Thread: Is obtaining your engineering supplies getting difficult?

Hi Grahame,
Despite the fact we have very little industry here we have several good stores, including Blackwoods and CBC. My "local" is a private company but is a H&F rep, and stocks brands like Dormer, Guhring, Iscar, Mitutoyo, Hazzet etc. They also have brass, LG2 bronze, silver steel and plastics in stock.
My biggest problem here is getting anything more exotic than hot or cold rolled steel. I have been talking to Interlloy in Minto about shipping steel down and have found out they supply most of the engineering firms down here anyway.

Ew

Yes it must depend on where you are in Australia. The southeast doesn't do too badly. But Graeme, your implicit point about ongoing de-industrialisation still holds. Closure of the car industry will probably see a ripple of closures right into the industrial supply sector. Apparently 6061 grade aluminium is only available in many sizes because of aerospace demand -- so with Qantas closing down, what effect will that have?

Ewan, I got a quote from Interlloy Minto and Bohler Wollongong just recently for machining steel in various flat, square and round sizes. Interlloy quote was $700, Bohler was $319, same specs. Jaw-dropping difference. There was no mistake, both quotes were itemised and discussed. Needless to say I was in Wollongong on Tuesday picking up my order, before driving up Sydney to pay a visit to Mick Moyle's second-hand tooling emporium.

Ian

I know what you mean about change. I live near Tamworth 280 miles north west of Sydney. When I moved here 39 years ago there was 2 large hardware stores to cater for the building and plumbing side and McPhersons as well as Engineers and Collieries- these guys supplied steel and tools to the engineers around the area. At about this time there was an established Bearing Service (a chain). Well the bearing seller had a couple of fellas who started their own bearing selling business.
Ok the present day....Mc Persons-gone, Engineer sand Collieries-gone, Bearing Service- gone. We now have Blackwoods, CBC and 3 other bearing sellers. The 2 fellas who kicked off their own bearing business- they have 3 stores in town, they sell bearings, bolts, belts......anything in the engineering field, H&F tools selling the same price as the catalogue price plus freight. They have gone from strength to strength and haven't looked back. Their secret....superdooper customer service. Whether you buy a hand full of bolts or or a workshop fit out for air tooling they look after you very well. McPhersons and E&C sold stuff but only in box full lots couldn't sell you one of anything. This is where the privateers picked up a lot. If a box was $50 and had 100 parts the privateers would open that box and sell you what ever you wanted and because they were selling small amounts that box may have yielded $120 to the company. You were happy because you didn't have to buy the box they were happy because they were making heaps. They also have a rep who will drop into farmers and associated shops in the whole northwest area. Lubricants are also in their arsenal
We also have Gasweld, Bunnings and probably 4 outlets that sell steel. Engineers stocks of steel can be had at the privateers shop and possibly Blackwoods (who still have the "box only" attitude. There are some big users in the district like coal miners and meat poultry who use them
In about 1980 I made a wood lathe but had to go to Sydney to buy lathe tools. No one in town kept them at all. Different story now there are a number of places that sell basic wood lathe tools but to get buy a complete range the sponsors in the Forum would be the best bet.
When I came here all that long ago (from Sydney) many times when wanting a particular item the response was "you want a what?". All in all Tamworth is not a bad place to buy stuff.

I find little low selling items are stocked in the regions these days because of the very efficient transport system we have that means small goods can be freighted anywhere in Australia overnight in the majority of cases...

Of course you pay for such a service..

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

How do you blokes fare for your engineering supplies?

Grahame

I can get most stuff I want in Hobart. Sometimes I have to order it, but the places I deal with are friendly with good service, so it's not a real drama.

Then, there's eBay....

PDW

Originally Posted by chambezio

This is where the privateers picked up a lot.

What an appropriate term. A privateer was / is
not quite a pirate but well on the way.LOL

As far as Ebay goes-well we have tried to support the local businesses wherever possible but for some things now there is no option I suppose.

Grahame

I spend my weeks In Sydney but oddley enough I find it easier to get most of my engineering supplies in Nowra vs Sydney as the service is good and the price is slightly higher then in Sydney. One big plus is nice discounts like free steel I have been visiting these shops since I was 8

Im absolutely spoiled for choice here, when it comes to local retailers. The biggest of which is an engineering firm called Collier and Miller. There retail section is nearely as large as our local bunnies, but its very metal and agri business focussed. The steel sales section out the back is also that size again, and the engineering section is the size of metal and retail put together. There are 5 or 6 others, each with their own specialties like hydraulics, large turning (one firm in town has a 4m swing lathe, impressive beast to look at!) and so on. Getting odd bits of steel is really easy usually, most of the places go through 10k of steel a month if its quiet, there is always more trucks coming with more steel and one off orders can be chucked on the truck without any hassle. Dont even bother ordering if its 4140 or stainless of any flavour. The stuff grows on trees around here thanks to a pretty huge wine industry.

