Souces from China

[Blogwitch]

Over the last month or so I have been on the final stocking up in my shop, and seeing the exorbitant prices being charged for certain items, I will give you the links to items I have already received and found to be very good quality.

How much do you pay for replacement Torx screws for your indexable tooling? Well these work out at around 10 pence each, between 1 and 2 pounds each locally.

M4 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...32735668181.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.nmH1t8

M3 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/50p...32748839453.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.nmH1t8

M2.5 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/50p...32748871086.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.nmH1t8

1/8" ball nosed solid carbide cutters - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10P...32747306257.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.vL3WlL

For threading jobs in up to 1/4" plate, handy for outside jobs, they drill, tap and deburr the hole all in one. I have tried these out on mild steel using a battery drill for my garden gate and they worked great - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/6pc...32745125517.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.rTutMj

Now onto lathe tips.
What you have to remember is that China is now a world leader, and the things I am buying are for use in their home market as well, and I have previously tried them out and they cut and last very well

CCMT060204 - http://www.banggood.com/search/1055821.html

10mm round tips for use in profile cutters - http://www.banggood.com/search/1102047.html

Plus a holder for them - http://www.banggood.com/search/1063739.html

Another thing you must realise is soon, China is going to be putting up it's prices due to swapping over completely to a dollar based system rather than the local currency they are paying their workers in at this time, no more bowl of rice a day and a bar of soap at the end of the week. Once that happens, prices will shoot up. Get it while you can, but be very careful of shipping charges, I usually only search out free shipping.

A little later I will also show you a few things that have come from China to help me with my CNC mill conversion.


John

 

[deverett]

I've followed your lead, John.

Only thing is that there is temptation to make too large an order at one go and probably incur the dreaded Customs duty/VAT when it arrives this end. The way round that is to have smaller orders perhaps spaced a day or so apart to foil the snoops - with free shipping it makes no difference to the cost per item. That's my idea, I'll let you know if I still get hammered!

Dave
The Emerald Isle

 

[kadora]

Custom charges for China goods rised here /EU/ and kiled my China shopping.
I was satisfy with quality of their goods. PITY

 

[Blogwitch]

Dave, you are doing it the right way.

The only thing I have had to pay for in a couple of years of dealing in China was for some lead screws for the CNC mill, in conjunction with a friend. I think there is a UK/China agreement so that we are not hammered for duty.

BTW, please note that it is usually about a 30 day delivery time, but sometimes I get them within a week.

Not very good piccies, but here is my haul that should keep me going for quite a while.

And something I haven't shown anyone yet, a 4 axis CNC controller and it's pendant. Saves having a computer and monitor at or anywhere near the CNC machine. You work out your main data on your housebound computer and transfer it using USB stick. I am just learning to use Meshcam to convert from CAD to G-Code.
No duty paid on either of these.

Really sorry about the quality of pics, but if you need to know more, just ask.

John

 

[stragenmitsuko]

Had some good experiances with china products also , mostly ebay .

An arduino uno for 3.47$ , an lcd display shield with buttons for 3.30$ and an i2c lcd interface for a full 0.82$ . Yes I'm gonna build a stepper dividing head :thumbup:

Various tapered roller and ball bearings for a couple of $ .
I suppose they won't be as good as skf quality , but for low rpm they should be fine .

What strikes me most is that they almost always ship it for free , even at very low prices they are selling it .

Fi I just bought a clutch friction plate for a vintage nissan from a UK based seller , and I had to pay 9.55£ just to ship it across the pont to Belgium .
Shipped trough the international shipping program .... yeah right


The trick is like dave suggested to make several small orders .
Never had any customs problems till now .

Pat

Btw John , is there a tread about your cnc adventure somewhere ?
I'll be starting mine real soon .

