A knowledgeable shop doesn?t have to measure an optic. Some optic manufacturers publish the footprint dimensions on their website, others will email the print when requested. It?s easy to make a program with a print. Then the machinist can just try the optic in the cut and adjust as needed.
I disagree.Think about what you are saying. Are you paying to have your slide milled, or for the machinist to do research and wait for drawings to arrive ? What you're suggesting is a great way to have your slide languish in some shop for 3 months.
As a machinist, I want to
work from and make my own measurements of THE ACTUAL PART. Not some drawing of the part, where I have to worry about...
1) Are there multiple drawing revisions out there ?
2) Have I got the correct drawing revision for the part I'm supposed to be fitting ?
3) Are there dimensions missing from the supplied drawing which I need to do my work ?
4) Is the drawing depicting the optic, in which case I need to mirror image the fastener positions, or is it a drawing of the actual cut to be made ?
Machinist already have plenty to worry about: machine time, machine availability, having the correct cutters and taps on hand, correct feeds and speeds for the material being cut, and a dozen other problems simply to handle your job once it enters their shop. They haven't got time to go get on the computer and make phone calls !
Not unless you want to pay machinist wages for that research time.