[Fot] Steel Connecting Rods for a TR6

[Bill Babcock]

Amen. When I wanted to build SUP paddles I tried hard to do the process
entirely in the USA. The only way to do it would have been to buy all the
equipment and build a factory. None of the companies with appropirate
capabilities were interested, even with a guarantee of volume and full payment
up front for all the molds and mandrels. A bizzare experience.

In China I had my choice of dozens of companies with direct experience and
lots of enthusiasm. They offered to credit back all the mold and mandrel costs
when quantities were met. Different world, different attitudes, and a whole
different set of problems once you engage. Quality of the first 300 was
outstanding. After that it steadily declined and we could never get the reject
rate to less than 20 percent. You have to have someone present to look over
their shoulders.

Its a weird world.


On Feb 27, 2014, at 7:34 AM, Bob Bownes -Seiri <bownes at seiri.com> wrote:

> Can do them and willing to do them are two different things...
>
>> On Feb 27, 2014, at 11:54, Larry Young <cartravel at pobox.com> wrote:
>>
>> A while back, I attended a talk by the owner of Skat.  He said for their
> cranks and rods they did all of their machine work in the US, but their raw
> forgings were done offshore.  He made the statement that their forgings
were
> not done in the US, because there were no longer any companies that could
do
> them. That seems hard to believe. -Larry