---
title: Part Design and Parts Made From Samples | Wolf Machine Reno
url: https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/part-design-from-samples/
business: Wolf Machine & Fabrication, Inc.
address: 4812 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502
phone: (775) 359-5570
hours: Shop Monday-Friday 7:00 am-3:30 pm; closed Saturday and Sunday
type: Metal and plastic fabrication and machining (custom and CNC machining, welding, metal and plastic fabrication, gearbox and part repair, align boring, metal spray)
---

[Photo: Stock photo: measuring a turned brass shaft with a vernier caliper]

- [Home](https://wolfmachinenv.com/)
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- Part design and parts made from samples

# Part design and parts made from samples

If you have a worn or broken original but no drawing, Wolf Machine measures the original, works out the part and makes it. The shop can also assist you in designing your product or part when you have an idea and no CAD.

Stock photo: measuring a turned brass shaft with a vernier caliper

Plenty of equipment outlives its paperwork. The manual is gone, the maker has stopped supporting the model, or the part was always made one at a time. A sample in your hand is enough to begin, and the shop handles the steps between that sample and a finished replacement.

## At a glance

- A sample, a worn original or a sketch is enough to start
- The original is measured and the part drawn up
- Help choosing the material and the fit
- The drawing is kept for the next time

Love working with these guys, and gal. Great customer service and knowledgeable skill base. They have helped with many big projects and have always pulled though when our machines went down.

JoHannah W. · Google review, March 2017 [Leave us a Google review](https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJVWVOfCI_mYARibcFMPsDEKc)

## How is a part drawn up from a sample?

In plain words, the shop measures the original. Diameters, lengths, hole positions, threads and fits are taken with gauges and calipers and written down. If the sample is worn, the measurements are taken from the unworn areas and corrected for the loss.

From those numbers the part is drafted, on paper or on a computer, so it can be machined and checked. The finished part is compared back to the sample, and the drawing is kept in case you need the part again.

## Material and fit decisions

A sample shows shape, but not always what it is made from or how tightly it fits its neighbor. Your knowledge of how the machine runs tells us a good deal. Where a part sees wear, the question becomes whether to copy the original material or choose one that lasts longer.

The sizes a part needs to hold often follow standard fits. The glossary entry on [interference fits](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/interference-fit/) explains the idea, and the [tolerance](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/tolerance/) entry covers allowed variation.

- Copy the original material, or choose one that wears better
- Match the fit of the mating part, not the worn sample
- Decide which surfaces need a finish and which do not

## Design help for new ideas

Not every job starts with an old part. Sometimes the customer has a problem and a rough idea of the answer. The shop's own words are: "We can also assist you in designing your product or part." For an automated fixture, for example, that assistance is part of the job, as described on the [automated machines and fixtures](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/automated-machines-and-fixtures/) page.

If the idea is still unproven, begin with a [prototype](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/prototypes/) and refine the design from there.

## What to bring or send

The ideal sample is the part itself. Bring it to 4812 Longley Ln, or send photos with a ruler in the shot, the machine it comes from, and the sizes you can measure. The [photographing and measuring article](https://wolfmachinenv.com/blog/photograph-and-measure-a-broken-part/) shows how. Use the [quote request](https://wolfmachinenv.com/request-a-quote/) or call [(775) 359-5570](tel:(775)%20359-5570), Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. See also the answer on [making a part without a drawing](https://wolfmachinenv.com/faq/no-drawing-what-now/).

