Just One.
A single custom part is normal work for a job shop, which is organised around constant changeover, unlike a production shop whose economics depend on long runs.
- Situation /
- Planned work
- Steps /
- 4 to get moving
- Bring /
- 4 things
- Call /
- 337-837-2314
A single custom part is normal work for a job shop, which is organised around constant changeover, unlike a production shop whose economics depend on long runs.
You need one part. The shops you have called want a minimum quantity, or quoted a price that seems disproportionate, or simply have not called back. This is a structural difference between kinds of manufacturer, not a judgement about your job.
What to do
- 01
Understand what you are paying for
On a one-off, almost all the cost is setup: programming, workholding, tooling, first-article inspection. The actual cutting is often a small fraction of it. That is why the second piece is dramatically cheaper than the first.
- 02
Ask what a second piece would cost
Frequently a small fraction of the first. If there is any chance of needing another, that is the cheapest spare you will ever buy.
- 03
Bring a sample or a sketch rather than nothing
A one-off does not need a formal drawing. A dimensioned sketch, an existing part or a marked-up photograph is enough to quote and often enough to make.
- 04
Say which dimensions actually matter
Blanket-tolerancing everything tightly because you are not sure is the most common way a one-off gets expensive. Identify the few features that have to be right.
Questions People Ask
Will a machine shop make just one part?
- A job shop will — that is what a job shop is organised to do. Production shops often decline single pieces because their economics depend on long runs, which is a difference in business model rather than a reflection on the job.
Why does one part cost so much?
- Because setup dominates. Programming, workholding, tooling and first-article inspection are the same whether you make one part or fifty, and on a single piece all of that lands on one part. It is also why a second piece typically costs a fraction of the first.
Send us the part.
337-837-2314 — or send photographs and we will tell you what we can do.