Axminster stock levels

[SVB]

Just had a look at the axminster site for a couple of items - pretty much everything across many categories is out of stock.

Is this covid, Brexit or really bad demand forecasting?

simon

 

[custard]

It's chiefly Covid. Peter Sefton described it well, he said dad's stuck at home and decides to spend the family holiday fund on woodworking tools, so demand has skyrocketed, but the manufacturers are producing far less than normal because of social distancing requirements, so supply has fallen.

 

[marcros]

Logistics is a huge issue at the moment too, related to covid but about to be impacted by Brexit too.

 

[Rorschach]

They also seem to be holding smaller stock levels of certain items, I have noticed that for longer than this year.

I find it very difficult to order bandsaw blades (the only thing I buy from them regularly), I want to order enough to get free shipping but rarely do they hold enough stock for me to do so.

 

[marcros]

They also seem to be holding smaller stock levels of certain items, I have noticed that for longer than this year.

I find it very difficult to order bandsaw blades (the only thing I buy from them regularly), I want to order enough to get free shipping but rarely do they hold enough stock for me to do so.

that is an interesting one, and I wonder whether it is as a result of trying to move to stock numbered and prepackaged items. Doing so (in general) must send the inventory value through the roof. Contrast that with a tuffsaws type outfit where you can have any length you want and it is cut to length and welded.

Unrelated to retail, but the focus of the company that I work for has been unrelenting on free cash flow and inventory reduction for the last couple of years and more so still this year. We use some exotic materials to some very bespoke specs/sizes to the industry (and sometimes bespoke to us). If a project is cancelled, they will not even consider holding it as stock for future use, it is scrapped and taken off the books immediately.

 

[Richard_C]

Not had the full Brexit effect yet, that joy still to come.

Meanwhile Felixstowe and London Gateway clogged with containers, ships being held up or turned away to other ports like Antwerp but that doesn't help us at all after 31 Dec when the easy cross border trade stops. Even companies who are normally good with logistics suffering, IKEA for one. Govt has relaxed truck driver hours limits to shift stuff away from ports but likely to get worse before it gets better.

The way the EU negotiations are going it will get worse before it gets even worse....

 

[Rorschach]

that is an interesting one, and I wonder whether it is as a result of trying to move to stock numbered and prepackaged items. Doing so (in general) must send the inventory value through the roof. Contrast that with a tuffsaws type outfit where you can have any length you want and it is cut to length and welded.

I am not sure why they work this way since I am certain they make their own blades anyway so why they can't be made to order baffles me. They could even specify a longer waiting time so they could for instance just do blades every other day to make it worthwhile for a staff member to set up the machine. I emailed them this week about when they will restock, no reply

Maybe I should petition Tuff Saws to get ground tooth stock, I'd happily pay a little more if I could order more easily.

 

[TRITON]

There complete lack of stock leaves me thinking they've just listed as out of stock when in fact it is in stock, but maybe a reduced workforce cant handle the large numbers of orders.

Cabinetmakers scraper plane - Out of stock. I mean, just how many of those very specific planes do they sell in the course of a year, and they've none ?

 

[marcros]

I doubt that, I suspect that they just cannot get the replacement stock in. Manufacturers, with a reduced workforce are also probably likely to priorities their efforts on the higher volume lines that dont help. Nick from Laguna commented the other day on the increased demand and struggles to physically get their machines (future shipments already sold!), Giantbeat commented on specialist items that he can source the stock but cannot get it into the country in a timescale that is anything like normal (despite logistics costs substantially increasing), there are a couple of threads on building materials and sheet materials being in short supply. Those are just the ones that I recall from the last week or two.

with regards to the scraper plane, Axi will buy from veritas (for example). If veritas dont have stock axi cant get it anywhere else. They can look at alternatives, but there are limited manufacturers and quickly the others run out of stock too.

I am not sure if this plane was just an example, but if you order with Axminster there are 2 systems. If you order online, it is sent from the central warehouse. When there is no central stock, it is marked "out of stock" on the website and you cant order. There is also branch stock, so if you wanted a scraper plane, look at a click and collect and see if there is anywhere with it in stock (Newcastle seems to have most of them). Call Axi and ask them to transfer one from the branch for you. It usually takes an extra day for it to come into the central warehouse and then out to you (maybe more in these times). They were always happy to do this in the past, worth asking now.

 

[billw]

If a project is cancelled, they will not even consider holding it as stock for future use, it is scrapped and taken off the books immediately.

