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Need someone with a Lathe to turn out heatsinks!

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Dec 23, 2010
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So i ordered some aluminum rods and now i am here looking at the rods with gutted flashlights so...i need heatsinks!!

i need someone with a lathe so can send them the aluminum to make heatsinks for me. I will include drawings for the shape and dimensions.

if anyone can do it or know of someone willing to do it then let me know.

Of course you will be paid, if you can do it then let me know the costs.

i would probably need about 5 heatsinks all of which are different sizes and require steps (multiple diameters with a lip) kinda like this:

________
|_ _|
|_ _|
| |

not the most high tech drawing but you guys get it. (not all of the heatsinks are like this. just 2 of them. the rest are...nvm

i'll include drawings. help a guy out!!!
EDIT: ignore the drawing. when i was makign it, it looked fine, then when it posted it looks retarded.
 





Ray J Neal does really good custom heatsink work :)

I know others here do too - but I've had experience with Ray, and he's awesome. Get's my thumbs way up.
 
Well, i dont know of his work. basically im getting charged 12-15 dollars a heatsink from a local machine shop, and thats AFTER i provide my own aluminum. im just trying to see if i can get it cheaper than that.

oh and those heatsinks i had the shop make were just plain round ones. the ones with a lip and multiple steps were a little bit more complicated so the guy was telling me he wanted 20-25 bucks ea. so i said i'll hold off on that.

sorry if i sound like im a cheap ass but these are some cheap hosts im trying make so im trying to keep costs down. if it doesnt sound reasonable then back to the machine shop i go!
 
That's a fair decent price - on par with what you'll find here I think.

I could be wrong, but I would imagine 12-15 dollars is on the good side of a custom heat-sink commission. For comparison - the hotlights or survival lasers heatsinks sell for about ~$12, and those get made in repetitive batches. So I'd say $12-$15 for something custom, is pretty fair.

But I'll bow out now - someone who actually makes them would have a better sense of costing ;)
 
Realistically if you want someone to make you heatsinks for $12 its possible....except that you already bought the aluminum. Its going to cost you a LOT to ship a few bars of aluminum and then you still have to ship the heatsinks back! which will mean you will have to find someone willing to crank them out for charity in order to beat the price of the machine shop. If you hadnt already bought the aluminum then it would be more likely.
 
ahh i see. well, the heatsinks for 12 dollars were round like the hotlights. plus, he didnt even drill a hole for me. all the guy did was turn 1.125 inch aluminum rod, into 1.1 inch. then cut them with a saw to the size needed. thats all i had him do and it was 50 dollars + tax for 4 of them. i mean its still reasonable but the guy had me wait in the store while he did it so i know it didnt take all that long. maybe 20-30 minutes tops.

i drilled out the center hole and tapped for a set screw myself. i guess i'm asking for too much i suppose. Just trying to get a feel for the cost of these things as i *thought* i was being overcharged.
 
He didnt even machine the hole?! People hear would likely provide you with fully machined heat sinks including the set screw for around that price if you just count the aluminum you bought as a loss.

I would make the sinks for you but I am quite busy at the moment.
 
Well, i dont know of his work. basically im getting charged 12-15 dollars a heatsink from a local machine shop, and thats AFTER i provide my own aluminum. im just trying to see if i can get it cheaper than that.

oh and those heatsinks i had the shop make were just plain round ones. the ones with a lip and multiple steps were a little bit more complicated so the guy was telling me he wanted 20-25 bucks ea. so i said i'll hold off on that.

sorry if i sound like im a cheap ass but these are some cheap hosts im trying make so im trying to keep costs down. if it doesnt sound reasonable then back to the machine shop i go!
i would shop around. I use to get 20 sinks for $150 from a local machine shop around here.
 
The only other way to get cheap labor Heat Sinks made
is to invest in a Lathe and make them yourself...
The guy at the Machine shop had to spend Mucho $$$
for his industrial Lathe and that's why he charges ~ $100 /Hr...

Jerry
 
ok problem solved. Found a local guy who only charges $70 an hour which is very very cheap for machining. 8 custome sinks with a lips, and multiple steps cost me 100 dollars even. Very nice work for the price.

THREAD OFFICIALLY CLOSED!!

EDIT: wait nvm, i think thats only reserved for Mods to do. well its closed technically. thanks all for you input!
 


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