[Blacho]

I am doing my GCSE's in south west Wales, and i am planning to use a waterjet to cut out the parts for my Design and Technology project. These wouldn't be very large or thick as I am planning on making a ridge wallet style card holder. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
(P.S. I can't use a company of off the internet as I need to be the one making it)

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
water jet, in fact all CNC machines are expensive. How realistic is it that a company, having spent possibly hundreds of thousands on a machine for the express purpose of running a business,
will allow a youngster to come along and use it....for free?

What material is it you need to cut?

I think it more likely that a hobbyist with a CNC machine like a CNC router would be prepared to help some one out on a project like you describe.

I have built my own CNC mill at a cost of something like $20,000USD, mainly as a hobby but I now use it daily for work. I would be happy to help someone with a scholastic project
at no cost, but let them use my machine without my intimate supervision....forget it. This may not be a subject taught at school, but none-the-less is a lesson that you have to learn,
'when a person or organisation invests sums of money, even modest sums, they are very protective of it, even down right stingy.......but it is after all theirs.'

Craig

[Blacho]

Thanks for your reply Craig, what I meant by I need to make it, is that I can't pay a company on the Internet to make the piece for me. What I was aiming at was that I would make a design, and collaborate with someone who owns the correct equipment to produce the pieces needed. This does not mean that I have to make it all by myself, for example, our school owns a laser cutter for cutting wood, we make a design, and send it to the teacher who cuts it out for us. I was hoping that I could do something similar with a machine capable of cutting metal.
Saying this, I do understand that it kind of contradicts itself, I'm not actually making the part either way, I can't pay a company to do it, but I can send a design to my teacher and he makes it for me. It might just be the fact that I'm paying a company.
My project would use some sort of metal sheet, no more than 2mm thick, with each piece not being much bigger than a credit card. This is why I believe that a water jet would be most appropriate, although, I'm not exactly an expert on the limitations of a CNC mill.
I understand that nobody would let anyone use their machine un-supervised, and I'm not asking for this, I was aiming this post at people like you said, hobbyists who might have a waterjet, and would be willin to collaborate, I should've made that more clear in the original post.

You used USD, I'm guessing you're in America then? This would definitely be a problem as I'm located in the UK.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
water jet is not a hobby machine. I'd say it's not impossible that a hobbyist would have a waterjet but its unlikely.
Very much more probable is that someone would have a CNC router, and with luck would be rigid enough to do aluminum.
My machine for instance will happily cut metals like aluminum, brass, copper and steel. I presume you want to cut an outline
or do you wish to engrave the surface?

I'm in New Zealand so 18,000kms from where you are. A good keen lad with a packed lunch and a life jacket.......you'll make it!
My suggestion is: that I imagine like here in New Zealand there are 'Mens Sheds' which are sort of clubs where blokes get together to make things.
Its increasing common that they'll have a CNC machine that is shared property. I would think that such an organization would delight in the opportunity to
help a scholastic project.

Craig

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
one possibility is that if you have a design I could make it for you. I would suggest that for you to reasonably have claimed to make it that you
would have to design whatever it is you wanted, and then generate the Gcode for me to run. Gcode is if you like the machine language that all CNC machines
use. In reality your project would become you designing and drawing your part in CAD, then running it through CAM to get Gcode.
I use Fusion 360 which is a combined CAD/CAM program. Its free to hobbyists and students. It on the cloud so can be shared among contributors.
Thus, you could do the design, with my assistance, and there is a ton of online tutorials about Fusion.

Run this idea past your teacher....does it satisfy the requirement that you do it yourself, or that it satisfies the 'I must learn something new' requirement?

Craig