[Kipper]

After searching and not seeing one I thought we needed a thread for places to source components to build CNC machines from.

Linear rail and various other "CNC interesting parts" suppliers I've found (at "reasonable" cost) rino and ondrive I'll add more later.

[P Riedie]

You call those two "Reasonable cost"?
£9.00 for the cheapest bearing and £1400 yes $2700 for a short linear carriage and ball screw.

PR.

[martinw]

Dear Kipper,

Thanks for starting the thread. Excellent idea.

Here are some more..

motors and drives www.motioncontrolproducts.com
linear motion and leadscrew machining www.marchantdice.com
linear motion, couplings,power transmission www.huco.com

(The first two have shops on UK ebay)

For small components, US ebay is well worth a look because the shipping costs can be quite modest.

VXB on US ebay has a shop that does a shedload of all different types of bearings, including angular contacts.


Best wishes,

Martin

[daedalus]

With the dollar so low against the pound its really worth ordering what you can from the states. Servos, encoders, drives etc are all very expensive to source new, and can be found for next to nothing on ebay.

If your after something to convert, axminster stock quite a lot of the sieg machines:
www.axminster.co.uk

[martinw]

With the dollar so low against the pound its really worth ordering what you can from the states. Servos, encoders, drives etc are all very expensive to source new, and can be found for next to nothing on ebay.

If your after something to convert, axminster stock quite a lot of the sieg machines:
www.axminster.co.uk

Dear Daedalus,

You are absolutely right, but the shipping costs from the US for large or heavy items can stiff you. In many cases, sellers simply will not entertain the idea of shipping outside North America.

For items that can fit in a small package, the deal is a lot better. Oh,yes...the really best bit is that they usually slip into the country without attracting duty or VAT. It's almost worth paying a bit more for that satisfaction....

On the subject of rip-off Britain.... I wanted to buy some loudspeaker drive units made by a Danish manufacturer. They have distributors in the UK. After investigating prices in the US, it turns out that if you buy from their US distributors and pay all the shipping, import duties and VAT, the total cost is less than that of buying from the UK distributors. Those drive units will have made two transatlantic journeys, compared to a hop across the Nort Sea..

Madness.

Best wishes,

Martin

[Al_The_Man]

Did you guys check out Misumi UK, I believe they are in Milton-Keynes.
They have good service here in Canada. I am not sure how the pricing compares.

[Oldmanandhistoy]

Electronics http://www.rapidonline.com/home.aspx

Definitely worth looking to European countries and doing European Union searches on Ebay.
http://cnc-plus.de/index.php

Most important thing in my opinion is shop around; at least one link on this thread is well over priced. I have found same items at less than half their prices but will not mention names.

Don’t get me started on rip off Britain; I am seriously considering emigrating!

John

[Kipper]

You call those two "Reasonable cost"?
£9.00 for the cheapest bearing and £1400 yes $2700 for a short linear carriage and ball screw.

PR.

You can make it your mission to find those items cheaper! Some of the items they stock are 3 times longer and are less £'s than the second hand ones sell for on ebay... Always look closely at things ie Browse the RS catalogue and then find a cheaper supplier to buy the same thing from. www.automotion.co.uk Allsorts there. Fenner For all manner of belts.

[martinw]

I have found same items at less than half their prices but will not mention names.

Don’t get me started on rip off Britain; I am seriously considering emigrating!

John

Dear John,

Go on man, do tell!

By the way, Denmark and the UK are both in the EU for Heaven's sake.

Best wishes,

Martin

[Oldmanandhistoy]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aufnahme-fuer-...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kress-43mm-Mot...QQcmdZViewItem

John

[martinw]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aufnahme-fuer-...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kress-43mm-Mot...QQcmdZViewItem

John

Dear John,

Thank-you very much for that.

Best wishes

Martin

[daedalus]

I have ordered heavy items such as linear rails and servos from abroad on ebay and even with postage it can be a huge saving.

Also there are companies in the US that offer remailing services. I didnt have to use one in the end, but several that advertise on the internet offer to remail your goods whilst marking their customs value as 40% of the cost (wholesale price). On expensive goods they pay for themselves in customs charges (although i have no idea about the legality of their service.

[bubblybill]

In Uk which suppliers have people been using for aluminium extrusions, And what sort of cost are we talking about ? So far, all of the supliers dont offer prices easily and there is a whole song and dance about getting catalouges etc etc.... Does the price really vary as to my name and email address ??

[daedalus]

i use kjn ltd for Aluminium extrusion, they stock bosh rexroth, which is a pretty good range, but its not the cheapest out there.

