Why I hate doing business with AMERICAN companies

[Mad Machinist]

So I have the design of a jaw crusher finalized amdni called a few companies for parts I can't make yet such as manganese jaw plates and cheek plates. These are a very simple design and should be easy to make. Here it is two weeks later amd i have got nothing but excuses and stupidly high prices. I have been told everything that it wouldn't work and they need their engineers to redesign it, at my expense of course, to it was not profitable enough for them to bother with.

Funny thing is I posted a request on Indialantic just out of curiosity and had a dozen offers back within two hours with prices including shipping and transit time.

I really don't care if your company was here when they invented dirt. Either you want the business or you don't. And they wonder why they are getting their collective hind ends handed to them.

 

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[BlasterJ]

Do you have any small job shops around you? You may be getting blown off because the places you asked for a quote really don't want small batch or custom orders.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Mike, if you're building just one, for your own use, I'd just buy some high-manganese hard-facing rod, and run some beads on the jaw plates. The side plates last much longer, so don't need it nearly as bad. The rough surface from the welding is a plus on the jaws....keeps the rocks from sliding.
Jim

 

[BlasterJ]

I've had good luck getting big things made from steel plate at a waterjet or laser cutting shop. Tolerances of +/- 0.005" are possible, and you can ream/bush the bearing holes if needed. I also agree that hardfacing is easy, but AR400 or similar can also be cut at these shops.

 

[russau]

I have a supply of Hard facing electrodes . EZ to use ! Go to your nearest welding supply and buy yourself some !

 

[Mad Machinist]

Part of it may be i'm just really irritable right now due to working 70 hours a week. Most people had their hours cut because of COVID but mine increased to cover those who are out sick.

The crusher was planned to be open source for everyone. It won't be hard to build with basic tools and only a few.parts need to be sourced out like the jaw plates.

I had thought about the hard facing rod but not everyone can weld so it is back to a simple unbolt and replace. I'm waiting for one more place to get back to me before I makea decision.

I was told this morning this work schedule will let up soon so I'll have time to get back to work on some stuff. I told them good, I'm taking three months of vacation. Lol!!!

 

[mts]

So I have the design of a jaw crusher finalized amdni called a few companies for parts I can't make yet such as manganese jaw plates and cheek plates. These are a very simple design and should be easy to make. Here it is two weeks later amd i have got nothing but excuses and stupidly high prices. I have been told everything that it wouldn't work and they need their engineers to redesign it, at my expense of course, to it was not profitable enough for them to bother with.

Funny thing is I posted a request on Indialantic just out of curiosity and had a dozen offers back within two hours with prices including shipping and transit time.

I really don't care if your company was here when they invented dirt. Either you want the business or you don't. And they wonder why they are getting their collective hind ends handed to them.

A couple of points.....

1. As others have said, it may be that your job is not going to generate enough profit for them to be interested in it. Smaller shops might be more inclined to take up the work.

2. The fact that you said "they need their engineers to redesign it" indicates that you are dealing with a company that wants to go through a formal engineering process and that costs a lot of money. Is that really necessary for this part?

3. Be wary of bids from other countries. I work in the software industry and I can tell you that it is very common for companies from other countries to low ball their bid and then deliver crap instead of what you wanted. Then they nickel and dime you to fix it. It's no different than trying to hire a handy man. There will be guys who bid low and then do a crappy job. I can't attest to the quality of work these foreign companies are doing. They could do a great job! Then again, they may produce an inferior part because they aren't spending any time doing any engineering for you. And their work quality could be suspect.

You want the impossible. You want it cheap, you want it to be high quality, and you want it fast. That combination rarely exists in the world.

 

[BlasterJ]

If you want it to be easy and open-source, I recommend making it out of flat parts that can be laser/water jet cut to the extend that this is possible. There are shops in most cities (and many ship) that will cut one 4x8' or 4x10' sheet of whatever material you want for $100-600 plus material. Try to make the parts fit in this envelope if possible and you'll have a good time. Welding/hardfacing only requires a simple stick welder and almost everyone has a father-in-law, cousin, etc. that can weld or can just go to a welder or ag repair guy to get it done.

