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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Cool find! - eMachineShop.com custom CNC :)

rhd

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Coolest site/tool ever! Basically, they give you a free super-simple CAD program to design - pretty much whatever you want in. Choose the material, choose the finish, and right from within the software it will quote you a price, for your chosen qty, shipped to your door.

http://www.emachineshop.com/

I played around with it last night, and for $#!& and giggles made a focus ring with M9x0.5 aixiz threads. In aluminum, 100x of them would come to $370 US shipped to my door. $3.70 per focus ring - wow! I didn't place an order since I'm moving in a few weeks, but this will be a fun tool for the summer.

You can choose pretty much any material you want, in fact there are almost 10 different kinds of aluminum and half a dozen coppers. You can even choose pure silver (for 400x the price of aluminum)

Now THIS is something we should get some GroupBuys going on! I've never really used CAD (except in shop class way back when in HS, and I'm pretty sure that was like DOS based of something), yet this was simple enough for me to use!

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Asherz

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Very cool find,wander how much they quote for some hosts and things.

If they do just like a one of thing, rather than having to order 100+ it would be perfect :)
 

rhd

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Doing 1 instead of 100 is about half the price of just getting the 100.

So, basically, not worth it.

However, if there was something super awesome that people here wanted created, I'd foot the bill and get a big run of *something* made.
 

rhd

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I know what would be awesome -

A press-fit heatsink for (???? some common flashlight host that everyone can find locally ???) with the aixiz thread included in it - all one piece.
 

rhd

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Wow... I had no idea how relatively small the material cost different from aluminum to copper actually is.

I just priced a design for 4.5cm diameter press-fit heatsinks (sort of guessed the size that would fit a mag lite).

In aluminum, at a QTY of 50, they're $7.50 each. In copper, same QTY, they're just $9.50 each.
 

rhd

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I know - this is unreal. I had it in my mind that CNCing heatsinks would cost tons of $$, but this this is a lot less expensive than I anticipated.

I think what I'd like to do, is design a press-fit heatsink for the standard 501/502 flashlights. Those are everywhere.

I'd get them done in copper. Pressfit, so that you just needed to add a lens. I'm sure the actual cost on these would be under $10 each, looks like closer to $6.

Then, since I don't want to ship 100 parts out, just sell them in 10 packs of 10 for $60 each, or whatever. Then other people could distribute them / use them on a smaller scale.
 
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That looks like a low budget AutoCAD inventor program lol. Parametric feature based programs are perfect for components like HS. Materials in raw form (unless its something like precious metals or rare exotic alloys ;) ) usually won't have a radical price difference in terms of cost for production and it does tend to blow people away when they see its not that much more expensive to "upgrade materials".

I could see this is a way for some pretty sick custom hosts as well.

This is an awesome find rhd :beer:
 
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Asherz

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You should post a link to this over in the Artic host GB thread, might save pontiac some time and effort if he just sends his designs off to these guys to get it made and save him self some time and effort :)
 
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With this tool its completely doable and with a GB could be done for a pretty fair price.

And with the input of this community I don't doubt that it would be anything other than a completely unique host ;)
 
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Shoot, if y'all are looking to get something machined, I know a guy that works in RC parts, does amazing and intricate work. Plus he just started his own shop and may be interested in some non RC runs. He's made a bunch of stuff for me, I can talk to him if there's interest.
Check out some of his work here:
Examples of My Work - Scale 4x4 R/C Forums
 
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LaZeRz

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Ahh so thats how you designed those focus nobs :D

nice find btw :)
 
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hey rhd,

if you can send me a pm with all the info for the focus knobs and ill see about getting a quote from the shop i work at. prices are very reasonable..

has to be production runs of 20+ though.. no 1 or 2 item stuff
 
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