CNC Services in Michigan
- Thread starter tf1216
- Start date
That's a valid question. My comment about "making sawdust" was in jest.
In my head, the process towards completing CNC parts involves MDF, because it's cheap and available, for prototyping then onto the final material for the speaker.
I am not sure if folks with CNC machines like to deal with materials like MDF or particle board. I'm hoping to experiment with a waveguide which might take a few samples for testing.
In my head, the process towards completing CNC parts involves MDF, because it's cheap and available, for prototyping then onto the final material for the speaker.
I am not sure if folks with CNC machines like to deal with materials like MDF or particle board. I'm hoping to experiment with a waveguide which might take a few samples for testing.
Find a company that makes the punches for cartons / thick paper.
Those are blades embedded in plywood, it is a precise job, CNC routers and lasers are used, and each job runs less than 4 hours, so putting in a new job for you is the owner's choice.
To find these people, find the box makers in your area, they use the punches all the time (the name may be different in your area).
They also have to cut plywood, and the old style was to use jigsaws to make the slots for the blades.
Plenty of sawdust can be made.
Those are blades embedded in plywood, it is a precise job, CNC routers and lasers are used, and each job runs less than 4 hours, so putting in a new job for you is the owner's choice.
To find these people, find the box makers in your area, they use the punches all the time (the name may be different in your area).
They also have to cut plywood, and the old style was to use jigsaws to make the slots for the blades.
Plenty of sawdust can be made.
Thanks for the replies so far.
We have contacted the local shops but not a local community college. That's a great idea!
I am going to Google now, to find box makers in the area. No idea that was a thing.
We did reach out to Mark yesterday actually. He is not far from us.
The PE board was going to be the next stop after trying this forum.
We have contacted the local shops but not a local community college. That's a great idea!
I am going to Google now, to find box makers in the area. No idea that was a thing.
We did reach out to Mark yesterday actually. He is not far from us.
The PE board was going to be the next stop after trying this forum.
You might also have better luck if you take CAD drawings with you. If you are inclined to do something like that, I would suggest Fusion 360. You can get a free copy if you are a hobbyist. Fusion 360 also has good video training. You can also use it for the entire chassis design and for CNC tool paths with the Manufacturing module. There's a high learning curve, but you can use it for many things.
CNC routers are the backbone of the current furniture industry. Usually they are doing long runs but some shop may be able to do some short runs for you. At one point I was going to cabinet shops but the need to teach them about interlocking joints and airtight construction went nowhere. Its probably better now 40 years later and even those small shops have a CNC router. MDF is one of the best options for speaker cabinets. Its also common in cabinet shops. You can go nuts with laminated layers of different densities but won't get much for your efforts.
You clearly would like a local source able to CNC near you but I have an example where a builder half-way across the country can do an exceptional CNC job. Checkout the work that Kevin Kendrick did for me on cabinets for my Modified CBT24 project. Kevin is fellow speaker builder who I met in Dayton at one of the Part Express Midwest Audiofest sessions. The link is:
http://techtalk.parts-express.com/forum/tech-talk-forum/1348662-jim-s-new-cbt-arrays
Kevin, who does CNC work in his day job, took my 2D drawings and via messages/phone calls we communicated details for my project. He added features that both of us agreed yielded a successful build. The unpainted cabinets were boxed within custom fit foam cutouts for their journey via UPS . They arrived two days later from Fort Worth to my home in Tennessee.
http://techtalk.parts-express.com/forum/tech-talk-forum/1348662-jim-s-new-cbt-arrays
Kevin, who does CNC work in his day job, took my 2D drawings and via messages/phone calls we communicated details for my project. He added features that both of us agreed yielded a successful build. The unpainted cabinets were boxed within custom fit foam cutouts for their journey via UPS . They arrived two days later from Fort Worth to my home in Tennessee.