1/2 inch by 11 thread bolt ????

[Cogsy]

Shipping from Great Britain is HUGELY expensive. [SNIP]
But most of what you pay for "posting and packing" goes for the postage. That is what is expensive. Most places don't charge much, if at all, for the packing. They aren't making any money off of the shipping charges.

Think yourself lucky that you live in the US and don't need to get anything shipped overseas from the US. Half the companies just refuse to sell to overseas customers and most of the ones that do want an absolute fortune for shipping. As an example, 2 oilseals 1/4" ID 1/2" OD (so could fit in a normal envelope) $30 shipping, or (the worst I ever had) 1 foot of 1" 1144 stressproof bar, ~$25 for the steel and $255 shipping! These are all in USD.

Even stuff off eBay has prohibitively expensive shipping if coming from the US, more so if they use the eBay 'Global shipping' method. I just checked a random 2-56 tap from eBay and it had $22 shipping on it! Rant over

 

[Richard Hed]

Think yourself lucky that you live in the US and don't need to get anything shipped overseas from the US. Half the companies just refuse to sell to overseas customers and most of the ones that do want an absolute fortune for shipping. As an example, 2 oilseals 1/4" ID 1/2" OD (so could fit in a normal envelope) $30 shipping, or (the worst I ever had) 1 foot of 1" 1144 stressproof bar, ~$25 for the steel and $255 shipping! These are all in USD.

Even stuff off eBay has prohibitively expensive shipping if coming from the US, more so if they use the eBay 'Global shipping' method. I just checked a random 2-56 tap from eBay and it had $22 shipping on it! Rant over

If that is all true, I hope you didn't buy it. They must have hired a jet for 4 hour delivery. There is no real reason for that. Shipping by sea is very cheap. Any item can be put in a container that is being shipt to where ever with other items just like a truck of mail being delivered to any destination and then distributed from a central distribution center. If they are not doing that, then there is room to build a shipping company.

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Guys,

The Chinese are getting cute over postage, carriage and shipping charges. Everywhere used to advertise "Free Postage" ! Not any more. The free postage is quickly vanishing.

 

[L98fiero]

I automatically dismiss anyone on eBay that ships only with the Global shipping, especially on small, light parts, if it's shipped by USPS and is under $200 CDN, it usually doesn't even go through customs and when it does, the brokerage is $5. If it's couriered, it makes little difference in cost but shipping will take longer.

 

[Richard Hed]

I automatically dismiss anyone on eBay that ships only with the Global shipping, especially on small, light parts, if it's shipped by USPS and is under $200 CDN, it usually doesn't even go through customs and when it does, the brokerage is $5. If it's couriered, it makes little difference in cost but shipping will take longer.

I occassionally have to shiip somethign by LBC to or from the Philippines--I had to send some papers very quickly from Phils to USA --it cost 20$ which horrified me, but it got there in less than 48hrs. There are other small shippers, some who ship anywhere in the world a package of a certain size and shape with ANY amount of weight for 100$ per box (the price may have gone up, don't know) and if you ship 4, you get one free. Problem is that it might take 3 months to get your package. If no hurry, then fine, else. . . .

I really hate when some manufacturor or distributor gets you all hookt on someting, then charges what I KNOW is an outlandish shipping fee. I've had small, flat items that could be shipt in an envelope in USPS but was shipt some other method costing more. I'm retired--I can't afford ANY excess price. I've cut them off many times. For those of you who don't know, it's a FACT that the "hinge that squeaks, gets the grease"--that is, if you don't complain, then YOU are part of the problem. You shoulc complain to these naughty vendors who, some of them don't give a damn, others do. If they learn of their bad behavior, sometimes they do somethign about it. Naturally, the smaller they are, the more theyshould and usually do, care. One thing you should know about this process is that the first time there is a complaint ANYWHERE, it is dismissed. The second complaint gets a "hmmph" and the third complaint often gets lip service or a small amount of action. It is the complaints that come after the third complaint that starts getting action. For small to medium companies, they know they have to respond or lose business and occassionaly even go out of business because of their bad practices. (I bought a whirlpool oven last year and it is a total piece of KRAP). the large companies don't care--they're too large to care.

