CNC Milling, Laser etching etc

[BigBell1987]

Hi,

I'm very interested in the work of ncengravers.com and for the life of me can't find anyone in the UK who does this sort of custom work, anyone know of any reputable workshops?

 

I'm not ready to invest just yet since it's very expensive but I like to do my research beforehand and anything I can do to avoid the lengthy wait times and costly shipping to America is worth looking into.

 

At some point I would like to own a unique pistol, I like the cuts in the slides, the barrel finishes, laser cut grips, laser etchings and paint jobs.

 

Thanks in advance for reading and any input!

Edited August 31, 2022 by BigBell1987

[Chev Chelios]

Cant say they will not be a wait time but https://www.facebook.com/lcsengineeringoutpost is the way to go. Also worth checking you local gun smith.

 

[BigBell1987]

23 minutes ago, Chev Chelios said:

Cant say they will not be a wait time but https://www.facebook.com/lcsengineeringoutpost is the way to go. Also worth checking you local gun smith.

 

Appreciate your response, I actually made note of these and left a tab for them open on my browser as I saw a post mention them for general milling, just weren't sure whether they do all the services mentioned, I'll contact them at some point but I won't waste their time till I'm ready to commit to a budget.

 

In regards to gunsmiths near me they all do very specific services related to very specific weapons and it's mostly servicing and slight alterations, any custom work is usually done on wooden stocks.

 

Surprised the whole custom aesthetics thing isn't that big over here, perhaps there's a good niche there for the engineers amongst the community who run these types of machines, get on it people.

[Guest]

59 minutes ago, BigBell1987 said:

Surprised the whole custom aesthetics thing isn't that big over here, perhaps there's a good niche there for the engineers amongst the community who run these types of machines, get on it people.

It may be that as it’s comparatively difficult to get a firearms certificate in the UK, there aren’t that many about per head of population as somewhere like the US, and the total number is way less.

 

Consequently, there is a VERY small market for custom guns in the UK. Of the custom gunsmiths I’m aware, none would consider touching anything that isn’t a real gun, and very few general engineers want to touch something that looks like a gun but the owner swears it isn’t.

@RidiculousReed might be able to help, airsoft CNC specialist 

 

[Emergencychimps]

In the UK there are a lot fewer real firearms owners, add into that even if you have a ticket, getting what you actually want costs an arm and a leg even if they magically have it in stock (AR style semi auto .22 wmr - looking at you!) in comparison to the US

 

Due to the stricter laws it's hard for the engineers to comply with the legislation to do the custom work, storage, transport etc which all adds cost making custom work like this mega expensive. This then means that getting a nice uk legal firearm is expensive, customising it is even more expensive and reduces the appeal of it should you come ever want to sell it. 

 

To achieve what you're looking for, there are some pretty funky aftermarket slides etc for pistols out there, add in some cool colour paintwork and you're probably as close to something you'd like as you'll get without taking out a mortgage. 

[BigBell1987]

@rocketdogbert @Emergencychimps

Fair points, didn't really think about the fact that just to work on an Airsoft slide you would probably need a license still and as you say most regular engineering companies would be dubious about working on something resembling one. Appreciate the 2pence.

 

38 minutes ago, rocketdogbert said:

RidiculousReed might be able to help, airsoft CNC specialist

No doubt Ridiculous will get the @ and weight in his thoughts, if you do @RidiculousReedlet me know what you can do and if you can break down a ballpark price for individual services such as slide cuts that would be cool too.

 

Thanks guys!

[RidiculousReed]

2 hours ago, BigBell1987 said:

@rocketdogbert @Emergencychimps

Fair points, didn't really think about the fact that just to work on an Airsoft slide you would probably need a license still and as you say most regular engineering companies would be dubious about working on something resembling one. Appreciate the 2pence.

 

No doubt Ridiculous will get the @ and weight in his thoughts, if you do @RidiculousReedlet me know what you can do and if you can break down a ballpark price for individual services such as slide cuts that would be cool too.

 

Thanks guys!

I normally make custom parts, but I'm happy to modify existing ones. Currently, I've got access to a CNC mill, manual lathe, 3D printers and non-metal cutting lasers. If you have a look in the 'what have you made' thread @rocketdogbert has posted some of my work. If you've got any CAD models or designs of what you're after then send them over and I can see what I can do for you.

 

Pricing wish, it depends on what you're after. The more sides of a part that need work on, then the more it'll cost. Also, if I need to make any custom fixtures to hold the parts then its going to cost more. I mainly make parts for a bit of extra beer money, so I'm not going to charge you through the roof. If I was running my own shop I'd be bankrupt within days!

 

Sadly, I can't laser etch/cut metal at the moment, but possibly in the future!

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

Plenty of firms do lazer etching on a variety of things.  I've a custom etched Zippo that I've had for years.  It's probably a harder steel than a lot of rif receivers.  May be worth a try to ask your local general engravers.  Failing that try a séance and contact Don Blocksidge or ask Venom who does their rifles now he's passed away.  

[BigBell1987]

@RidiculousReedAppreciate your response! I'll keep you in mind for anything I may need on the plastics front and I'm going to follow you incase anything develops on the metalwork front.

The fact that you do things cheap for the community, thrill of creation, exploration and some beer money is highly commendable but I'd expect you to make a decent profit should I use your help.

I'll check out that thread today, thanks again.

 

@Tactical Pith Helmetthanks for the tips mate, done some yell searches on small local engineering firms so I guess the best thing is to just turn up with a slide and some ideas and see who can and will do work.

 

Thanks guys!!