FAQ
Questions we get
What file formats do you accept?
Rhino (.3dm) is our primary — send one and we work from it directly. Beyond that: DWG, DXF, AI, EPS, PDF, SVG for 2D; 3DM, STEP, IGES, STL, SKP, OBJ, SLDPRT, F3D for 3D. The only two we cannot work from are Blender and Cinema 4D — export to STEP or STL and we are fine. Vectors should be 1:1 scale, closed paths, text converted to outlines.
How fast can you turn a job around?
Typical turnaround is 5–7 business days. Large jobs, or anything needing finishing or assembly, usually run 10 business days or more. Tell us your deadline when you submit and we will tell you straight whether we can hit it.
Can you cut or etch metal?
No — we do not take metal work. Not aluminum, not steel, not brass. Our lasers are CO2, which cannot cut or mark metal at all. If your part has to be metal you want a waterjet or a fiber laser, not us. Ask and we will point you at a shop we trust.
What are the machine limits?
CNC: 5ft x 10ft sheet, 12 inches of Z, tooling down to 1/16 inch diameter. Laser: 32 by 20 inch bed, cutting through material up to about 1/2 inch depending on what it is, and etching on objects up to 12 inches tall.
How tight a tolerance can you hold?
Down to a thousandth of an inch, in a material that cooperates. Solid wood moves with the season and foam compresses, so the real answer depends on your material and geometry. Tell us what the part has to fit and we will tell you what we can actually hold.
Can you laser-cut PVC or polycarbonate?
No. Chlorinated plastics release chlorine gas under a CO2 laser — a hazard to the operator and it corrodes the machine. We will not do it. But we do rout PVC and polycarbonate on the CNC, and that is completely routine. So the answer depends on the machine: router yes, laser never.
Do you stock material?
Deliberately, no. We cut such a wide range that stocking it makes no sense, and our suppliers are fast — often next-day. The upside for you is that you choose from a real catalog rather than from whatever happens to be on the rack. Each material page lists what we can get.
Can I supply my own material?
Yes. Ship it or drop it off. We will confirm first that it is something we can safely cut — see the list above.
Do you have a minimum order?
No minimum. We cut one-offs and we cut production runs. There is a shop minimum charge on very small jobs, which we will tell you about up front.
What does it cost?
Price is driven by material, machine time, and quantity — in that order. Send the file and we will price it, usually same day.
Next step
Have a file? Get a quote.
Send us your CAD or vector file and we’ll come back with a price and a lead time.