Who can make this thingiverse thing for me in wood? (Ideally in Seattle)
June 14, 2022 12:56 PM Subscribe
I want this Can't Stop board game board I found from from Thingiverse out of wood but I don't know who to be asking.
My first instinct was to find a laser cutting shop but the quote I received from a local shop was more expensive than I would have expected at over $250.
My second instinct was to consider a Maker Space but I've never done any kind of "making" so I'd assume I couldn't do it myself and I don't know if there's a way to ask for "commissioned" pieces.
I'd appreciate guidance on if there's a type of person/shop that could make this for me at a reasonable price -- would be especially happy if it was a Seattle-based person/shop. This is a gift so I would like it look nice and it does have to be made out of wood.
Thanks in advance!
My first instinct was to find a laser cutting shop but the quote I received from a local shop was more expensive than I would have expected at over $250.
My second instinct was to consider a Maker Space but I've never done any kind of "making" so I'd assume I couldn't do it myself and I don't know if there's a way to ask for "commissioned" pieces.
I'd appreciate guidance on if there's a type of person/shop that could make this for me at a reasonable price -- would be especially happy if it was a Seattle-based person/shop. This is a gift so I would like it look nice and it does have to be made out of wood.
Thanks in advance!
Best answer: $250 sounds about right for custom work like that. Making sure the piece comes out perfect might take some time, materials, and of course overhead.
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 1:07 PM on June 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 1:07 PM on June 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
Seattle Makers should be able to put you on contact with someone who can CNC out the whole set for you, and they definitely have the equipment. No idea about cost though.
https://seattlemakers.org/catalog/#CNC
I haven't seen any large scale wood 3D printing, as that basically is extruding wood pulp with resin, and that's very prone to clogging. It's definitely possible, but doesn't seem very popular.
posted by kschang at 1:09 PM on June 14, 2022
https://seattlemakers.org/catalog/#CNC
I haven't seen any large scale wood 3D printing, as that basically is extruding wood pulp with resin, and that's very prone to clogging. It's definitely possible, but doesn't seem very popular.
posted by kschang at 1:09 PM on June 14, 2022
Best answer: Seattle Makers also appears to have a laser cutter, which as far as I can tell is what that pattern needs. Seattle Makers has a Laser Cutter certification class: https://seattlemakers.org/catalog/#tour
Which is $150 for nonmembers: https://seattlemakers.org/events/laser-cutter-certification-158/
So they'd certainly have the equipment to do what you need but the cost might still feel prohibitive. It might be the kind of class where you could ask in advance if you took it if you could bring the materials to cut.
Somebody up above mentioned Ponoko and it does look like they have wood options.
https://www.ponoko.com/laser-cutting/wood
I went and uploaded the design you linked and you'd be looking at something between around $120-$164 for say, amber bamboo, but you'll have to try and figure out how thick the material you're cutting should be for those interlocking pieces--I'm not seeing a ton of instructions on the design itself about that. You might want to go through a round where you cut out just those pieces from the design on the various thicknesses they have to make sure they fit together right before doing the whole thing.
posted by foxfirefey at 1:26 PM on June 14, 2022
Which is $150 for nonmembers: https://seattlemakers.org/events/laser-cutter-certification-158/
So they'd certainly have the equipment to do what you need but the cost might still feel prohibitive. It might be the kind of class where you could ask in advance if you took it if you could bring the materials to cut.
Somebody up above mentioned Ponoko and it does look like they have wood options.
https://www.ponoko.com/laser-cutting/wood
I went and uploaded the design you linked and you'd be looking at something between around $120-$164 for say, amber bamboo, but you'll have to try and figure out how thick the material you're cutting should be for those interlocking pieces--I'm not seeing a ton of instructions on the design itself about that. You might want to go through a round where you cut out just those pieces from the design on the various thicknesses they have to make sure they fit together right before doing the whole thing.
posted by foxfirefey at 1:26 PM on June 14, 2022
Response by poster: Not to thread-sit but I definitely appreciate being told that $250 sounds like a reasonable quote! Admittedly, it was higher than I expected but as I mentioned in the original ask, I don't know anything!
posted by carpyful at 1:36 PM on June 14, 2022
posted by carpyful at 1:36 PM on June 14, 2022
A woodworker could do this for you. It's basically just a bunch of shallow, flat bottomed holes in a board. A Forstner bit in a drill press would give you a bunch of shallow, flat bottomed holes, then use a stencil to paint in the numbers. Do you know anyone with a drill press in their garage?
posted by ActingTheGoat at 1:49 PM on June 14, 2022
posted by ActingTheGoat at 1:49 PM on June 14, 2022
That quote isn’t unreasonable for materials, time, and expertise. But yes, there’s probably a hobbyist somewhere who will do it for you cheaper - but quite possibly slower - and contacting a makerspace is likely the way to find them.
Makerspaces likely would also love to teach you to do this yourself - but by the time you add up cost of money, time, and materials to join one, take classes, make some practice projects to get good enough to make the gift quality you want, etc., that’s probably not the right route unless you think you would enjoy doing more work like this in the future.
posted by Stacey at 3:12 PM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
Makerspaces likely would also love to teach you to do this yourself - but by the time you add up cost of money, time, and materials to join one, take classes, make some practice projects to get good enough to make the gift quality you want, etc., that’s probably not the right route unless you think you would enjoy doing more work like this in the future.
posted by Stacey at 3:12 PM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seattle Makers will be at the Fremont Fair this weekend, fyi. You could go meet some of them. Or you can just go visit the space. (I'm technically a member but too lazy nowadays to do anything.)
posted by mpark at 4:17 PM on June 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by mpark at 4:17 PM on June 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
Or you could just buy an awesome, vintage, stop sign version from me…
posted by Windopaene at 5:56 PM on June 14, 2022
posted by Windopaene at 5:56 PM on June 14, 2022
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Snark aside, cheapest way would be to use an online service like Ponoko, you'll need to figure out the basics of prepping the files for laser cutting yourself.
I'm not sure the current state of maker spaces in Seattle, but if you google some up you can definitely send them an email and ask if they have any members willing to help you with a laser/CNC project.
posted by jellywerker at 1:05 PM on June 14, 2022