 

[NickP]

As far as I know, there ARE 3 books by George Thomas. I have been guided by people who knew all about George Thomas and his writings.
A. "The Universal Pillartool"
B. "Dividing and Graduating"
C. " The Model Engineer's Workshop Manual"
The last one was completed after his death.
Shipping from Great Britain is HUGELY expensive. I use to just order a casting when I was ready for it, but not anymore. I plan my purchases, and check with the vendors to see if I am over a postage limit, and into the next (and more expensive) category. Sometimes I will hold off on buying a casting, because it would put my current order in a much higher cost bracket, and just wait and combine it with the next order. It's a general PITA.
I go to Hershey, Pennsylvania every year for the Fall Meet, which is the largest antique car swap meet in the world. I ship a lot of my purchases from there, using the USPS flat rate boxes. That is the way I ship magnetos, which typically weigh about 15-30 lbs. each. I can ship up to 70 lbs. weight for about $20. You would be lucky if you could get a 1 lb. package from England for $20, forget about a 15 lb. package. .
But most of what you pay for "posting and packing" goes for the postage. That is what is expensive. Most places don't charge much, if at all, for the packing. They aren't making any money off of the shipping charges.

We have friends in the States (we live in England). Went to send our friend her birthday present and they post office wanted to charge over £50 because the package was over 2kg (2.2ib). Needless to say the parcel was repacked and some candy removed to get it under 2kg which brought the cost down to about £18 just for the postage never mind the extra for the poly-bag. I dread to think how much castings or materials would cost. Wonder if couriers like UPS are any cheaper?

 

[Richard Hed]

We have friends in the States (we live in England). Went to send our friend her birthday present and they post office wanted to charge over £50 because the package was over 2kg (2.2ib). Needless to say the parcel was repacked and some candy removed to get it under 2kg which brought the cost down to about £18 just for the postage never mind the extra for the poly-bag. I dread to think how much castings or materials would cost. Wonder if couriers like UPS are any cheaper?

One good thing about private enterprise is that WHEN there is real competition, prices drop. I have seen times when FEDEX has goo prices and times where I consider them absurd, the same with UPS which I consider to usually be better, and the worst of all, USPS, actually has some goo prices sometimes esp. for a box of a certain size no matter what is in it. I bought a lot of materials for making a telescope mirrors last year which was shipt from the mid west and the shipping was a very goo price. Other times, I really thimk, the sender is cheating because the shipping seems to vary widely from places very nearly the same.

 

[terryd]

Hi Guys,

The Chinese are getting cute over postage, carriage and shipping charges. Everywhere used to advertise "Free Postage" ! Not any more. The free postage is quickly vanishing.

I find that most Chinese stuff is still post-free and when they do charge the cost is nominal. Postage costs from the US to the UK are horrendous as I found out when renovating a Honda CB 350 which are as rare as hens' teeth in the UK but plentiful in the 'States. On small plastic items such as nameplates in a 'jiffy' bag, the postage was several times the cost of the part. It is the same on most eBay items from the 'States to the UK the postage is very high. for example, a 2-56 tap mentioned by Cogsy above on eBay a Chinese one is £3.50 (2 for £6.47) Post free, From the 'States it costs £9.60 each plus £14.58 postage. You can get a tap and drill set from the US for £5.43 but postage is £11.15.

What used to surprise me was that from different suppliers in the US postage prices on the same item could be as much as double between the two.

TerryD

 

[L98fiero]

What used to surprise me was that from different suppliers in the US postage prices on the same item could be as much as double between the two.
TerryD

And then you will see a $50 item listed for $5 with $45 shipping, it's just a way to catch the unwary or the inattentive, you are buying at a 'good' price after all!

