Tube Amp Chassis - No Good Deed Goes Unpunished !!!!!

To those who will be involved in the tube amplifier build, please read the following

This post is intended to ASK FOR DONATIONS.
$5 - $10 - $20 or whatever you feel comfortable with.
Donations are NOT mandatory, buy greatly appreciated.

I took on the amp chassis part of the amp build to insure they would be done in time for CarverFest.
I priced them for Bob, based on the materials, fabrication, and powdercoating costs.
I cut the blank chassis parts (FOR FREE) in the "CarverFest Spirit", and handed them off to the welder who was to bend, weld and grind the welds down.
Well with the 3 day weekend, and everyone leaving early last Friday, the chassis never got finished, which would not leave enough time for my powdercoater to finish them.
Yesterday, (Tuesday) I went to the fabricators to see how far along they were. They had all of the chassis bent, and welded at 4:00pm.
However, they did not even start grinding the 800+ welds down.
With Alex and I leaving Thursday afternoon for CF, the chassis HAD to be to the powdercoater THIS MORNING, to ensure enough time to paint, wrap and pack the chassis to make it to CF.

Alex and I decided to TAKE the chassis back to our shop, and grind all 100 of them ourselves.... This was the ONLY way they could be to the powdercoaters this morning. and insure they could be ready for the trip north.
I told the fabricator, I was sorry, but I had to take them as-is, and would be up all night grinding the welds ourselves...
He didn't seem to mind at all, and wrote me up an invoice....
The invoice was for $400 MORE than the originally quoted price, AND they did not do 1/3 of the work....
I told the guy, that they original quote was $400 less than what he had just figured, and he said, well... this is how much time we have spent on them so far.
I just sat there for a second, trying to think what to do... I decided to go ahead and pay the OVER-INFLATED bill, and get the hell out of there, and get the chassis back to OUR shop so we could get to work on them.

as of right now, this little project has COST me $400, plus the donated time of designing and cutting them for the fest.
So, anyone that would be willing to throw $5, $10, or $20 per chassis our way, we would REALLY appreciate it.
With CF coming up in 2 days, a $400 unexpected hit, REALLY HURTS !!!

We just finished pulling yet ANOTHER all-nighter, and finished all 100 chassis, and are on our way over to the powdercoater right now to drop them off.
So, everything is back on track, except for our sleep schedule. We are headed home right after dropping the chassis off, to get a few hours sleep, and then back to work and finish the ALS speakers, and then to start packing

I know this mess really has nothing to do with the members, and is a problem I can and will deal with, but it's at the worst possible timing for us, as we have been working our asses off the last 4 weeks getting everything ready for the fest, and working on the new speakers.
We have honestly been working for about 4 weeks, and have not made a DIME on ANY of these projects yet.

So, any and all donations to help cover the EXTRA $400 BS fee, would be greatly appreciated !!!

Oh, and by the way... We haven't slept since 9:00am Tuesday.

James, can you take C@$H at CF?

I'll contribute $20.

What he said ^

Yeah, that's cool

Thanks !!


We're out of here, I'll be back on around 2-3pm
Goodnight !!!

We appreciate ya Toy! Give Alex a BIG thanks from me too!!!

$30 sent 3@$10/amp

Figure all the bullshit James has endured with these amps and their prep work, that's the least I can do. Although probably not enough, not to mention all of the BS prep work for Carverfest.

$20 sent, appreciate all you guys extra work!!!!

James, I will contribute an extra 20.00 when I meet you on friday. And again thank you for all you have done to insure that the amp building workshop is a success. Harry

Sent $40 hope this helps buddy!! Come on people step up to the plate and open up those wallets! I know James and a few others pays for alot of things for CF you people never even know about or ever hear about! So pitch in and thanks for the ones that have and are going too! Eddie!

I'll give $60.00 Friday.

im in as well.

Thank you all for your generosity, we appreciate it greatly.

After a few hours of sleep, I fell a little better about how much we still have to do, but we still have a lot to do....
Speakers need to be finished, bases for the speakers need final touch ups and to be assembled, we have to go out and buy the rest of the door prizes, we have to order the laser-etch brushed aluminum looking plastic for the amp build, we have to pack the trailer, and we have to make sure we have everything we could need if the truck got a flat, or the trailer.... Lots of stuff to do, such little time....

Even tho I'm not one of the lucky "amp builders", I'll "butt in" and put in my $0.02:

You guys (who at 2x the total you end up paying for your amps are still most likely getting a great deal!) need to step up to the plate and throw some $'s TM's way! Sounds to me like he's REALLY busting his balls to make this amp thing happen and WITHOUT all his efforts there's just no way it would be happening! Looks like a bunch have stepped forward and done what's right....others need to as well! Based on the hours he's put in on this even if he gets 2x what's he's asking for he (and others!) will not even be making minimum "wage" on this once in a lifetime "deal" for all of you. If I get ANYTHING (tube amp info wise, etc.) out of the "final reports" posted on this forum from these amps (or later obtain one from whatever means - not likely!) I'll be throwing some $'s his way as well...probably will anyway! Good deeds need to be rewarded sometimes least wise fewer good deeds will be coming in the future! fini!

add: $10 WILL BE sent (work PC evidently does not allow PP transactions....but will do from home PC asap!)

$40 sent...

Alex/James,

If you have bearing buddies for your trailer, be sure to give them a shot of grease before you go~