Current Production, Outstanding Orders & New Parts
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 11:59 pm
Hi Guys
Here is a update on current production and outstanding orders. I decided to cover this all in one post, if you have a outstanding order or plan on placing an order you may want to read this. I currently have 29 orders to fill, most of them delayed due to the reasons below. However if all goes according to plan and I get the parts in I am waiting for most of these orders will be completed by the end of the month.
As completion of these orders is close and I have very little planned after the end of the month new orders would be appreciated so I have on going work to enable me to pay my monthly over heads. I do this full time so I have no other income to fall back on, if you want to see me stay in business your orders will be a big help.
Reasons for delays on most current orders.
I placed a order for bronze investment cast parts in April and still do not have them in stock. The caster assures me I will have them sometime before the end of the month. The wax casting went to the foundry on July 30 and turn around is normally two weeks. If your order contains any of the following parts, this is the main reason for delay.
TT02 Track Tow Rope (Waiting cast parts.)
TT03 (All) Tow Rope Set (Waiting cast parts.)
TT11- Pan11 - PZIIIT15 MG AA Mount (Waiting cast parts.)
TT12 Track Tow Rope (Waiting cast parts.)
TT37 (All) Tiger 1 and 2 Cupolas (Waiting cast wing nuts.) Over 20 already delivered.
TT39 Tiger 2 Engine Intake Grills Set of 4 (All parts in stock assembly to be completed)
TT40 Tiger 2 Engine Exhaust Grills Set of 2 (All parts in stock assembly to be completed) TT41 Tiger 2 Engine Intake Over Grills Set of 2 (All parts in stock assembly to be completed)
TT42 Tiger 2 Engine Intake Cover Plates Set of 4 (Ten sets finished)
PZIIIT11 Pz III Tow Rope Set (Waiting cast parts.)
PZIIIT19 Pz III Grills (5 sets finished for earliest orders with tow rope sets) New parts on order for latest requests.
TT32 Stowage Bin. (Work in progress assembling 3). Three set available in stock for immediate shipping as kits.
Pan24 Panther Cupola (Work in progress) Two sets available for order.
Pan01-08 & 01-10 Panther Sets (Two sets complete) One set available for immediate shipping.
All other catalog parts in stock which will have a turn around time of around two weeks after the end of the month. Sooner if parts are ordered as kits.
If your order does not contain any of the above, it should ship shortly.
TT37 Tiger 1 an 2 Cupolas.
Six sets of the "TT37K1 Tiger 1 and 2 Armortek Cupola Upgrade Kits" finished and ready to ship once cast wing nuts are in stock.
Four sets of the "TT37K Tiger1 and 2 Cupola Kits" finished and ready to ship once cast wing nuts are in stock. Two sets available for order. More can be made if there is a demand.
Pan24 Panther Cupola.
This has been a long project for me which has given me many problems. The only thing left to finish is the actual cupola body. The problem with this was how to hold the periscope housings in place without making them a permanent fixture so they can be removed. One idea to do this has turned out to be to difficult to achieve. Just yesterday I came up with a solution that will work. That is to have the same resting tabs molded into to cupola for the periscope housings adjusting bolts to sit on like the real one, with the rubber gasket acting as a pressure plate to hold them in place. This was my first idea of how to do this, but the problem was getting the tabs to fill in the casting mold and how to remove the center core of the mold once the part was cast, those familiar with casting parts will understand what I mean. The solution is simple, but I only just thought of it, that is to cast the bottom of the cupola with the tabs on as a separate piece and the fix it to the main body. This I am working on at the moment and hope to post pictures in a few days.
Here is a pictures of all other cast and photo-etched parts completed for ten cupolas.
Pan01-08 and 01-10 Two sets completed.
PZIIT19 Pz III Engine Intake Grill Covers. Five Set Completed. These will be shipped to those that ordered these when I first offered them once I have the Pz III tow rope parts in stock to ship with them. I have more of these on order from the photo-etch company to fill latest orders. Should have parts by the end of the month.
A quick note about the recently offered Goliath Trailer and Kubelwagen Cold Starter.
Goliath Demolition Tank Trailer .
This received very little interest at the first offering, but I feel it will sell well once in production. I plan to start making the molds for this sometime in September.
Kubelwagen Cold Starter For Tanks and other AFV's
I designed the prototype from a 1/35 scale model kit and one period picture. I have since found out that the model kit had a lot of mistakes and lacking in detail. I was fortunate to find someone that had a copy of the real maintenance manual for the cold start. With this I am able to improve the kit, but there are a lot of errors to correct and it is going to take time. There are also several other parts to it that I was not aware of. Some of these will be included in the kit. It also give the layout and fittings for stowage in the Kubelwagen when not in use. I will be including these in the kit as well. For those interested I am extending my original offer of this kit at the pre-production price of $150.00 until August 31 with a paid deposit of $50.00. With all the improvements and extra parts the final retail price will be around $200.00. Due to the work I now have to do on the kit delivery will not be until October-November, maybe sooner if I have the time to work on it.
The past 12 to 18 months has been hard with the economy, but I have managed to survive with the help of all my loyal customers, but we are not at the end of the tunnel yet. Please help by placing and order, no matter how small. It all helps.
