Wexmar provides CNC machining for defense and DoD build-to-print requirements from our shop in Canastota, New York. Contracting officers, prime contractors and depot buyers use us as a defense machine shop for turned, milled and Swiss-machined hardware made in the USA. Backwell MFG LLC d/b/a Wexmar is a small business with an active SAM.gov registration, CAGE code 16AD7, and NAICS codes 332710 and 332721. We invoice through WAWF/PIEE, source to Buy American requirements, and can supply bar compliant with DFARS 252.225-7009 specialty metals clauses.
What defense buyers order from a machine shop
Defense work ranges from one-time spares to recurring production. Common requirements we quote include:
- NSN spare parts built to government or OEM drawings: bushings, pins, spacers, shafts, studs and nuts.
- Ground vehicle and support equipment hardware such as hubs, adapters, brackets and linkage components.
- Fittings and manifolds for hydraulic, fuel and pneumatic systems.
- Housings and covers for electronics, sensors and small mechanisms.
- Test, assembly and inspection fixtures used at depots and prime contractor facilities.
- Small precision components under 32 mm diameter made on Swiss-type machines.
Registrations and sourcing buyers check
Before a purchase order or subcontract is issued, defense buyers usually confirm a short list of facts. Here is where Wexmar stands:
- SAM.gov: active registration under Backwell MFG LLC.
- CAGE: 16AD7.
- NAICS: 332710 Machine Shops and 332721 Precision Turned Product Manufacturing.
- Invoicing: WAWF/PIEE.
- Origin: machined in Canastota, NY; Buy American compliant.
- Specialty metals: DFARS 252.225-7009-compliant sourcing available with country-of-melt documentation from the mill.
- Technical data: DD Form 2345 application on file. Tell us at quote if your drawings carry distribution or export-control markings so we can confirm handling before you send them.
Materials common to defense parts
Defense drawings frequently call out 4130, 4140 and 4340 alloy steel for load-bearing pins and shafts, 17-4 PH and 15-5 PH stainless for corrosion-resistant hardware, 303 and 316 stainless for fittings, and 6061-T6 and 7075-T651 aluminum for housings and brackets. Naval and marine applications add Nitronic 50, Monel and bronze. We also machine titanium, Inconel and engineered plastics. Our materials page covers machining notes by grade.
Tolerances, finishes and documentation
Typical defense tolerances fall between ±.0005 in. on critical fits and ±.005 in. on general features, with GD&T position and runout callouts on mating features. Finishes called out on military drawings, such as MIL-A-8625 anodize, MIL-DTL-5541 chemical conversion coating, MIL-DTL-13924 black oxide, passivation, plating and heat treat, are performed through qualified outside processors whose certs are kept with the lot. Documentation available includes first article inspection in AS9102 format, CMM reports, certificate of conformance, mill material certs and heat-lot traceability from bar stock to shipped part. Inspection runs on NIST-traceable Brown & Sharpe CMMs under an ISO 9001:2015-aligned quality system.
Quantity patterns: spares and production
Many defense buys are small. Spares solicitations often run 5 to 100 pieces with a first article requirement, while recurring production for a prime can run several hundred to several thousand pieces per release. We quote both, and we can hold material by heat lot so follow-on releases match the original first article.
How our floor handles CNC machining for defense
Ten CNC lathes with live tooling and Y-axis turn and mill round parts complete. Six Mazak horizontal machining centers with pallet changers handle 3- and 4-axis horizontal milling of housings, manifolds and brackets. Four Maier MLK-32 Swiss machines with FMB bar feeders cover small pins and fittings, with lights-out capability for higher counts. Centerless and surface grinders finish close-tolerance diameters and faces. Turning, horizontal milling, Swiss and inspection are all on one floor, which keeps lot control simple. Our government and defense machining page has more on contracting.
Typical defense parts, materials and tolerances
| Part | Common material | Typical tolerance | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clevis pin | 4340, 17-4 PH | ±.0005 in. OD | C of C, mill cert, heat lot |
| Flanged bushing | Bronze, 4140 | ±.0005 in. bore | C of C, mill cert |
| Hydraulic manifold | 6061-T6, 316 | ±.001 in. port location | FAI, CMM report |
| Electronics housing | 7075-T651 | ±.002 in. general | FAI, anodize cert |
| Threaded stud | Nitronic 50, 316 | Class 2A or 3A threads | Mill cert, DFARS sourcing |
Getting a quote
Send the solicitation number or drawing, quantity, delivery date and any quality or sourcing clauses. You can upload a drawing for an instant estimate, and a human estimator confirms every quote. For defense or DoD work, call (315) 400-2654, Monday through Friday, 7 to 4 Eastern, or email ron@backwell.com with CAGE 16AD7 in the subject line.