 

[BoydBros]

Mt. Baker Mining and Metals was founded in 2011 by Jason Gaber. MBMM was born as a business to meet demand created when word of the Gaber’s ingenuity spread throughout the small-scale mining community, and grew to include jaw crushers, hammer mills, shaker tables and full turn-key integrated equipment systems.
MBMM grew quickly and enjoys a world-wide reputation for reliability as an American manufacturer of high-quality material reduction, classification, and gravity concentration equipment. Customers in the small scale mining, printed circuit board recycling, scrap metal, construction, and concrete/granite recycling industries have success with our machines.

For more information please contact us:

Phone: 360-595-4445
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.MBMMLLC.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MBMMLLC

https://www.youtube.com/user/mbmmllc/featured

 

[russau]

I have a supply of Hard facing electrodes . EZ to use ! Go to your nearest welding supply and buy yourself some !

OR just come on over and I'll weld them up for you! NO CHARGE and maybe a cold beverage to boot!

 

[Mine Shaft]

Why use Manganese ?

 

[metrotec]

Skips Precision Welding, Kingman, AZ

 

[Honest Samuel]

I am total confuse but good luck to # 1.

 

[BlasterJ]

I am total confuse but good luck to # 1.

Regarding the laser-cut steel option, I needed a DOT-spec transport box for my blasting caps. I used Inkscape to CAD out a box with box-jointed corners and had 3 of them made from 1/8" steel. It's the same process that you'd use to laser something out with a hobbyist laser in wood or plastic, but you take it to an industrial shop instead. The fit and finish were great, and it saved me a lot of setup time vs. welding sheared square plates.

I still have an extra set of cut parts if anyone needs one of these, FYI.

 

[russau]

Regarding the laser-cut steel option, I needed a DOT-spec transport box for my blasting caps. I used Inkscape to CAD out a box with box-jointed corners and had 3 of them made from 1/8" steel. It's the same process that you'd use to laser something out with a hobbyist laser in wood or plastic, but you take it to an industrial shop instead. The fit and finish were great, and it saved me a lot of setup time vs. welding sheared square plates.

I still have an extra set of cut parts if anyone needs one of these, FYI.

It seems that I have LOTS OF SPARE TIME NOW_A_DAYS for some reason and NOT as much cash as I once had ! So if I need a part or whatever , I'll make it work !!

 

[Mad Machinist]

I can have a 2 foot piece of 3 inch 4140 alloy round stock delivered to more door for $325. The cheapest price i got for just the material for a shaft was just over $500 and this was for a piece 18" long. That didn't include the machining which any second year apprentice should be able to set up and do on manual machines. One good thing out of this is my wife FULLY understands why I want the shop done and equipped now.

I know times are tough right now and all, but those prices are way out of line.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Mike, I sympathize with you. I'm glad I got my shop done and equipped when I could afford it. Doubt I could do it now. But, I'm convinced a big depression is coming, so this is no time to make decisions on large capital expenditures. Be patient. The numbers don't lie.
Jim

 

[Mad Machinist]

Mike, I sympathize with you. I'm glad I got my shop done and equipped when I could afford it. Doubt I could do it now. But, I'm convinced a big depression is coming, so this is no time to make decisions on large capital expenditures. Be patient. The numbers don't lie.
Jim

About the only big purchase I'm gonna make in the near future is a Bridgeport. Then I can do this stuff myself.

Plus with a lathe and a Bridgeport, I can keep food on the table if if comes to that.

 

[tamrock]

Yeah one off machine work isn't cheap. I just put this order together for a part called a venturi for a prill loader. I searched high and low for this part. Finally I told the customer the only option is have our machine shop attempt to reproduce it. That ended up to be the only option. Good thing we had an original (pics 1 & 2 ) to copy or there'd be hours in design time. 3rd picture is what we made and it had to be a minimum of 6 pieces and each wasn't cheap.