Questions and answers

Send your specifications, drawings or samples with the quote request, or call the shop at (775) 359-5570. We will be happy to provide you with a prompt estimate.

Describe what you need, attach the drawing or photos, and add the quantity, the material if you know it, any tolerances or finish on the print, and the date you need the part. The more the shop can see, the fewer questions it has to ask.

Photos are a good place to start. Put a tape measure or ruler in the shot, show every side and the damaged area, and send them with the quote request. We will tell you what else we need.

Consultations are free. Call (775) 359-5570 to talk through your project or repair, and we will be happy to provide you with a prompt estimate.

We give a prompt estimate once we see the drawing, sample or part. Calling (775) 359-5570 during shop hours, Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, is the quickest way to start, because we can ask our questions on the spot.

Setup work, material, tolerances, quantity, finish and inspection all change the cost, and shops weigh them differently. A complete print and a clear quantity make quotes easier to compare.

Tight tolerances, hard or costly materials, many setups, fine finishes and small quantities all add time. See the full answer for how to keep a part simple without losing function.

Full answer: What makes a machined part expensive?

Yes. The shop is at 4812 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502, open Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. Call ahead with a large part so the unloading can be planned.

PDF, DWG, DXF, STEP or STP, IGES or IGS, JPG and PNG, up to 5 files and 12 MB in total. Larger files can be emailed to [email protected].

Full answer: What file types can I send with a quote request?

A dimensioned PDF drawing is a normal place to start for a machine shop. A 3D file such as STEP helps when the part has complex shapes, and you can send both.

Yes. We will gladly work from your specifications, drawings or samples, and we can also assist you in designing your product or part.

Full answer: I do not have a drawing. Can you still make the part?

Yes. Samples are one of the three ways we work. Bring the part to the shop or send photos with sizes, and we will tell you what we need to see.

Yes. We can assist you in designing your product or part. See part design and parts made from samples.

STEP is the newer and more complete format and carries solid models cleanly, while IGES is older and built around surfaces. Send STEP when you have the choice; either can be attached to the quote request.

Shoot every face in good light with a ruler or tape in the frame, add close-ups of the wear or break, and photograph any part numbers. The post How to photograph and measure a broken part walks through it.

Send the part that needs work, and add a photo of where it sits in the assembly so we can see how it mounts and what it mates with.

Files sent through the quote request are used to quote and do your job, and you keep ownership of your drawings, as our terms say. If the job is under an NDA, call (775) 359-5570 before you send anything and the office will confirm how it is handled.

We machine to the tolerance on your print, and we read every print before we estimate, so the office can confirm the tightest callouts for your part. Call (775) 359-5570 with the print, and we will talk through the job. The tolerance entry explains how limits are written.

The size may be .001 inch above or below the number on the drawing, so a total band of .002 inch. A dimension of 2.000 +/- .001 is good anywhere from 1.999 to 2.001.

Blanchard grinding is one of our services, and flatness is the main reason to use it. Send the plate size, thickness, material and the flatness callout, and we will tell you how we would approach it.

Flatness controls one surface by itself: it must lie between two parallel planes. Parallelism controls a surface or axis against a datum, so it stays parallel to another surface. Both are written with GD&T symbols.

We machine to the finish on your print, and we do Blanchard grinding for flat faces. Ra is the average height of the tool marks on a surface, in microinches or micrometers; put the finish you need on the print and the office will confirm it for your part. See surface finish (Ra).

Wolf Machine stands behind the work we perform. If your job needs specific measurements checked or a report, put it on the print or in the quote request, and the office will confirm what we can provide.

It finds cracks at or just under the surface of iron and steel. The part is magnetized, fine iron particles are applied, and they gather along any crack. See Magnaflux crack inspection.

We repair shafts and make new ones, and runout is the check that shows a shaft turns true. Put the runout you need on the print or in the quote request. See runout (TIR).

Tell us in the quote request what paperwork the job needs. Material certificates are issued by the mill or supplier that made the metal.

We are capable of, but not limited to, machining aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, plastics, stainless steel, steels and steel alloys, titanium and tool steels. See materials we machine.

Yes, we machine plastics, and we have made plastic parts for the medical industry. See plastics.

Yes. We machine titanium, and we have made titanium screws for a food processing plant.

Full answer: Can you machine titanium?

Tell us in the quote request whether you want to supply the material, and the office will confirm how the job is quoted. We machine aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, plastics, stainless steel, steels and steel alloys, titanium and tool steels; if you are not sure what the part needs, send photos and tell us what it does.

Both are chromium-molybdenum alloy steels. 4140 has more carbon, so it hardens deeper and is common in shafts and gears, while 4130 welds more easily. See the glossary.

Bearing bronzes are the usual choice for bushings because they run well against steel shafts. Brass is more common in fittings and light-duty parts. Tell us what the bushing does and we can talk it through.

304 and 316 are the grades most often used where food touches the metal, and your plant's own specification may name one. See stainless steel.

We machine tool steels. How the steel is cut depends on its hardness, so send the grade and the Rockwell hardness if the part is already hardened. See tool steels.

Yes. We do metal and plastic fabrication and machining, and we machine plastics at our Reno shop. We have made plastic parts for the medical industry and metal and plastic chutes for the cement and mining industries. See plastic fabrication and machining.

We strive to maintain our reputation for quick turnarounds whenever possible. How long a job takes depends on the part, the material and the work in the shop, so tell us the date you need it in the quote request.

