Excelvan filament UK group buy idea...

Ben (audiobull) and I are both reprappers and contributors to the forum. We both use and like Excelvan filament, for its fantastic value, but have been having the same problems as everyone else lately. Its popular and it is not always reliably in stock from the large eBay and Amazon retailers. Often they show it in stock and it is not, or they refund transactions.

What we want to do is organise, essentially, a group buy from Excelvan directly. We would not be able to beat the £7-9 per roll being offered by Ebay/Amazon, we are looking for £10 per 1kg roll delivered inc VAT, there would be a wait on this first order of 4-6 weeks, the timing will be announced. But hopefully after the first order we would be in a position with the manufacturer to acquire a second order to hold in stock, possibly on credit terms from them to us to enable us to restock. We would then be able to fulfil your orders from our stock, reliably and in 2-3 days.

We intend to offer ABS and PLA, in White, Black and Silver initially, as these are the most popular colours/flavours and are often out of stock with the big boys.

Ben and I are intending to invest money ourselves to acquire stock to sell locally in the Bristol and Portsmouth areas. For local pickup we would be able to get down to less than £10/roll (it’s the shipping which adds £2.75 to each roll).

The question we are asking is would you consider pre-ordering a couple of rolls from us? Delivery for the first order would be 4-6 weeks but after that we should be able to offer 2-3 days on these limited range of colours, and hopefully expand the range as soon as we are able to do so. We would need to get around 70 pre-orders to get the ball rolling. It will be quicker to get this going if you are willing to order 2 rolls or more. The shipping adds a lot to the price on 1 roll. We would happily discuss a better price if you want 10+ kgs.

We have considered crowd funding instead, but the crowd funders charge fees which would make it a more difficult prospect. We expect this to make very little, if any profit (you need big volumes to make money doing this) but we would hope to make printing easier for UK based reprappers, and maybe show the big guys a thing or two about customer service.

We are not in it for the money, We are in it for available filament within the UK. We want to be able to offer everyone in the UK filament in stock when you need it, not when it is available which sometimes can be around 2 weeks. We feel these delays hamper the UK 3d printers and in this day and age is not acceptable.

Anyway this is an idea so we welcome your opinions and would very much welcome your support in one way or another.

Simon.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2016 06:14PM by DjDemonD.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

am in, but you picked the worst month too start for me but when the deadline for the first orders

If we get good traction then a week or two if not then we'll have to review things. We won't ask anyone to pay until we are nearly ready to go. The first order is the tricky one hopefully after that it will be more run of the mill.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2016 01:55PM by DjDemonD.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

I'd be in it for a couple of rolls.

So we've a few people interested very grateful for your support.

We would love to find two or more people who want to take a wholesale order (30+ kg) PM me if you're interested. If we can do this we can get going faster.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

just wondering how's this going. you think UK reprappers be all over this

Yeah so far not a great turn out. Perhaps we're trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist and that having to wait a week or two or be messed about on Ebay/Amazon isn't a big deal, as its cheap.

Maybe people haven't used it and are still buying really expensive filament in the belief it works better. (I think filament is a bit like face cream in that respect).

Audiobull and I are still keen to put in an order, plus yourself and one or two others.

If anyone wants to share this around, the more people we get on board the more likely it is to a) happen b) be cheaper c) be able to be sustained.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

early days yet,
" buying really expensive filament in the belief it works better" properly are though it true as well in part , expensive type make better colours nothing like fire truck red of fabs though pricey.
tho the Excelvan filament is by far the best in budget and the stuff I use to do the prototypes of prototype, then use the quality premium fila, "find it last longer" then if you got dual extruding up and running its the stuff for supports and infills.

I'd be up for a few rolls but its hardly going to tip the balance, I just recieved 2 rolls black so should be alright for a while though the need to do our own trade deals after brexit is a good idea...but take a look at the price of this one
[www.ebay.co.uk]
Cool and I wouldnt mind some glow in dark purple, but not on abs just yet...and 2 rolls of that already in.

That's priced to clear but I take your point, we might beat the reasonably bad service of the big warehouse, but we are not going to get anywhere close to those prices. The delivery on one reel is £2.75 unless you've got a big contract with a courier. I assumed that at £7/kg they'd hit the lowest price possible. Maybe not.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

saw a lot of 3mm going on ebay over the weekend, left feeling for a 3mm quick change on the printer, but I hate 3mm like feeding an oil pipe through the extruder!. struggled to find any deals for 1.75 pla "or am just being a cheap ass"

DJ that 2.75 postage from myhermes?

I suspect they've over-ordered 3mm especially in glow in the dark, and its not as popular as they thought it would be. If we get into this business I'd only order 20% in 3mm. The actual proportion of use is probably more than that, but if you are out of stock in 1.75mm you're annoying 75% of the customers, not 25%. This is where I think our buying group has an advantage we are the end users and understand the 3d printing market better than these big warehouses.

Yes that £2.75 is Hermes if you know a cheaper way to send a 1kg reel, let me know. I know we could buy a bulk discount from UKmail and others but we just wouldn't be that big a customer.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2016 04:02AM by DjDemonD.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

I saw another roll just after that for £4.59
If they can make a metal microphone and sell that for £10

perhaps the filament should be much cheaper, sometimes the race to the bottom
is good for us

Well I am sure by industrial pricing a kilogram of ABS or PLA is dirt cheap in pellet form. It does take some cost to control the dimension and provide a spool and packaging. I am quite sure that the £30/kg stuff is overpriced.

