Author Topic: NOt going to purchase one.  (Read 5755 times)

Offline wlain

  • New Forum Member
  • *
  • Posts: 359
NOt going to purchase one.
« on: February 12, 2014, 11:23:50 AM »
I looked into purchasing one.  I quickly realized that was not what I wanted to do.  I really can't stand turning acrylic calls on a lathe.  It was not what I expected in the beginning.  It took all of two barrels and inserts for me to reject the idea of me doing it.  I like turning wood calls.  I continued on with acrylic until I found my design.  I drew up a set of blue prints and off I went.

I found a machine shop and I thought the guy was going to be the answer.  NOTTTTTT SO MUCH!  I put my faith in him last September.  He him-hawed around and his quality was not at all what I would allow to be in my shop.  I tried to find another shop to no avail.  So I continued to try and bring the old shop up to quality standards.  Sometimes you just have to give up on people.  I gave up.  To save a long story The first order of 100 calls only 25% passed inspection.  I never recieved the full 100 call order since I started this in September.  Thank God I did not pay in advance.  I paid for what I recieved and sent him packing.

The next shop I went to was way too high.  They do oilfield projects and are 10 weeks back logged, even with 30 CNC macines.  They told me they didn't want the project so they priced it so high I would not agree to it.  My question was why not just turn it down.

So I googled cnc for the town I live near.  There were a lot of shops.  This one telephone numebr sort of jumped out at me.  I called.  The owner answered and we set an appointment.  I took my drawings and I could see the light shining in his head.  I attempted to explain how it all worked, he interupted me and started thinking out loud and he nailed it.  Oring here, this clearance there and so on. 

I asked how soon and how much for a 100 piece order.  He said well let me play around with some PVC stock and then we will see.  He called yesterday and we agreed on a price.  Today I will pick up the prototype.  If all is well we are off to the races.  Man what a breath of fresh air after breathing trash since September.  I missed the selling curve for duck season and Christmas because of the other machinist.  I am back on the tracks now. Once that is done is will be time for my spec call design to hit his workbench.  I am freakin pumped up that I found the right machinist.

Offline Wade@WEBFoot

  • New Forum Member
  • *
  • Posts: 570
  • Location: Wiggins, CO
    • WEBFoot Custom Calls
Re: NOt going to purchase one.
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2014, 01:27:34 PM »
Hey wlain!
Sorry I missed your first post about the jet...  though I dont know anything about it, Id have responded.  Been a little crazy around here and I just plain missed the "new post" in the thread view...

Anyway, glad you found a good guy to work with.  I have heard from many the same pains you went through.  I have a few of my customers that I do CNC work for that were in the same boat.  Some had to go to other places when we were moving, as we spent about a year without access to our machines... Some of the stories I have heard were amazing to me.

Anyway, all the best!
Wade

www.webfootcustomcalls.com
Call Making Tools, Parts, Services... and calls when I have time :D

Offline Steel Rain Calls

  • New Forum Member
  • *
  • Posts: 195
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Coy, Ar
    • Steel Rain Custom Calls
Re: NOt going to purchase one.
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2014, 05:26:16 PM »
I know this might seem like a dumb question but what is the best cnc machineto get for barrels and tthen what's th best to get to do inserts? Sorry not trying to hijack the thread but was just looking at getting them for the new shop since I have already had the program done.
Custom made calls for the average hunter at a price you can count on.

Offline Wade@WEBFoot

  • New Forum Member
  • *
  • Posts: 570
  • Location: Wiggins, CO
    • WEBFoot Custom Calls
Re: NOt going to purchase one.
« Reply #3 on: February 28, 2014, 06:34:55 PM »
It more depends on your budget... and if youre willing to do the setup and have one machine or want two machines to leave set up.  The ideal machine all depends on what your goals are.  ANd some of those factors are: Cycle times, quality/accuracy, knowledge (odds of the program for one machine will not directly work on another because of differences in controls - hobby machine vs industrial) tooling or your budget for tooling, your planned process, etc...

Lots of catch 22s with this stuff when youre starting out... process depends on machine, which machine depends on the process.  Same with tooling, programming, cycle times, etc....

Start with a budget, and look at machines in that range...  and get the most biggest best you can get for the budget.  And no matter what you get, be prepared to be disappointed with something... it always happens. :D

Wade
www.webfootcustomcalls.com
Call Making Tools, Parts, Services... and calls when I have time :D