Well I have to tell you I am very excited. The machines are open and I have been working on a top design since I got back from Florida. It was really struggling with it. This will be a multifunctional top which is something I have never done before. I want it to be original as well. Finally last week while sitting in the Taco Bell drive thru it hit me. I think this will work!! I am going to take a while to tweak this before I post it to the group. So here is the deal and please read this next part closely.
I need to run another Kickstarter. Due to the machine damage this can really help. I need your honest feedback when I post this design up. If this isn’t a home run I don’t want to put it on Kickstarter. You won’t hurt my feelings. The reason I think this has big potential is that it will not only be dual purpose but it will be a stemless that has a design element which will help you spin it almost like a stemmed top 😀 It should be different than anything out there.
So anyways, I will be hard at work programming and not on here until I am ready to post the prototype. Wish me luck and have a great night!
2/15/16
Good morning everyone, hope you all gave a good Monday 😀
You know it is funny. Sometimes I have the worst ideas that comes out really good and sometimes what I think is going to be crazy good is a total fail. Well that is this project. Horrible. Sorry all to get your hopes up. Back to the drawing board 😒
Well the next plan of action is to make a three piece for Kickstarter. With the current machine situations this is my only option. We are hoping to launch the Kickstarter by the end of the month. You wont see much for sale in the mean time.
Progress! 1st end of inner disc on three piece top is up and running. I like the design. Hoping to have some proto’s to photo tomorrow or Wednesday. I know you all wanted a three piece right away but with us being down a machine, Kickstarter is the way to go. I can now get some proto’s made, get the video done and page layout all set and run a 30 day kickstarter. That gives us a month and a half to get everything back up and running. Once the proto’s are done we can also get some other odds and ends done before the production for the kickstarter begins.
it is a three piece. I have to get the cycle times but this will be like the Kraken/aperture only smaller. I am thinking it will be in the $150-$160 range
Just the inner disc
I will tell this top will have my most complex crazy stem
I think this will be the last tease pic. Then I will save the finish as a surprise when we launch the KS
yeah I have never been good at keeping secrets lol
We are running all the prototypes through one machine which is a huge pain. There will only be a few so no selling them.
the next part will decide if the top is any good or not…
2/16/16
1st end of the first stem will be off in about an hour
1st end of stem. That will be it for today. We will have a finished top tomorrow
I played with this one for a while and this should go really well with the rest
2/17/16
Well thoughts?
Comparison pics to the Alpha
Like a rotating compass, the point placements are random. In a way, you will have a one of a kind. This will be noted on the Kickstarter too but I wanted you all to know. 😀 Oh and here is some bronze/SS love!
I can line up the points if it is that big of deal
Navigator Top information post:
I am very glad at the overwhelming reception the new design is getting. The points WILL be aligned 😛
1) This top will ONLY be listed on www.kickstarter.com and will not be available through the group until after the Kickstarter is over. Then I will only use the group to sell any extras.
2) If you are new to kickstarter, no worries! In two weeks I will start the campaign. At that time you will want to register for free on Kickstarter. I will provide a link here on the group. Click it and it will take you to the campaign. There will be a cool video and story about the top. Just follow the instructions. It is a very easy process.
3) How many will I make? Well once the kickstarter is over I will know exactly how many were ordered. I will make enough to fill all orders and some extra for Customer service issues.
4) What combinations will be available. There will be four combinations to start with. Once a certain pledge amount is reached I have special materials and am hoping to add two more options at that point. The more money raised the more options that will be available. The starting 4 are: SS/CU/SS, SS/Br/SS, Cu/SS/CU and Br/SS/BR.
5) When do I get my top? Well once the kickstarter is done, shipping will begin immediately. It will depend on how many tops are ordered but as you know, we ship pretty fast here.
6) How long will it run for? It will be around 30 days
7) Will the points be aligned? Yes
8) Can I change my pledge after the exotic materials come out? Yes, you can change your pledge at anytime while the Kickstarter is live.
9) How much will the top cost? $150 plus shipping.
10) When will the project go live? I am shooting for March 1st. It is a TON of work and we are just getting started.
