[SCzEngrgGroup]

If I'm machining it afterwards, why not machine the entire thing. Plus if it is in one piece, I'm back to using the big boys.

Doing just finish machining will take a fraction of the time. All the heavy material removal takes a lot of time, especially on these smaller, lower-power machines. Machining time is FAR more expensive than casting or extruding, and the tooling is also expensive.

If it can be made in short sections as you indicated, it can be cast or extruded in short sections as well. If the goal is cost reduction, doing everything by machining is almost certainly the MOST expensive, most time-consuming way to get it done. I've had parts fabricated and plated by outside shops for less than my cost for the raw materials alone.

You indicated the shop you had quote the machining estimated 20 hours machining time on a 10-foot commercial VMC. If it takes 20 hours on a machine like that, it will take easily 60-80 hours, possibly much more, on a Tormach. And, you'll probably go through at least several hundred $ in tooling. You could probably get rough castings done for the equivalent of a very few hours of machining time, then spend a fraction of that 60-80 hours doing the finish machining.

With an extrusion, you'll pay a few hundred $ in tooling cost to make the extruder, then a few $/foot for the actual extrusions, and no machining will be required.

Try going to mfg.com, and create an RFQ. Specify the material and the tolerances you require - don't specify the machining process. Within a few days, you'll have several quotes, and I'd be willing to bet most of them will be a fraction of the cost you're expecting. If you specify milled parts, the quotes will ALL be high.

Regards,
Ray L.