Seattle area group hive fabrication/buy

Is anyone interested in doing a 'group buy' of hive fabrication done in the Seattle area?

As mentioned in this thread, I am getting quotes from local CNC fabrication shops that can turn sheets of plywood into Warre/top bar hives. So far, prices range from around $250 for one hive reducing to around $200 or less for more than one, depending on quantity. These prices do not include materials (which, far as I can tell, are just plywood).

Also, I'm looking at hives from beethinking in Portland. Their Warre hives are around $219 online but are significantly cheaper if purchased in store. I'm having one built and picked up by a friend next week. If there's significant interest, perhaps we could do a group buy from them?

Here are the shops I've found so far that look to have the capabilities:
http://dynamicshapes.net/ (425) 289-6311
http://www.makerhaus.com/ (206) 457-8968
http://www.metrixcreatespace.com/ 206-357-9406
http://www.cncseattle.com/ (425) 483-7364

I'll update this thread with pricing info as I receive it.

there's at least one CNC router at the shop I work in. it sits idle most of the time. I'll check to see if it's available for a project like this.

too late for a group buy this swarm season, but I know of another hive builder with pretty good prices...

tel jetson wrote:there's at least one CNC router at the shop I work in. it sits idle most of the time. I'll check to see if it's available for a project like this.

too late for a group buy this swarm season, but I know of another hive builder with pretty good prices...

Woah, thanks Tel! Both of these things would be grand! I'd love to know more and to support permies and their shops/hive building connections.

Got a quote from http://dynamicshapes.net/: $280+tax for the first hive, and then $200 each. This includes plywood.

well, I got as far as finding out that the router in the shop works off of .mpf files. what format are the plans coming in?

tel jetson wrote:well, I got as far as finding out that the router in the shop works off of .mpf files. what format are the plans coming in?

Thanks tel for looking into this. It looks like, from the project page, the files are in .3dm, .stl, and .dxf formats. From this page it looks like the .mpf format is associated with 'Siemmens[sic?]' CNC routers. I started a thread on the OSBH forum to ask about this.