Questions job shops ask
Short answers to what machine shops, sheet metal shops and fabricators ask before booking a demo. If yours isn't here, book a demo and ask us; we go over everything with you before you decide.
The drafts
What does OneThou do?
We set up RFQ quoting for machine shops, sheet metal shops and fabricators. Your customer's PDF drawing goes in and a draft quote comes back in under a minute: the operations with setup and run times, the material, any outside services, and a price at each quantity break. Your estimator checks it, edits any line and sends it.
Does it price at my rates or someone else's?
Yours. Every setup is built on your shop's own work centres, hourly rates, material prices, markups and quantity breaks. The draft decides what work the part needs; the price is then worked out from your numbers, line by line, so you can see where every dollar comes from.
Do I need a 3D model, or is a PDF drawing enough?
A PDF drawing is enough. Most RFQs arrive as PDF prints, so that is what the drafts are built from: the title block, material and finish callouts, dimensions, holes, bends, hardware, notes and the bill of materials on an assembly drawing.
Does a person still review every quote?
Yes. A draft is a starting point for your estimator, not a quote sent on its own. They can change any operation, time, rate, material or markup, and every change is saved in the quote's history. Approved quotes can be added as examples for future drafts.
How fast is a draft?
Under a minute for a typical part. In production, drafts have taken between 11 and 39 seconds from drawing to finished draft. A folder of drawings runs as a batch in the background.
What kinds of parts does it handle?
Sheet metal parts (laser or punch, bending, hardware, welding, finishing), machined parts (sawing, milling, turning, grinding, with 3-axis and 5-axis compared) and fabricated assemblies and weldments. If your shop quotes a process we haven't set up before, we add it during setup.
What happens with an unusual part?
The draft shows what it read off the drawing and why it chose each operation, alongside similar parts from your own history. When a part is unusual your estimator corrects the draft. Corrections are kept with the quote, and approved ones can be added as examples so similar parts come out closer next time.
Setup and fit
How long does setup take?
It depends on how your shop quotes today. We go over your operations, rates, price list and a set of your past quotes with you, then build your setup around them. You see drafts of your own parts before you decide anything.
Does it work with my ERP or my spreadsheet?
Each quote exports to Excel or CSV, so it can go into your quote template, your spreadsheet or your ERP's import. If you need a closer link with your ERP, we go over it during setup.
Who is it for?
Job shops that quote from customers' drawings: machine shops, sheet metal shops and fabricators. It fits best where one or two estimators are buried in RFQs, or where most of the quoting knowledge sits with one person.
Do you work with shops outside Ontario?
Yes. We work with shops anywhere and set up over video calls and the phone. Ontario is our home ground: we're based in the GTA, so across southern Ontario we can also set up in person at your shop.
Can it quote in Canadian dollars and in metric?
Yes. Quotes are in your currency, and drawings can be in inches, millimetres or sheet metal gauges.
Your drawings and data
Can it handle ITAR or controlled parts?
Tell us about controlled or ITAR work before setup. We'll go over how those drawings have to be handled in your shop and whether they should go through the system at all.
Can I keep my quoting know-how if an estimator retires?
That is one of the main reasons shops set this up. Your rates, your routings and every approved quote are kept in your setup, so the way your shop quotes no longer lives in one person's head.
Cost and commitment
What does it cost?
It is priced per shop, based on how many quotes you send and how much setup your shop needs. A demo is free and commits you to nothing; we go over the price with you before you decide.
Why does quoting speed matter so much?
Because the first good quote often wins. Modern Machine Shop's 2026 Top Shops survey found that shops quoting within a day won 51% of new work, against 41% for slower shops (source).
How do I get started?
Book a demo on this page. We get in touch to go over how your shop quotes today, in person at your shop or by phone, then set up your quoting around it.
Book a demo
We go over how your shop quotes today, then set up your quoting around it.
A demo is free and commits you to nothing. We go over it by video or phone, or at your shop if you're in Ontario.