Filament Supply, is there room for another local supplier

Just testing the waters a little.

Have been very impressed with the PLA filament I recieved from a chinese wholesaler, read my other threads if you want a direct link.

The problem with buying direct from them is although they have a samples program, they dont have a webshop for private sales, and postage from china on low quantities of filament is either slow or expensive.

I am thinking of supplying their filament through ebay, and maybe down the track a webshop

Do you want or need another local source of PLA, if yes what size would you be interested in, and are you after a rainbow of colours or do you primarily print in natural, white or black.

Personally I feel the ABS market is well covered in Melbourne at least. As I havent yet progressed to ABS cannot comment on this suppliers range of ABS filament. That being said if their was demand I would get some samples for testing, and If happy with the supplied filament could supply at similar rates.

At this point am not setting up shop, but if I chose to in the future would supply at market competitive prices ($30-50 per kg delivered) and value add by offering rainbow packs, bonus filament etc.

Not looking at selling outside Australia

I would also be standing behind every spool supplied with a money back + postage.

Garry

Hi..
Their is always room for more suppliers of filement.
Keep your prices at a good level and you should do OK.

Maybe talk to Vik in NZ and become the Australia dealer for his ABS and PLA, good filement.

Auzze

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/2012 02:36AM by Auzze.

Thanks Auzze,

NZ is quite close and dont think there would be anything to be gained by dropshipping Vik's filament. While it is undoubtedly good stuff, arguably the best or second best worldwide, the prices put it in a different market to chinese filament. The stuff Im getting is very good, but certainly not faberdashery or diamondage good, and I would never represent it as such.

Prices would be cheap, would be looking at a delivered single spool roll preferably closer to the $30 but depending on pricing which I have yet to receive maybe as high as $45, If I could make enough dollars at $40 delivered a spool, and $30 picked up for locals with more then a few dollars in my pocket for my trouble would certainly proceed.

That being said, I would be ordering significant quantity to get a good price, so there had better be some people wanting to buy....

and please anyone reading this thinking, nah Im happy to buy my own from my own sources, please say as much, you may save me a shed full of filament noone wants.......


GaZ

Garry,

I can see a good opportunity and room for PLA in Aus. Consistency in the quality and supply chain will be the key to success. The demand is going to increase. There is a big push from Australian universities to popularize them in the student community. So an entry into that space is a win win for you.

Dinesh

It looks like things are progressing with my filament supplier.

Longer term and ongoing pricing likely to be $45 shipped from eBay, and $30 picked up for a single 1kg spool. Filament will be supplied on a sturdy spool, in a zip lock bag with desicant, inside a cardboard box with a window.

Next printer night I hope to bring in some samples, if anyone was interested on this night only I would do $25 a spool for either abs or pla in both 3mm and 1.75mm in a small variety of colours, if 5 or more spools are purchased I will donate a roll to the hacker space of either abs or pla, again chosen from any available,

I realise this post is very close to a for sale thread, if anyone feels strongly that it shouldn't be here, I will remove, send me a pm. When I have something to sell, I will certainly post in the appropriate area, at this stage I see this more as a conclusion to the initial question.

Garry

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2012 08:54AM by gazob.

Good to know that you are steeping closer to the supply. Look forward to see you in next catch up.

Sold my first spools of filament at the hackerspace last night, have limited colours of pla and abs in 1.75 and 3.0 mm filament remaining. Price at the space is $25 a spool (printer nights and alternate tuesdays), ask for colours, can post australia wide for a flat $10 on this batch. Am very interested in feedback on the filament, I have been more then pleased with everything recieved and used. There is a roll of blue 3.0mm abs at the space, if you want to try some out, grab a metre or so and give it a try, its the one on the small black spool.

Ongoing pricing will be $30 a spool and I will work out a bulk discount system, and price on postage I will need to calculate better, at this stage the success of the first batch and ongoing demand will determine if I continue down this path. Feedback positive or negative from those who have used the filament would be much appreciated.

Garry

I bought some of the 1.75mm PLA off ebay and am quite happy with it. I've been getting really good prints with the black PLA - the extrusion is consistent and I can print watertight single-walled objects with it. From my random measurements, I've found the diameter to be more along the lines of 1.78 with a 0.02mm variance.
I also have some yellow PLA which I haven't tried (or measured) yet, but will post once I do.
I'd be more than happy to buy again given the quality and the price.
Gazob, I'd be interested in buying if you are able to get hold of some metallic colours in 1.75mm PLA.
Cheers,
Jason

Sorry I haven't got back to you, I'll pm an email,

We are a Canadian Supplier of 1.75mm ABS Filament. Please check out Seacans.com we're ust starting out and need all the help we can get. We're also offering Rainbow Value Packs so that you can try 250g of each color. This is not offered anywhere else, but peopel were asking about it because nobody wants to spend $40+ on each color to have all the colors at their disposal.

[cdn2.bigcommerce.com]

Do you only do 1.75? no 3mm?

I can supply 1.75mm PLA filament.3mm PLA fiament.
For 1.75mm PLA filament, I sell it for $15/KG(Chna factory price).
If any people has interests, I can send product photo.
Fo 1.75mm PLA filament, I use new original material, and poduct is very round. Tolerance is +/-0.02mm.
Production is very slow. Only 50KG per day, and I only have 1 machine, so if any people order, he need wait 20 days.
Please notice, it is +/-0.02mm, not +/-0.2mm
My email is liouzhiguang@yahoo.com.cn