WILCO MODELS stinks on ice
- Thread starter superjedi
- Start date
Wakal
Sr Member
Well, can't disagree with most everything said. Mustang has some odd propaganda (no pun intended), but that is from a personal relationship with Bill's erstwhile employee (of sorts) and isn't based on facts.
I've chatted about this via PM with others, but will hit the high points:
Dreadnaught and Wilco are two separate companies; Dreadnaught (mine) is a FFL 07 (licenced gunsmith) and Wilco is a model maker. Dan, formerly of Joplin FX, currenly helps with some of the casting for Wilco; he is a semi-retired professional model maker and builder of some of the most amazing scratch-built pieces I have ever seen. I've learned a tremendous amount from Dan, as has Bill (who was already very good before he met Dan). Dan, however, has had some very serious heath problems over the last five years and is no longer formally employable.
Dan, as mentioned, works when he can due to health issues.
Bill is active duty, and is still using a cane from his recent knee surgery (which doesn't seem to stop him from getting sent TDY, oddly enough, go AF!).
I am also active duty, and just got back from eighteen months in Turkey.
Resin work is now all Wilco. He has a vac table, but it is a very large one and requires at least two additional asstants who are available infrequently.
Almost all the metal work and all the gun work is done by DI, or was (and will be again now that my shop is almost set up at my new place).
My business model is that back orders suck. Not answering emails is rude. I give out my phone number (and Bill's
), and don't mind calling (now that I am back in The World); not doing so on demand is rude. I don't mind waiting for something, as long as I can chat with the folks I am waiting...from...and see how things are going (reference QMX )...I am currently a year into a six year wait on one product, and two years into a three year wait on another...and don't mind at all, since both companies are happy to talk to me.
However, for this kind of stuff...eight months for a kit isn't right. Not trading into the right stuff...not cool. There wasn't much that I could do before, but I'm back in country now.
If either DI or Wilco Models owes you something, please let me know and I will work it. I haven't accepted a new order for my own line of stuff because I knew there were back orders out, and Bill has (as of several months ago) throttled back the large scale orders in favor of clearing back orders. We both follow the military's prefered "just in time" order model, in that there isn't a stock of "bench" items available; everything is built as ordered. This lets us keep prices low, but the down side is turnaround time. Now, it is out of hand and must be fixed so we can get back to the usual six week timeframe we had before.
Anything else sucks.
Alex
I've chatted about this via PM with others, but will hit the high points:
Dreadnaught and Wilco are two separate companies; Dreadnaught (mine) is a FFL 07 (licenced gunsmith) and Wilco is a model maker. Dan, formerly of Joplin FX, currenly helps with some of the casting for Wilco; he is a semi-retired professional model maker and builder of some of the most amazing scratch-built pieces I have ever seen. I've learned a tremendous amount from Dan, as has Bill (who was already very good before he met Dan). Dan, however, has had some very serious heath problems over the last five years and is no longer formally employable.
Dan, as mentioned, works when he can due to health issues.
Bill is active duty, and is still using a cane from his recent knee surgery (which doesn't seem to stop him from getting sent TDY, oddly enough, go AF!).
I am also active duty, and just got back from eighteen months in Turkey.
Resin work is now all Wilco. He has a vac table, but it is a very large one and requires at least two additional asstants who are available infrequently.
Almost all the metal work and all the gun work is done by DI, or was (and will be again now that my shop is almost set up at my new place).
My business model is that back orders suck. Not answering emails is rude. I give out my phone number (and Bill's
), and don't mind calling (now that I am back in The World); not doing so on demand is rude. I don't mind waiting for something, as long as I can chat with the folks I am waiting...from...and see how things are going (reference QMX )...I am currently a year into a six year wait on one product, and two years into a three year wait on another...and don't mind at all, since both companies are happy to talk to me.However, for this kind of stuff...eight months for a kit isn't right. Not trading into the right stuff...not cool. There wasn't much that I could do before, but I'm back in country now.
If either DI or Wilco Models owes you something, please let me know and I will work it. I haven't accepted a new order for my own line of stuff because I knew there were back orders out, and Bill has (as of several months ago) throttled back the large scale orders in favor of clearing back orders. We both follow the military's prefered "just in time" order model, in that there isn't a stock of "bench" items available; everything is built as ordered. This lets us keep prices low, but the down side is turnaround time. Now, it is out of hand and must be fixed so we can get back to the usual six week timeframe we had before.
Anything else sucks.
Alex
Wakal
Sr Member
Ah, the trade deal that went down after your signed contract (and down payment) were returned after you decided not to buy the Mauser after all. Two sabers were already shipped, and the other two are still in the shop.
Alex
superjedi
Sr Member
In the spirit of full disclosure, I wanted to say that I received my built-up helmet from Wilco today.
He kept his word, and included a chest box kit, and a check to cover my original expense of mailing the first kit back to him.
I'd like to thank Alex for his help in trying to get me some info on my kit as time went by. I probably wouldn't have said anything on a public forum at all if Bill had maintained the same kind of communication.
But. . . what's done is done. I am satisfied with my helmet.
Mods, as far as I'm concerned, this thread can be closed.
He kept his word, and included a chest box kit, and a check to cover my original expense of mailing the first kit back to him.
I'd like to thank Alex for his help in trying to get me some info on my kit as time went by. I probably wouldn't have said anything on a public forum at all if Bill had maintained the same kind of communication.
But. . . what's done is done. I am satisfied with my helmet.
Mods, as far as I'm concerned, this thread can be closed.
wuher da brewer
Sr Member
Good to hear. I like it when issues get resolved. If only certain people could learn from this example.
Dog_Gumbo
New Member
Wow, and I thought it was just me. I have not been waiting as long as some people -- going on my 3rd month now for my blaster -- but I have been getting frustrated. I read the messages on the first post of this topic and my heart sank. That is all of the same respones I've been getting, like "in the mail tomorrow" stuff. :sigh: Still holding out hope that I'll get it soon.
cocomonk22
Sr Member
In my experience, I've found that emailing Wilco at least once a week makes him work faster on your order. Just make sure to be communicating a lot to get updates on what is going on, and when it ships, it should arrive quickly.
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