Blanks from China

Has anyone ever used a blank from China? More specifically Alibaba.com. I know stuff from China is lower quality, but at these prices maybe it’s worth it? 

https://m.alibaba.com/product/60071463750/surfboard-pu-foam-blank.html?spm=a2700.7724857.0.0.hd8J8s&redirect=1

Yes the price is good its the shipping thats gonna get ya .

I know stuff from China is lower quality, but at these prices maybe it’s worth it? 

That’s what they said about the drywall from China. Changed their tune now 'tho.

http://www.chinesedrywall.com

is the price really $.02 (2 cents) a blank w/ a minimum order of 100 pieces??? sounds like a deal LOL. what am i missing here? (not that i want one).

 

get some eps

cut your blank

shape it

glass it

 

I wouldn’t touch the stuff

The price is 1cent to 2cents…which represents a 100% variation in the possible fluctuation of the stated price …I think the Chinese objective is often not about making money , but making sure no one else can make money , so that whole industries collapse…then , like magic , the Chinese price goes up , in the absence of any competition.

The way to make this work is to actually go to the factory, check your shipment, check the packing into a container and ship them to your workshop using a decent door to door agent. Only makes sense if you already have a flight or rep there. Can work but it’s a specific situation. It’s hard work. You have to check everything yourself. Can’t trust the same. 

I’ve been testing out getting stuff from china and it’s hard work. Not worth the effort generally. My best find was basalt but it doesn’t make economic sense so I just had to use it up on my first board while I’m in Hong Kong. 

Probably that blank price is a cheap trick to haul you in then they show you the real price. That’s the kind of thing they do. Every trick, they just don’t care - there is no ‘unwritten proedure of courtesy’ - it’s just a tendancy - remember it’s culture so don’t take it personnally

so, yeah, possible but no, not easy most likely

 

Hey Andy 

 

If you are in Oz, We do lots of basalt cloths all made here in Australia and designed for surfboard contructions. Maybe dearer than China but we are surfers designing cloths and materials for surfboard manufacturers,trying to keep the money and intellegence here - not over there.

Cheers

Yep no worries mate. I ordered from sanded before and sent to china.
Good stuff. I only was able to buy the light stuff though because of shipping but also the restriction on epoxy. This was why I used flooring epoxy and a DIY blank. I’ll probably go inegra with hex deck when I finally get a workshop in NZ. Basalt looks great but the $/strength/weight isn’t justifying. That said I think for look and the improved strength it’s pretty cool.
Your UV activated powder was cool but polyurethane was crack susceptible. I’ll try with vinylesther next time

 

 

Kayu is on the money, I courted local and overseas blank makers and the Chinese were happy to meet the local prices, 

Then they were happy to undercut the local prices,

Then they said  exactly what KAYU said…

We are happy to strangle opposition so they will close their business and then we are the only option in the future. Even if we lose money while we do that.

So Chinese business is not about the Now, but about the Future, 

and that’s business at its best.

 

 

 

Business at its best? Really?  Take a look at what China has done to its Eco system, and their record on child labor and human rights violations, to get where they are today.

Even if they shipped the blanks to my door free, I would have nothing to do with anything made in China.  The most important part of my “brand” is that 100% of my materials are USA made.  I refuse to take part in the selling out of America.  Granted, I am building one off’s and not doing production, but even if I was doing this for a living, I would still keep it local. 

Support your local Hand Shaper!

…100 blanks is not too much and do not fill an small container. That s a no no in whatever international (volume) transaction. They do not suggest x quantity to fill a small or a big container. That s rare in my book.

Plus, you do not know the quality; so better to go there to check (like the fin factory guys, the accessory factory guys, etc) all went there checked then buy the bulk.

That upp the cost a lot, and I doubt firmly about the quality; so all those cost; the quality (weight, flex, pour quality ratios; glue ing) the trasnlation nightmare and confusions by both parts, the customs hassless (I know about that) and you ll finish with a price similar to a well know or a high quality foam.

If you want to buy 1 or a few blanks, that s not for you. That seems for the cheapo, but the reality is other.

Take a moment and think about the quality of most things that are made in China.  Enough said.

‘Business’.

 Not community or environment or fair play.

Just straight out Live and let die.

That pretty much sums it up.

where I live, in Italy, to say that something is poor we say it is a chinoiserie…

My iphone was made in China. Still going strong after four years.