### Sources

- [Wolf Machine & Fabrication services list](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/) (2026-10-18)
- [ASME Y14.5-2018, Dimensioning and Tolerancing](https://www.asme.org/codes-standards/find-codes-standards/y14-5-dimensioning-tolerancing) (2026-10-18)

### How the shop works from a sample

- Measuring the original in the places that matter
- Allowing for wear when the original is not at its true size
- Choosing a material suited to the job
- Drafting the part so it can be made and checked
- Making the part and checking it against the sample

### Typical parts

- Replacement shafts, bushings and gears
- Housings and bushings with no print
- Fixture components
- Parts for older or discontinued machines

### Materials

[Steels and steel alloys](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/steel-and-steel-alloys/) [Aluminum](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/aluminum/) [Bronze](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/bronze/) [Plastics](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/plastics/)

[All materials we machine](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/)

### How to send us the job

Send a drawing (PDF, DWG, DXF, STEP or IGES), a sketch with sizes, or photos of the part with a tape or scale in the shot. A sample works too: bring it to the shop.

[Request a quote](#quote)

[What to put on a drawing](https://wolfmachinenv.com/guides/what-to-put-on-a-drawing/)

### Talk to the shop

[(775) 359-5570](tel:(775)%20359-5570)

| Monday to Friday | 7:00 am - 3:30 pm |
|---|---|
| Saturday and Sunday | Closed |

[Request a quote](#quote)

### Related

- [Custom machining](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/custom-machining/)
- [Prototypes](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/prototypes/)
- [I do not have a drawing. Can you still make the part?](https://wolfmachinenv.com/faq/no-drawing-what-now/)
- [How to photograph and measure a broken part](https://wolfmachinenv.com/blog/photograph-and-measure-a-broken-part/)
- [Interference fit](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/interference-fit/)

### Questions about this service

- [What file types can I send with a quote request?](https://wolfmachinenv.com/faq/what-file-types-can-i-send/)
- [I do not have a drawing. Can you still make the part?](https://wolfmachinenv.com/faq/no-drawing-what-now/)

### Terms on this page

[Tolerance](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/tolerance/)

[The full glossary](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/)

## Work from the shop

[Photo: Looking into a perforated strainer basket: six welded flat-bar spokes meeting at a welded center hub]

Job 05 Looking into a perforated strainer basket: six welded flat-bar spokes meeting at a welded center hub.

[Photo: A tall conical strainer of perforated sheet, seam-welded and welded to a flat ring flange]

Job 06 A tall conical strainer of perforated sheet, seam-welded and welded to a flat ring flange.

[Photo: A custom-fabricated steel tank with a domed head, a bolted mid-body flange and nozzles, installed in a plant]

Job 04 A custom-fabricated steel tank with a domed head, a bolted mid-body flange and nozzles, installed in a plant.

[See all our work](https://wolfmachinenv.com/gallery/)

## Related services

- [Welding, all types](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/welding/)
- [Aluminum welding](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/aluminum-welding/)
- [Stainless steel welding](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/stainless-steel-welding/)
- [Cast iron welding repair](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/cast-iron-welding/)
- [Metal fabrication](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/metal-fabrication/)
- [Plastic fabrication and machining](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/plastic-fabrication-and-machining/)

## Part design and parts made from samples questions

Still have a question? Call [(775) 359-5570](tel:(775)%20359-5570), Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.

### Does the shop keep the drawing after the job?

Ask the shop to keep the drawing made for your part, so a reorder can start from it.

### What if my sample is badly worn?

Measurements are taken from the unworn areas and corrected for the wear, so the new part matches the original design, not the worn state.

### Can you suggest a better material?

Yes. If the original wore out quickly, the shop can discuss a different material that suits the job.

[Photo: Stock photo: a lathe turning a bar, hot chips flying]

## Request a quote

Tell us what you need, attach a drawing or photos of the part, and we will get back to you during shop hours. Free consultations; prompt estimates.

[Call (775) 359-5570](tel:(775)%20359-5570)

- From your specifications, drawings or samples. We can also assist you in designing your product or part.
- Free consultations and prompt estimates
- Stands behind the work: Our rates are very competitive and our quality is second-to-none. Wolf Machine stands behind the work we perform.
- Company accounts: all major credit cards, or we can open an account for your company

Shop hours Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. Send your request any time and we will get back to you during shop hours.

Stock photo: a lathe turning a bar, hot chips flying