 

[deverett]

Fi I just bought a clutch friction plate for a vintage nissan from a UK based seller , and I had to pay 9.55£ just to ship it across the pont to Belgium .
Shipped trough the international shipping program .... yeah right
Pat

Quite a lot of the stuff I see on eBay is sent overseas by Global Shipping Programme at exorbitant costs. I won't pay them. If there is something I want, I'll contact the vendor and ask if he will send by Royal Mail or ordinary courier. Quite often, they don't realise the excess that eBay charge for their GSP and usually they will oblige, but if not they don't get my business.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

 

[Blogwitch]

Pat,

That is a saga and a half. I have every tiny bit to complete it, plus some, but I can't start anything until a friend starts to publish his exactly the same build in MEW.

Mind you, it is giving me time to learn G-code and CAD.

John

 

[goldstar31]

As people will probably surmise- I have Honk Kong connections.

What baffles me is that HK costs are pretty much on a par with UK for electrical stuff there.

I'm with the locals including the universities and not poncing around as a tripper with 'I love HK' on my hat- or similar junk

 

[petertha]

Funny you mention this John. Its been on my mind too. Especially with all the political broohaw lately. I wonder if I will wake up one day, prices will be increased or tariff doubled & end of the good times.

I've been sampling all sorts of Ali/Ebay goodies from Asia, carbide end mills, inserts etc. Some have been of exceptional quality. Yes, I still experience the occasional 'you got me on that one' but decreasingly. I've convinced myself that my local tooling companies are basically middleman pipeline connected to the same factories. Nothing wrong with that, everyone has to make a living...including me. As long as the skim isn't too steep & potential customer service ...whatever that means these days. But, when I find the comparable product at fractional cost, sorry middleman, supply & demand effect takes over.

I happened to be looking at these squares.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100-70mm-DIN875-0-Grade-Hardened-Stainless-Steel-90-degree-Flat-Edge-Square-With-Wide-Base/32671393084.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.Tba2xj
Mostly a nice-to-have vs. need to have. Reasonably priced & I have had good luck with offshore gage tooling like this, sufficiently accurate for home shop use. But no 'free shipping' or 'reduced shipping'. Now maybe its one of those silly games where the part actually costs more & they draw from the part bucket & assign more to shipping bucket to fool those who cant add 2 numbers for the total bill. Anyway, I just don't see NAm or Euro tools like this at those prices. Seems like we don't make that stuff anymore. Well, aside from the odd rusty relic on fleabay from grandpa's tool box or whatever, usually at higher cost.

One thing to hope for: history tends to repeat. As China income rises & people desire higher standards & supplying to N-Am & Europe means less over domestic demand, there seems to always be 'another country' that fills the hungry upstart role. Lets hope.

 

[bazmak]

I too am happy with most chinese gear,as stated you have to pick and choose
I am in the process of receiving a multitude of small cheap items over Xmas
at free postage.95% do whats said on the tin and arrive quicker than internal
OZ post.I bought a variety of end mills.The carbide ones were German and brilliant the HSS not so good.Taps can be iffy but am currently the combination machine taps that drill tap and csk at $2 each I might stock up after trial period

 

[joco-nz]

... And something I haven't shown anyone yet, a 4 axis CNC controller and it's pendant. Saves having a computer and monitor at or anywhere near the CNC machine. You work out your main data on your housebound computer and transfer it using USB stick. I am just learning to use Meshcam to convert from CAD to G-Code.
No duty paid on either of these.

John - any chance you can point us at the seller(s) who did the CNC gear?

Cheers,
James.

 

[ninefinger]

Funny you should start this thread today, I just picked up my package from the post office today - Christmas for my workshop and little lathe CNC update. I actually saw this post before I've opened the package!
I do find the shipping is excruciatingly slow to Canada - I tend to forget exactly what I've ordered many a times and need to check my order history. The average is tending upwards to 30 days, which if I'm planning ahead is fine but ordering that item that just broke can leave you high and dry for a while.