The reason i ues KJN is they have online ordering, do small orders, and offer a cut to size option (you have to email / call through cut to size orders). Also so far the service has been very good (have placed 3 orders).

EDIT: your not the only one that gets griefed with the catalog thing, i remember spending weeks trying to get a rexroth catalog out of the west group (one of rexroths listed uk distributers), and i was calling on behalf of a university! I seriously doubt that people like that even want to deal with end users.

Also Farnell does stock rexroth, but they only sell by full length, and are pretty pricey.

[martinw]

Also there are companies in the US that offer remailing services. I didnt have to use one in the end, but several that advertise on the internet offer to remail your goods whilst marking their customs value as 40% of the cost (wholesale price). On expensive goods they pay for themselves in customs charges (although i have no idea about the legality of their service.

Dear Daedalus,

I'm no lawyer, but I'd be a bit careful if you are thinking of using their services.

I think HM Customs and Excise might knobble you for "conspiracy to defraud" or something...

Best wishes

Martin

[daedalus]

Like I said, im not sure about the legalities, but they seem to have been offering the service for several years. I would imagine "value of goods" is rather difficult to prove on second hand items where the value has depreciated already. The advice on the HM C&E website is:

"It is in your own interest to ensure, wherever possible, that the sender abroad makes a complete and accurate declaration. If no declaration is made, or the information is inaccurate, the package may be delayed while we make further enquiries, or in some cases the package and its contents may be seized."

So i guess you risk loosing the goods if they really do their homework.

[martinw]

Like I said, im not sure about the legalities, but they seem to have been offering the service for several years. I would imagine "value of goods" is rather difficult to prove on second hand items where the value has depreciated already. The advice on the HM C&E website is:

"It is in your own interest to ensure, wherever possible, that the sender abroad makes a complete and accurate declaration. If no declaration is made, or the information is inaccurate, the package may be delayed while we make further enquiries, or in some cases the package and its contents may be seized."

So i guess you risk loosing the goods if they really do their homework.

Dear daedalus,

Yes, they may confiscate the goods, but if you "knowingly conspire" (or some such legal phrase) , they may break down your front door , at dawn, if they feel like it, I have read. They have the power to act like unrestrained animals.

Do not do it.

Rest easy in your bed... do not even think of it.

Best wishes,

Martin

[bubblybill]

Thanks Daedalus for the heads up on www.kjnltd.co.uk, I best start saving the pennies and get my plans finished.

[stirling]

Hi guys - just thought I'd step in with this one regarding shipping from the US. I've mainly bought motors (homeshopcnc) and geckos and have allways been OK with the shipping charges. However on one occasion I needed 4 miniature thrust bearings and washers and I chose sdp-si. Total cost of items was $19 - they were so small you could have posted a 100 of them in a matchbox. Shipping charge? - still can't believe it - $81.

[elwoodbeauchamp]

I have ordered heavy items such as linear rails and servos from abroad on ebay and even with postage it can be a huge saving.

Also there are companies in the US that offer remailing services. I didnt have to use one in the end, but several that advertise on the internet offer to remail your goods whilst marking their customs value as 40% of the cost (wholesale price). On expensive goods they pay for themselves in customs charges (although i have no idea about the legality of their service.

Hello all. My name is Elwood (Woody) Beauchamp. Decendants from Normandy.

I am currently receiving items from sellers here in the states, and repackaging them the most economical method possible, and shipping to Australia, or wherever for $15 US and actual cost of shipping.

I will accept your US purchase(s) and either package them properly for transport to your destination, or, accumilate items until the box is as near to 20 pounds as possible, complete all customs forms required, and post them to you. All other methods of shipping are availabe to me as well.

I know this isn't a place to discuss these matters, but there is a need and I am happy to offer a solution.

I have references in Australia, one of whom has offered to give a reference for me, and another who is on holiday in Thailand untill end of the month(I have 5 boxes for him, ready to post. I am sure that he will give me reference as well.

Please email Edward Pinder at [email protected] He is a member of CNCzone also, as well as I.

Please contact me at [email protected] and we will chat over the details.


I was a machinist in a tool and die job shop for more than 13 years, and moved on to build Specialty Custom Machinery for the last 6. Now disabled and plenty of time to do anything...I enjoy doing this for only $15 US.

I have mailed Richard, also in Australia, 16 parcels to date. When he returns to his computer I am sure he will also give me as a reference for this service

I am in no way an agent for, nor associated with, the USPS, other than using the USPS's official packaging.

just reply to this post and we'll chat.

Regards to all,

Elwood Beauchamp