I love my single stroke makers! Actually makes them fast enough to be worth itQuote:
Originally Posted by 0verkill
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I love my single stroke makers! Actually makes them fast enough to be worth itQuote:
Originally Posted by 0verkill
What kind do you have
Got the ones that Dave Matteson makes. He's the guy on facebook, but has recently made an external websiteQuote:
Originally Posted by 0verkill
https://www.mattesonsmachineshop.com/shop/
167 days since I placed my order but it showed up on my steps this morning. The wait time of five and a half months was not satisfactory for me but the check maker does look nice. Best of luck to Pat Martens.
Pat was nice enough to pass along where he stands. The Covid issues on supply trains is real. Pat issues are not an isolated situation nor unique. I waited four months for a part to show up for my Tacoma. The part was for the AC. Not sure where you all live but I doubt you all have experienced, one way or another the same issues Pat is dealing with.Quote:
Originally Posted by Friends call me Pac
Take Care
Bob
Others have posted that even Dillon cannot get certain materials and have lengthy wait times.
It would be more understandable if it was only since COVID, but this has been going on for years since he first started. One can easily research on this very site the old posts from years ago showing this very trend of not fulfilling orders. If people want to defend him when it is your money, have at it. But if someone else is concerned because of their money being tied up way beyond what should be considered acceptable, it is wrong to make them feel like they are wrong for pointing that out. Quite frankly, this item should take no more than a hour to make. 5 1/2 months is just plain unacceptable. Goes back to Charlie was also a one man shop and he was able to keep up and turn his orders around very quickly.
Duckdog them why not buy some where else if it upsets you so much. Now it is Covid. Live with it.
Pat has dealt with me right, enough said.
Take Care
Bob
I'm sure, that if some of the folks that have had good expierience/s with Pat, would have a entirely different opinion, if they had had the bad expierience/s some of us others have had. Just sayin.
Perhaps to your point it is just a case of realizing what is going on right now in the work environment due to Covid. I am sure Pat is not the only one dealing with troubled supply chains. I have been waiting six months due to his inability to get the raw material for my particular purchase. I understand what is happening with, not only Pat's situation, but others. Up here, we rely on some products from the US, we are your largest purchaser of US goods. Their have been a huge kinks in products that normally are off the shelf items. I know it is frustrating when things don't work as they should and when it happens when you have other stressors in your life.....Quote:
Originally Posted by littlejack
All the best guys, hopefully we will soon see the pandemic in our rear mirrors soon. It isn't over yet but surely we are close to the end game.
For everyone's sake get vaccinated. I want to visit my sister in WA and the border will remain closed until we all get the virus under control.
Take Care
Bob
In my case, "perhaps" has nothing to do with it. My particular circumstance with Pat is around the 1 1/2 - 2 year mark, long before this COVID issue. I've given up on Pat making things right for me. You do not know all the circumstances with all of the purchases. Everyone has their opinion.
Best to let the sleeping dog lie.
"Now is COVID. Live with it". So that justifies bad business, and support for a vendor that was banned for this very issue? Furthermore, I have bought from him, and from others. That is clearly my choice. What upsets me is that "fan club" he has that pretty much puts anyone who doesn't agree with them down, like their opinion doesn't matter. "Live with it".
As far as using this site and forum to plug ones own opinion on COVID and ones personal choice of what to do with their own health and vaccinations, that is just wrong. I have entirely different views on COVID than some, but not most, and this is not the appropriate place to air them out. I have been here a long time, and I thought it was supposed to be a site for the free exchange of knowledge and experiences, but it seem if one has a different opinion or experience, your opinion doesn't really matter. "Now is COVID. Live with it". Says it all I guess. Live with it. Enough said.
The thing I don't understand is how there are enough people wanting a 2stroke system for any mfg to stay in business when there are single stroke systems for the same or lower price with comparable quality. Or why 2 stroke mfg's like Pat don't at least offer single stroke makers. I guess it boils down to name recognition
Not sure if anyone else got this e-mail from Pat last week. I understand potential shortages, but when he requires my money upfront and now I'm 5 months into waiting (holding my money) and I do find it frustrating and growingly annoyed by it. I waited nearly 5 years for my Shiloh (and have about 18-20 months for my next one), but I didn't have to pay for them up front. So yes, I do have patience, but this is definitely straining it. Not sure that if in the future I want another gas check maker tool I'll use Pat. I didn't know about Dave's until after my order was place with Pat.....;-)
Pat's email:
Dear Patmarlins customers….
Most of you know I’ve been brutally honest with my customers.
Each and every one since I started the Checkmaker™ dies design back in 2008.
Right now I’m trying to choose my words carefully.
Since I’ve been in business, there's always been one or two individuals who make it a point to try and harass me, and accuse me of everything from fraud to thievery, and complain across the internet and to every agency they can that they have been ripped off because they believe they've had to wait to long for my product.
Frustration at the moment is at a fever pitch.
