Ordering
How to Order CNC Parts
Your first machined-parts order, start to finish.
Ordering a custom CNC part for the first time is simpler than it looks: get your design ready (a STEP model plus a 2D PDF print is ideal; a sketch or new sample part works too), send it through the quote form with the material, quantity and any deadline, and a real person replies in 24-48 hours with price and lead time. You approve and pay, and the parts get made, inspected against your print and shipped: Rush 1-2 weeks, Standard 4-6 weeks, or Extended 6-8 weeks.
Updated October 2026
Typical total 4-6 weeks
Standard example: files on day 0, quote back in 24-48 hours, parts made over 3-5 weeks, inspection 1-2 days, shipping 1-3 days. Typical total 4-6 weeks.
Illustrative example. Your actual quote comes from a real person in 24-48 hours.
Step 1: get your design ready
The strongest package is a 3D STEP model plus a 2D PDF drawing. STEP is a data-exchange format that CAD, CAM and inspection software all read, and it can carry dimensions and tolerances when the model was built with them (source 1). The drawing carries the words: the geometry, the dimensions that matter (a bore, a bolt pattern, a mating face), their tolerances, the material and any finish, such as anodize or bead blast (source 2). A finish called out on the print is quoted with the part. ASME Y14.5 is the standard that sets out how tolerances are stated on drawings and models (source 5). You don’t need a fancy drawing: a clean PDF with a few toleranced numbers is enough to quote from. A mesh format such as STL approximates curved surfaces with triangles and carries no units (source 3), so send STEP when you have it. If you still have room to change the model, it is worth a look at the design choices that raise a quote before you send it.
No CAD at all? That’s common, and it’s fine. A dimensioned sketch on paper, or a new sample part, is enough to start. The team can build the CAD model, quoted up front as its own line, and the model comes back as STEP and PDF files. Any file type is accepted: a STEP model and a PDF drawing are ideal, and IGES, SLDPRT, Parasolid, DXF, DWG, STL and ZIP all work; here’s more on uploading a STEP file if you’ve never exported one.
Step 2: send the quote request
There’s no account to create and no portal to learn, and you do not need any equipment of your own: getting a part machined without a shop is the normal case, not the exception. Use the quote form, the upload card on the homepage, or just email your files. Include three things if you have them: the material (or say you’re not sure and want a recommendation), the quantity you want, and any deadline you’re working toward. If you only have a sketch and a rough idea, send that; a real person reads it and asks about anything that’s unclear. The same request covers custom CNC parts of almost any shape, from one piece to production runs of 10,000.
Don’t worry about getting the request perfect. Missing a tolerance or being unsure between two materials is normal on a first order, and the reply sorts it out with you. Choosing between 6061 and 7075 aluminum? The 6061 vs 7075 comparison lays out the difference. Other alloys and plastics quoted on request. Name the grade on the print. The more context you share about how the part is used, the sharper the recommendation.
Step 3: a real person reviews it and replies
Within 24-48 hours you get a quote back from a person: the price, the material and the lead time, as a PDF by email. The design review is free with every quote. It is a review of your own design, with a note on anything that will cost more than the part seems to need or may not work as drawn. Two common drivers are a tolerance tighter than the part needs and features that call for smaller tools (source 4). Whether to change either is your call. Here’s how the 24-48 hour quote actually works. That person stays your contact from quote to delivery and stands behind the parts; the machined parts supplier page lays out the whole arrangement.
Typical machined tolerance is ±0.005 in. Tighter callouts add cost to machine, so specify the loosest tolerance that still serves the function (source 4) and tolerance the surfaces that mate or locate. The reply will tell you plainly when a number on your print is driving the price.
Step 4: review, ask questions, and approve
The quote is a starting point, not a take-it-or-leave-it. Ask anything. Ask for more than one quantity, such as 1, 25 and 100, and the quote shows each. Worried one part isn’t worth the bother? It is; there’s no minimum order and a single piece is a normal job. If the feedback means you want to tweak a dimension or swap a material, revise the file and the quote updates. Nothing moves forward until you say go.
Step 5: pay, and the parts get made and inspected
Approve the quote and pay. Card by secure link (a processing fee applies), ACH, wire or check. POs welcome against the quote, so your accounting team can run it the usual way. Once it’s approved, the parts get made. Every part inspected against your print before it ships. Shipping is quoted as its own line, or ships on your carrier account. Multi-part jobs can ship together or in stages; say which on the quote.