I think that covers it! Thanks all for the support, it means a lot 😀
Falling behind here so took a quick pic with all three. Got a ton of work ahead getting this thing on Kickstarter so be patient with me 😀 Here is a size comparison with the Alpha and Lotus
These are the starting 4 that will be offered on KS. I know I know but just trust me, I got plans 😀
WOW, what a day. Had plenty of ups and downs. We made a ton of changes and after a while it all becomes a blurr. It was worth the extra work though thanks to you all. My head is pounding, my body aches but I would call this a great day because of your support. I am in awe and honestly don’t get it but really appreciate it. Thank you each and every one of you for being part of the group and all your encouragement. I am very excited to the Kickstarter! Have a great night 😀 -Rich-
2/18/16
Looking for testimonials for the Kickstarter. If you are interested, reply to this post with a short testimonials about BilletSPIN tops. I appreciate it. By replying you are giving us permission to use it on the kickstarter project.
Just playing with a few ideas. Man I need a new mirror lol
the light coming from the inner disc actually looks like that to the naked eye. It is really cool and I have not seen that before! It is like a sunray pattern on the dial of a watch
Come on Jim Skelton give me a grade on this one. Total fluke but I thought it turned out pretty good for a beginner!
2/19/16
Now we are getting closer…
Yo!
2/20/16
1st Saturday I have had off in as long as I can remember! Wife and kids are gone for the weekend. Kickstarter page is coming along nicely but nothing I can really work on at the moment. Machine is still down and the back up machines are running other jobs. Ate breakfast, watched a movie, now what? 45 degrees so maybe a joy ride? What is this free time, what do I do??!!
2/21/16
Filming the video for the Kickstarter tomorrow. We are hoping to go live on Thursday night! I will post a help thread at that time for those new to Kickstarter. The page is coming along nicely and we are trying to get all the graphics done tonight!
Just in case you wanted to know
Kickstarter funding goal contest. This will be for one free Navigator top of your choice from standard materials. Guessing will be open until the project goes live. So guess the total amount of funding this project will receive. One guess per person and closest guess wins! Keep this to guesses only until the project goes live then we can have fun with it. Any comment other than a guess will be deleted until it is launched! NO EDITS
$6,000 goal
Buckle up, we are getting close now!
Some of you might not know this but this is where it all began:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1623776760/billetspin/description
2/22/16
Update, all the filming for the video is done. I am doing a full timed spin video for the project. I will be hopefully submitting the project for approval today to Kickstarter. Sometimes it is approved right away and other times it takes a few days. The video will be the rough draft and we will continue to edit it this week. You really want these launched early in the week so that is our goal. Just know that the video will need more editing once you see it 😀 Anyways, I will keep you all posted! So far so good 😀
Here is the full spin vid
That was my fourth timed spin
2/23/16
New to Kickstarter? Worried about how to order the Navigator? Well we got you covered. The project has been submitted for review and once Kickstarter approves it the page will go live. That should be today hopefully!
Once the page goes live we will immediately make a video and post it here is us placing an order on the page. It should answer any questions you have. Thanks gain for all the support and encouragement, we are close now!
So the latest version of Stamps.com has a glitch and that is why no domestic packages have had the email attached. I called stamps and they have no idea when they will have the problem fixed. I will give it a few weeks then switch if it is not resolved.
PLEASE READ! Having some issues with Kickstarter so we just launched on Indiegogo. The beauty of Indiegogo is that you can also pay with paypal. This will NOT be listed on Kickstarter! Sorry for the confusion.
Here is the link, sorry it took so long! I appreciate the support 😀
http://igg.me/at/miX-tEfhqwA/x/13446054
I will be adding the 11 minute spin video shortly
OK, lets clear up some questions.
1) For those ordering more than one top on Indiegogo. You will get a questionnaire towards the end of the project (3/22). On that you will fill out the material choices. Once I get the questionnaires back I start shipping, hence the May delivery. I will do my best and should be able to do better then that though.
2) Once the project is over, we get the funds.
3) I will use the total amount funded from Indiegogo rather than Kickstarter for the “Guess the funding” contest.
4) What about the exotic materials you mentioned? Well we just got bad news about the machine this morning. For now I do not plan on doing any exotics. If I do later I will probably just sell them on the website or here.
5) Will there be a Kickstarter as well. No, after some thought it is better to just use Indiegogo for the Navigator.
6) How long will the project be up on Indiegogo? 28 days so it ends on 3/22.
