CNC Templates

Temporarily Unavailable

Unfortunately, on 2/27/2010 my CNC machine’s controller failed. It is not clear precisely which part of the control system has malfunctioned, but it is clear there are multiple issues. As this has become a very part-time endeavor for me, repairs will not happen quickly. I currently hope to have the machine repaired early this Summer, at which time I will look into offering this service again.

 

I’m offering a very affordable snowboard and ski template service that is ideal for small builders who want high accuracy without having to shell out a lot of money for a traditional CNC service. My custom software can take the output from snoCAD-X and automatically generate the programs I need to run my CNC machine to cut your templates, so there is no programming fee. You pay only for the material, shipping, and a few bucks for wear and tear on the machine.

Templates Available

  • Base for full-wrap edges: this is the same as the overall board shape, but 2mm smaller all the way around to allow for edge material.
  • Base for partial-wrap edges: this is the same as the overall board shape, but with a 2mm recess long the edge and into the nose and tail to allow for edge material.
  • Core: this is the core shape.
  • Full mold: this is a full-length mold rib suitable for a vacuum mold or non-adjustable pneumatic press mold.
  • Nose and tail mold blocks: these are just the nose and tail portions of a mold, suitable for nose and tail blocks for adjustable pneumatic press molds.

Templates are cut out of 1/2″ MDF. There may be a couple of screw holes near the center of each template.

Costs

All prices are in US Dollars.

Base and core template cost is dependent on the width of the template. The charge is $2.00 plus $0.46 per full inch of width. A template that is 32cm wide requires 13” of MDF, which comes to $7.98. A template that is 16cm wide requires 7” of MDF, which comes to $5.22.

Mold templates are all a similar size, so there is a simple fixed cost. A full mold template is $5.00. A nose or tail mold block is $3.50.

Shipping and Handling for Long Templates

Base, core, and mold templates are all rather long items. There is a $5.50 packaging charge per shipment to cover the cost of the cardboard and other packaging material necessary to ensure these arrive at your door safely. You also pay that actual cost to ship these items via UPS to you from zip code 98014.

Shipping these via UPS is not actually as expensive as you might imagine. They’re fairly light, and UPS only charges $8.00 extra due to the package length. So the cost is pretty much what you would normally pay to ship something of a reasonable weight to you from Washington State, plus $8.00 for the length.

Shipping and Handling for Short Templates

Nose and tail mold block templates are typically quite short and will usually fit inside of a USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box (FRB2), therefore there is no additional packaging charge. You pay only the actual shipping cost charged by USPS, which is $10.70 for domestic shipping, and still quite reasonable internationally. I can fit more than 20 of these templates into a single box, which makes this very, very affordable when you buy in bulk.

Ordering

Ordering is simple: simply export your shapes from snoCAD-X version 1.0.7.a into a DXF file, selecting all check boxes on the “Export DXF…” dialog, and email that to me at headmonkey “at” happymonkeysnowboards “dot” com. Include with your email a list of the specific templates that you want cut and your full shipping address. I will send you an invoice via PayPal with the exact costs, including shipping. When you pay the invoice via PayPal I will cut your templates and ship them out to you the next day.

Note: if you are ordering a base template for partial-wrap edges, you need to tell me how many cm you would like the recess to extend past the ends of the effective edge. You can specify a different length for the nose and the tail if you would like.

The following pictures will give you a better feel for what the templates look like:

FAQ

  1. Why is this so cheap? I am able to offer this service so cheaply because I have written software that automatically converts a DXF file from snoCAD-X directly into the programs I need to run my CNC machine. Therefore, there is no programming fee, which is typically the largest cost of a CNC service like this. I’m also only charging for the actual MDF used, plus a few bucks for wear and tear on my CNC machine, new cutters now and then, etc. I buy the MDF from Compton Lumber in Seattle at much better prices than you would find at the Big Box stores. Happy Monkey Snowboards, Inc. is making very, very little profit off of this service. I am not offering it in order to make a profit. I am offering it to help the small snowboard and ski building community.
  2. If I’m in the Seattle area, can I pickup directly from you and save on shipping and handling? Yes! If you’re willing to drive to my shop in Carnation, WA, then you can pickup your templates directly from me and there will be no shipping or handling charges. You only pay for the templates themselves.
  3. Which version of snoCAD-X should I use? You must use version 1.0.7.a. If a newer version is ever released I will do my best to adapt to it quickly, but for now this is the only version supported.
  4. Will you cut my templates that were not made with snoCAD-X? Yes, I am willing to cut templates made with other programs. There will, however, be a programming fee of $50.00 per hour. You can send me a DXF from other programs, like AutoCAD, SolidWorks, etc. and I will take a quick look at it and give you an estimate of the programming fee. If the estimate is acceptable to you, I will invoice you for the costs of the templates and the programming fee. If it turns out my estimate is too far off, then I will stop work and we’ll work out a new estimate and go from there. Note that this cost is much more in line with that you would be charged by a normal CNC service for custom work, and it may be more cost effective for you to find a local service if you are not in the Seattle area so you can avoid the shipping costs.
  5. Will you build me a whole nose or tail block for a pneumatic press? I can cut multiple copies of the same template, but you will need a large number of nose or tail block templates to assemble an entire block. I’m not currently setup to cut these efficiently in great quantity, so the cost per part is the same. There is no discount for cutting multiple copies of the same part.
  6. Will you accept any other payment besides PayPal? I will accept cash if you are picking up from me locally. Otherwise, it’s got to be PayPal.