| I wonder what the cost/turnaround time for a one-off prototype would be? For these work piece sizes and materials, you can do it yourself for ~$3,000 USD one-time hardware cost: * Sherline 3-Axis 5400 CNC-ready* [1] $1,300 USD * Stepper Motors + Controller[2] $500 * PC + parallel port $500 * Measuring and holding tools $500 + Materials + CAD/CAM software + Several hours/days of time for setup and machining The cost of these materials is low, so I guess you could make a prototype like this for maybe $50 in material costs? As an added benefit you could machine some or all parts in aluminum, if preferred. [1] http://www.sherline.com/
[2] http://www.omc-stepperonline.com/ * I would recommend retro-fitting limit switches onto this mill, which is relatively cheap to do |