Regards
Mike
Here is a update on current production and outstanding orders. I decided to cover this all in one post, if you have a outstanding order or plan on placing an order you may want to read this. I currently have 29 orders to fill, most of them delayed due to the reasons below. However if all goes according to plan and I get the parts in I am waiting for most of these orders will be completed by the end of the month.
As completion of these orders is close and I have very little planned after the end of the month new orders would be appreciated so I have on going work to enable me to pay my monthly over heads. I do this full time so I have no other income to fall back on, if you want to see me stay in business your orders will be a big help.
Reasons for delays on most current orders.
I placed a order for bronze investment cast parts in April and still do not have them in stock. The caster assures me I will have them sometime before the end of the month. The wax casting went to the foundry on July 30 and turn around is normally two weeks. If your order contains any of the following parts, this is the main reason for delay.
TT02 Track Tow Rope (Waiting cast parts.)
TT03 (All) Tow Rope Set (Waiting cast parts.)
TT11- Pan11 - PZIIIT15 MG AA Mount (Waiting cast parts.)
TT12 Track Tow Rope (Waiting cast parts.)
TT37 (All) Tiger 1 and 2 Cupolas (Waiting cast wing nuts.) Over 20 already delivered.
TT39 Tiger 2 Engine Intake Grills Set of 4 (All parts in stock assembly to be completed)
TT40 Tiger 2 Engine Exhaust Grills Set of 2 (All parts in stock assembly to be completed) TT41 Tiger 2 Engine Intake Over Grills Set of 2 (All parts in stock assembly to be completed)
TT42 Tiger 2 Engine Intake Cover Plates Set of 4 (Ten sets finished)
PZIIIT11 Pz III Tow Rope Set (Waiting cast parts.)
PZIIIT19 Pz III Grills (5 sets finished for earliest orders with tow rope sets) New parts on order for latest requests.
TT32 Stowage Bin. (Work in progress assembling 3). Three set available in stock for immediate shipping as kits.
Pan24 Panther Cupola (Work in progress) Two sets available for order.
Pan01-08 & 01-10 Panther Sets (Two sets complete) One set available for immediate shipping.
All other catalog parts in stock which will have a turn around time of around two weeks after the end of the month. Sooner if parts are ordered as kits.
If your order does not contain any of the above, it should ship shortly.
TT37 Tiger 1 an 2 Cupolas.
Six sets of the "TT37K1 Tiger 1 and 2 Armortek Cupola Upgrade Kits" finished and ready to ship once cast wing nuts are in stock.
Four sets of the "TT37K Tiger1 and 2 Cupola Kits" finished and ready to ship once cast wing nuts are in stock. Two sets available for order. More can be made if there is a demand.
Pan24 Panther Cupola.
This has been a long project for me which has given me many problems. The only thing left to finish is the actual cupola body. The problem with this was how to hold the periscope housings in place without making them a permanent fixture so they can be removed. One idea to do this has turned out to be to difficult to achieve. Just yesterday I came up with a solution that will work. That is to have the same resting tabs molded into to cupola for the periscope housings adjusting bolts to sit on like the real one, with the rubber gasket acting as a pressure plate to hold them in place. This was my first idea of how to do this, but the problem was getting the tabs to fill in the casting mold and how to remove the center core of the mold once the part was cast, those familiar with casting parts will understand what I mean. The solution is simple, but I only just thought of it, that is to cast the bottom of the cupola with the tabs on as a separate piece and the fix it to the main body. This I am working on at the moment and hope to post pictures in a few days.
Here is a pictures of all other cast and photo-etched parts completed for ten cupolas.
Pan01-08 and 01-10 Two sets completed.
PZIIT19 Pz III Engine Intake Grill Covers. Five Set Completed. These will be shipped to those that ordered these when I first offered them once I have the Pz III tow rope parts in stock to ship with them. I have more of these on order from the photo-etch company to fill latest orders. Should have parts by the end of the month.
A quick note about the recently offered Goliath Trailer and Kubelwagen Cold Starter.
Goliath Demolition Tank Trailer .
This received very little interest at the first offering, but I feel it will sell well once in production. I plan to start making the molds for this sometime in September.
Kubelwagen Cold Starter For Tanks and other AFV's
I designed the prototype from a 1/35 scale model kit and one period picture. I have since found out that the model kit had a lot of mistakes and lacking in detail. I was fortunate to find someone that had a copy of the real maintenance manual for the cold start. With this I am able to improve the kit, but there are a lot of errors to correct and it is going to take time. There are also several other parts to it that I was not aware of. Some of these will be included in the kit. It also give the layout and fittings for stowage in the Kubelwagen when not in use. I will be including these in the kit as well. For those interested I am extending my original offer of this kit at the pre-production price of $150.00 until August 31 with a paid deposit of $50.00. With all the improvements and extra parts the final retail price will be around $200.00. Due to the work I now have to do on the kit delivery will not be until October-November, maybe sooner if I have the time to work on it.
The past 12 to 18 months has been hard with the economy, but I have managed to survive with the help of all my loyal customers, but we are not at the end of the tunnel yet. Please help by placing and order, no matter how small. It all helps.
Regards
Mike