Feel free to ask any more questions here and I will edit this post to answer them all.
In previous Kickstarters I could launch immediately. There is a early week window you want to hit. Well they have changed now and I have to submit the project for review. Now today i get the email that they JUST got it and might be another three days before I get the ok. Well that would mean to hit the window I have to wait until next week and that isnt happening. Then I found out Indiegogo takes paypal. It was a not brainer. I have to take some time to relax tonight and figure out if I even want to launch on KS now. 3 successful projects and they are going to make me wait 5 days??
2/24/16
UPDATE: The Navigator is live on Indiegogo:
https://www.indiegogo.com/…/billetspin-navigato…/x/13444135…
For those ordering more than one top, you will get a email from me the day the project ends (3/22). On it you will specify your material options. I will start shipping as soon as possible. I am hoping to have everything shipping by early April.
This will NOT be on Kickstarter due to them wanting me to wait several more days for approval. Indiegogo also accepts Paypal.
We are going to try Endicia for shipping. Stamps will not let me email people tracking due to their latest update glitch. I will keep you all posted.
The machine is still down being repaired. I have never seen this level of damage. We are now hoping to have it back up and running on Friday. More than likely it will be early next week. The plan is to run some beads once it is up then go onto production of the Navigator tops.
If you have any questions about ordering the Navigator on Indiegogo please ask below. THANK YOU and have a great day! -Rich-
Endicia is up and running so all future orders will have immediate email confirmation of shipping! Progress 😀
Here is the updated video!
2/29/16
Thanks to you all, the Navigator is now the best selling Billetspin top yet!! This will help us more than you can imagine. THANK YOU for the support 😀 We still have a long ways to go and hopefully this machine is fixed soon. Have a great weekend all!
3/7/16
Navigator poll is closed. I will be adding both SS/SS/SS and Cu/Br/Cu as well as 2 maybe three exotic options this week. I will not consider any other combinations as I need to keep the project as simple as possible. Thanks for all your voting and I will let you know when the new options are up. Have a great day all!
yes there will be a limited amount
there will be 75 damascus, 75 Mokume and I am on the fence with the super conductor.
Just so everyone is aware, the exotic material will just be the middle disc. Standard materials for the outer collar and stem
I will post the answers for all these questions when I post the new tops as well as instructions for Indiegogo. Got a ton of machining to do so I will not be on here much today.
EXOTICS: I am going to start a main post about this when I post the pics hopefully tomorrow. I thought it would be good for you to understand a little how this is going to work.
There will be three exotic tops:
1) Stainless Steel over Damascus over Stainless Steel- $200 qty-75
2) Stainless Steel over Mokume over Stainless Steel- $200 qty-75
3) Stainless Steel over Super Conductor over Stainless Steel- $230 qty-20
Each one will be a separate perk with ZERO shipping cost. So for those of you the want to ADD this to your order you will just pledge on the ones you want and feel free to order as many as you like until they are sold out.
For those of you wanting to UPGRADE, read this and follow these instructions once the exotics are listed later this week:
https://support.indiegogo.com/…/526756-How-to-Upgrade-Your-…
I hope this answers most of your questions for now!
Well inner discs for the two new standards and three exotics are done. Tomorrow we make the tool for orienting the inner disc to the points on the outer collar. Then we will try to finish them up but I highly doubt I will get them done. Thinking early Wednesday and we will have the Indiegogo project updated Wednesday night! So far so good. They all look really nice so far 😀
3/8/16
Something to look at until I get some finished Navigators…
For the record, I loathe superconductor. When i am out of this crap I doubt I will ever order it again.
yes, copper is crazy soft and mushy and niobium is like titanium.
great stuff for a few pieces but making it look good without secondary work is hard. I will get it but I do hate it
Going to be about one more hour for the exotics to be posted on Indiegogo. We have to do some graphics for the other two standard combos so those will come later.
getting close
Project is not over yet folks. Nor are the surprises possibly 😀
I make no promises but if anything does happen it will not be until the last few days and it will not be all that great of a surprise…
Ok, I have to post this. I REALLY do appreciate your enthusiasm! Please understand I cannot make any exceptions for anyone on these exotics. I have had easily hundred messages asking. I wish there was something I could do but there isn’t. They are gone. Sorry all, I know it was fast. Next time I will make sure I have more materials. Thanks all!