 

[RonW]

We have friends in the States (we live in England). Went to send our friend her birthday present and they post office wanted to charge over £50 because the package was over 2kg (2.2ib). Needless to say the parcel was repacked and some candy removed to get it under 2kg which brought the cost down to about £18 just for the postage never mind the extra for the poly-bag. I dread to think how much castings or materials would cost. Wonder if couriers like UPS are any cheaper?

I'm in the process of importing to Canada from UK, two sets of castings for steady rests for my Myford ML 7. In round numbers castings #59 and shipping by courier #38. Sorry about the # symbols but my phone doesn't run to, or I haven't found, the proper symbol for UK pounds. The up side? Delivery in four days instead of four months.
RonW

 

[RonW]

I'm in the process of importing to Canada from UK, two sets of castings for steady rests for my Myford ML 7. In round numbers castings #59 and shipping by courier #38. Sorry about the # symbols but my phone doesn't run to, or I haven't found, the proper symbol for UK pounds. The up side? Delivery in four days instead of four months.
RonW

An add on to my last. Just had a call from FedEx and they want $12 for our illustrious HST and $10 for clearance PLUS 13p/ c tax on the clearance fee. Now makes another $24 and change. No wonder no one wants to deal with UK companies. I've imported hundreds of dollars worth from China and am yet to be charged clearance or taxes. Go figure. It's beyond me.
RonW

 

[rmd55]

I work for a small business that made tungsten carbide. when the owner retired and sold out to a much larger company our UPS shipping rates dropped by almost 1/2. The Chinese global mail was to the US was being subsidized by the USPS.

 

[SmithDoor]

I was looking at taps and you still buy 1/2"x 11 tap

Dave

 

[wthomas]

Hi Richard:
One of the reason people cant stay in business is the cost of taxes and insurance. The last year I manufactured special tools my insurance cost more
then my gross income. I worked a side job to live on. And my tool I sold was safer the a pair of pliers as the jaws could not be closed down tight.
Just from my experience.
Bill Thomas

 

[SmithDoor]

Why would get insurance that that mush???

Dave

Hi Richard:
One of the reason people cant stay in business is the cost of taxes and insurance. The last year I manufactured special tools my insurance cost more
then my gross income. I worked a side job to live on. And my tool I sold was safer the a pair of pliers as the jaws could not be closed down tight.
Just from my experience.
Bill Thomas

 

[wthomas]

Dave:
I sold the tools to a wholesaler that required $2,000,000.00 Lib. ins. The tool was for auto repair,
had the tool been for the medical field it would have cost five to ten times as much.
Bill

 

[Howder1951]

Buyer beware, those low shipping costs and production costs from China are step one in corporate strategy, once they have destroyed the competition, they can charge what they wish and they will!

 

[melgump]

Thanks very much, Terry! I will be looking them up today!
I am a annoyed that the "global web" will only show results from the U.S. when a particular product is easily and widely available from the U.K. I notice this as a very common situation., and it irks me a LOT!

Just saw today: gandmtools.co.uk , have a copy for £12,00 + p&p.
Cheers,
Ray.

 

[Richard Hed]

Buyer beware, those low shipping costs and production costs from China are step one in corporate strategy, once they have destroyed the competition, they can charge what they wish and they will!

THat's exactly what Japan inc. did. Remember?

 

[Richard Hed]

Why would get insurance that that mush???

Dave

Hi Richard:
One of the reason people cant stay in business is the cost of taxes and insurance. The last year I manufactured special tools my insurance cost more
then my gross income. I worked a side job to live on. And my tool I sold was safer the a pair of pliers as the jaws could not be closed down tight.
Just from my experience.
Bill Thomas

I know. there is a lot more complication to this but What you say is true. Thing is, we simply MUST pay taxes for roads, sewers, electric, water etc. Even defense--just not for constant wars which are really only an enterprise (with people's lives at stake too) for the super super super rich--those rich persons who you never hear of but they own the Deutche Bank, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Bank of England and one in Paris and some others. These monsters thrive on war materiel and don't give a damn about your sons and daughters and yourself. We have to have research for military engines of destruction, but be don't needs to be constantly going to war with them--that has a great deal to do with why our taxes are so exorbitant.