Lead time is a choice on the quote form’s Delivery field: Rush 1-2 weeks, Standard 4-6 weeks (typical), or Extended 6-8 weeks, for jobs that aren’t time-sensitive. Lead time starts at order approval. Put your need date in the part description and the quote answers it. On a tight timeline? Choose Rush. Rush is quoted at a premium. Rush 1-2 weeks applies to machined parts with no secondary operations. Heat treat, grinding, EDM and finishing add time, and the quote gives the real date. That’s the whole process: design, quote, approve, pay, inspect, ship.
Sources
All accessed 4 October 2026. Where a figure here differs from your print, the print governs.
1. National Institute of Standards and Technology, "STEP File Analyzer and Viewer": nist.gov/node/413991 (STEP files are used for data exchange between CAD, CAM, CAE and CMM software and represent parts, assemblies and product and manufacturing information, which includes GD&T: dimensions, tolerances and datum features).
2. Wikipedia, "Engineering drawing": en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_drawing (a drawing conveys geometry, dimensions, tolerances, material and finish).
3. Wikipedia, "STL (file format)": en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) (triangles cannot perfectly represent curved surfaces; STL files contain no scale information and the units are arbitrary).
4. Wikipedia, "Design for manufacturability": en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_for_manufacturability (the tighter the tolerance required, the more expensive a machined component is to make; specify the loosest tolerance that will serve the function; features that require smaller tools are more expensive).
5. ASME, "Y14.5 Dimensioning and Tolerancing" (2018, reaffirmed 2024): asme.org/codes-standards/find-codes-standards/y14-5-dimensioning-tolerancing (symbols, rules and practices for stating GD&T on engineering drawings and on models defined in digital data files).
Questions
Before you send a job.
01 I’ve never ordered a custom part before. Where do I start?
Start by gathering whatever describes your part: a STEP file and a PDF drawing if you have them, or just a dimensioned sketch or a new sample part if you don’t. Send it through the quote form with the material, quantity, and any deadline. A real person reads it and walks you through anything unclear, so you don’t need to know the lingo to get a good quote.
02 What if I don’t have CAD files?
That’s a normal way to start. A hand sketch with a few key dimensions, or a new sample part to measure from, is enough to get a quote going. The team can build the CAD model, quoted as its own line, and the model comes back as STEP and PDF files. A fully dimensioned 2D PDF needs no CAD line.
03 Is there a minimum order?
No. One part is a normal order, quoted, made, inspected, and shipped just like a larger run. There’s no minimum quantity and nobody will push you to buy more than you need. See no minimum order for the details.
04 How much will my part cost?
It depends on the geometry, material, tolerances, finish, and quantity, so there’s no flat rate. A person prices it from your files, and the quote comes back in 24-48 hours with a note on anything on your print that is driving the cost. What determines CNC machining cost lists the drivers.
05 How do I pay, and can I use a purchase order?
Card by secure link (a processing fee applies), ACH, wire or check. POs welcome against the quote, so your accounting can handle it the usual way, and vendor setup takes a day: W-9, NDA and net terms available. You approve the quote first; nothing gets made until you give the go-ahead.
06 What tolerance do I get if I only send a STEP file?
A STEP file with no drawing is quoted to a ±0.005 in general tolerance, or the one your notes name, and the quote says which. Every part is inspected against your model before it ships. A drawing is asked for when the model cannot say what the part needs, such as a threaded hole, a fit tighter than the general tolerance or a finish with masked areas. What file to send for a CNC quote covers each case.
07 Can I reorder a part later, or set up a blanket order?
Yes to both. Reorders at the same revision: send the last quote or PO number and it’s requoted. Blanket orders are quoted too. Price, release schedule and lead time per release are set in the quote.
08 Do parts ship with a C of C or material certs, and what if a part is wrong?
No C of C or material certifications ship with parts by default. If your PO needs them, say so before the quote. Inspection reports on critical dimensions aren’t included by default. If you need one, ask when you place the order. If a part doesn’t match the print, it’s remade or credited.
Get Started
Send us your files.
We’ll take it from there.
A quote in 24-48 hours, no minimums. Like the quote, and we’ll make your parts and ship them to you.
Get a Quote