A few years ago, I saw something for AutoCAD that made small, prototyped parts and it only cost about $1200. Unfortunately, I've completely forgotten the name of it and all other details. I don't remember what dimensions it offered either. But anyway, this brings to mind NC machines. It might be possible to translate a model into a format that a CAD program could then translate into NC code. I don't expect you could get anything made any cheaper with an NC machine, but you could talk to your local machine shops and see if you can strike up a friendship with some of the old-timers, i.e. the retired and semi-retired. You just never know. I got my own home gym built one time in a somewhat similar way -- by striking up a friendship with an old-timer machinist and a couple of welders -- and for dimes on the dollar.