Guides
What to put on the drawing, and why
One question per page, answered the way a job shop would answer it: which finish to call out, which alloy, how tight a hole really needs to be, what a quote needs from you, and how the parts get from the shop's dock to yours. Each guide ends where a request starts.
Send a drawingPowder Coat vs Wet Paint for Fabricated Metal Parts
When to call out powder coat and when wet paint on sheet metal and weldments: durability, color match, masking, touch-up, and the drawing callout.
5052 vs 6061 Aluminum for Sheet Metal Parts
Which aluminum to call out for a formed sheet metal part: 5052-H32 bends and welds, 6061-T6 machines and stays flat but cracks on a tight bend.
Sheet Metal Bend Radius, K-Factor and Bend Allowance
What inside bend radius to draw, what the K-factor is, why the flat pattern is the shop's job, and the hole-to-bend and flange rules that keep a part makeable.
What a Job Shop Needs on a Drawing to Quote a Part
The build-to-print checklist: what a machine shop or fabricator looks for before it quotes, what a missing field triggers, and how to send a parts package.
ISO 9001 vs AS9100: What Each Means at a Job Shop
What ISO 9001 and AS9100 certify at a machine shop or fabricator, what they do not, when to require one, and what to ask for when the job does not need it.
Reamed Dowel Holes and Tight-Tolerance Holes: What a Machine Shop Asks
Why a reamed dowel hole is called out the way it is, what a shop does to hold a few tenths on a hole, and what comes back before a quote on a hole pattern.
PEM Inserts and Hardware in Sheet Metal Parts
Self-clinching nuts, studs and standoffs in sheet metal: how they install, what the drawing must say, which thickness takes which part, and finishing.
Laser Cutting: Kerf, Tolerance and Edge Quality on Sheet Metal
What a fiber laser does to the edge of a sheet metal part, how the shop handles kerf, the accuracy the process gives, and when a part needs machining after.
304 vs 316 Stainless Steel for Fabricated Parts
When 304 is the right stainless for a sheet metal or welded part and when 316 earns its cost: chlorides, wash-down, marine air, welding, finishing, callouts.
Freight for Fabricated Parts: FCA, Dock Pickup, LTL and Crating
How shipping works when you buy parts from a job shop: FCA at the shop's dock, who books the carrier, parcel vs LTL, crating, and what to tell the shop first.