---
title: "Blog"
description: "Field notes on estimating and quoting for metal fabricators and machine shops: how to price parts, read drawings, win more RFQs and use AI without losing control of the number."
url: "https://customiser.ai/blog"
modified: "2026-10-29"
---

# Customiser blog

Field notes on estimating and quoting for metal fabricators and machine shops: how to price parts, read drawings, win more RFQs and use AI without losing control of the number.

## Posts

- [How to Calculate Your Shop Rate (With Worked Example)](https://customiser.ai/blog/shop-rate-calculator) (2026-10-29): A shop rate built from overhead, labor, machine cost, real billable hours and margin, worked through for a 25-person fab shop with separate rates for the laser, press brake, weld cell, CNC mill and assembly.
- [How to Estimate Tube Bending and Wire Forming Jobs (Beyond the Tube Bending Calculator)](https://customiser.ai/blog/tube-bending-wire-forming-estimating) (2026-10-29): Most tube bending calculators stop at centerline radius and developed length. This guide takes the same drawing all the way to cycle time, setup, secondary operations and a price per quantity break.
- [How to Price Welding Jobs: Welding Cost per Inch, Hour and Joint](https://customiser.ai/blog/how-to-price-welding-jobs) (2026-10-29): Wire and gas are a small slice of a weld's cost. This method prices the whole welding operation, from the weld symbols on the drawing to fit-up, grinding, inspection and your shop rate, with a worked bracket assembly.
- [Sheet Metal Fabrication Cost: What Drives the Price (Worked Example)](https://customiser.ai/blog/sheet-metal-fabrication-cost) (2026-10-29): What actually sets the price of a sheet metal part, how to measure each cost driver from the 2D drawing, and a 14-gauge bracket costed line by line at three quantities.
- [The Job Shop Quoting Process: From RFQ to Sent Quote](https://customiser.ai/blog/job-shop-quoting-process) (2026-10-29): A step-by-step quoting process for drawing-driven job shops, from logging the RFQ pack to following up on the sent quote, with a bid/no-bid checklist and a quote template you can copy.
- [What Is a Routing in Manufacturing? Job Shop Examples](https://customiser.ai/blog/routing-in-manufacturing) (2026-10-29): A routing is the operation sequence a part follows through the shop. Here are two real job-shop routings, a sheet metal bracket and a CNC machined part, with work centers, times and the cost math at 10 and 100 pieces.

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