Graphics Orders

[Mike McKnight]

Hi Guys,

A bunch of you have graphics sets on order and I just wanted to jump on here really quick and let you know I haven't forgotten you. I'm a bit behind right now. I got slammed with four big jobs plus I just became an exclusive signage vendor for a minor league soccer team and hockey team. I've got to finish the last of those big jobs this week and I'll eek out a couple of sets that we almost finished already this week. I'll get all of the rest out next week. I'm about 15 boats deep with some individual stickers here and there.

Oh yeah and in the middle of all of this I became a grandfather on Saturday morning at 7:25 as my daughter gave birth to a 7lb 11oz baby boy. In case you're wondering, NO I haven't had much sleep. Sleep is over rated.

 

[Ken Hildreth]

Congrats, Grandad

Funny how work goes, its either feast of famin, and as spring approaches, I am sure you have got your work cut out for you. Ken

 

[t_hedlund]

Congrats on you new accounts and most importantly congrats on your new grandson.

Have you already started thinking about what boat he is going to run.

Tom

 

[Ken Hildreth]

Looks like Grandpa better start building one of those boats he has sitting on the shelf. lol

 

[anthony_marquart]

HA,... he said,.. "cut out",... (graphics guy,... get it?)

Congrats, Grandad

Funny how work goes, its either feast of famin, and as spring approaches, I am sure you have got your work cut out for you. Ken

 

[Mike McKnight]

I told my daughter she better find some other cute name for the boy to call me. I'm havin a hard time warming up to the idea of being "Grandpa" at 38 years old.

 

[Tracy Dolphin]

Congrats Mike

 

[Mike McKnight]

Guys I sent out a bunch of stuff yesterday so you should be seeing your orders soon. I still have a few that I haven't gotten to yet that I was planning to finish this week. I am going to try and get another few orders out tomorrow.

I unfortunately have a three and a half hour drive up to Reno. I am going up for the funeral of a close friend of mine that was killed in what originally believed to be a snowboarding accident in Lake Tahoe last Thursday. It was later discovered that he did not die from the C2 fracture that was found but rather a heart attack that they think may have killed him before he even hit the tree. The part that really sucks is that he was there on his 40th birthday with his wife and daughter. Just goes to show ya that ya just never know. Live every day like it was your last guys!

I'm leaving Wed afternoon and I'll be back late Thurs barring any weather problems over Donner Pass. It's been nasty here the last week. Friday I have to go help set up for a race this weekend so I'll be back in the shop on Monday at double speed.

 

[Rich Jones]

Sorry about your buddy Mike, that's pretty harsh. Hits home considering I have a young daughter and turned 40 recently myself. Hope all goes ok getting up there.

 

[SayMikey]

Sorry about your buddy Mike, that's pretty harsh. Hits home considering I have a young daughter and turned 40 recently myself. Hope all goes ok getting up there.

Sorry Mike sucks but Tahoe is some of the most beautiful country around you are lucky to live near it.....Mike

 

[t_hedlund]

Sorry to hear that Mike.

 

[Mike McKnight]

Ok guys I'm almost all caught up with the last of the over the winter orders going out today and Monday. At a glance I did almost 20 complete boats and some individual decal orders. I want to apologize for being a little slow for some of you. I didn't anticipate the growing pains I endured the past two months. Between the boat orders and my regular sign biz I got in over my head really fast with work. I really appreciate your patience and support. As a Scale nut I wanted to do something to help other Scale nuts and I got a couple of folks irritated with me in the process by not being as quick as they needed me to be and again I apologize. I've got my son and my better half coming in to the office from time to time to help out so thing will go a little quicker from now on.

By the way I have also been busy adding a few more boats to the catalog too as well as some webshots of some of them. One question I've been getting a lot is, "Why do some stickers look like they're not sized right or the right color?". For the webshots I have had to add black or another color or an outline or size them up because they may be really small on the boat. If I left it as it appears in my source files you wouldn't be able to see some of them. For instance an all white graphic against a darker color on the real boat....if I left it the same as the source file you wouldn't be able to see it in the web. Same thing with sizes.

From what I've sent out I can't wait to see the boats that are getting finished soon. Thanks again guys.

 

[t_hedlund]

No sweat bud, i can't wait to see how they look, and i really can't wait till i get them on the boat, I was going thur a little boat withdrawal and i was very grumpy for a while which was driving the wife crazy. I'll send you some picture of the Miss Elam after i get it painted.

In a couple week we'll have to start talking about decals my 1/8 scale.

