[NullResults]

So I'm still probably a good several years from being able to buy my own machine, but I definitely don't want to wait that long to get some experience with projects. So my alternative is to rent "time" at a shop or from an individual and try to get some projects done. I know that there are shops that will rent time, there are workshops offered by different stores or manufacturers, and (most rare) individuals who rent time from personal shops to strangers.

My plan is to: hit some projects that represent smaller/simpler scale versions of my long-term goals... then grab a trial or cheap version of the routing softwares and once I have a rental situation lined up, go for it.

Does anyone have experience on either side of it? Is there anything I should try to prepare?

Thanks.

 

[difalkner]

Where are you located? If near a larger metropolitan area most have Maker shops that rent time on machines.

 

[NullResults]

Where are you located? If near a larger metropolitan area most have Maker shops that rent time on machines.

I'm near Pittsburgh,PA. They do have a Maker shop, or had one that did that as far as I'm aware. One of the options that I may end up using. I haven't ever done that or spoken to anyone who has done it though, so I am curious what all is needed before hand, or if there are any considerations that would help me get the most out of it.

 

[NullResults]

10 Questions to Ask Before Renting Time on a CNC Mill | Make:

You probably don't own a CNC mill, so you'll have to rent time to use one. Make every minute count by preparing in advance with these steps.

makezine.com

This was a good read that I found, but I figured I could fish for some extra wisdom here

 

[difalkner]

You probably need to find out what machine and controller they have so you can generate your G-code to suit. Some facilities also have the CAD/CAM software available to generate the files on site.