Not to pour salt on a fresh wound but…:
Please no selling of tops you do not own yet. Any posts that are selling a Navigator before you have it in your hands will be deleted. Nothing personal, just don’t want that kind of sale practiced here. Too easy for issues to arise. Hope you understand. Thanks!
This includes WTB as well
3/9/16
This is my last post about this topic. Let me clear some things up about the exotics.
1) I never promised the exotics would be released on a certain date or time. I said I was hoping or that I would try. Nothing definite
2) As for the whole timezone/working/sleeping. I cannot control that. Someone will be sleeping or working etc no matter what time I released them
3) A SUS was not possible. The Navigator is a Indiegogo exclusive. They will not be available anywhere else.
4) No I cannot make a special exception for you no matter what you offer as compensation.
5) The reality is that there are more people interested in the exotics than there is product. No matter what happened there was going to be a large group of people that did not get them. I can see the orders and nobody is hoarding them. There was just a large number of people that wanted them.
Please please please just relax. I know some are very disappointed they did not get one. It is ok! There are a lot of tops coming from BilletSPIN this year. I do love the enthusiasm though and your love for the tops is very humbling. Please be patient. The one thing I have learned from all of this is that I will never give out details in advance again. I will just drop them with no notice whatsoever. I seem to always get people upset so I am done doing it that way. It is hard for me as I get just as excited as I watch this stuff come to life as you all do. Have a great day and thanks again for all you do 😀
my schedule is so crazy when I got things ready I drop them. That can be at anytime of day. I am not a multitasker so when stuff is ready to get done, I get it done! smile emoticon
I get it, I wont lie it is very disheartening for me. Now I will not ever give any sort of heads up again about future stuff. I am not going to be held to a timeline. Setting up and running 5 operations on a CNC can vary a ton in time. It might go well it might not. It happened to go pretty well and they were done ahead of time. Nobody could have predicted those would sell that fast. I tried to do right by people by getting them out as soon as possible only to have the day I had yesterday though messages. Trust me I have learned my lesson. Sergio Ortiz I am just trying to show my perspective. Dont take this wrong. I have no hard feelings here. I am just disappointed.
Last post and then I am done for the day. Got a lot going on and need some relaxation!
SUPERCONDUCTOR: Yes I said it 😛 I might have jumped the gun yesterday. We did find the right speeds and feeds and tooling combination for the stuff. I still dont love it but I am sure I will work with it again at some point. I compare it to tungsten copper. Cool stuff when it works but it has a higher scrap ratio and the cost is extremely high.
NO there will not be any more Navigators offered in it though. That is 100%
Out for the day, Have a good one all!
For those of you that missed out on yesterdays exotic material release. I was able to reallocate more material for the Navigators. I will be releasing more Mokume and Damascus exotic Navigator’s shortly. There is no more Super Conductor as that is all used up. This will officially be the last of all exotic materials so if you want one of these be sure to get one now 🙂 Thanks again for all the support!
Well much better day! Got a lot of stuff taken care of and the first operation of 5 is up and running on the Navigators for the main production run. I really want to mention that those of you that encouraged me during the last day or so, well it means a lot. I do everything I can possibly do to try to keep everyone happy. After the beating I took yesterday it meant a lot to have a lot of you show the support you did. You all are like family to me so when I get people upset it truthfully bothers me.
I learned a lot from the whole thing and am just grateful for each and everyone of you. There is so much more going on than any of you know and this can get overwhelming for me. You are the ones that keep me going. I would group hug the crap out of you all right now. Anyways, enough rambling. Have a great day and thanks for putting up with me when I am stressed. It means a lot.
Well this is not ending and I have had enough. I tried to keep people happy. That is not possible. So here is the deal, I am not going to listen to anymore complaining. It takes a LOT to get me to this point. If you are unhappy with how I have handled this project and these exotics then please cancel your pledge and remove yourself from my group. Any more negative comments or messages and I will remove you.
For the vast majority here that have given me your support and understanding, thank you. I know this post is going to hurt me and our business but the fun is gone and this is turning into a whole lot of work. I will continue to bust my butt and get these into the hands of people that want them. If resale is your major concern then this is not the top for you.