 

[Mike McKnight]

Ok guys I ran into a weird problem and I just wanted to let you know about it. I've been using a self service mailing center at the post office when I send graphics out. It's like a big ATM with a scale to weigh packages and it prints your postage and such. Right next to it is the bin you drop it into. It has a big barrel with a handle on it where you drop your package into the barrel and lift the handle and it drops it into the bin.....allegedly. Maybe you have one of these at your PO and you've seen it...it's pretty cool not having to wait in line.

The problem is that I've had a number of packages being held up after I dropped them off because of damaged packaging. I've had three such incidents over the past couple of months. Only thing I can figure is that it happened in this bin. I usually get a note from the the PO a day or two later letting me know they are holding stuff and I have had to repackage it and they give me a new stamp. The damage has never been that bad where the contents were damaged but I'm wondering if others may have actually gone out with some kind of damage.

If I shipped you something, and it was usually in PO Priority Mail packaging, do me a favor and double check it and let me know if anything was damaged so I can file an insurance claim. They are planning on replacing the bin but until they do I'll be standing in line and handing stuff to a live body.

 

[Mike McKnight]

Things are hoppin' since the monsoons on the West Coast have let up. All the vehicle graphics jobs I had on hold for the weather are almost caught up and the scale stuff should be heading out over the next few days. I had a few sets that had to make some individual stuff from scratch. By the way anyone who orders a U3 set from now on can thank Rich Jones because I made some stuff for his that future U3 boats will benefit from. Like the ALLISON and the BARDAHL on the heads and the Gold Cup graphic on the top of the canopy.

By the way Rich I still need that head dimension....

There are also a bunch of new sets, some with webshots, as I am over the 100 mark of complete sets with about 75 or so more or so that I have the individual graphics for they just need to be assembled.

By the way I already have commitments from several of the race teams that will be running THIS year for graphics files of their boats. I will post the ones I have already gotten after the season starts in a few weeks.

 

[Rich Jones]

Things are hoppin' since the monsoons on the West Coast have let up. All the vehicle graphics jobs I had on hold for the weather are almost caught up and teh scale stuff should be heading out over the next few days. I had a few sets that had to make some individual stuff from scratch. By the way anyone who orders a U3 set from now on can thank Rich Jones because I made some stuff for his that future U3 boats will benefit from. Like the ALLISON and the BARDAHL on the heads and the Gold Cup graphic on the top of the canopy.

There are also a bunch of new sets, some with webshots, as I am over the 100 mark of complete sets with about 75 or so more or so that I have the individual graphics for they just need to be assembled.

By the way I already have commitments from several of the race teams that will be running THIS year for graphics files of their boats. I will post the ones I have already gotten after the season starts in a few weeks.

Awesome Mike, congrats on the business and thanks for your help w/ the 1/8 scale graphics.

 

[Dennis Whitt]

Hey ,Thanks for the update.Both sets I have gotten from you (Llumar,Bud)Absolutly brought my projects to life.I remember just walking in to the shop just to look at my boats.Thanks for the great work.You are a national treasure and a great American !!!

Dennis Whitt

 

[P THOMAS]

Hey Mike Try to get the new U37 graphics its last years U8 Llumar just another Bud style hull with a new paint job some one can build from my Bud scale hydro kit.

PHIL T

 

[Mike McKnight]

Actually Phil that is one of the new sets I will have. I already have the basic layout of the U-37 Beacon Plumbing as they will run in the NW. They are going to run as the U-37 Miss Seattle on the rest of the tour. I'm waiting for their finalized layout on the Miss Seattle and then we'll be stylin'! One other I am in the process of finishing is the 1999 Miss Pico that Chip Hanauer drove. It's been hard to find good pics of those badges on the cowl. I got in touch with Chip and he put me in touch with someone that I thought had good pics of them but he sent me one of the ACTUAL badges on the boat instead. I had everything but that so it'll be up soon as I get a chance to draw it up.

As soon as the U-10 (T3) gets their new title sponsor they have said they will send me the layout as well.

 

[Mike McKnight]

Ok guys due to some recent orders that have opened my eyes a but to other boats needing graphics, I'll be doing a catalog of stuff for Tunnels, Sport Boats, Gas and Riggers. I have a ton of corporate logos that can be manipulated for any boat. I also have all of the Rinker stuff for you tunnel guys as I did a Rinker B Mod boat a couple of years ago. I have some race team logos as well. I just sent out a Red Bull Racing logo for a Sport 20 a while back. Plus I've got and will be doing a number of checker graphics. I've got a catalog of vehicle graphics that can spuce up trailers as well I'm looking for a way for post it on the website. Hope to have it up soon.

Things should go a little faster now as I've got my daughter and her boyfriend coming in part-time to help out.