Also order from banggood - funny name but they do have some tools hidden away - that's where my latest haul came from.
Carbide lathe inserts for $2 each or less? sign me up. (for the "big" lathe). just a touch more for the "sharp" ones for aluminum http://www.banggood.com/10pcs-DCGT11T308-AK-H01DCGT32_52-AK-H01-CNC-Cutting-Blades-Used-for-Aluminum-p-1042820.html
I picked up a perfect set of lathe insert holders for my little Compact5 CNC that I've updated to newer CNC motors and controls. Its got room for 3 square shank 10mm holders and room for 3 drills or 10mm boring bars. $26 shipped for 4 holders with 4 insets to get started..http://www.banggood.com/4pcs-10mm-Shank-Lathe-Boring-Bar-Turning-Tool-Holder-With-4pcs-DCMT070204-Inserts-p-1098957.html
Also these coolant tubes http://www.banggood.com/Round-Nozzle-Flexible-Plastic-Water-Oil-Coolant-Pipe-for-CNC-Lathe-p-969687.html - less than 1/2 what I'd pay on ebay with shipping (for my CNC mill).
6mm HSS end mills, for me better than carbide as again at $2 each I have far less worry about screw ups than $10 to $30 carbides, and my mill can't spin fast enough to take advantage of carbide.

I'm on board with loading up on this stuff now, as I do feel prices are likely to climb in the near future.


However, as I unpacked all the pieces of this last order I am reminded why its so cheap - they just pack and ship and don't really care. My 6mm end mills were supposed to be three flutes, they are actually 2 flute. Will probably work fine for me but I'll raise a claim and see where it goes just on principle.
Mike

 

[Blogwitch]

James,

Here are the links

Controller - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4-a...ing-Machine-supports-stepper/32664122826.html

Pendant - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Uni...gency-Stop-Siemens-FAGOR-GSK/32652757581.html

If you need anything CNC, just put a search in for CNC and then narrow things down by selecting an item then when it comes up, at the bottom are usually other sellers of the same item, just go through those to find out if it is cheaper.

I paid no duty on either of the above items, and the controller is the very latest version, most others are on version 1, which as far as I know are just cosmetic changes to the buttons.

Just remember, these controllers have all their software internally, so anything mentioning Mach 3 won't work with it.


John

BTW, I am using a tiny LED 24volt 1/2 amp driver for it for playing about but when it will be permanently installed, it will be run from one of these, very small in size.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Tra..._2&btsid=48c36532-5fdf-4790-b6ef-d55f57d62b47

 

[stragenmitsuko]

Guy's please stop posting links .
I can't stop myself from klicking the buy it now buttons


merry x-mas everyone
Pat

 

[Blogwitch]

Peter,

A few years ago, I was given the nod by a few importers that I was in contact with then, about certain price rises coming from China.

I then put it about on the forums telling people to get their new machinery within the next few months. Some took my advice and saved, others didn't and paid as much as 40% more for their new machines from China.

I don't have that insight any more, but anyone interested in the modern world can see how China has become a world leader in lots of areas, especially engineering.
They have now got rid of most manufacturers of cheaper machines and tooling by undercutting them, and it is only time before they put in the coup de gras and start to charge what it costs to make their items in world currency, whereas before they paid their people in local currency, which to the outside world meant it cost them basically nothing to make, and charged the rest of the world their own foreign currency to buy them.
The Chinese population have now caught on and are demanding higher wages, so it is only a matter of time before you see those prices hikes again.

John

 

[goldstar31]

Indeed, prices MUST rise. If we want Chinese stuff- at knock down prices, this is the opportunity.

The days of the toothless old grandmother collecting cardboard after HK has closed down for the night as her equivalent to getting an old age pension are disappearing fast.

I was 'dining' with- well, I cannot say but opportunities are to be taken.

Dealing with non-Chinese 'middlemen' doesn't make sound economic sense. Well, that is what I told my son!