Emachine shop looks like a great fab house.  They are not cheap for one-offs (who is?) but they can ramp the same part into small production quantities.  

The other outfit that does a similar thing is front panel express   http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/

They only do flat things, but can *engrave*  anodized lettering into aluminum, siolkscreen all kinds of fancy graphics, and make about any shape and cutout you can imagine in a number of materials like steel, aluminum and plastic.  If your project needs a professional looking faceplate, these guys can make it.  They also have proprietary web based software.  

-- Lawrence Lile, P.E.
Electrical and Electronic Solutions
Project Solutions Companies
www.projsolco.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Russell McMahon [mailto:apptech@paradise.net.nz]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 7:26 AM
> To: PIC List
> Subject: [EE:] Online machine shop
> 
> Specify and order mechanical parts online for custom fabrication.
> Free design software
> Well spoken of on a rocketry list.
> 
>     http://www.emachineshop.com/
> 
> Worth looking at their page to see what they are able to fabricate
> Conventional machining largely it seems - advantage is ease of design and
> ordering.
> 
> 
>         RM
> 
> ___________________________
> 
> Subject: RE:[AR] Too good to be true? Machine shop online!
> 
> 
> >According to the article below, they will machine anything for you and
> even
> give you free modeling software to boot! >Anybody heard of them/tried
> them?
> The listed prices sure sound reasonable.
> 
> They are the real deal and the software is pretty cool.  The prices are
> competitive but not the best one can find with only a little bit of
> searching.  The software does have some bugs but when I found one they
> replied within hours with a workaround suggestion and fixed the bug quite
> quickly in the next release of their software.  It's definitely a fabulous
> resource and I highly recommend it to anyone in need of such a service.
> 
> 
>     -Dan Durachko
> 
> 
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