7CS (Darth Voorhees) UPDATES 2020

[Darth Voorhees]

Ok folks most of my move is complete now, so now it’s time to move part of the shop. I will be getting a car port with walls to set up at the new place to work on fiberglass, resin and painting. I will also set up a small area inside for the non smelly/messy stuff. The vac table will stay in the shop at the old place. This move will start this weekend so I will be out of commission for about 1-2 weekswhile I get this all set up.
What’s left is the 5 complete jetpacks from the “ summer run” ( yes I know I’m behind a bit) and 6 kits. And then the din djarin packs (4) For the standard kits, this is who is left ...John P(shipping tomorrow) Zemzero, seven (2 kits), Matt P, and Peter W. I also have one painting commission for xbx.
Keep in mind I may be slow replying to messages during this time. Thanks for your patience and understanding! I will get back to work as soon as physically possible. For now I’m gonna get to work to get done what I can before the move stars this weekend!

 

[Darth Voorhees]

Ok so here is the dilly as of today...i am officially moved out of the ex's place. There is a small storage shed here with very little stuff in it that im going to make do using to do my fiberglass work. Its very small but if i put my heater in there and sit on a low chair i should be able to manage. I brought most of my molds and casting supplies with me. The vac table and all my painting stuff is still at the ex's in the shop over there (about an hour away)

I may bring my paint stuff and airbrush in the next couple of weeks to the new place as well.

We are going to talk to the landlord to see if i can build a shed/shop in the back yard here. He had said he wanted to get rid of the old shed and put something nicer there so he may be cool with what i want to put there. there is enough room to put a smaller storage shed next to it as well. But we'll see how that goes.

So currently i should still be able to fill all the current and new orders for anything fiberglass or resin assuming this space works. Im going to be setting that up today.

 

[Darth Voorhees]

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

 

[Malc]

Any word from your new landlord about building a new workshop in place of the old metal shed? Maybe he'll give you a break on rent for the improvement work?

 

[Darth Voorhees]

Any word from your new landlord about building a new workshop in place of the old metal shed? Maybe he'll give you a break on rent for the improvement work?

We havent asked him yet because i wont be able to afford it for a little bit anyways...plus i would'nt even want to start that until spring at the earliest..dont wanna be building a shop in the middle of winter in the north east! lol

 

[Darth Voorhees]

Ok updates folks...

I am currently working on 2 jetpack kits for Seven which should go out in the next week or so. Over time i have gotten random orders for jetpack kits so those are kind of always in motion. I only have 2 more from the original sale that was now almost a year ago. That sale was not a good idea on my end as i got overwhelmed with orders and had a hard time keeping up, and also making/selling other stuff to keep food on my table. i currently have about 4 kit orders in que, counting the 2 backlogged ones.

the "summer run" jetpacks were delayed partly because of my previous statement, but also due to Covid-19, my divorce, and moving myself, and then most of my shop. That said my painting stuff is coming home today so i can get back on these.

i have one set of armor to paint for xBx which i should be able to squeeze in as i paint the summer jetpacks.

i have one Imperial gunner kit to build for a garrison mate

i have 2 scout blasters to do.

I am currently mostly working on the resizing of the Din Djarin/Rising Phoenix jetpack as folks ordered those, around 10 months ago, due to Covid, divorce and moving, that was delayed..finally got that good to go and discovered the pack was too big, right after i made the mold and shipped one kit......so i am doing my best to quickly but accurately resize the pack. The first 2 episodes of season 2 of the Mandalorian gave me a lot better reference so some details are also being corrected...my goal is to have the most accurate pack i can with the reference i have.

Keep in mind this is my only income, so i cant stop taking orders completely, i have bills to pay like anyone else. thanks for understanding and i hope to get your stuff to you ASAP!

 

[Darth Voorhees]

More updates!

