Quoted:
Most machine shop owners have no interest in stealing your idea.

Quite the contrary, they want to just be the shop that does all the machining on your project,
so it's in their best interests to treat you right, and of course that includes being very protective
and guarded about the work they are doing for you.

The purpose of machine shops is to make parts.  Not to steal ideas.

If they were to try to steal your idea, it stands to reason that they'd have to do more than just make
the parts, they'd have to manufacture the entire related product and handle marketing, sales, and distribution, too,
and a contract machine shop DOES NOT DO THOSE THINGS.

They're in business to make parts FOR the people who manufacture, market, and sell products,  and not to
try to steal their business.

Solid take.

Now,  if you were to approach a highly integrated manufacturer with a product that would fit into their product line,
hoping to sell the idea to them, THEN you would want to be very guarded about your design and your rights to it.


CJ