Scrapped as in written off and dumped in a bin, or just sold off at whatever they get for it?

 

[marcros]

it depends. if we haven't taken delivery, the scrap value would be credited from what we owe. The supplier will deal with it, but likely weigh it in. We wouldn't take delivery just to scrap it ourselves, we only have an interest in the value of it. If we have taken delivery or are machining in-house from raw materials, it is probably put in a bin. All waste is segregated though and we pay to get rid of some types and are paid to get rid of others so it amounts to selling it off.

The worst for us is pipe/tube. we often use a special size and wall thickness in specific mixes of steel so the chances of anybody else needing it is very limited (I am on the commercial side, not he technical side, so my understanding is fairly basic). scrap value of this is 10-20% depending on the market at he time. We do manufacture some products using forgings that have a much higher chance of being used on future projects, and we do a lot of work on standardisation of designs/materials, etc that also helps.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Maybe I should petition Tuff Saws to get ground tooth stock, I'd happily pay a little more if I could order more easily.

Out of interest what is it about the ground tooth stock that makes them your preference?

 

[Rorschach]

Out of interest what is it about the ground tooth stock that makes them your preference?

I find the cut quality to be good, they are not "grabby" in use and they outlast any of the stamped tooth types I have used.

 

[Blackswanwood]

In fairness to Axminster they are not the only supplier experiencing this at the moment. Classic Hand Tools latest newsletter was pretty candid about the issue.

 

[Blackswanwood]

I find the cut quality to be good, they are not "grabby" in use and they outlast any of the stamped tooth types I have used.

Interesting - I‘ve used Axminster blades in the past but don’t think they were the ground tooth ones. Based on recommendations on here I switched to Tuffsaw and find the varitooth blades to give a really clean cut.

It would be good if one of the woodworking magazines did an independent side by side comparison of how the different blades available perfom.

 

[Rorschach]

Interesting - I‘ve used Axminster blades in the past but don’t think they were the ground tooth ones. Based on recommendations on here I switched to Tuffsaw and find the varitooth blades to give a really clean cut.

It would be good if one of the woodworking magazines did an independent side by side comparison of how the different blades available perfom.

I found the axminster standard blades were fine, tuff saws blades are fine as well, honestly I am not sure if I could tell any difference, I suspect they are made from the same blade stock.

When I tried the ground tooth blades though I found them much better than standard axi blades or the tuff saws blades. A real noticeable difference in cut quality and longevtity. The fact that they are cheaper than tuff saws also sealed the deal for me and I have used them for quite a while now. Nothing wrong with the (standard) tuff saws blades but I feel they are overhyped by members here and definitely not worth the extra cost.

 

[pip1954]

Hi as some one said it happens in a spilt second I know because it happened to me I cut my right hand and was lucky not to cut my fingers off I have been trying to put some pictures on but have not been able yet, I did it when cutting on a table saw cutting small piece of wood it kicked back and that was it next thing I was in hospitable with nurses and doctors all round me it was like something of the telly it seemed like an endless stream of doctors coming looking I was very lucky I have ended up with a lot of scars and a numb and bent finger it gets very cold in winter because I took out the vain down one side of my index finger and also the tendon bit wobble but it works I was very lucky .

 

[TRITON]

I find the cut quality to be good, they are not "grabby" in use and they outlast any of the stamped tooth types I have used.

Try to find out which type it is.
eg
RIP-A10,A15,A20,B10,B15,B20,B25,C10,C15,C20,C25,D10,D15,D20,D25,E10,E15
Number of teeth, Pitch ,Depth of gullet,Hook degree,Clearance degree,Top bevel degree
plus theres saw type for rip SR46,HR54,HR60,HR80,HR40in timbers ranging from 560kg/m to over 1050kg/m plus abrasive or fibrous,again with number of teeth along with Hook angle, Sharpness angle,top bevel angle.
Cross cutting -Saw type 1,2,or 3 the details are for type of tooth- topped, peg,peg and raker, clearance angle, sharpness angle, top bevel angle.

I've a great book for this stuff Lists all the timbers and the correct saw stuff or bandsawing or planer cutter angle etc.

 

[Peri]

Also try www.justbandsawblades.co.uk or sawbladeshop.co.uk

 

[doctor Bob]

Mental out there.
Example, Timbmet, run out of 18mm MR MDF. Till sometime in Jan
Panic buying of materials.
I'm guilty. Just bought about 10 x more sheet material than usual, 2000 mag catches, 1000 hinges, 200 runners.