Is that microphone really £10?

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

No not really it's £9.99
[www.ebay.co.uk]
it's a good copy of an old classic(patents expired).

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2016 03:34PM by MechaBits.

That's Excelvan too, might as well ask them to throw one in with the filament.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

Yeah it's obviously a generic name being added to all sorts of stuff...who knows maybe they make it all?
But re the mic...I have an audio buff mate who normally only buys expensive mic's
we where debating tech re mic's and I was saying surely as tech advances new ways might be found to make quality mic's for less
he vehemently disagreed with me...a few months later he bought many different models of the excelevan mic's
he couldnt stop going on about the quality...and how some people are doing some mods on them to get even better.

This was one of the others but not as good as the above.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2016 03:32PM by MechaBits.

Condenser Mic with neodymium magnet to improve SNR??? Hmmm... must be some new sort of technology [en.wikipedia.org]
Too much copy paste by someone who knows nothing about what they are selling when putting up listings I suppose. Excelvan sounds like a great name for a courier though.

Cheers,
Robin.

I'm not saying Condenser Mic with neodymium magnet to improve SNR??? thats their words, you know how these translations go...
I'm not saying this is the new tech i was talking about, I'm not saying this mic will floor a 400quid mic, I am saying the large diaphragm mic gives good results for £10
I could understand your comment if I was shilling some expensive filament or something else way over priced, but no just a little chat related to excelevan

if you want to use the body to make something better, and have some electronics skills maybe this is of interest

How to Make Your Own DIY U87 Vintage Condenser Mic

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2016 04:34PM by MechaBits.

Sorry didn't mean to sound like I was getting at you ... I was aiming squarely at the copywriters at Excelvan
It does look like a very good mic for the money and one is now winging its way to me, est delivery Monday , too cheap not to give it a punt really

Thanks for the DIY link, interesting stuff!


Cheers,
Robin.

No worries my mate needed a lot of mic's for his mobile recording setup so good mics go where needed and these just fill in the gaps, you need phantom power, the supplied XLR terminates with a stereo jack...so you might need another cable, but along with the mic holder it comes with a very cheap usb audio dongle for the mini jack.

You too can sound deep rich warm & inviting and interesting with this mic

One caveat my friend is getting on a bit and maybe his ears aint what they where.
Generally it takes 3 months before anything I say to him gets really heard.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/2016 01:54PM by MechaBits.

Interesting thing about numidium magnets is they where developed in the 70's/80's
So after much of the classic vintage stuff, so perhaps one of those advances that help to make a more sensetive responsive mic?
perhaps improve snr, or use smaller magnets.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/2016 11:11PM by MechaBits.

I agree with the price of 3mm. A reason I did not want to include the 3mm in the group buy. To buy the 3mm is cheaper but there is not much in it in terms of you need to buy 3000 kg's to get 10p per kg sold. It would otherwise be same price in, same price out and maybe a loss with tax and VAT. The idea was to try (the highlight try) and make the availability easier NOT make money or try and beat the price of the large resellers. At least we would be able to promise stock of a colour or material. That cannot be said for the other resellers.

So to prove my point..... I have a challenge for everyone. Can you please find me a roll (ideally 4+) Excelvan 1kg 1.75mm ABS in silver please? Make sure it is exactly those specs. I have now placed 5 orders on ebay, 3 on Amazon, all been cancelled and awaiting the refunds and its taken 3 weeks now of trying to get this stuff!
If anyone has any that wants to sell please let me know.

It might be a switch of filaments if Excelvan is no longer available in colours. What other budget filaments are as good as excelvan for the price?

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2016 01:19AM by audiobull.

I'm just about half way through my roll of silver, defo going to order more but dont want the same hassle as before,
liking it more than the blue...blue makes things look more like a toy...where as the silver goes well with black or brushed alu'

you have to pray to the yoda head or yodelvan....I am the house your looking for....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2016 03:20AM by MechaBits.

I dont understand. Its too early..... coffeeee

I like there silver for mech models, but all links on EBAY sold out at the mo,,,
been thinking about 3 mm wondering why someone not made a mini filastruder type machine that can convert 3mm to 1.75 , thinking we take one of those all metal clone, fit it for 3mm and make the nozzle hole 1.75?. seems rather simple but not seen anyone do it, gotta ask why not "does the plastic turn crap in the process" has anyone tried it.

Yes have been out of stock for some time now and I have been told it will also be a long time until more comes available. I can only assume they use one large warehouse to sell out of. Annoying I really need some silver. 3mm to 1.75mm would be a cool idea but cant see it being cheap if you look at other filastruders.

3mm to 1.75mm sounds easy but getting the diameter exactly to 1.75mm is apparently very difficult.

Okay so silver, black and white abs and pla in 1. 75mm seems to be what we're after.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

Anyone want to preorder? The more we get preordered the cheaper it could get.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

Is there some list or photos somewhere of these filaments?

Do they sell this one:
EXCELVAN New Flexible Elastic PLA 1.75mm 3D Printer Filament - 0.5kg Spool (1.1 lbs) - Dimensional Accuracy +/- 0.03mm (green)
as Amazon.com says "This item does not ship to Wien, Austria" :-(

Do they deliver to Vienna, Austria?