What is the appropriate time frame for "custom" work

[Lohman446]

Inspired by the thread on Doc's forum discussing Punisher, where people basically state 1-2 years is normal and "acceptable" timeframe for custom work. What is the appropriate timeframe? What do you consider too long, obviously with some consideration of complexity? I have literally watched people build houses (without a massive crew) in far less time than it takes some "custom" projects to get done.

[robnix]

Inspired by the thread on Doc's forum discussing Punisher, where people basically state 1-2 years is normal and "acceptable" timeframe for custom work. What is the appropriate timeframe? What do you consider too long, obviously with some consideration of complexity? I have literally watched people build houses (without a massive crew) in far less time than it takes some "custom" projects to get done.

The appropriate time frame is what the person doing the work says he can deliver the service in. It needs to be set, not open ended. If there are outstanding circumstances that are causing a delay, then these need to be communicated to the customer and some sort of arrangement made regarding the work/purchase.

Could you imagine going to a restaraunt, ordering dinner, waiting two hours only to be told that the cow hasn't been butchered yet, so it'll be a bit longer?

[SCpoloRicker]

Whatever the initially agreed upon timeframe is.

[SlartyBartFast]

Whatever the initially agreed upon timeframe is.

Absolutely. How can there be any room for discussion?

[BigEvil]

There really is no good excuse for having anything over 6-9 months. You shouldnt be taking new work in if you cannot meet your previous commitments.

I dont have anything bad to say about Punisher, but most of these custom guys need to learn how to manage their customers expectations better. A good example is Coolhand and his mag frames. He told people up front this is going to take forever, he posts updates, and answers customers emails. It's not a rememdy for the work not being completed, but it helps greatly.

Another example from personal experience is when I had Tuna buld me my custom etac. Some of the parts had to be tracked down, the Tac bodies were out of stock at the time, and then it had to go to anno before anything else. He said straight up to be expecting a 5-6 month wait. He also kept me apprized of the situation when I asked him about it and didnt blow off my inquiries. I know I was probably a pain at times, but he didnt complain.

Of course there are a ton of PINTA people to deal with, but that goes with the territory. If they cant handle it then they need a new line of work.

[Muzikman]

I have had a TON of custom work done over the years and hardly ever was there an agreed upon time frame. I have been told things such as, "not long" to "damn that's a lot of work, it's going to be some time before it's done".

I think it would depend on what the work is and how good the communication is over time. I would say for serious one-off stuff 1-2 years would be reasonable. If it's something that is "semi" mass produced, then I think 6 months is fair. Anything less than 6 months, isn't really "Custom" work.

I think the problem starts when the customer after a couple months starts emailing / calling the shop every day wanting a status. Once a month if the person said it's "close" would be reasonable, but any more than that and you'll most likely get ignored.

I also think that custom shops should not lie (and all do). If it's sitting in a box and you havn't even looked at it in 6 months, tell them that. If you have some time in on it but it's still a ways off, tell them that too.

[Lohman446]

Personally I think we need to learn to schedule. I can look at my schedule now, sure your job may only be a couple hours, but I'm not even going to look at it until later in the week. It seems to me custom shops take in more than can be done today, tomorrow, or next month. So it just sits until they get to it. Time management....

[Thordic]

Muz, sorry to disagree, but unless you are sending something off to MagHog, there is no excuse for something taking 2 years.

I can't imagine any project coming across anyones desk in just about any industry and getting a 2-year deadline on it unless its an absolutely massive project. If these custom guys worked for anyone other than themselves, they'd be canned in no time.

What I would love to see is a justification. Someone throw up an example of custom work, and then have the cusomizer justify why it takes 2 years. It'd be impossible unless they put in a line for "spend 8 months scratching my balls".

I realize they have multiple projects going on at once, but maybe they shouldn't take on such a huge workload if they can't keep up their schedule.

I've thought about getting custom work done a few times, but I just find the wait times unbelievable.

People make new guns from scratch in less time than these guys.

[Lohman446]

I watched someone restore a 1927 Twin City tractor once

It came in in VERY rough condition. Parts were not readily available and many parts had to be custom built.

Timeframe - six weeks (and this was not working on it constantly)

You can understand why I question anything on an airgun that is not, well as Thordic stated Maghog style work, taking a year.

[warbeak2099]

That's very true. A project that includes soldering some wires, drilling for eyes, and taking the clevis off of a mag sear should not take 2 years.

[Thordic]

That's very true. A project that includes soldering some wires, drilling for eyes, and taking the clevis off of a mag sear should not take 2 years.

Even extensive milling shouldn't take two years. If you can't get the work done faster than that, you probably aren't qualified to do the work in the first place. Either through lack of skill, laziness, or awful time management. Most of the current custom guys out there fall into category three, it seems.

[Pneumagger]

I've done a dozen or so frames for various people here and there. I think the longest I had a gun in my possesion was Carbon Blue's @ 2-3 weeks... (sorry bro I was waiting on some mag parts to be delivered 4 ever)

I shoot for a one week turnaround. Then again... I am only working on these things about 1-2 hours a night in my free time and it's not like a totally custom job where I'm designing anything. This is more of a hobby and not my job which I do spend 45+ hrs a week at (for only 40hrs of pay ) I think the fastest I ever finished was about 4-5 hours in one night.

[Muzikman]

Weel, see there is a part of R&D involved in custom work, and I am not talking milling. To take something and make it work a different way or a way that it was never intended to operate in the first place requires some trial and error all while not f'ing up someones gun. The stuff that some of these guys are doing is not just a simple slap it together and send it out type jobs. Even something as simple as my Typhocker requires some research and tinkering. Palmers had it back to me in something a long the lines of 6 weeks, but they also have an entire shop, not just one person.

As for a complete restore of a vehicle in 6 weeks is almost amazing.

[RRfireblade]

I try and keep it in or under a month barring certain exceptions and 2-3 tops if outsourcing is required. (Anno , Lazer, etc).

If I'm that far behind , I just don't take more work in.

I tell people to check back with me in a few weeks or months unless they have 'no' time frame at all. Even then I don't parts/markers laying around long enough to get lost or damaged.

[Chronobreak]

as said theyr are extenuating circumstances.

but if you agree into an open ended no timeframe its done when its done type of deal and it takes 1 year+ then sorry please dont wine, you agreed knowing it could be 5-10 years, or as little as a few weeks.

bottomline, get a timeframe or dont send in your work if your gonna be needing it back anytime soon with a "no tiemframe"

and custom machinist/airsmiths SHOULD NOT take in more work than they can complete in a reasonable time(reasonable as per work involved) as work piles up the timeframes seem to increase exponentialy