Send the worn part and three measurements. We send back the standard it matches.

Most of what a machine shop needs has a standard behind it: CAT40, BT30, HSK63A, ER32 to DIN 6499, 5C, MAS 403. The old part tells us which one. You get a current part number, what it will take to get here, and a price basis. Price comes second, because the wrong part at a good price is still the wrong part.

Send an inquiry Email photos

A worn collet nut and pull stud being measured and photographed for matching

Brown paper, calipers, phone overhead. For most standard parts, that photo is where the match starts and ends.

The three measurements

Length, the big diameter, and the thread or bolt pattern.

Take them with calipers if you have them. A tape measure in the photo is fine for a way wiper. It is not fine for a pull stud.

Overall length, end to end, in inches or millimetres. Say which. On a pull stud this separates a MAS 403 knob from an ANSI one faster than anything else.
The largest diameter or width. For a collet, the outside at the front. For a wiper, the width across the lip. For a bearing, bore, outside diameter and width, all three.
The thread or mounting feature. Thread size and pitch on a stud, bolt hole spacing on a wiper, journal diameters on a ball screw end. A thread gauge beats a guess every time.

Photograph it like evidence

Plain background, brown paper or a clean rag. Square on, then from the side. Put a steel rule in the frame, flat against the part, not floating in front of it. If there is any marking on the part, even half worn off, take a close photo of that too. A partial part number or a maker's stamp often closes the match in minutes.

Photograph the wear as well. A fretted pull stud, a torn wiper lip, pitting on a ball screw. It tells us what failed and sometimes why, which changes what we recommend.

Then name the machine

Make, model, and the year or serial off the plate. Two machines from the same builder a few years apart can use different retention knobs on the same taper. That is the single most common mismatch we see, and it is the one that drops tools. We do not quote a retention knob from a photo alone for that reason. We check it against the machine.

Spindle bearings are the other strict one. No precision class and contact angle, no quote.

What happens and when

From your photo to a part number.

You send photos, measurements and the machineBy email to [email protected] or the form below. Posting the actual part to the Dawson Drive counter works too; call first so we know it is coming.
We identify the standardUsually the same business day for common parts. Odd or obsolete ones take longer and we tell you that up front.
We ask what is missingIf one dimension does not fit any standard, we ask for it again rather than guess. One question now saves a return later.
You get the replyPart number, the standard it follows, a typical lead time and a price basis. By phone or email, whichever you asked for.
You say go, or notNothing is ordered until you confirm. The binding price comes with that confirmation, never from the website.

A reply looks like this

Your part: retention knob, 45 degree, M16 thread, 60.0 mm overall.

Matches: MAS 403 BT40 type, checked against your machine model.

Typical lead time: a few business days from stock at the supplier.

Price basis: per knob, box pricing on a set for the carousel.

Note: the fretting on the old knob suggests drawbar springs are tired. Check clamp force.

An illustration of the format, not a quote.

Typical lead times

How long parts usually take to get here.

Typical, not promised. Stock at our suppliers moves daily and the reply to your inquiry gives the real figure for your part.

Typical lead time by category
Category	What drives it	Typical
ER32 collets, CAT40 holders	Standard sizes move fast	a few days
End mills, inserts	Grade and coating	a few days
Soft jaws, clamp kits	Vise model	about a week
Retention knobs	Machine model check	a few days
Spindle bearing pairs	Class and angle	one to three weeks
Way wipers	Profile match	about a week
Ball screws	Cut and end machining	several weeks
Coolant, pumps	Pump voltage and head	a few days
Wheels, discs	Marking	a few days
Indicators, pin sets	Class	about a week

Not sourced here

What we will not chase, and who to call instead.

Spindle rebuilds. We sell bearings and knobs. We do not rebuild or balance spindles. Use a spindle rebuild shop and we will supply the parts they spec.
Regrinds sold as new. If a cutter has been reground, the box says so. We do not source unmarked resharpened tools.
Controls and electronics. Drives, boards, encoders and CNC control parts are a different trade. Ask your machine builder or a controls repair house.
Castings and one-off machined parts. If there is no standard behind it, it is a job for a machine shop with your drawing, not for a parts counter.
Collets with no size on them. We will not ship a collet without its nominal size and clamping range marked.

Not sure which side of that line your part falls? Send the photo anyway. A no comes back as fast as a yes, and it usually comes with a name.

Working out whether a cut will stall the machine is a different question. The cut-load calculator answers that one.

Cross-reference inquiry

Nothing is ordered until you confirm a quote.