Hey folks another update for you all...
Business/Order/progress update:
Ok i got the shed set up probably best it can be for now. Weather affects when/if i can work again now so bare with me if your waiting on orders. Been working on kit orders (jetpacks and helmets) currently as im trying to keep some cash flow coming in as i can with "quick" items. Due to that there are still some jetpack kits being cast, which take a couple of days per kit. 2 kits for "seven" are on the workbench now, and i now have 3 more after that. (Jaycepticon; TimB; Cohen K)
The din Djarin packs were delayed heavily as the original shipping date was estimated for March of this year, (took orders nov 19- Jan-20) This was due to a lot of factors. One being, i admittedly jumped the gun on these by thinking i could make a couple of quick mods on my standard OT pack and have this, and then discovering that it is smaller. this presented a problem, but i managed to work it out. Also, COVID, my divorcing, and having to move all played factors in the delay. But i can finally say those molds are complete and the 4 orders i have for those are finally getting done. If you want one let me know.
i have 3 Fett helmet kits to be completed and should have those out within the next 2 weeks..i will ship as i complete them, in the order they were ordered.
The only major backlog left is the 6 "summer jetpacks" Again between COVID, divorce, and moving, these were heavily delayed as well.
Good news is this coming weekend i will be bringing my painting stuff over to the new place so i can get back on these. I want to have these all done before the end of the year. I will start a new thread for these in the cargo hold to update you guys on these specifically.
At the same time all of this is going on i finally got my vac table working, though it will stay at the old shop for the time being. Pulling some scout helmets as i can afford to order small batches of plastic. I am trying to swap over to mostly the vac forming.
As far as fiberglass items i am no longer doing runs of anything, as i see it can get me into too much trouble with backlog. That said, i WILL still be making and taking orders for fiberglass jetpack kits, and helmet kits, just on a first come first serve basis, and i will only take on 5 at the max of any of these at once...once i am at 5, if you contact me for a kit, i will just put you on a list, and message you when im up to you for payment. You can decline, and i will go to the next person on the list and message you again once the previous orders are filled, if you decline again, i will take you off the list. Of course you can reorder at a later time. this will keep me to a max of 5 jetpack and/or helmet orders and decrease any backlog dramatically.
Personal update:
I am now officially in the new place with my new girl. I moved into the small house she is renting. The small metal shed is now set up as a work space, similar to when i was working at the old place in a tarped off the corner of the garage. What this means is that weather will now affect if/when i can work again. It sucks, i know, but its this or just give it up, and i am not about to do that. I also have space in the basement, though i cant paint or do any fiberglass (or anything stinky) down there as it goes right up into the house. However i can do mold making(the silicone stuff) some urethane resin casting, and hand painting small details there. I also store most of my supplies there.
Business is slow, as most are right now, so doing my best to keep cash coming in and contributing as much as i can to the rent and household.
At the same time trying to save up some cash to get my car back on the road so i can commute to the old shop to vac form whenver id like. Right now the girlfriend drops me off in the morning when shes leaving for work, and picks me up on her way home from work on the days i need to vac form. So vac forming now is limited due to this, and also just the financial ability to order plastic. When i can i order some, and then go there, pull some stuff and then sell the kits.
Things are still rough, but slowly getting a bit better.
thank you all for reading, and your continued support. Im hoping once the dust settles with the backlog and the vac table becomes more profitable, i will be able to drastically reduce and hopefully even eliminate backlog and get my items out to you much faster.
thanks again
-Lou
Seven Cat Studios/7CS
