Sled Driver
May 22, 2004, 12:04 PM
Here are a couple suggestions for accumulating a stash of good stuff:
1. Always have at least $100 available to purchase a good deal.
2. Learn about the materials, decide what materials you want for your projects and learn how much money those materials sell for from both the retail outlets like CST and other outlets like eBay.
3. Make a list of what you want and how much it is selling for from the various outlets.
4. Regularly and frequently check all the outlets and lurk on the newsgroups for good deals.
5. Tell the guys you know that you are looking.
6. Go in with other guys to purchase larger quantities at reduced unit costs.
7. Don’t be in a rush. Play for the long haul.
Here are a couple examples of things that I have picked up:
1. 50K CF tow (great for making wing joiners) on eBay, two 6-pound spools for $25.
2. 38-inch wide 6-ounce bidirectional CF cloth from a friend of a friend, 15-yards for $50.
3. 42-inch wide 5.7-ounce Kevlar/CF hybrid bidirectional cloth, 10-yards for $100. Made an offer to buy 10-yards in one purchase from a guy who had been selling it on eBay a yard or two at a time for several months.
4. Various sizes weights of FG, uni-CF, some Kevlar and scads nylon bagging tube and clips for $120. Purchased from a guy who was bailing out of composite construction after buying all the stuff and then deciding it wasn’t for him.
5. Various sizes weights of FG, some uni-CF, a little Kevlar, a Feather cut system with the thermal generator transformer and vacuum system for $200. Purchased from a guy who was bailing out of composite construction after he developed an epoxy allergy. Sold the vacuum system and thermal generator transformer for around $200 and kept the Feather cut and materials.
Yes, it’s all common sense stuff that you already intuitively know. Be creative, be patient, it’s OK to walk away and have some fun. It takes a collision of circumstances for the really good situation, but before you know it you’ll have more material than time to use it all. And, let me know if you have any smoking deals on cool materials.
Regards,
Jay Decker
Kennewick, WA
1. Always have at least $100 available to purchase a good deal.
2. Learn about the materials, decide what materials you want for your projects and learn how much money those materials sell for from both the retail outlets like CST and other outlets like eBay.
3. Make a list of what you want and how much it is selling for from the various outlets.
4. Regularly and frequently check all the outlets and lurk on the newsgroups for good deals.
5. Tell the guys you know that you are looking.
6. Go in with other guys to purchase larger quantities at reduced unit costs.
7. Don’t be in a rush. Play for the long haul.
Here are a couple examples of things that I have picked up:
1. 50K CF tow (great for making wing joiners) on eBay, two 6-pound spools for $25.
2. 38-inch wide 6-ounce bidirectional CF cloth from a friend of a friend, 15-yards for $50.
3. 42-inch wide 5.7-ounce Kevlar/CF hybrid bidirectional cloth, 10-yards for $100. Made an offer to buy 10-yards in one purchase from a guy who had been selling it on eBay a yard or two at a time for several months.
4. Various sizes weights of FG, uni-CF, some Kevlar and scads nylon bagging tube and clips for $120. Purchased from a guy who was bailing out of composite construction after buying all the stuff and then deciding it wasn’t for him.
5. Various sizes weights of FG, some uni-CF, a little Kevlar, a Feather cut system with the thermal generator transformer and vacuum system for $200. Purchased from a guy who was bailing out of composite construction after he developed an epoxy allergy. Sold the vacuum system and thermal generator transformer for around $200 and kept the Feather cut and materials.
Yes, it’s all common sense stuff that you already intuitively know. Be creative, be patient, it’s OK to walk away and have some fun. It takes a collision of circumstances for the really good situation, but before you know it you’ll have more material than time to use it all. And, let me know if you have any smoking deals on cool materials.
Regards,
Jay Decker
Kennewick, WA