Material costs.

[jackfoxinc]

Hi,
Does anyone know of any sites that i can use to price materials for boat building? Materials such as ply, epoxy resin, fibreglass cloth ect. You know the drill...
Cheers.
Luke

[STEPHEN MILLER]

Try the Duck Flat website they have prices on most boat building gear but the prices are at the top end of the price bracket. Boatcraft Pacific have prices also, Whitworths Marine has prices for paint etc, just search the almighty web there are a no of supply bisinesses with prices on the web

[jackfoxinc]

Thanks Stephen. Ill check them out.

[Boatmik]

Howdy Stephen,

You probably know but a bit of a disclaimer first for others who are not aware of my situation. I do quite a bit of work for Duckflat but as a subcontractor to do design work - I have little to do with their retail area.

I don't make any money out of material sales of any type at any time directly or indirectly.


but the prices are at the top end of the price bracket

Just to be fair, there has been a lot of talk about Ducks being expensive and I think they have started to respond to that over the last year.

My intention is not to start a price quoting war - after all you can always find a business that carries one item cheaper than a business that carries a whole range of boatbuilding materials.

For example there is a place where Midge gets gaboon ply in Mooloolaba that is about two thirds the price of Boatcraft but they don't carry anything else and certainly can't offer any boatbuilding advice or follow up support. Good if you know what you are doing.

So I agree - do the research - but I don't think that you were being fair to the current situation with the ducks.

I just pulled some prices off the websites for Duck Flat, Whitworths and the main retail chandlery here in Adelaide for some standard items. I didn't go on a big search for items where duckflat would score well - I don't know their pricing structures well enough and can't be bothered - but just selected a few commonly used items hoping they would be indicative - and they seems to be consistent apart from Whitworths having some items well above the cost of the other two.

But I do know that in the past year Ted (who now owns Duckflat) has been moving prices more in line with the RRP that most businesses use as well as keeping an eye on what the competition are doing.

Epoxy
I've worked out the price per litre

Duck Bote Cote(3 litre pack) - $29.13 per litre
Duck Bote Cote(6 litre pack) - $23.76 /l
Chandlery WEST (4.8 litre pack) - $29.47 /l
Whitworths HT9000 (5 litre pack) - 23.38 /l

Paint - International Brightside 1litre
Duck Flat - $45
Chandlery - $45.41
Whitworths - $40.95

Glass Tape - 50mm per metre
Ducks - $1.20
Chandlery - $1.21
Whitworths - $1.75

Glass cloth - 5.8oz - 175gsm - note that these are prices per single metre - often you can get a reduction if ordering much more.
Ducks - 1.2m wide - $14.00
Chandlery - 1.2m wide - $17.00
Whitworths - width unspecified - $11.95 (last time I went in to one of their shops in Qld it was only 1.0m wide - if so its price equivalent is $14.34.

A note here - Ducks have the 175gsm cloth in boat 1.2 and 1.0m widths and a whole range of different glass widths and weights and types (plain weave in a whole bunch of weights, stitched double bias even carbon)

Ronstan Block RF20101
Ducks - $12.16
Chandlery - $12.16
Whitworths- $12.95

Sikaflex 291 big tube (also Sika primer in brackets 250ml)
Ducks - $17.95 ($37.50)
Chandlery - $19.50 (no price)
Whitworths - $16.95 ($47.50)

Sooooo - Perhaps Ducks are not as bad as they used to be.

Also be aware - from several years working in the boat scene I know that Whitworths use the high profile items at very cheap prices to get you in and often charge you more for items you are not likely to question - I would imagine their purchasing power is getting those items at bottom dollar too - but they are increasing the margin to cover the visible stuff where the margins are little above cost.

Same trick as Bunnings which has lots of high profile bargains but routinely sold stainless steel gear for balustrading at 2 or three times the prices of retail chandleries. I was involved in that side of things between 2000 and 2004 and their strategy was to sell the lower grade 304 wire (which will rust) at slightly below the chandleries' 316 grade so the customers would go there but all the bits to put it together had a huge markup.

MIK

[bloggs1968]

What size boat are you costing?

A good online chandlery is www.glascraftmarine.com.au. Cheap freight too.

If it is a bigger boat, and you feel confident to, try going to manufacturers/importers direct

regards,

AD

[jackfoxinc]

Cheers. ill check that out. The boat i have in mind is a canoe, maybe in the 16 ft area. As far as confidence is concerned, i have none. :) I am very much a beginner.

[Daddles]

Mate, don't fuss about costs with a canoe. Just buy the stuff as you need it. If you can't afford another pot of glue this pay, leave it to the next. Boats don't rot away waiting in the shed.

Richard

[STEPHEN MILLER]

Nice to see your all awake out there

I mentioned the likes of whitworths etc there all on the net because there is a chance most people might be near one to avoid postage cost etc

I buy West from Huntsman composites [now owned by FGI ] the price is cheaper than chandelerys around $25.00/litre for 5.3l pack of 207 UV stable West

Also there are advantages in being a member of a Boat club you get discounts at places like Taylors, Rope & Marine that Whitworths dont offer.
In Adelaide we have Paint Supplies who are well priced for paint ,antifoul etc.

Also Mik have looked at Duckys prices they have come down a lot must be the change in management ownership, 4l Bright used to be $145 when most other were around a $100 so down to $125 is good. so this is good for the lowly boat builder repairer more choice.

There are also advantages in having a son working in the industry some wholesale prices.