It’s never been easy, being a one man shop- investing in the equipment and machines necessary to provide cast shooters in this industry a way to save money with our sport... one that’s always been near and dear to my heart.
Thankfully, I have a very nice shop with quality machines that has been paid for years ago. You paid for it. Your hard earned dollars paying for my work.
That fact that I have the best customers, who have hung in with me through thick and thin and have ordered numerous times over all these years speaks volumes, and has been my inspiration to stay in this industry and strive to improve.
You think you would have it all figured but I’m still coming up with innovative ideas that make my operation go smoother, and improve the quality of my dies.
I don’t spend one dime on advertising. Haven’t for years and my customers still order world wide. My dies are a niche- very small specialized business segment in cast shooting. There is no one getting rich here.
But now the world has gone freaking crazy.
I spend a great deal of time waiting on my supply orders, searching out suppliers because some have discontinued what I used to rely on daily.
There has been a world wide shortage of some tool steel I use... and what orders have trickled in, some of the quality is crap. I have to chuck every bar stock on a lathe and check it before I install it in my CNC machines. It has destroyed tooling and tool inserts.
Thankfully, my suppliers immediately send replacements but they are having a hell of a time. The wait across the board in the United States for the simplest items I used to take for granted like tooling, tool inserts, steel, aluminum, machine repair parts and more has just been unbelievable, and the cost is skyrocketing. The only way I can do this is by taking pre-paid orders.
Your prepaid order places you inline and I guarantee I will get you a quality set of dies like I always have.
I’m always trying to stay ahead of the game. I have large pending (pre-paid) orders for supplies, and I’ve placed huge orders in tooling where some has been discontinued so I can keep making dies for years to come.
I spent over $400 on one (very small) cobalt boring bar I’ve used to make my female dies because they discontinued them with no reliable replacement. I bought enough for over 10 years worth of dies and I can resharpen them. I take what I can get and build dies and send them out asap.
This climate in our country has caused a record number of sales of which I’m very thankful. The fact is if I had everything I needed daily, I could be caught up in a relatively short amount of time. If anyone knows anything about me I don’t give up. This thing will pass and work itself out. American is the most resilient country in the world and has shown that throughout history time and time again.
I appreciate your patience and business. Trust me when I say nothing will make me happier than to get your order built and shipped so you can enjoy and have the security of being able to make your own quality gas checks and let it be one more thing you can control yourself.
Keep your powder dry and God Bless everyone.
-Pat
Yes, I received it, and it didn't do me a bit of good. I tried replying to the previous ones, but to no avail. So, I just deleted this last one.
I got the email too. It didn't change my mind about future orders with him. I hope he does well but I'll not purchase from him again.
After the long wait time for the arrival of my check maker I unwrapped it in preparation of getting to know how to use it. It's a really nice .223 check maker but the problem is I ordered a 30 cal. I'm not mad about it because I know things happen and also know when you are on the receiving end when it rains it pours. Pat has been beat up enough and I'm not going to add any more aggravation. I do cast for .223 so I'm not sending it back. I still need a .30 maker but I'm going a different route this time. Got a local machine shop making a single stage .30 check maker that cuts and forms the check at the same time. Will see how it turns out.
In my opinion he should just make what he can and then list them for sale online. Taking pre-orders just makes people mad when you can't deliver promptly. I don't take money from my customers till I know I can ship within a few days.
Its best to make at least 40 of one caliber at a time I found out, 100 per makes the production and set up even more cost effective. I came to the conclusion there was not enough money in it though, at least not 10 at a time. My one man shop is too small. And customers would try and use the wrong metal and destroy the dies, like mystery brass from the hardware store. We got dies back that were gouged and bent, that takes some effort considering these are professionally hardened tool steel based items.
Charlie was using a good machine shop for awhile and his hardening shop was excellent but pricey. I think his original shop increased the price greatly and I got the impression they didn't have the desire to make the FreeChex tools anymore. Many times after hardening, the tolerances change too much and major rework is needed or they end up as scrap. Dad was selling homemade aluminum gas checks on eBay for years and years. I got to helping him and thought there must be a better way to make these! It took a few years to find punch press equipment we could afford, but I finally got good enough to make my own punch dies and learned a lot about antique punch presses.
The FreeChex design is easy to make in your garage, just need a decent band saw, lathe and mill. Don't need big stuff, a 10" lathe and a basic 1 hp bench mill can get it done. I learned after a while its best to start out with new equipment, fighting antique lathes and mills gets old real quick. You could use O1 tool steel and quench with cooking oil or use the better air cooled steel with the foil bags. You would need a kiln of some sort though and good ones aren't cheap. Around here I think they charge around $60 per piece for hardening, but the more you do the better the price.
Set up a home machine shop! Its very interesting, especially when you realize how many different things you make and restore.
Thread locked. As can be seen in this thread and many other threads related to this manufacturer - your experience may vary.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bob15