All that in a town of 22 000 people. Welcome to griffith

Seem to be able to pretty much buy whatever I need in metals here, but I generally dont need to chase anything specialised. With me its mainly ally extrusions and basic MS requirements, be it sheet, plate or RHS.

Blackwoods, well yeah never seem to have what I need on the shelf, so dont usually go there. Got a place here thats pretty good in the fasteners dept, dont stump em too often.

Its getting a lot harder here for me 2 dumpster dive here, my last contact for freeby steel offcuts is closing up at the end of the year. Great guillotine and press brake. Fingers crossed he just downsizes and moves the operation to his house.
Looks like I will have to be more inventive and find folks who are willing to trade services/goods like I do with my plumber.

Theres a few places I can easily buy offcuts, but its calculator out for even the smallest of bits. Certainally adds somewhat in project cost.

We have a place here that actually stocks some machinery (be it small lathes, mill drills, finger breaks from H&F) so its always an interesting place to visit.

Can obtain a few basics in the machining tools side of things locally at the industrial supplies joints. You know some milling cutters, but the range is pretty limited. Its a good couple of hours to my nearest machinery place in Melb, so need a pretty good excuse to make the trek. Ebay picks up the slack there.

We have pretty much lost our large factory base and have nothing to crow about here on the mining front. Odd thing is we have a few firms that seem to cater for mining, whether it be manufacture, equipment hire, service, overhall.

I'm very lucky in Ballarat. We have the bearing place that stocks all things Mitutoyo and a massive range of tools of all quality, Total tools are here as well
Ballarat Industrial supplies have all the electric motors and VFD's, Thomas Warburton is the agent for Hare and Forbes, GB fasteners sell HSS and silver steel and cheap micrometers and dial indicators etc but funnily enough not much in the way of fasteners.
Ballarat Bolts and Fasteners sell one bolt at a time and have a massive range. I haven't caught them out yet.
Ballarat Mesh and Masonry have just started to stock disposable and refillable gas cylinders for MIG and TIG and all things welding. I won't even start on the motor rewinders.
Camerons steel will cut all the steel for free. Bright round mild steel they will cut off what you need above 1/2". (they stock both metric and imperial) You can also rummage through the offcuts bin.
Then there is the second hand metal joint that stocks, well, everything, including the occasional machine like the Brown and Sharpe surface grinder that was there a while back.
I can also get one off castings done at a reasonable price at Grigsby's Foundry.
The list goes on.

Phil

Yes...certainly harder!

20 years ago, Bohler had maraging steel in stock and a metallurgist on staff. Last I heard if I want some, 6 months advance order and buy a mill run from Austria, after they worked out what it was.

You guys don't know how lucky you are. I live in western NSW and the closest engineering supplier of any note is 400km round trip. Try and keep a good supply of mild steel/brass/alloy steels on hand so don't have to make a long trip for 6" of something. As for delivery forget it! Does tend to make you inventive and develop a make do mentality though. Do like the peace and quiet and wide open plains on the positive side

Mark

I use Interlloy and Bohler they are both within an hour of here
And then Brass and Copper, Stanton Rd Seven Hills for Brass and Copper of course
And for Stainless Steel Midway Metals at Erskine Park
Will

More difficult, some examples

trying to buy nickel bronze brazing rods from BOC " oh that's a specialised product" and here is me thinking that I have come to a specialised sort of shop

yesterday looking for acetal H " I don't know what sort of acetal we sell I will call you back, 3 hours later , we only have acetal C , we list acetal H ,but if you want any it's 30 meters minimum order, 4 weeks plus for delivery and you pay the freight "

Bohler closed down here in adelaide, interloy and global are still here but have minimum orders and some things they won't cut , have to buy a full length and may not have it in stock ,global were $200 minimum last time I asked

As R.C. Said with freight being more efficient no one stocks any thing any more and the sales staff seem clueless , computer says no etc

The proliferation of Chinese crap reduces the choice of what is available , different colour depending on the vendor but that's about it

but on a positive side with the internet and ebay etc things are available but I have to factor in postage and waiting , and yes I do buy Chinese equipment and with likes CTC etc I accept the quality as I am paying Chinese prices

Things are changing as to how business is done