Wexmar provides CNC machining for marine equipment makers, boatbuilders, repair yards and naval suppliers from our shop in Canastota, New York. As a marine machine shop, we turn and mill the corrosion-resistant parts that go into propulsion, steering, pumps, deck hardware and onboard systems: shafts, couplings, bushings, fittings, valve parts and mounting hardware. Most of this work is in 316 stainless, Nitronic 50, Monel and bronze, where material choice and traceability matter as much as dimensions.
What marine buyers order from a machine shop
Saltwater service is hard on hardware, so marine buyers replace and upgrade parts regularly. Typical requirements include:
- Propeller and pump shafts with tapers, keyways and threaded ends.
- Shaft couplings, flanges and hubs for drivelines.
- Bushings and bearing sleeves for rudders, struts and steering gear.
- Through-hull and system fittings, adapters and valve components.
- Sterndrive and outboard components such as spacers, pins and small shafts.
- Deck hardware and mounting blocks for winches, davits and equipment.
- Pump impeller hubs, wear rings and seal sleeves.
Materials common to marine parts
316 and 316L stainless are the baseline for fittings and hardware. Nitronic 50 is widely used for propeller shafts because of its strength and resistance to pitting in seawater. Monel 400 and K-500 serve pump shafts, fasteners and valve trim in seawater systems. Bronze alloys, including aluminum bronze and manganese bronze, are used for bushings, bearings and some fittings. Aluminum 6061-T6 appears in lightweight brackets and mounts, typically anodized through qualified outside processors, and 17-4 PH serves high-strength pins. Engineered plastics such as UHMW and acetal are used for low-friction bearings and wear pads. Our materials page covers each grade.
Tolerances, finishes and documentation
Typical marine callouts include ±.0005 in. on bearing journals and coupling bores, taper fits gaged to the mating part, keyways to standard width tolerances, and ±.005 in. on general features. Shafts are often straightened and checked for runout along their length, with limits on the drawing such as .002 in. total indicated runout. Surface finish of 16 to 32 Ra is common on seal and bearing journals. Passivation and anodize are performed through qualified outside processors.
Documentation typically includes mill material certs with heat-lot traceability, which is important because many marine failures trace back to incorrect alloys, along with dimensional inspection and a certificate of conformance. For naval and government orders, we can source bar compliant with DFARS 252.225-7009 specialty metals clauses and provide first article inspection in AS9102 format. See our defense and DoD page for contracting details.
Quantity patterns: repair, refit and production
Repair yards and owners usually need 1 to 4 replacement parts, often on a schedule set by a haul-out. Boatbuilders and engine packagers release production lots of 25 to 500 pieces per part number across a model year. Naval and commercial vessel programs order spares in small lots with full documentation. We quote each pattern on its own terms and keep programs on file for repeat parts.
How our floor handles CNC machining for marine
Turning shafts and couplings
Ten CNC lathes, including the Mazak Nexus 450-II for larger diameters, turn shafts, couplings and hubs. Live tooling and Y-axis mill keyways and cross holes in the same setup. See our CNC turning page.
Horizontal milling
Six horizontal machining centers with pallet changers run 3- and 4-axis horizontal milling on mounting blocks, flanges, valve bodies and deck hardware.
Swiss, grinding and inspection
Four Maier MLK-32 Swiss machines produce pins, small shafts and fittings to 32 mm diameter. A centerless grinder finishes bearing journals on smaller shafts, and two CMMs verify critical features.
Typical marine parts, materials and tolerances
| Part | Common material | Typical tolerance | Primary process |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propeller shaft | Nitronic 50 | ±.0005 in. journals, taper to gage | Lathe |
| Shaft coupling | 316, 17-4 PH | ±.0005 in. bore | Lathe with live tooling |
| Rudder bushing | Aluminum bronze, UHMW | ±.001 in. | Lathe |
| Pump shaft | Monel K-500 | ±.0005 in. seal journal | Lathe, centerless grind |
| Through-hull fitting | 316, bronze | ±.002 in., class 2 threads | Lathe |
| Mounting block | 6061-T6, 316 | ±.005 in. | Horizontal milling |
Getting a quote
Send a drawing or dimensioned sketch, material and quantity, plus your haul-out or delivery date. You can upload a drawing for an instant estimate, and a human estimator confirms every quote. For marine parts, call (315) 400-2654, Monday through Friday, 7 to 4 Eastern, or email ron@backwell.com.