Spring Creek Machining is a machine job shop with 20 employees serving Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri.  We specialize in wire EDM work, 5-axis mill work, and mill-turn or y-axis lathe work.  In addition, we offer waterjet and welding services. With machines and design capabilities, we can complete almost any item that your company may need, whether it’s an inventory part, an OEM part, or a custom part.  

There are generally two types of machine shops.  First, there are production machine shops.  These shops generally run the same part over and over and they often have only lathes or only mills.  As a general rule, production machine shops are contracted to make specific parts and they are not willing or able to take on work outside of those contracts.  Second, there are jobs shops, which typically have a variety of machines and specialize in designing parts, creating drawings, programming machines, and setting up machines.

  • PROTOTYPES

    MILLED DELRIN MAKES DENSE, STRONG, AND WEAR-RESISTANT PARTS. DELRIN IS A GREAT CHOICE FOR PARTS AND PROTOTYPES.

  • OEM Part Manufacturing

    OEM part sourcing can be a significant challenge. Spring Creek Machining is happy to quote any parts in large and small quantities. We support original equipment manufacturers in several industries. In some cases we are the sole supplier of parts and in others we are one of many part providers. All of our custom machining capabilities can be used for OEM part manufacture. Call today to discuss part manufacturing agreements.

    Spring Creek Custom Machining produces parts for OEM companies

    WE MAKE PARTS FOR OEM CLIENTS IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES.

  • Job Shop and Custom Machining

    There are generally two types of machine shops.  First, there are production machine shops.  These shops generally run the same part over and over and they often have only lathes or only mills.  As a general rule, production machine shops are contracted to make specific parts and they are not willing or able to take on work outside of those contracts.  Second, there are jobs shops, which typically have a variety of machines and specialize in designing parts, creating drawings, programming machines, and setting up machines.

    Spring Creek Machining is unique because we have two sides to our shop.  One side of our shop focuses on production machining for contracted work and the second side of our shop focuses on job shop work, with small quantities and design work.  We have different types of machines in our job shop and we have a range of sizes of machines so we are able to machine and fabricate almost any part that you may need.

    For job shop work, it’s very common for our clients to bring us a broken part, a part that they want us to copy, or just a verbal description or hand-drawn sketch.

    In these situations, we will start by creating a drawing using CAD/CAM software such as Autodesk Inventory and SolidWorks. When needed, we have a FARO arm that can help with difficult to measure curves and angles.  Then our team will create the program for the part, set up the machine, machine the part and then inspect it. 

    3D CAD Software

    We use Faro measuring technology
    Faro three dimensional measuring tools are among the best in the business.

    If the OEM is no longer in business, if you want to improve the OEM’s part, or if you don’t want to pay the OEM’s price, send us sample part and we can create a drawing for you. Let us know if you want a part number engraved on the part and if you want any coating. For carbon steel parts, we recommend black oxide coating to minimize rust. If your parts are for food processing, let us know if you will need USDA-certified Delrin.

    cnc mills and Lathes

    Industrial wear parts made with a mill/turn process. Bearing tolerances are +/- .0002″.

    Our Job Shop has 3-axis mills, 5-axis mills, and mill-turns (or y-axis lathes).

    Mill-turns or y-axis lathes can make parts with cylindrical portions that have slip fit or press fit bearing tolerances and also have non-cylindrical portions. Using a mill-turn or y-axis lathe can reduce the run time and cost significantly, especially when machining hundreds or thousands of parts.

    custom fabrication and welding

    Our fabrication shop can cut parts using a saw, a shear or a waterjet and we can form metal parts with a press brake and a power roll.  We can weld on carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.  We offer MIG (GMAW) welding, TIG (GTAW), and stick (SMAW) welding.  If you’re not sure what you need, don’t worry, we’ll take care of it.

    Many of the parts that we weld are also machined.  We use the welding process to create the structure of the machine, and then we machine the welded assembled to bring the critical surfaces to the exact dimensions required.  One example is the part below, where pieces are cut out on the waterjet, then moved to a 3-axis mill, then welded, then moved back to a 3-axis mill to bring critical surfaces into tolerance and to thread holes.

    precision grinding and surfacing

    Photo demonstrating the uniformity of precision ground finishes
    Photo of ferrous part on a grinding table

    We can also offer grinding services with our surface grinder.  A surface grinder can assist with making opposing surfaces parallel and improving uniformity across groups of parts.  Of course, most parts won’t require a surface grinder, but if you need tolerances down to 0.0001”, let us know.

    Shaft repair and replacement

    CNC Lathe Turned shaft with keyway and threading
    Precision turned and threaded shaft with keyway on both ends

    Our lathes are busy all day making and repairing shafts.  We frequently re-make broken shafts.  If you bring us a broken shaft, it will be helpful if you can also bring the bearing that goes with the shaft and please tell us if the bearing is a press fit or a slip fit.  If you don’t know, we’ll ask you a few questions so that we can figure it out.  If you don’t have drawing, it’s no problem, we’ll make one.  We can also cut keyways in the shaft and create weldment shaft couplings.

