Home / How it works
The Whole Process, From Your Files to a Quote
No bidding platform, no commission and nobody sitting between you and the people cutting your metal. Here is every step, on both sides.
If you are having cases made
Send the package
STEP files per part, a drawing, the alloy, the finish, the quantity and the date. The RFQ template lists everything a shop needs.
We read it properly
Not a keyword match. We check the mount, the finishing route, the fits and the date, and we come back with questions if something is missing.
Up to 3 shops get a preview
An anonymous summary: part, alloy, size, quantity, tolerance, finish and deadline. No name, no company, no files.
They quote you directly
Shops that take the request get your contact details and files and contact you themselves. You compare, approve a sample and order.
You hear from us within 24 business hours, with matched shops or a clear no.
If you run a shop
Register once
Machines, envelope, materials and who does your finishing. No certification required. See what we look for.
Get previews
Only requests that match your envelope, your materials and the finishes you can actually deliver. We do not blast a list.
Take the ones you want
The lead price is on every preview. Pay per request taken, no subscription, no commission on the order you win.
Quote the buyer
You get their details and files and deal with them yourself. The relationship is yours from that point on.
How we are paid, in full
Worth stating plainly, because a matching service that is vague about its money is a matching service with a reason to be vague.
- Buyers pay nothingNo fee to send an RFQ, no fee to receive quotes, no subscription and no charge if you order.
- Shops pay per requestA fixed fee for each matched request a shop chooses to take, shown on the preview before they decide. Not a subscription.
- We take no commissionWe are not paid on the value of your order, so we have no reason to steer you towards a more expensive shop or a larger quantity.
- We never handle the moneyYou pay the shop. No escrow, no deposit through us, no invoice from us to you.
- We do not resell partsThere is no margin hidden inside a quote, because the quote is not ours. It comes from the shop, to you.
What happens to your files
Keyboard designs leak, and a leaked case is worth nothing. This is the part designers are right to be careful about.
- The preview is anonymousPart, alloy, size envelope, quantity, tolerance, finish, region and date. No name, no project name, no contact details and no files.
- Files move only on acceptanceA shop sees your drawings after it has taken the request, not before.
- NDA before files, if you askTick the box on the RFQ form and nothing beyond the preview moves until the shop has signed with you.
- We publish nothingNo renders, no part descriptions, no unreleased projects, and we never use your design as an example to another shop.
- Deleted after 12 monthsSet out in the privacy policy, along with how to ask us to delete sooner.
Common questions
What does it cost a buyer?
Nothing. Sending an RFQ and receiving quotes is free. Shops pay a fee for each matched request they choose to take, and we take no commission on the order that follows.
How many shops see my files?
Up to 3, and only the ones that take the request. Everyone else sees an anonymous preview with no name, no company and no files.
Do you mark up the quotes?
No. The shop quotes you directly and you pay the shop directly. We never sit in the middle of a price, an order or a payment, which is why we have no incentive to push you towards an expensive shop.
What if I already have a shop?
Then use the reference pages and keep your shop. The RFQ template and the cosmetic standard template work with any supplier, and a better specified request gets you a better price from the shop you already trust.
What happens if no shop fits?
We tell you within 24 business hours rather than leaving you waiting. A niche alloy, a very small quantity or a date that has already passed are the usual reasons.