before i get started, this is not directed at mr wells, or anyone on this forum. however…
a little background first:
i don’t know mandala. i did work in the channin factory where pavel has his shaping bay. i am now in brazil, and breaking out on my own.
when i started working in the factory, the hot coater/fin guy had just walked out, with no notice of course. they had a stack of about 75 logs waiting for all their clients, because he was slacking before he quit. add to the longboards, rainbows retro boards, the occassional shortboard, and pavel’s load, the shop was jammed. and that didn’t stop the orders from coming in. now, i dont want this to sound like it is the glasser that is holding up everything, but one thing we all need to understand is unless you are a ‘one stop shop’ doing it all, you have to depend on others. in our industry, we have to deal with all types of ego’s. we are surfers right? and when there’s waves, or a good party, we’re gone.
secondly, when you produce a quality product, it takes time. sure, it is best to line up all your work in a production type system, but you cant exactly do 7 color lams like you can hotcoats. not to mention, if you don’t use a shaping machine, it takes a little while to shape the blank itself. i have made a board in a day, blank to polish. but that was one board. when you look at the timeframes for multiples, it adds up quickly.
i am finding myself in a similar situation here in brazil. am i supposed to turn the work away? of course not. i have a wife, and bills to pay. however, the only ethical way i see to handle it, is to be honest. if someone wants a board from me today, it will be up to 6 weeks before its ready. for one, i have to order the blank. fish aren’t easily made from any old blank. tick tick tick… off and running.
not returning your calls, well that’s lame. maybe he’s on vacation, or injured. if not, well that’s just bad business.
i hope this helps, and good luck.