Online vs. local laser cutting

[msleeper]

I'm looking to get some acrylic parts cut for a build I'm working on, and I'm not sure where is the best place to get this done. My knee jerk decision would be to find somewhere local to my area (supporting local shops, not paying for shipping, so on) but I've also heard a lot of good about people buying laser cut parts online.

Can anyone provide any experience or insight into the situation? Thanks!

 

[drknotter]

I've had stuff laser cut from Ponoko. I've had pretty good experiences with them. They've never messed up my order or anything, and the cuts they do have always been great. My only complaint is that sometimes it takes awhile for them to get to the "non-premium" orders. I once had to wait ~2 weeks just for my stuff to get cut, but once they cut it, it shipped right away.

It can get pretty pricey though. I'm betting that if you got it cut locally, it'd probably be a good bit cheaper. Hope this helps.

 

[idahorandom]

msleeper;

I have gone with local and online...

Going local is nice because you save on shipping if your are really close, and get to support your local business...Also it seems easier to work with local if you can actually have a face to face about your ideas on a piece if it is not straight forward....

I also have used an online source from the rpf INT thread advertising cutting services. Had a good experience and had them cut multiple items for several builds I did. Timelines were fast, but still longer than local when you add the shipping time....Also using only email communication, you have to make sure you are very clear in your projects to avoid the ..."OH.. I thought it would be cut like this... or I thought you were using 1/8 inch?" etc:unsure

Bottom line.... Both can get the results you need, I actually switched to local because it was a little easier and faster by a few days....

Just my 2 cents :confused

 

[epilepticsquirl]

I had a small order of 50 bingo sized acrylic discs laser cut by a seller on etsy. All in all i think it cost me about $15, fast turn around time and great communication.

All depends on who you get I suppose.

 

[msleeper]

I had a small order of 50 bingo sized acrylic discs laser cut by a seller on etsy. All in all i think it cost me about $15, fast turn around time and great communication.

All depends on who you get I suppose.

The etsy seller was offering laser cutting services? Or you bought-to-order those specific items?

 

[msleeper]

About to pull the trigger on some test stuff from Ponoko. Their shipping is a little pricey and I hate that you can't combine multiple items into a single shipment to save some money.

 

[epilepticsquirl]

Custom laser cutting and engraving services in wood and acrylic. :thumbsup
I listed his info in this thread:
http://www.therpf.com/f9/where-get-12mm-dia-flat-both-side-167724/#post2593828

 

[cavx]

I've never used an online service but like my local guy. He is reasonably quick and affordable.

 

[E Williams]

I've used Ponoko for several projects and they do great work, but they recently stopped allowing customers to provide their own materials. This makes some of my planned projects impossible as they do not carry all of the colors I need...

Aside from the above mentioned Etsy sellers and Ponoko, are there any other online laser cutting services that members would recommend?