3/10/16
New video! I hope you enjoy it. The program for making the copper runs slightly different but you get the idea:
fun with cameras!
Due to the amazing support we have gotten so far, we decided to start machining your Navigators now so that we can ship them out in record time! Yes, that machine in the pic below is the freshly repaired Integrex! It is running great. Due to the amount of switching between perks, I have decided to start shipping the day following the project end. We will still not have been paid yet but the orders will be set and that way everyone gets exactly what they want.
Just a reminder, the multiple top Perks do NOT include the exotics as stated in the project. For those of you that picked the multiple top perks, you will get an email from me shortly after the project ends and you will respond with your material choices. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy some progress pics!
The Damascus I posted earlier was just me testing. It is not what I will be using for the navigator.
3/11/16
Group shot:
Here is a video that reviews all nine material combos. Hope this helps!
3/11/16
12 days left! In case you didn’t know, you all rock! Really appreciate everything and if you have ANY questions just post them up.
Well onto business. First I want to tell you there will not be anymore material combinations added to the project. The nine available are it. I also will not be opening up any more exotics. Once they are sold out, they are gone. At this point I believe damascus is the only option left.
I made a youtube video that reviews all nine combinations so if you are on the fence about one, you might find it helpful!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYEIZHOlJ08
Check out the channel for a few other Navigator videos if you are interested!
Here is a shot of all nine together:
3/14/16
Mokume anyone? #billetspin #precisiontop #spintops #spintop #indiegogo #edctop #mokume #pockettoptalk #pockettop #edc
Looks like the new mailing set-up is working good. All orders through the website have emails sent out finally with tracking. I have not had one request in weeks! Soooooo happy that is over with! Got some cool things a brewing here at BilletSPIN. Nothing I can post about but the second it is ready I will let you all know.
Less than one week left on the Navigator! If you have any questions, let me know. We will be taking our first batch of packages to the Post office on 3/24! Fulfillment will be way ahead of schedule.
Speaking to you as a top collector; If you are on the fence, here are three things you should know:
1) This is the easiest spinning top I have ever made
2) This is the fastest stabilizing top I have ever made
3) You will not be able to buy them from me once the Indiegogo project is over.
If you have doubts, ask Jim Skelton. He has had one for a while now.
3/18/16
Just a reminder, the Navigator project is almost over. Officially ends Tuesday night. We have almost all the inner discs done on the first operation and have the second operation set up and running which does the 1st end of the outer collar. Monday morning we will set-up the last operations and should have finished tops by the end of the day. This means that as I get perk emails back from everyone that ordered, I will start shipping. I am guessing we should have about 250 packages sent out next week and hopefully rest the following week.
Here is a link to the project. If you have any questions let me know. I will be doing one more update to the project on Monday that will explain how fulfillment works. Pretty simple! Really appreciate all of you that helped me get this going. For all the shares and help along the way. None of this would have been possible without you. I am excited to finish up and start shipping and to see who guessed the closest!
Have a great weekend all and thanks again!
SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE NAVIGATOR PROJECT ENDS: I was going to save this until Monday but got a lot of questions so here you go!
The project ends Tuesday night. Wednesday morning I will send out a mass email for each perk. So if you pledged for two perks you will get two emails. It is very important you respond to each email you get. Each perk email will ask you to verify the correct shipping address.
For the perks with more than one top it will also ask you for what material choices you want. Remember you can only chose standard materials and not exotics.
We will get those emails back and start packaging them based off the emails on Wednesday night. We will take them in order they were received. You will get two emails back. One that says it has shipped and another with your tracking.
DO NOT SEND ME AN UNSOLICITED EMAIL. Wait until you get an email/emails from me and respond. Be sure to include all information requested in email.
Each perk will more than likely ship separately. It will cost me more in shipping but will be much easier to not make mistakes. I want to do everything I can to make sure you get exactly what you ordered as well as get it as fast as possible.
This is how it works, let me know if you have any questions
3/21/16
FINAL 2 DAYS! ENDS TOMORROW NIGHT!!
So close now, lets finish strong. If you are on the fence, now is the time. These will not be available again. This is your LAST chance to get the Navigator! I WILL NOT accept orders after the project ends!!!!!!!