Put the date you need the part on the quote request or tell us on the phone, and we will go over the job with you. Our aim is quick turnarounds whenever possible.

Call the shop at (775) 359-5570 Monday to Friday between 7:00 am and 3:30 pm, then send photos and any sizes you have with the quote request.

Full answer: My machine is down. What should I do first?

The shop is open Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, and closed Saturday and Sunday. A quote request sent any time is read when the shop opens.

Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, at 4812 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502.

Send the work you need done and the shutdown dates in the quote request, or call (775) 359-5570 to talk it through.

Both. We make prototypes and production runs and do repair work.

Yes. Prototypes and production runs are both services we list. See From one prototype to a production run.

Yes. We make prototypes and do repair work, and many jobs are a single part.

Full answer: Will you make just one part?

Yes. We machine production runs. See production runs.

We work from your specifications, drawings or samples, whether the part is for a plant, a contractor's machine or a personal project. Send the drawing or photos with the quote request.

Yes. We fabricate automated machines and fixtures, and we have built automated welding fixtures for the telecommunications industry. See automated machines and fixtures.

Welding, all types. The welding page covers the work, and the glossary explains the common processes.

Yes. Our welding covers all types, and aluminum has its own page with what to send.

Full answer: Can you weld aluminum?

Yes, welding is all types. Cast iron needs preheating and a slow cool, so send photos and the part's function. See cast iron welding repair.

Yes. Stainless steel welding is part of our welding work. See stainless steel welding.

MIG feeds a wire electrode continuously and is quick on moderate thicknesses. TIG uses a tungsten electrode and hand-fed filler for clean, controlled welds on thin metal, stainless and aluminum.

Many cracked parts can be repaired. The crack is located first, often with Magnaflux, then prepared and welded. Whether to repair or replace depends on the load and the part. See repair or replace.

Millwright and field work and portable align boring are done at your site. Call (775) 359-5570 with the machine, the location and photos so we can talk through what the work involves.

It depends on the part. A worn seat or bore on an expensive housing is often worth repairing, while a part that is cracked through or badly worn may not be. See repair or replace.

Metal spray melts metal and sprays it onto a prepared surface to build up a worn area, which is then machined to size. It is used on bearing areas and seal diameters. See metal spray.

Metal spray is a coating that adheres to the surface, so it is chosen for wear and seal surfaces rather than structural loads. See the full answer for the details.

Full answer: Is metal spray as strong as new metal?

Both are used for bearing and seal areas. The choice depends on how much material is missing, the load and the metal. See metal spray, sleeve or weld.

Boring several bores on one common center line so a shaft or pin runs straight through all of them. See align boring.

Yes, through portable align boring at your site. Call (775) 359-5570 with the machine, the location and photos. See portable align boring.

Gearbox repair covers any brand and size. See gearbox repair and rebuilding.

Noise that is new or louder, heat, oil leaks and metal particles in the oil are the usual signs. See a gearbox rebuild: what to expect.

Yes. Hydraulic cylinders can be repaired, or new parts machined for them. See hydraulic cylinder repair.

Yes. We do pump repair and fabrication, and shaft, turbine, pump and related parts repair. See pump, shaft and turbine repair.

Yes. We machine shafts, threads and keyways, and pivot shafts are repaired or machined for undersized bearings. See shafts, threads and keyways.

Yes. We repair electric motor shafts and endbells. See electric motor shaft and endbell repair.

Yes. We repair rock crusher and screen parts. See rock crusher and screen parts repair.

Yes. We rebuild aerolocks and rotary valves for dry product and food plants. See rotary valve and airlock rebuilding.

We cut threads. Send the thread size, pitch and length, or the mating part, with the quote request.

We key shafts. For splines or other shaft features, send the drawing or the part with the quote request. See keyway and keyseat.

Balancing is arranged with an outside balancing shop after machining. Tell us in the quote request if the part needs it.

Nevada's rule generally treats separately stated repair labor differently from parts. Ask how your invoice will be set out when you request the estimate. See Nevada sales tax on repair work and fabricated parts.

Tell us when you ask for the estimate, or call (775) 359-5570, and we will go over the paperwork you need.

Yes. We accept all major credit cards. Please call (775) 359-5570 for details.

Yes. We can open an account for your company. Please call (775) 359-5570 for details and credit terms.

Yes. Wolf Machine is a member of the Nevada Manufacturers Association.

The shop is at 4812 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502, open Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. See the contact page for the map.

By free-flow route estimates from the shop, Sparks is about 17 minutes, the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) about 35 minutes, Carson City about 36 minutes and Fernley about 42 minutes. See drive times and business counts.

Yes. Carson City is in our service area, about 36 minutes from the shop by a free-flow estimate. See Carson City.

Parts from Truckee, California can be brought or sent to the shop at 4812 Longley Ln in Reno. For anything else, call (775) 359-5570 and the office will confirm what we can do.

Parts from the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center area come to the shop in Reno, and millwright and field work and portable align boring are done at your site. See the TRIC area.

Call (775) 359-5570 before you send it, so we can tell you what to include with it and how to label it for the shop at 4812 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502.

Wolf Machine is an Equal Opportunity Employer and promotes a safe, drug-free work environment. For questions about work at the shop, call (775) 359-5570.

Millwright and field work and portable align boring are done at your site. Call (775) 359-5570 with the location, the machine and photos so we can plan the job. See millwright and field work.