Re: SooooooOOOOO00000?

[Bob La Londe <none@none.com99>]

On 2/15/2022 12:00 PM, Jim Davis wrote:
> What the hell is going on?
> Everyone climb in their little Covid hidie hole?
> There's GOT to be SOMETHING  someone can share!
> .
> How about availability of parts?
> How about the Cost of parts?
> Substituting parts?
> Alternative sources?
> Stocking up on regularly used parts and supplies?
> Internet sources?
> Come ON guys!
> WAKE UP !
>
>


Parts are expensive, but some Chinese sellers are actually lowering
prices when buying direct.  I expect people are choosing not to buy from
China due to unknowable lead times.  If I had extra cash just laying
around in piles I'd probably buy a bunch of stuff direct from China
right now knowing when supply chain issues improve my stuff will arrive,
and when the lead times drop back to normal the China direct prices will
go back up.  Domestic prices will not go back down except on select
commodities. I'm not selling any gold or silver right now.  When we hit
our new normal those will stabilize higher than they are right now.  I'm
not seeing the surge in new custom work I saw around this time last
year, but the work does keep coming in.  I think I lost a couple regular
repeat commercial customers after the rigors of last year shooting my
production time in the foot, but I recently picked up a side market
customer that could be quite profitable.  He's thrilled with my pricing
and my work, and accepts my lead times as normal.  It a side I never
really expected to get any business.  I can't tell you what it is, but I
might make some plastic toy molds to showcase the new skill sets.


Stock has been going up in price steadily, but the bulk of my price for
goods is in the custom labor and machining.  Not material cost.  So far
I have not raised prices for most things.  In fact every repeat job I do
I find a way to do it more efficiently and time is the one commodity
that saves money on every job.  I did 100 molds for a company all
identical last year and it helped me setup several steps and processes
that make the shop more efficient.  Personally, well last year took it
out of me, and this year isn't as fast as the start last year, but its
steady.  I can see the light at the end of several tunnels well enough
to tell I'm not about to be int he middle of a giant multi train pile up.

After Covid restriction and various headaches I buy very little stuff
locally anymore  Various affects of the situation just made it easier
and often faster to have stuff delivered to my door than to have to go
get, wait outside, pay more, and jump through new hoops.  One metal
vendor I used to buy from almost exlusively now buys their aluminum and
stainless from the same guys I currently do.

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