AFTER THE PROJECT ENDS:
On Wednesday morning I will send out a email for every perk. Everyone that pledged will get the email and if you pledged for multiple perks you will receive multiple emails. Each email will ask you to confirm your shipping address. For the multiple top perks, it will also ask you for the material combinations you want. Remember only standard material apply, no exotics.
It is very important you reply to EACH email. We will use those emails to ship. Each perk will more than likely ship separately. It will be easier for us to not make mistakes this way.
Packaging will begin on 3/23/16. Once your top/tops are packaged you will receive two emails. One saying it has shipped and another with your tracking number. Packages will be dropped off at the Post Office the following week day. We will ship each week day until all fulfillment is done. I am guessing we will have everything to the post office by very early April! Domestic buyers will start seeing their tops early next week 😀
Let me know if you have any questions. I will send out a reminder tomorrow night as well. Thanks again for all of your support. Thanks to you this has been the most amazing experience. You are awesome and I cannot thank you enough!
Rich Stadler
It has begun…
3/22/16
Countdown is in hours now on the Indiegogo project. Can we surpass $200k? Closing in on $195k now. Go baby go!! We are up and running and everything is going great.
video update:
past $195K, can we break 200???
Ladies and gentlemen, the new international shipping box! All future Billetspin Tops will ship in these for international orders. Domestic will still be in the mailers.
Just past $198k!
Past 199k!
Wow!! We did it 😀 what a fun day!! Absolutely crazy.
3/23/16
Couldn’t sleep so I thought I would come in early and get everything underway. All emails have been sent. Some have come back undeliverable but I will take care of that. Ton of replies with the requested info already.
The plan is to run SS/Cu/SS for another 2-3 days. Then we will switch to another variation. I will do everything in my power to ship these as quick as possible. You WILL receive a tracking number through email once your label is printed. I will not respond to any messages about “when is my top shipping” until everything has shipped.
The vast majority will be on their way before we even get paid. I will have my hands full for a while but you can always post your questions here and others will be able to help.
So far so good! Cant wait to start seeing the pics! Thanks gain
Rich
Just so you all can sleep well tonight 😀 Here is how this works on my end:
We ship according to the emails. We have spread sheets for every perk with EVERY person that pledged. We open a email, ship the perk and then mark it as shipped on the spread sheet. When we have no emails left we will look at the spread sheet to see what has not shipped and contact those people. In the end, everyone will get their tops.
Please please please just let this happen. I am shipping WAAAYYYYYY ahead of the advertised schedule. If there is a issue with your email it will be dealt with in a week or two. Hang in there. I appreciate your patience. If I get a bunch of messages it will only slow the entire process down.
We are starting with the SS/Cu/SS. That is all we have done and I have to make over 500 of them. The people that ordered just that variation will get them first. Nothing I can do. As we move onto the other variations we will continue to ship. We should be dropping off a large amount to the Post Office each work day.
I hope that all makes sense. Oh one more thing, we are shipping every Navigator, whether domestic or international, in our new boxes.
Thanks!
Rich
After a disastrous late morning/early afternoon with my shipping programs I finally got things figured out. For any of you entrepreneurs out there, design a shipping program that is user friendly. You will be a millionaire in weeks lol. Anyways, we are shipping! Had a ton of website orders so we are shipping those and getting a good start on the SS/Cu/SS Navigators.
3/24/16
Good morning! What a beautiful day 😀 I plan on working with my son on shipping today so we can get a ton done. We will drop off the batch from last night to the PO this morning. The stuff we get done today will go to the PO late this afternoon. I will get some pics of the process and do an update on Indiegogo late this morning. We should get a big chunk done this way. All gremlins will hopefully be gone. I will be MIA from the computer so dont get worried if I dont respond. Have a good one all and for those that got pounded with snow, I know your pain 😒
We are rolling!
Just a reminder. My promised date on the Indiegogo project was May. I sent everyone an email to the address you provided when you pledged. From everyone that has messaged me that did not get one it was because they fat fingered the email or it was in a junk/spam folder. BUT even if that is the case, I have a master spreadsheet with every order so I promise that nobody will be missed.
I would like to keep the updates going and give people the opportunity to get excited about getting tracking etc. If this brings out some negativity I will stop doing that. Please remember I have not even gotten paid yet. Nothing, I got nothing and will get nothing for a few weeks. You have my word I am doing the best I can to get everyone their tops as quick as possible and nobody will be skipped or missed.
