The Part You Draw on a Napkin
Most people who need a spacer, bushing or standoff don't need a CAD model — they need a specific size that no catalog stocks. The bolt is too long, the bore is metric and the shelf is imperial, the stack-up is 11.5 mm and McMaster jumps from 10 to 12. That's not a design problem; it's a sourcing dead end.
It's also the single best part to order from a hand drawing. A spacer is geometrically simple — a tube with a hole — so a rough sketch with four measurements tells us everything we need. We redraw it as a proper CAD file for free, confirm the numbers with you, and machine it on our lathes to the exact size. One piece or a thousand.
The 4 Numbers We Need
Write these on your sketch (or just type them in a message) and we can quote:
Metric or imperial — both fine. If you only know three of the four, send what you have and we'll ask one short question. If the spacer has to press onto a shaft or into a housing, just tell us the mating size and whether it should be a press fit, slip fit or running fit — we machine the bore to the right tolerance class for you.
What We Make From Your Sketch
Round & stepped spacers
Plain tube spacers and shouldered/stepped spacers that locate as well as space. Any OD/ID/length combination.
Bushings & sleeves
Plain bearing bushings, liner sleeves and reducers — bore machined to press-fit, slip-fit or running-fit tolerance.
Threaded standoffs
Male-female, female-female and male-male standoffs in any length and thread, metric or imperial, hex or round.
Wheel & hub spacers
Vehicle and motorsport spacers with the exact bore, thickness and bolt pattern your build needs.
Flanged bushings
Shouldered/flanged bushings that locate against a face — common in linkages, pivots and rollers.
Insulating & plastic spacers
Non-conductive spacers in Delrin, PEEK or PTFE for electrical, thermal or low-friction jobs.
Square-section spacers
Square bar sawn and faced instead of turned — beds flat against a rail and will not rotate under the wrench. Catalogues stop at round.
Brackets & mounts
The part a spacer usually bolts to. Machined from solid or laser cut and folded — we run both routes and say which one yours wants.
Materials & When to Use Them
| Material | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum 6061 / 7075 | Lightweight spacers, wheel spacers, general use | Anodize black, silver or color; 7075 for higher strength |
| Brass | Bushings, electrical spacers, decorative | Good machinability, naturally corrosion-resistant |
| Stainless 303 / 304 (1.4301) / 316L (1.4404) | Marine, outdoor, hygienic, high-load | 303 free-machining, 304 general, 316L for saltwater and chemical exposure |
| Carbon & alloy steel | Load-bearing spacers and bushings | Can be hardened or zinc-plated |
| Delrin / POM, PEEK, PTFE | Insulating, low-friction, light | Non-conductive; PEEK for high temperature |
Not sure which to pick? Describe what the spacer does — what it sits between, the load, the environment — and we'll recommend the material with your quote.
Catalog jumps over your size? That's the whole point of this service. Stock suppliers carry standard increments; we machine to your number. Non-standard OD, odd bore, in-between length, mixed thread — drawn by you, made by us, from one piece.
Where stock stops and we take over
Stock spacers cover one case very well: common bore, standard length, generous clearance, in quantity. It comes apart as soon as any one of those four gives way.
| What you need | In the catalogue? | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| A length between two stock steps, say 47.5 mm | No — stock lengths step in whole millimetres | Turned to size, any length from 2 to 600 mm |
| Bore held to H7 because a shaft has to slide | Rarely — stock spacers are drilled generously on purpose | Bored and gauged, to ±0.01 mm on the fit diameter |
| Stepped spacer, three diameters on one part | No — you would have to stack three items | Turned in one setup, so the diameters are concentric by construction |
| 316L (1.4404) with an EN 10204 3.1 certificate from series | Rarely, and then in packs of 100 | 316L bar, from 1 piece; 3.1 certificate from series quantities |
| Square section instead of round | No — the listings stop at round and tube | Sawn and faced — see square spacers |
| M8 × 20 hex standoff in nickel-plated brass, 200 off | Yes — an ordinary catalogue line | Buy it off the shelf: on a standard size at that quantity, stock will always beat machining |
How It Works
Send Your Sketch or Dimensions
Email a photo of your sketch — or just type OD, ID, length and thread — to [email protected] or via the form. Note the material if you know it.
We Redraw & Confirm
Our engineer turns it into a CAD drawing within 12h and confirms any fit/tolerance question — we never assume a press fit you didn't ask for.
You Approve & We Quote
You approve the drawing; we send a firm price with material options and lead time. Tiered pricing for 1, a few, or a batch — all upfront.
We Turn, Inspect & Ship
Machined on our lathes, dimensionally inspected, anodized if requested, and shipped worldwide via DHL/FedEx with tracking.
Real Job: Wheel Spacers From a Pencil Sketch
A UK motorsport customer sent a pencil sketch with a bore, a thickness and a bolt pattern — no CAD, no formal drawing. We redrew it in four hours, confirmed the bore for a hub fit, machined the pair from 7075-T6, black-anodized and laser-marked them, and delivered in 12 days. Zero rework.
Read the full wheel-spacer case study →
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — that's the ideal input. OD, bore, length and any thread/finish is enough to quote and machine. We redraw it as CAD for free and confirm every number before cutting. No CAD software needed on your side.
Yes. Tell us the shaft or housing size and whether you want a press, slip or running fit. We machine the bore to the matching tolerance class (typically ±0.01 mm) so it seats correctly.
Yes, MOQ is 1 piece with no setup fee. Order one to confirm the fit, then reorder a batch at a lower unit price — we keep your CAD on file.
Both. Draw it in whatever units you think in — millimetres or inches — and we'll machine to it. We can also convert and confirm if you mix the two.
Yes — black, silver/clear, and common colors (red, blue, gold, etc.). Laser marking is available too. Just note it on your sketch.
Aluminum (6061, 7075), brass, stainless steel (303, 316), carbon steel, titanium, and engineering plastics such as Delrin/POM, PEEK and PTFE. We also anodize aluminum in black, silver and colors.
That is exactly what we are for. Catalogs and stock suppliers only carry standard sizes. If your OD, bore, length or thread is non-standard, you draw it and we machine it to your numbers — in any quantity from one piece.
Related: all hand-drawing & sketch machining · machined washers from a sketch · knobs from a sketch · shafts from a sketch · order with no CAD at all · CNC turning · custom fasteners & standoffs · replacement parts
Get a Free Quote
Send your OD / ID / length / thread — or a sketch. We reply within 12 hours.
// Qty & price
1 pc
Sample price
Confirm fit before a run
10–50
Unit price drops
Setup cost shared
100+
Best price
All tiers quoted upfront
- →No distributor — you pay the maker directly
- →CAD saved after first order — reorder anytime at lower unit price
Response within 12h · Drawings kept confidential