds good to me! Lemme know...

[Edited on April 24, 2008 at 8:59 PM. Reason : more for ewstephe]

4/24/2008 8:58:29 PM