Now, I am going to relax this weekend so I can hit it hard again on Monday. Have a great weekend all!
Well we just took well over 100 packages to total to the PO this morning! We will be taking another 50 this afternoon! Who got tracking? I am thinking some of those will be delivered on Monday possibly. We also did a large batch of international for my friends overseas! This is a good day. Also had a fine gentleman from the group stop by with some encouraging words that meant a lot 😀 As bad as yesterday was, today made up for it! SO lets get excited and post it up if you got your tracking!!!
One detail I forgot, we are getting caught up on the single SS/Cu/SS so I started running the Mokume tops since we don’t have to do any tool changing for those compared to the copper…
3/26/16
Just having some fun today. No it is not for sale and sorry, I cannot make you one. I am trying to learn more about the materials and how they work when heated. I learned a very valuable lesson today for sure.
ok ok, I made a few others too… Again, not available 😀
update:
3/27/16
Happy Easter everyone. This is a very meaningful day for me and no matter where you are at with it I want you to know I care about you! Top stuff aside, if you ever need a friend to chat or vent to, I am there. This community is more to me than just selling tops. You have been a blessing in my life and I am proud to call so many of you friends. I look forward to getting to know you all more. Have a wonderful day.
3/28/16
Well one of my operators is not here today so I shipped all that I could already for the day. We will have more going Wednesday to the PO. I would think a bunch of people would get theirs today!
one last pic before I send them out. This was all of the Timascus Navigators. Which is your favorite?
I would love some feedback from those that have recieved their Navigator. Just honest opinions, won’t hurt my feelings. Better or worse than you expected?
I would also like to hear if you think the new packaging.
3/30/16
Sneak peek at something you don’t get to see….JUNK! This is the dark side of being a maker. This is about half of the junk we have had this far. We spin test 100% and even the slightest vibration makes it junk. I know you all hate to see it as much as I do but under no circumstances will I let these go into the wild.
my only comment on the subject. I am working huge hours and have a ever growing list of things I am getting behind on. I know it might seem like a simple thing to do something with these but it isnt. Every minute i spend on it is another minute I have to work. Definitely not worth it. I got much bigger and exciting things coming that I need to focus on. I really appreciate the thoughts, I know it is hard to look at but this has been part of the business since I started. I just normally dont post pics smile emoticon Ok, back to designing! Have a good one all!
glad I turned off notifications to this baby lol. Sorry all, jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjunk! I have thrown away probably 200 tops in the last year. It gets easier. If you all want, I can start a support group tongue emoticon Have a great night all. I got a hot date with my crazy hot, wonderful, caring wife!
If you listen carefully you can hear their little screams
Update! This is today’s PO drop off. We do this many daily now. For those that have not gotten tracking I hope this gives you some encouragement that your time is coming soon 😀 Have a great day!
Starting the 1st ops on the damascus tops. I will etch what we have tomorrow and package tomorrow night. 1st batch will go to the PO Friday morning!
We ship faster than we machine obviously. I have to jump around slightly to make sure we are constantly shipping. They key is to jump around within certain materials or else it will cause problems.
We got all the Superconductors done and I etched 14 damascus. My son in working on shipping tonight so keep an eye out for tracking. He should get about 80 more packages ready to drop off at the PO tomorrow!
Got a new idea for a video I will shoot tomorrow. It will explain the dumpster heaping full of all those poor scrap tops that just want to be spun but will never have the chance smile emoticon I read the comments today and think some people will be surprised. Hopefully before noon!
It will explain how they were junked, not what I am going to do with them. I already know what I am going to do with them, leave them in the dumpster lol
All our scrap gets recycled. I will get about $5 for the junk material lol
Its pretty cool when I see peoples names come up on the list when I package them. It is like a countdown starts in my head before I see a post on here about them getting tracking. Love seeing that excitement!! Oh and the Super Conductors are done…
If I feel ambitious I might package some up this afternoon to ship today. My son will be in tonight to package up a ton to ship tomorrow but I am feeling frisky
Heads up! Reid Branston is my website guy. He is doing an amazing job and I hope you all agree. Due to an agreement I made with Reid, he will be getting some really nice tops from me on a somewhat regular basis. I like to be as transparent as possible. When people help me out, I try hard to take care of them as best as possible.
