Framebuilder or other resource?

[tronstein]

I get little ideas for small projects and then I over-engineer them and spend way too much money buying supplies from McMaster-Carr. It's a great hobby. I've been trying to get my tools better organized and decided to make a holder for all of my 1/4" drive bits. I need a bunch of 3/8" holes drilled in a 9.5"x3.5" piece of 1/16" thick aluminum. I bought the aluminum and cut it to that size, laid out and marked all locations for the holes, bought some nice drill bits, and got to work. The holes turned out horribly. Just a mess. I've been trying to think of people or places nearby that may be able to do that work for me using more sophisticated equipment. I even found places on the internet where you can submit a CAD drawing of a metal part and they will machine a one-off piece for you. It's just not cost effective for a plate with holes in it, though.

Then an idea popped into my head. Has anyone ever had a framebuilder do non-bicycle-related metal work for them before? Any framebuilders out there who dabble in that kind of thing? Any super nice people out there willing to do a guy a solid? Or does anyone have any other ideas for help for small fabrication projects?

[Dancingbear]

What are your skills? In other words what do you have to offer the guy doing you a solid? Small jobs like the one you describe fall into the "doing someone a favor" category. You need to foster some relationships with folks that have some resources you don't, and vice-versa. I've done some this and that for several folks who build bikes, and when I need a this or that which they can help with they take care of me. I could never have charged any of them what it was worth from a business standpoint, but it's all about relationships.

[edoz]

Anyone with a drill press and a clue can do that for you pretty quick. If you lived in Tulsa, I'd do it for a case of Mexican Coke.

[tronstein]

Yeah, I'm kind of starting to wonder if I should just invest in a drill press.

[devlin]

I'd say yes without hesitation. Get a good one and it will repay you many many times over.