@AkamaiWoodworks - or OpenBuilds, but yeah, lost opportunity.
Yes, the Openbuilds machines would have to be on the list.
Bill that controller looks like one that is used on a machine to cut aluminum where I work. I think its form the 1980’s. It gets used everyday and it’s still going strong.
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My wife and I are trying to break into certain industries with our woodworking. We both work 40hr/week jobs and then we do our woodworking on evenings and weekends. Our goal is to pivot (using that one word that everybody loves to use in small business) into a more production focus. For us, woodworking is something that we would like to do full time, but can’t sustain doing it solely at the moment. Something that I think about often is what will we do if things start rapidly increasing? How will we find time to increase productivity while still working our current jobs, assuming that the production has to ramp up to a point where we’re struggling to get the products made but yet we still aren’t making enough money to leave our current jobs? How are we going to make it all work?
Why am I saying all this? The great thing about TBDCNC and CNC4NEWBIES is that they both create very well made upgrades for a product that almost demands upgrades out the gate if you’re wanting to step above hobby level. Next to nobody, outside of guys who can create parts for themselves, are offering these critical upgrades that can greatly enhance your productivity and creativity. Thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of people buy x-carves, and many want to go beyond just hobby level. I don’t know the guys at TBDCNC or CNC4NEWBIES, but I have to imagine that neither of them went into the game thinking that they would be receiving the demand for products that they are, or thought that they would be the only ones in the market that can supply the upgrades that they offer. I’d like to think that the conversations they had in their head was “there’s a need for this, and some of the guys in the forums are asking for it… I’ll make a ten or twelve to help them out”. Then that spawned into “I want one too!” and “Me too!” And suddenly they’re opening a webstore thinking that they’ll sell a couple a week and then that explodes into dozens a week, all while they’re also working a regular 8-5 job. I don’t know their situations… that’s just how I imagine it could have happened.
I say all that to say this… please have some empathy for these guys. Yeah, it sucks that you’re paying for a product that you aren’t receiving in the time period that the website stated. It sucks that they aren’t answering emails - they probably get tens or twenties a day, and as someone who lives out of their inbox constantly sending and receiving emails as part of my day job out of necessity, I understand how quickly email can back up when you have tasks that you’re trying to complete in-between each of those emails. It sucks that Inventables doesn’t offer an upgrade kit of this magnitude and it sucks that there are really only two outfits that are producing something on the quality that they are, and I know it’s both a blessing and a curse that their products are so highly sought after. It’s saddening to hear that Luke is considering stopping his operation because of the demand and their struggles to produce products quickly enough. I can’t imagine the stress and strain in dealing with that.
All I’m saying is give the guys some empathy and compassion because I sincerely hope that if my wife and I have similar struggles in our woodworking endeavors in the future that others will offer the same understanding to us. I’m not saying any of this to beat anybody up - it’s your money, you paid for a product, and you deserve to get what you paid for. If it’s worth it for you to have the product, please give the guys some understanding.
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Ordered twice and both times.came in a week…
How long ago was that? because it sure isn’t the case now.
Last week.
You order from CNC4newbies or TBD?
cnc4newbies ship really fast ans always respond to message when I use messenger.
Tbd
Weird!! Many guys here have order from TBD many weeks ago and haven’t received their orders and no messages from TBD!!
Why he ship recent orders and not the others!!
Really weird!!
Maybe it just depends on the order. I have no clue what the operation there is like but complicated parts might have to be made from a different party and simple parts might be made in house? There’s not too much to riser blocks or stiffeners but some of those assemblies on the ultimate upgrade would be more involved with machining.
I would call BS on it.
I don’t think anyone should feel sorry for any small business owner. Not trying to be a dick, but,
welcome to entrepreneurship! Anyone can be as lucky as Bill Gates, right? LOL.
This guy is beginning to see why most businesses fail and if he continues this way, he’ll be a part of that statistic. Hopefully he works his way out of this, but communication > deadlines.
With that said, looks like he updated his website to say he’s shipping items through Amazon now and finally put some items “Out-of-Stock”.
What I see is a dude who is overwhelmed and not good at customer service. He’s learning why CS is so important right now.
What I also see, is a business opportunity…
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Luke did eventually respond to my email and canceled my orders per my request. He clearly has a great product and I hope he gets his business issues sorted out. As a small business owner myself, I can understand bumps in the road, but failing to communicate effectively with customers is a problem I have no patience for.
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Lead time 1-2 years!!!
Hey guys, Luke from TBD CNC here. I know we’ve been tough to get in contact with, and we’re fixing that. When you need us, email Support@tbdcnc.com and you’ll get an answer.
I’ve been busting my tail to get everyone’s orders out - December was a record month and I’m working on scaling our business to keep up. So far in January, I’ve managed to get 106 orders out the door, 
At the end of the day, TBD CNC is just me, and I’m growing along side the business.
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