Turning and milling to order: a part made to your drawing
What a machining order consists of
Turning makes round parts: shafts, bushes, pulleys, flanges. Milling gives flat surfaces, slots, housings and pockets, and on CNC machines also complex contours and batches. Grinding, cutting threads or gears and restoring worn seats are ordered separately. So first work out what you need: a new part, a copy of a sample, or a repair.
If you have no drawing, a broken part as a sample will do: the machinist can take the measurements. But say so, because measuring and drawing add work.
What to put in your request
- Part — shaft, bush, flange, gear, housing.
- Type of machining — turning, milling, CNC, grinding, threading, restoration.
- Drawing or sample — a file, a 3D model or a physical part.
- Material — grade of steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass, nylon; and whose blank it is.
- Dimensions — diameter, length, key sizes.
- Quantity — one part or a batch.
- Accuracy — tolerances, surface finish, heat treatment, coating.
- Deadline, city and budget.
Example: “Coimbatore. I need a shaft Ø40 × 300 mm in EN8 steel, made to a sample. I have a drawing, and the blank is mine. 10 pieces, tolerance 0.02, hardened. By the end of the month, budget up to ₱7,600.”
How to compare offers
The difference between machinists is not only in price but in approach. One charges for machine hours, another per piece, and another adds the setup, tooling and CNC programme separately. For single parts, setup is a big share of the cost, and on a batch the price per piece drops. So always state the quantity, even roughly.
Ask whose blank it is and which grade of material they will use: EN8 and stainless steel behave differently. Find out whether dimensions are inspected and whether they give an inspection report, especially for critical assemblies. Agree what happens with rejects: rework or a refund.
How ordering works on BlaBlaPrice
On BlaBlaPrice you submit one request and add a photo of a sample or sketch. Workshops and independent turners reply in the chat, and you compare the ready offers. Providers see where they rank and compete on terms, so the price often comes out better. You open contacts only for the one you choose.
Common mistakes
People often leave out tolerances: the part is made “roughly” and then does not fit. Sometimes they forget heat treatment, which can change the dimensions slightly, so grinding should be planned after it. Another mistake is chasing the lowest price without checking that the workshop has a machine of the right size.
For a plastic part or a prototype, look at 3D printing and 3D modelling. For sheet blanks, laser cutting is a good fit, and to protect the part from corrosion, powder coating. Details about the service are on the “How it works” page.
