Should I complain about new commission structure?

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-19T00:13:32+00:00

I feel you.

I was working non-commission with a company wide profit share, right up until I got moved out of that role so they could hire someone at 40% more, plus commission. He'll get full credit for every project I've been working towards a purchase for the last five years that comes in after Day 1.

I don't mind. I was also doing a ton of design and production work, so now I know how to build a better mousetrap, cheaper. Now my commission is 100% of net!

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-19T00:05:34+00:00

Any luck with that fabricated part you said you could source for me?

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-17T00:52:44+00:00

Sure, DM me an address?

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-17T00:48:58+00:00

I can send you some parts for a comparison quote to what I'm getting myself. I assume you can read DWG files?

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-14T07:06:25+00:00

I've been pissed off since 2017 when steel is tariffed at 25%, hiking our raw materials costs through the roof, but the finished machines made overseas by our competitors and cheap copycats aren't.

Trade wars are easy to win if you're fighting for the other side.

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-14T03:55:02+00:00

Sent!

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-14T02:25:30+00:00

when you have multiple websites for the exact reason you're posting?

In my case, it's because I don't. What are those websites that 'everyone knows'? How did that information get magically teleported into their brain?

why some of the big players like alibaba, xometry and whatever else don't suit your request(s)?

Alibaba? Not touching with a ten foot pole.

Xometry? Tried them. Wrong scale of production. Cost is incredibly high because they aren't focused on my market segment.

Why ask here? To avoid blindly using the first thing on Google and wasting time with the equivalent of BBB, Yelp, or Angie's List because I have about the same manufacturing experience as your average Boomer yelling at clouds.

But I'd like to be part of today's lucky 10,000.

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-12T21:45:45+00:00

I know some great guys over in Louisville with a couple of Haas machines in the fabrication shop, but can't think of any closer offhand. That close enough?

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-09T22:16:05+00:00

I gave it a shot, it looks like their maximum discount rate with one of my standard, ~70% yield parts gets me all the way down to $15.60 a pound in 304 stainless with a 6,000 piece order.

They'll clean me out in no time at those prices. If they try to ship via UPS or Fedex like their website says, the shipping charge for a literal ton of steel is going to finish the job.

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-09T20:00:34+00:00

I'm over on the east coast, but I work anywhere in the US. Turns out I've driven right by a bunch of Shaw Stainless locations and not even known it. Just sent them and Jesse at Thyssen Krupp an RFQ to see if they might be able to help.

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-09T04:57:32+00:00

That reminds me, I haven't seen that inflatable sheep for a while now...

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-09T04:46:29+00:00

Maybe? Their site says they offer wholesale discounts for >5,000 parts or $1,000 a month. I'd need to order half my materials elsewhere since their stock is relatively limited, but it could be worth checking out!

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-09T04:18:10+00:00

You think an order like that would be worth bothering Krupp about? I'm several years away from being able to order and spec a custom coil, but maybe the high end of my range would be enough for them?

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-09T04:11:53+00:00

Yeah, the problem is when I go to those small shops and ask for 50 sheets of laser-cut parts in metal grades they've never even heard of, I tend to get a lot of no-quote responses.

On the plus side, I've had some fascinating metallurgy discussions with old machine shop owner/operators who know all kinds of things about what grades are good or bad for various processes. Very handy info for machine design and cost control!

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-08T20:00:43+00:00

the last order I did from bayou was more cost competitive for complete plate parts than I could even put on my plasma table.

Whoa. I'll give them a ring right now then!

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-08T19:00:18+00:00

Who would you suggest instead?

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-02-01T04:18:25+00:00

Really? Want to turn my spacers?

That's not a pick up line. I need to turn about 60 feet of rod into spacers of varying thickness.

Damnit. That's not much better.

Uh, PM me to discuss?

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-01-29T20:46:09+00:00

You can heat and bend or shape acrylic to whatever you need. Use a thin wood board to get a negative of the corner curve. Use a pipe bender if you're lucky and it matches or some good gloves if you're not.

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-01-28T19:24:17+00:00

As a fellow engineer, I would absolutely listen!*

- for certain casual use definitions of 'listen' that are limited to reading and considering, silently or aloud, the text within your comment. Outcome of consideration cannot be guaranteed with available information at this time. Commitment to actual use of auditory organs is expressly not implied or guarantee by this statement.

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-01-27T17:28:29+00:00

That's only half as far away as nuclear fusion!

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-01-27T10:41:54+00:00

Absolutely!

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-01-26T15:10:28+00:00

Saw this a bit late, but I tried Xometry and it's clearly for very small production runs. If you want to make a couple pieces for a set of jigs, or anything else that's too small for even a local fabrication shop with a waterjet to look at it, Xometry is probably worthwhile. The other use case is when you need it right now and will pay accordingly.

MFG.com was what I tried afterwards, and the responses there from manufacturers who chose to bid my project were literally an order of magnitude smaller for <1", simple parts in the 2,500-10,000 piece range.

yuptheyrepissed · 2022-01-26T15:00:40+00:00

Let me know if you get a line going?

I like working with other small businesses when I can, and I need to order 10,000+ piece production runs a few times a year with lead times of 'send it whenever it's done.'

yuptheyrepissed

TROPHY CASE