I'm freaking out!!

[Ocelot55]

So the customer I sold my last pipe to just sent me an email asking for FOUR more!!

I just about crapped a goose! I mean, I'm such an amateur at this I'm having significant doubts I can get everything done to his satisfaction.

This is really a significant challenge for me.

Does anyone else remember their first big order? How did you deal with a hobby that suddenly becomes less so?

[MonsieurLabo]

That's great man. Feed on the excitement, it will get you through it I am sure.

[JonBood]

Congrats man=)

[Massis]

Congratz! Just take your time and tell your customer that "you can't rush an artist"

[wmolaw]

That's great! Are they for personal use, or is he going to resell them at a profit?

[Ocelot55]

Christmas gifts, but he wants them to be very similar in shape. That's gonna be tough without a lathe.

[Ocelot55]

OK, NOW I'M REALLY FREAKING OUT.

Customer just contacted me. Told me he would forward me 1/2 the cost of a lathe if that's what I needed to get the pipes done faster!

SHOULD I DO IT?????

[The Smoking Yeti]

Shit dude.... that's intimidating. I'd be iffy on taking the lathe offer, because it takes a bit of time to tool up and learn to use it. You might be better off freehand shaping four similar. I'm not sure.

[d.huber]

I would be very wary about accepting an offer like that. Personally, I recommend thanking the customer graciously for their offer and then tell them that you are comfortable with your current process and that purchasing a lathe would slow things down because of the time it would take to:

1. Find a lathe
2. Set it up
3. Purchase tooling for the lathe
4. Learn how to use the lathe effectively

If they're reasonable, they'll understand and appreciate your honesty. If they're not and they push, politely repeat that, while you're happy to make the four pipes they've requested, you must decline their offer to help you buy a lathe. DO NOT let yourself be rushed or bullied by any customer, but always be polite and respectful.

CONSIDER: if you accept his offer, there is a very real possibility that he will hold you in his debt and that, above all else, is the reason you should decline.

Just a note: I surely don't know the answer to every situation, but I work full time in sales and I'm darn good at it.

[d.huber]

I bet if you mention that taking their offer might delay delivery until after Christmas you won't get any guff from them.

[billiard]

I would be very wary about accepting an offer like that. Personally, I recommend thanking the customer graciously for their offer and then tell them that you are comfortable with your current process and that purchasing a lathe would slow things down because of the time it would take to:

1. Find a lathe
2. Set it up
3. Purchase tooling for the lathe
4. Learn how to use the lathe effectively

If they're reasonable, they'll understand and appreciate your honesty. If they're not and they push, politely repeat that, while you're happy to make the four pipes they've requested, you must decline their offer to help you buy a lathe. DO NOT let yourself be rushed or bullied by any customer, but always be polite and respectful.

CONSIDER: if you accept his offer, there is a very real possibility that he will hold you in his debt and that, above all else, is the reason you should decline.

+1

[Ocelot55]

Thanks guys, I haven't emailed the customer back yet, but I really agree with the advice. I don't want to be in debt to anyone.

Still, I'm thinking a lathe might be in the foreseeable future. If I ask him to put a down payment on the pipes I think I'd have enough to buy a used Jet 10x24. It comes with several chucks and some tooling, but I don't know exactly what yet. I'm going to contact the seller tonight and see if I can come check it out.

[sam a]

i reluctantly agree with UberBuzzkillSpoilsportFussbudgetBoi... don't bite off more than you can chew because choking can be rather unpleasant.

[d.huber]

i reluctantly agree with UberBuzzkillSpoilsportFussbudgetBoi... don't bite off more than you can chew because choking can be rather unpleasant.

Agreeing with UberHuberMan may show some side effects in some people including but not limited to nausea, euphoria, dyspepsia, bulimia, and genital warts. In some extreme cases, complete embarrassment may result. In some even more extreme cases, he's right!

[Growley]

Ocelot,

Congrats on the big order! I've never sold more than two at a time.

I totally agree with Uber.

I don't take a dime of commission until I've finished the pipe, because I don't like to work under the pressure of debt. If I haven't taken any money and the customer doesn't like the outcome of the pipe, he can walk away and so can I. Neither of us owe each other anything. I've never had a customer decide not to take the commission he ordered, so it's always worked out well.

I totally understand the pull of the Lathe. From my standpoint it's a bad temptation the way this deal is being set up. Even if it had all the tooling you'd need to cut your first pipe, the learning curve is still there. Having to learn a lathe for commission work just seems backwards to me. I think you should know your tools first and be comfortable with them, and then take orders for them.

If you can take the order and fill it with your current tools, then you could go out and buy your lathe and make it fun, not stressful.

Thems my thoughts anyway... Let us know what you decide to do.

Brian.

[RadDavis]

Brian is right. Never get beholden to a customer.

Rad

[Ocelot55]

DONE!!

It took me a lot longer than I wanted, but I basically had to learn how to do everything over again with the lathe. I screwed up 5 blocks trying to get everything right.

I finally got started on the order during Thanksgiving once I felt comfortable enough with the lathe and had all the necessary tooling, about four weeks ago, so that's about one pipe per week.

It is amazing in just these four pipes to see the progress I've made. There is an obvious increase in quality with each pipe, some more subtle than others, but as their creator I know what to look for. My bit work kept getting better. I went from a thickness of .16" at one extreme to .135" in the other. THe polish also got a little better as I progressed.

All in all 4 bent billiards for $700 smackaroos. My first large order done. With the money I made I'm only $1000 in the red!

Pics to follow later tonight in the gallery! (as soon as I get back from the office Christmas party)

[Growley]

Congrats Ocelot. I'm glad you were able to complete the order.

[the rev]

doing a bit of freaking out myself. I just got 6 commissions, three for a friend in Australia, and three for different friends around the states. Hope I can get a lathe when I am done with these.

rev

[d.huber]

How exciting! I'm so glad to see that there's so much prosperity going on! Maybe someday we'll all be in the black.

Congrats again on completing the commission, Jessie!