I have 10 jetpacks cast, 9 of which have the backs attached, 2 have been all cleaned up and sanded. Cleaning up and sanding the rest today. Of the 9, 5 are kits, the rest are to be painted. I should be starting the painting next week. 2 at a time as per my usual. Once i have the paint going, 2 ROTJ takes me about 3-4 days...ESB 2-3 days. So things with the painted summer jetpacks will move along quicker starting next week. That said, i have a feeling , due to the holidays, that i wont get them all done by the end of the year/month. But most should be done and whatever is left within january. We had a few super cold days that slowed me down, but im doing the best i can as quickly as i can without sacrificing quality, because im NOT sending you guys half assed work! Also just to repeat what i have mentioned before, i am no longer taking commissions for completed packs aside from an occasional one i may randomly offer.

keep in mind when its cold (under 35) the gelcoat doesnt cure up properly in any reasonable amount of time so that slows me down. So in the winter months jetpack or helmet kits may take a little longer to ship.

I also have 2 scout pistols left to cast, and one set of armor to paint that i will be squeezing in with the painted jetpacks.

Chincups are in stock and posted in the preffered vendors section.

Here is a current list of those jetpacks just so i have it in 2 places!

1 - Wookie - ROTJ SE - assembled-prepping-
2 - Minafett - ROTJ - assembled-prepping-
3 - CHIPS - ESB
4 - Malc - ESB
5- Shteymetal247 - ROTJ
6 - Soa - ESB
7 - Bobafett007 - ESB

there is also an ESB pack i am doing for Darth Thaddius as i owed him for taking WAY too long on a commissioned helmet a couple years back.

In other related news, due to an upped credit limit on my paypal credit, some cash i had, and getting approved for a Dell credit line, i got a new computer (needed it as mine was 10yrs old and couldnt handle the 3D modeling software), a small resin 3D printer (Anycubic photon), and a standard 3D printer (Creality CR-10 V2). Gotta keep up with the times or i'd get left in the bondo dust! LOL! once i get this going it should drastically reduce the time it takes me to make a new item. Still waiting on the CR-10 V2 printer to show, but have everything else and have been messing with the 3D modeling. Been using Fusion 360 about a week almost everynight once im in from the shop. i have modeled a few simple things that i feel will improve my jetpack kits and also a couple for new things for future kits. here is the classic jetpack thruster arm, the thruster side greeblie and the topper for the Bo Katan jetpack(still work in progress). I have also done some other simple things to just clean up current parts that i original sculpted by hand, and also updated some stuff. Once printed, these will be prepped and molded to cast fresh parts for the kits.


In personal updates, me and the 4 cats are adapting well to the new living space, and the shed is working out ok. Still considering building a new shop similar to the last here, but we shall see.

Thats it for now, thank you all again for your patience with these orders, hoping next year backlog will be minimal! Hope you all have a great holiday season!

-Lou
SevenCatStudios

 

[Darth Voorhees]

Ok folks... we have a big winter storm arriving in a couple of days so shipping may be delayed a little bit between it being the holiday season and this storm. i have a few rocketpack kits just about ready to go, but i am going to hold off shipping till the end of the week after the storm passes, should be good after that.

 

[Darth Voorhees]

Been a little slow the past couple of weeks between the storm and being super busy due to the holidays... but i have a bunch of jetpack kits going out next week and the final paint commissioned jetpacks (the 2020 summer run) will start shipping within the next week or so. Hope everyone has a great holiday and new year!

Summer run commissioned jetpacks
1 - Wookie - ROTJ SE - assembled-prepping-Paint In Progress
2 - Minafett - ROTJ - assembled-prepping--Paint In Progress
3 - CHIPS - ESB
4 - Malc - ESB
5- Shteymetal247 - ROTJ
6 - Soa - ESB
7 - Bobafett007 - ESB

 

[Darth Voorhees]

Updates continue in the new thread for the new year here:

7CS (Darth Voorhees) UPDATE THREAD 2021

Hey folks, new year, new update thread! Classic Jetpack kits All of the severely backlogged kits have been shipped. So now im only about a month or 2 out. Orders can be taken for these with a current wait of about 10-12 weeks. Rising Phoenix/Din D'jarin Jetpack kits These have been revamped as...

www.thedentedhelmet.com