With that said, I talked to Reid about this as he would like to sell a lot of these. If you are interested, PM him. The details of your purchase is between you and him. I want no part of it 😀 For those of you that like some of my more expensive items, here is your chance!
4/5/16
DAMASCUS RUST THREAD: First off, I apologize for this. This was due to the way I etched one particular batch. IF you received a damascus Navigator that had rust on it, reply here with how many you have in that condition. I will personally work on this today and get replacements out so it does not interfere with the fulfillment of the Indiegogo project. Once the replacement arrives, I will send you money via Paypal so that you can ship the original one back. I am so sorry for this trouble. I hope this is an adequate solution. Please keep this thread clean of comments other than what I requested. Disregard any previous posted instructions. Thanks all!
Rich
4/15/16
I got to tell you, we are really close now. Down to just a few emails and then a bunch to people that never responded. Anyways, I am surprisingly feeling a little sad this is almost over. This Navigator has really become like a child to me lol. Well like a naughty child at times! It is getting close to where I have to let it go and move on to other things. Normally I hate the top by the time I am done making them but this one is different.
4/17/16
Just one last heads up, if you fatfingered or did not enter your email correctly (a lot of people are guilty of this) your tracking email will never come! But your tops still will. Well unless you messed up your address too then you are really in trouble lol. I will let you all know when all the shipping labels have been printed. At that point all the emails will have gone out. We have about 40 more packages to ship, that is all! I have a busy week and will be out of state Tuesday and Wednesday morning but will keep you all in the loop. Baring a huge unforeseen issue, they should all be at the PO Wednesday morning with no exceptions. I feel sorry for myself on Wednesday for the barage of messages from those that did not enter their emails correctly lol. Anyways, hang in there, we are really close now!!
4/18/16
AUCTION: I am doing this because of the amount of scrap I had with Superconductor. I will have to raise the price in the future to allow for this. The learning experience of dealing with exotics 😀
There are 2 of these. I will do auctions here for both. The one you are bidding on is the one in the pictures. I am not doing any COA’s with any Navigator to keep it fair for everyone. I will auction the other one later this week.
Bronze over Superconductor over bronze. Spins great! Not DT smooth but close. Well within what I consider a great spinner 😀 $5 minimum bid increments. 5 minute antisnipe. Shipping is included. 4 hour auction. Ends at noon central time.
Note: This will NOT interfere with the shipping of the Indiegogo schedule whatsoever so no worries. This will NOT be the only opportunity for people to pick up a Navigator. I am doing this to recoup so losses of very expensive materials 😀
Joaquin A. Ortiz 915
Rich Stadler over, congrats Joaquin A. Ortiz
4/20/16
Here are some front and back sides of the bases/pendants yooze all talked me into. I will sell these in the next few days. They will be available to anyone who does not message me about them 😛
4/21/16
Rich Stadler winner
Rich Stadler winner
Schuylo Avery December
Rich Stadler winner!
Aaron Jordan 41
Rich Stadler winner
I am not sure if this is a good idea to post or not but lets try it. For those of you interested, the Navigator had 6 real operations. I say 5 but those are just the CNC. We also have to saw the material. Just to give you an idea of what we are dealing with in machine costs, here is a breakdown:
1st op saw- $100,000 Behringer saw
2nd op- $140,000 Mazak Nexus 100M with barfeeder
3rd op- $400,000 Mazak Integrex I-200
4th op- $350,000 Mazak Integrex J-300
5th op- $400,000 Mazak Integrex I-200
6th op- $100,000 Mazak QTU 250
Not sure if you will find that interesting or not. Machines vary in prices like cars depending on options. We load them up real good smile emoticon This is just to give you an idea of what the machines cost that make your tops.
The I-200 and QTU are BilletSPIN dedicated machines. The others run parts for the main company as well.
I dont want to get into the process’s I use to make my tops. I can tell you how the machines are different from one another though if you are interested
Well price of machines is somewhat tied to the number of axis it has. So a basic lathe most makers use has 2 axis (x and z). Those two can move simultaneously. The Nexus 100M has three axis, and the Integrex’s have 5. I will do a video of this on a saturday sometime
I will make a cheap cell phone video now explaning the axis nad just post it to the group
Video explaining the different Axis of our machines.