Outsourcing sucks!

[peter.coombe]

Why is it so difficult to get suppliers to get your custom work done right. I have had no end of trouble with my "Coombe" logo done in Paua. Things such as size done wrong, poor cutting of the shell, and the latest is 20 logos done in ordinary script instead of bold. They are so fragile as to be almost useless. I sent them a file with all the measurements and a picture for Christ's sake! How can they get it wrong???

The thing that has really set me off on this is a disaster with mandolin tailpieces. I asked a silversmith to make a tailpiece for my Lyon and Healy mandolin reproduction. It involves some engraving and nickel plating that I can't do. Just to be sure everything was ok I asked him to make one only. That first tailpiece was fine, very nicely done, I was happy. So then I ordered 10 more. Waited 6 months, and they arrived a few weeks ago. Just now I discovered that they are too big. They are at least 10mm wider and at least 10mm longer, look horrible on the mandolin, and make string changing really difficult. How can he get it so wrong when the first one was perfect. This cost me around $1800 that I can't afford to pour down the toilet. Just sent a "please explain" email to him and am awaiting a reply. ARRRRHHHHGGGGG!!!!

[simso]

It is the worst thing in the world to have to do, and it can cost you far more than you are prepared to pay.

If you are equipped well enough to not need to outsource parts of the work, then it has cost a pretty penny to setup or you have exceptional hand skills and more than likely under pay yourself.

The coombe logo does not sound like a difficult one, have you considered buying a small cnc machine and doing it yourself

[kiwigeo]

Things such as size done wrong, poor cutting of the shell, and the latest is 20 logos done in ordinary script instead of bold. They are so fragile as to be almost useless.

I'm sure there's a factory somewhere churning out Peter Coombe replicas.....they may buy interested in the dud logos and tail pieces

[peter.coombe]

Well the logos are not complete duds. I can use them, but so far have averaged 1 in 2 go into the bin because of multiple breakages, and the others get installed with a break that is invisible to the average person. That problem is getting resolved now since the stuff up was obviously not me. The silversmith is currently "looking into it". Hopefully that will also be resolved eventually, but it is incredibly frustrating, and seems to happen all too often. I also recently had 10 sets of mandolin tuners delivered with string posts for slotted headstocks, despite specifying solid headstock. That was resolved with the supplier apologising and sending replacement string posts. However, I still had to unscrew the old posts and screw on the new posts, all 80 of them! Had to do it in several sessions, and took hours, it is a very fiddly boring job, and was I sick of the sight of those tuners. At least the problem is now completely fixed, but it should not have happened in the first place. I think I am only averaging about 50% outsourcing success at the moment.

Peter

[kiwigeo]

However, I still had to unscrew the old posts and screw on the new posts, all 80 of them! Had to do it in several sessions, and took hours, it is a very fiddly boring job, and was I sick of the sight of those tuners.

You could have outsourced that job to me........would have done it for a grate or two of Guinness!

[demonx]

That is why I have a "Sanding Guy", he doesn't just sand and jobs like that, well...

[needsmorecowbel]

Allan, I just found out today that it really pays to have a sanding guy. Never realised sand blasting was so cheap...$40 for a bike frame and forks ...why not. Hope you're able to sort it out Peter!

Stu

[demonx]

Allan, I just found out today that it really pays to have a sanding guy. Never realised sand blasting was so cheap...$40 for a bike frame and forks ...why not. Hope you're able to sort it out Peter!

Stu

I have two different types of sandblasters in the workshop, an outdoor bottle type and a large cabinet, but there are times I'll still take something to a sandblasting place as it's cheaper to get them to do it than run several bags through the bottle blaster as it doesn't recycle like the cabinet does.

Your bike frame for example would fit into my cabinet, so I'd do that in there, but it takes a lot longer on a small 130psi system like mine than a pro setup and the price you paid is pretty cheap.

In saying that though, I've never sandblasted anything to do with guitars, it's always been car parts for paint prep.

[needsmorecowbel]

I know little to nothing about sandblasters but do you get any issues with the systems that recycle the sand? I.e. Debris mixing in with the sand causing issues...

You can apparently sandblast guitars but I find with the vast majority of guitars that attempt this "hand carved" / etched/ engraved look (especially on the face of the guitar), end up looking like cheap molded plastic or just plain kitsch. This guy pictured below sandblasted quilted redwood

[demonx]

I know little to nothing about sandblasters but do you get any issues with the systems that recycle the sand? I.e. Debris mixing in with the sand causing issues...

You can apparently sandblast guitars

I've never trialed the sandblasting of wood, if I did I'd probably use a glass bead or similar as opposed to garnet.

You can run your media through a sieve made out of fly wire, bit of messing around but it's pricey stuff so best get the most out of it as you can

[simso]

Do not sand blast wood, plastic media yes, sand no, Plastic is 1200 a drum, sand is 135 a drum

We have two cabinet blasting units in our workshop

Abrasive blasting will quickly chew out along the grain line of any wood let alone a soft wood as used for tops and some electric guitars

[kiwigeo]

Jesuz you guys are we building a guitar or a bloody ship here????

[demonx]

Do not sand blast wood, plastic media yes, sand no, Plastic is 1200 a drum, sand is 135 a drum

I can show you photos of fibreglass car parts I've blasted with garnet. People say NO! It'll destroy it, but you just need to turn down the psi and feather it with a bit of control. I've seen soda blasters, which are meant to be gentle destroy fibreglass panel, yet I've blasted it successfully with garnet! It all comes back to technique.

This pic is of a fibreglass panel that I wanted to strip back to bare glass, repair and still retain the factory "grain" on the panel so it didn't look restored. I just feathered it at a lower pressure with a pot blaster and garnet as described above.

As Fibreglass is softer than timber (give or take depending on variety) I'd say that sandblasting timber is quite possible. The examples I've seen of sandblasted timber however are often painted guitars that are blasted for effect. The one pictured above I'm guessing was blasted at low pressure with a soft media to give a "wire brush/steel wool" effect.

[needsmorecowbel]

Sometimes It's just interesting to imagine what you can't or shouldn't do

Stu

[simso]

Well, I can only make recommendations.

I have sand blasted guitars and have played with the pressure, as low as 15psi, it really is not pretty.

Fibreglass does not have a grain it does have a very strong weave however, when you blast wood, it errodes rapidly along the grain lines.

Bead blasting works better, but you still have to be careful with pressure and angle of the blast media attack

[soulman]

I operate a sandblasting/soda blasting business and have blasted wood. Soda is not as harsh as garnet. However it all gets down to pressure, media type, technique, hardness of wood and affect you want to achieve.