Mammoth Electronics Acquisition

[benny_profane]

And also that they wouldn't be expanding to custom drilled and painted enclosures.

This is the big gap in the market, I think.  While I prefer PPP for powder coat enclosures, their 25 box minimum is tough if you just need one or two boxes of a given size/color.

Yeah—unless someone new jumps in, it looks like hobbyist access to powder coat (beyond black/white and a few other solid colors) is gone. Tayda has powder coated enclosures in some more colors, but I'm not really sure what they're using.

[pickdropper]

And also that they wouldn't be expanding to custom drilled and painted enclosures.

This is the big gap in the market, I think.  While I prefer PPP for powder coat enclosures, their 25 box minimum is tough if you just need one or two boxes of a given size/color.

Yeah—unless someone new jumps in, it looks like hobbyist access to powder coat (beyond black/white and a few other solid colors) is gone. Tayda has powder coated enclosures in some more colors, but I'm not really sure what they're using.

Yeah, the Tayda ones don't work great for me.  Their powder coat is weird.  If one doesn't laser etch, they are probably fine.

[Aleph Null]

Yeah, the Tayda ones don't work great for me.  Their powder coat is weird.  If one doesn't laser etch, they are probably fine.

I've had good experiences with Tayda enclosures, but I'm not doing anything fancy, just waterslides.

[HamSandwich]

I'm going to say Not Small Bear or BLMS based on their responses over on DIYStompboxes. I think we are a thorn in the side of Mouser and Arrow. I'm going to go for an oddball - Stewmac.

You can't just drop a bomb like that and not explain as to what happened on DIYStompboxes. Not everyone goes there.

You mean everyone's daily ritual isn't wake up, coffee, puup, check DIYSB and MB forum? 

[alanp]

And also that they wouldn't be expanding to custom drilled and painted enclosures.

This is the big gap in the market, I think.  While I prefer PPP for powder coat enclosures, their 25 box minimum is tough if you just need one or two boxes of a given size/color.

Labour cost, labour cost, labour cost.

[pickdropper]

And also that they wouldn't be expanding to custom drilled and painted enclosures.

This is the big gap in the market, I think.  While I prefer PPP for powder coat enclosures, their 25 box minimum is tough if you just need one or two boxes of a given size/color.

Labour cost, labour cost, labour cost.

Absolutely, but most powder coaters will do lot charges per color.  I'd be a lot happier if I could split the MOQ amongst different size boxes.  I'm in the process of doing that with some local vendors, but I may have to supply the powder for the oddball colors.

[Caedarn]

Yeah—unless someone new jumps in, it looks like hobbyist access to powder coat (beyond black/white and a few other solid colors) is gone. Tayda has powder coated enclosures in some more colors, but I'm not really sure what they're using.

I bought a few different color enclosures from PPP earlier this year as part of my first - and now apparently last - buy from them.  I've got a few unusual colors left, and now I'm sure I'll save these enclosures for years waiting to use them on something really really special....

[benny_profane]

I suppose group buys might be an option?

[sjaustin]

I suppose group buys might be an option?

I'd be interested to learn the details on that. Unfortunately, it's a lot less cost effective to ship out a whole group buy's worth of 125Bs than, say, pots or 3PDTs like we used to do back in the day.

[benny_profane]

I suppose group buys might be an option?

I'd be interested to learn the details on that. Unfortunately, it's a lot less cost effective to ship out a whole group buy's worth of 125Bs than, say, pots or 3PDTs like we used to do back in the day.

Yeah I was hesitating even posting because of that. Although, usps flat rate isn't terrible and it's perhaps the only true option.

Maybe a supplier would be willing to split up shipping if a group meets MOQ? I realize this is probably wishful thinking. It'd be nice if a powder coater could do a run of a few 'colors of the month' and take pre orders for different sized boxes during a preorder period.

All of that sorta undermines the whole point of getting out of low volume sales, though. So, who knows?

[pickdropper]

I suppose group buys might be an option?

I'd be interested to learn the details on that. Unfortunately, it's a lot less cost effective to ship out a whole group buy's worth of 125Bs than, say, pots or 3PDTs like we used to do back in the day.

Yeah I was hesitating even posting because of that. Although, usps flat rate isn't terrible and it's perhaps the only true option.

Maybe a supplier would be willing to split up shipping if a group meets MOQ? I realize this is probably wishful thinking. It'd be nice if a powder coater could do a run of a few 'colors of the month' and take pre orders for different sized boxes during a preorder period.

All of that sorta undermines the whole point of getting out of low volume sales, though. So, who knows?

Hard to say.  I would imagine that the logistics of setting up a power coat batch are more time consuming than shipping.

OTOH, if folks buy enough, perhaps the per box savings would be sufficient to cover double shipping.  I think folks would still probably need to buy five of each color or so (just to keep things simple), but that would be a way of getting multiple colors at lower volumes and combining the purchase to get the overall box quantity up.

I don't think it's going to work if people want to buy one or two enclosures.  I think it could potentially work if people wanted to buy 20-25 enclosures in 4-5 colors, with options for common sizes (Maybe 1590A, 125B, 125BB or something like that).

[BuGG]

I'm going to go for an oddball - Stewmac.

I don't know a whole hell of a lot about what's going on, but I can tell you it's not Stewmac.

[Axldeziak]

Probably sold out to the Chinese. Someone like LCSC.

[Muadzin]

You mean everyone's daily ritual isn't wake up, coffee, puup, check DIYSB and MB forum? 

I'm not a member of DIYSB, I think I am on FSB but I can't remember the last time I checked there, I check MB only when at work (to pass the time when the boss is not looking). And as I got an Axe FX I spend most forum time on the Fractal forum now these days. And also I don't like coffee. Vile tasting stuff.   

[jubal81]

... I got an Axe FX I spend most forum time on the Fractal forum now these days.