UK maker community gains access to professionally machined parts

Machining-4u.co.uk offers a UK marketplace that solves the problem, putting makers in touch with a vast network of machinists prepared to work on a small scale.

The Machining-4u.co.uk marketplace is a simple trading platform where makers post their machining needs and machinists quote for the work. It was launched quietly in 2015 and has grown organically, with little publicity to date, but has already seen more than 1,500 orders made and delivered.

The idea came - as may be expected - from makers: Stephane Gomez and his co-founders Simon Latour and Stephanie Brian. Stephane Gomez says: "Simon, Stephanie and I are friends and avid makers who were often frustrated when we tried to source custom-made parts for cars, motorcycles, drones, aircraft, machinery and more. Machining companies either rejected our requests as too small to bother with or quoted us ludicrous prices for such small production runs."

So the trio - two engineers and a marketing specialist - built Machining-4u.co.uk to solve not only their own problem but - spotting a gap in the market - the needs of the UK maker movement.

The site connects customers (makers) directly with machinists. Customers draw the part they require and post a request with blueprints and descriptions. Professional machinists submit proposals to create the part(s) and the customer selects their preferred supplier. Payment is held in a secure account while the parts are machined and delivered, then released once the customer approves the quality and leaves a review of the machinist's work. The reviews ensure that customers can check a machinist's past performance before committing to a proposal.

Gomez continues: "The maker movement is a true 'power to the people' culture, which is why it's taken off so widely. Technological progress combined with widespread online information and a refreshed interest in DIY means that anyone can become a part of the maker culture. But to realise their ideas, makers often need specialist machine suppliers. That's why Machining-4u.co.uk is now becoming part of the UK backbone for the maker movement."

UK-based customer John says: "I finally found the solution to all my machined part needs! The workshop on the corner was not really interested in my ideas, but on machining-4u I got two offers right away! My chosen machinist delivered the parts in just a week and I was thrilled. I was able to inspect the delivered parts before my payment was processed which gave me the confidence to do my first online order on the site."

Stephane Gomez and his co-founders are now seeking to increase the UK maker community's awareness of the valuable resource.