    Many shafts that have been damaged by seized bearings can be repaired by building up the marred surface with weld bead and then turned down to a bearing tolerance.

    wire edm cutting

    Wire EDM allows for the creation of very thin fins from a solid block.

    Spring Creek Machining has one of Norwest Arkansas’ only wire EDM services. Wire EDM technology allows us to create parts that can’t be made in any otehr way. Wire EDM is especially useful for very small precise cuts on small parts as well as creating very small and exact keyways / broaches for pulleys and creating gearing.

    black oxide coating

    Spring Creek Custom Machining produces parts for OEM companies
    Mill turn parts after blacking and final quality check awaiting shipping.

    We recommend that any carbon steel be coated with black oxide.  The black oxide coating will provide mild corrosion protection, and it’s only a few molecules thick so it will not change the dimensions of your part.

  • Spring Creek Machining’s focus is machining parts and assembling machined parts.

    Spring Creek has 5-axis mills for faster machining of complex parts. In addition, 5-axis mills eliminate the error caused by manually rotating parts in a vise. Our 5-axis mills can handle parts up to 20″ x 30″ x 20″.

    Spring Creek has a waterjet with a 5′ x 10′ cutting surface. The waterjet can cut almost anything, including metal, plastic, wood and composites. The waterjet can cut up to about 4″ thick.

    Spring Creek also has a wire EDM. The wire EDM can cut very high tolerance parts with tolerances of 0.0002″. We can also use our wire EDM to make chamfered cuts. We can cut through holes up to 13″ deep.

    Spring Creek can coat carbon steel with black oxide, also known as magnetite. This process is a hot black oxide process and it is compliant with MIL-C-13924 Class 1 specifications. Size limits are approximately 24″x30″x36″. Black Oxide coating is 0.00004″ thick (or 0.001mm thick) so it will not impact the fit and tolerances of parts. Black Oxide will prevent corrosion under mild conditions so it is a great finish for parts that will be stored before use.

    Spring Creek can also coat stainless steel with black oxide. This process is compliant with MIL-C-13924 Class 4.

    We have wire EDM, 3-axis mills, 5-axis mills, lathes, y-axis lathes, waterjet, and pressbrake machines.

    For any questions, please email us at quotes@springcreekinc.com. If possible, please attach your drawing and the quantities that you want so that we can provide you a quote.

  • Spencer Cox is the owner of Spring Creek Machining.
    Spencer graduated from Fayetteville (Arkansas) High School in 1993 and his wife, Amber, graduated from Springdale (Arkansas) High School in 1993.
    Spencer earned a degree in Chemical Engineering and worked in the oil and gas industry from 2001 to 2017.
    Spencer is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas.
    Spencer was the President of Spring Creek from 2017 until 2024 when Grant Tompkins took over day to day responsibility for Spring Creek.
    Since then Spencer has been consulting in the oil and gas industry.

  • join our team

    If you are excited about machining, eager to develop your skills, and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply. Join our team at Spring Creek Custom Machining and be a part of a company that values dedication and excellence.

    Spring Creek Custom Machining is seeking motivated individuals to join our team in Lowell, Arkansas.

    If you interested in becoming a machinist, please stop by for an interview. Machining is an exciting profession that requires independent learning and problem solving. If you are interested in joining our team, please sign up for a short training with Iscar. This will get started with learning the basics of machining and will be the foundation for your first weeks and months working as a machinist.

    We are hiring experienced, full-time CNC Lathe Machinists. This is an excellent opportunity to grow your skillsand advance your career in a dynamic and supportive environment.

    Responsibilities

    – Read and interpret blueprints and technical drawings to determine specfications and machining processes.
    – Operate CNC lathes and other precision machinery to manufacture components according to design requirements
    – Utiize calipers, micrometers, and other precision measuring instruments to ensure accurancy in measurements.
    – Perform routine machinery on machinery and tools, ensuring optimal performance and safety.
    – Collaborate with team members to optimize production processes, and troubleshoot any machining issues.
    – Adhere to safety standards and protocols while working in the manufacturing environment.

    job responsibilities

    – Strong attention to detail
    – A positive attitude and a willingness to learn
    – Dependability and adherence to attendance policy
    – Commitment to completing tasks on schedule
    – Overtime available, including the possibility of evening or weekend shifts
    – Adherence to Spring Creek Custom Machining’s drug and alcohol policy
    – Detail-oriented with a focus on precision and quality.
    – Strong work ethic and reliability
    – Adaptability to meet production demand and schedules
    – G-code – FANUC/HAAS
    – Knowledge of metrology tools
    – Understanding of tooling and machine set up
    – Understanding of engineering drawings
    – Ability to read and write G-code according to drawings

    preferred skills

    – CAD/CAM
    – Fluency in FANUC Macro B

    compensation and benefits

    Competitive compensation
    Performance-based raises
    Full-time employees are eligible for:
    – Health insurance
    – Paid vacation
    – 401(k) retirement plan