Cost, turnaround, file setup, materials and tolerances. If your question is not here, email us and we will answer it directly.
We price by machine time and sheet yield rather than a flat per-cut rate, so a well-nested job costs less per part than a single one-off. Laser time is charged at $2 per minute, with a minimum charge of $250 per job. Send a DXF, AI or PDF with the material named and we quote from the actual cut path.
Router work is quoted on cut time and how well the parts nest into the sheet, so a full sheet of parts works out cheaper per part than a single profile. CNC time is charged at $3 per minute, with a minimum charge of $450 per job.
Yes. There is no minimum quantity and one part is a normal job. The minimum charge is $450 for CNC machining and $250 for laser cutting, and covers machine setup, so very small jobs are often best combined onto one sheet.
Standard turnaround is 5–7 business days for CNC machining and 3–5 business days for laser cutting, from approval of the quote. Express work is possible subject to machine availability and may carry a surcharge. Email us directly if the deadline is inside 24 hours.
DXF, DWG, AI, EPS, SVG, STEP and PDF, up to 10 MB per quote request. Vector files should be drawn at 1:1 with closed paths and no duplicate lines.
A sketch or a dimensioned photograph is enough to start with and we will draw from it. Say what the part has to do and we will tell you what we need.
Yes. File prep is part of the job. We close open paths, remove duplicate lines, separate cut from engrave layers, nest for yield, and flag kerf or fixing problems before anything is cut.
For press fits and interlocking parts, yes. The laser kerf is 0.2 mm nominal. Tell us if a fit is critical and we will confirm the allowance with you before cutting.
The CNC router cuts sheet material up to 45 mm thick on a 2700 × 1200 mm bed. The laser cuts up to 6 mm and engraves on material up to 50 mm thick.
Thickness usually decides it. Over 6 mm and needing a through-cut, it goes on the router. Under 6 mm the laser is more accurate and holds finer detail. Anything larger than 1000 × 700 mm goes on the router whatever its thickness. See the full specifications.
±0.2 mm on the CNC router and ±0.1 mm on the laser, which has a nominal kerf of 0.2 mm. Every job is measured off the bed against the drawing before it leaves the workshop.
No. Our laser cuts non-metals only, and the router is set up for sheet timber, board and plastics. For aluminium, steel or brass we are happy to point you to a fibre laser or waterjet.
No. We do not hold stock, so you supply your own sheet and we cut it to your files. That means you choose the exact grade, finish and brand rather than taking whatever the workshop has on hand.
Plywood, MDF, acrylic and Perspex, solid timber, veneer board, foam and composites, card and paper, and leather and textiles. The materials table gives the thickness limit for each.
CNC routing is at 7–9 Cottage Street, Blackburn VIC 3130. Laser cutting is at 512 Bridge Road, Richmond VIC 3121. Both are open Monday to Friday 9am–4pm by appointment. We courier across Melbourne and freight Australia-wide.
Both workshops are appointment only, so email first and we will set a time. That way someone is free to talk through the job rather than being on a machine.
Architects and designers, shopfitters and joiners, prop and set builders, signage companies, model makers, product designers and startups, artists, builders, universities and students, and one-off retail customers.
To whichever workshop is cutting the job, by appointment. We will confirm which one when we quote, since that depends on the thickness and size of the parts.
Send the drawing and name the material. We will tell you what is possible, what it costs and when you can have it.
Request a quote