Lead times — what to expect

The three clocks

The total a client feels is all three added up — and most of the slippage people blame on "production" is actually time lost in the quote back-and-forth or waiting on file sign-off.

1. Quote turnaround

From when you send a complete enquiry to when the price comes back.

• →This is usually quick when the file's clean and the spec is clear. It's slower when we have to come back with questions — missing material, unclear units, open vectors, no quantity. A complete enquiry gets a faster quote, every time.

2. Production

The time on the machines and bench to actually make the parts.

• →This clock starts once the file's approved and the order's confirmed — not when you first enquire. The job joins the schedule at that point, behind whatever's already booked.
• →It's driven by how busy the workshop is, the material, the quantity, the process (cut only, or cut plus engrave/finish), and how complex the job is.

3. Delivery or pickup

Getting the finished parts to you.

• →Pickup is immediate once it's done. Delivery adds transit time depending on where it's going.

What makes a job faster

• →A clean, quote-ready file (see the DXF guide).
• →A clear, complete spec — material, thickness, quantity, finish.
• →An in-stock material.
• →Fast sign-off on the proof and confirmation of the order.
• →A simple job: straight cuts, no special finishing.

What makes a job slower

• →File issues that need fixing or clarifying before we can quote or cut.
• →Special-order or non-standard material we don't hold.
• →Large quantities, or multiple processes (cut + engrave + finishing).
• →Sign-off delays — the make clock can't start until the job's confirmed.
• →Peak periods, when the schedule's already full.

If you've got a tight deadline

We'll tell you straight whether a deadline's doable when we quote. If it's tight but possible, we'll say what it takes. If it isn't, we'd rather tell you early than miss it.

• →1. Say so up front. Tell us the date when you first send the job, not after the quote.
• →2. Send it quote-ready. A clean file and a complete spec removes the slowest part — the back-and-forth.
• →3. Confirm the material early. If it's something we hold, that's one less variable.
• →4. Approve and confirm fast. The clock starts when the job's locked, so the sooner that happens, the sooner it's on the machines.

The short version

Three clocks — quote, make, deliver — running in sequence. The make clock starts when the job's confirmed, not when you enquire. Send it clean, confirm it fast, and tell us the deadline up front, and we'll give you a realistic date and hold to it.