Hello CNC Zoners! I'm trying to have a couple of parts made (for my uncle who is an inventor/enterpreneur). The part has a complex profile - basically a cylinder, with a rather complex 3D-shaped groove cut into its outer surface. I'm a computer programmer, so I wrote a program that calculated all the coordinates and generated an .STL file for it. The shape is complex enough to need something like a 4-5 axis turning CNC machine. We prototyped it using a 3D-printer, and now it's time for a hardened steel version. The parts aren't that big, 2" thick and 4.4" in diameter.

So, we put together a draft with all the sizes and tolerances, added the .stl file for the complex surface, and I tried placing an order with a machine shop (plenty of those in Michigan, so I picked the closest one). The reply was an immediate "we can't do it" with no explanation - and the shop advertises some very advanced equipment on their site (starting with a "CNC 2011 Mazak 5 Axis Integrex J-300 Multitasking Turning & Milling Center"). They also list a huge portfolio of materials, so I doubt the reasons were technological. Another shop's site says right off the bat that they will only deal with, as they put it, "manufacturers who are in business for over 10 years and have over 25 millions in annual sales."

Any tips on how I could find a machine shop that would take my money? So far, I've been googling for shops that advertise "CNC turning 4+ axis" machines nearby (I'd prefer to deal locally, though I'm not dead-set on it). Am I approaching this wrong? Is it realistic to hope that a CNC shop will take an order for under a grand?

Thank you for any tips!

Boris