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Open letter to Ma's Resin/Alan Raab. ... Thank you.


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Harry,

Actually, Pat posted this very same message over on Spotlight. I told him over there the same thing I am going to tell him here just in case he forgot.

My very good friend Al Raab doesn't have issues, he has a JOB. In fact, he owns his own company, which means he has to WORK twice as hard as most folks do to keep it a going concern. His resin work is a sideline and a service to his fellow hobbyists. Your backhanded compliment here and your constant whining on this board and elsewhere about having to wait for something that's not quite as critical as you want to make it seem.

I hope that Al will forgive me for speaking up, but this endless crying and complaining has me fed up to death.

This disturbed Mr. Redmond who suggested I mind my own business, to which I replied that if he didn't want people to know his business he ought to keep it off a public forum. Clearly, Pat is looking for a more receptive audience to hear his complaints.

People tend to forget that with these public forums, you never know who is listening.

DISTURBED?? Very nice.

Like I said. It was a YEAR in processing. I had a number of emails from guys on that board over the last few months asking the status. I thought a public posting was in order because Al's not responding to emails. SOME response to my mails would have been nice in the period in question. VERY SIMPLE COMMUNICATION.

It wasn't a backhanded compliment, it was a compliment with information which I was provided. Whether the word 'issues' was misunderstood or not, I got the point across.

Again, Bart.... Mind your business until you have all the story. You bashed me before you knew the whole story.

I have no problem you defending your "Good friend", but please get the whole story.

And again, the quality of Ma's Resin is superb and I will buy again if allowed to do so.

I wish Al Raab the best in ALL his business, both professional AND his aftermarket business.

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Alan's products are on par with several other top notch casters- Modelhaus, Replicas & Miniatures to name a few- and well worth the wait.

Waiting is part of the process with most resin casters and I think it has been well documented that Alan does the casting as a side business as time allows.

Oh, it is his birthday today, so Alan, if you are reading this, HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!! :P :P

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Alan's products are on par with several other top notch casters- Modelhaus, Replicas & Miniatures to name a few- and well worth the wait.

Waiting is part of the process with most resin casters and I think it has been well documented that Alan does the casting as a side business as time allows.

Oh, it is his birthday today, so Alan, if you are reading this, HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!! :P :P

I understand the timing/waiting, but the lack of updates/communication was troubling.

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You've made it all of our business by airing it in public...again. Anyone who has followed your numerous previous posts on this subject pretty much knows everything about this situation. Your passive/aggressive nonsense isn't doing anybody any good, least of all you.

Actually, it is doing people some good. Now, when another person asks "has anybody heard from Ma's Resins?", we can just direct them to this thread and they can read of Pat's first-hand experience and his honest opinion.

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OR, if somebody asked about other folks experiences with Ma's Resins, Pat could have PM'd them directly thereby avoiding yet another "Bash the Caster" thread that never ends well. Six of one, half dozen of the other.

Why must it be a secret that it takes Ma's Resin weeks to months to deliver product? It's already out there, and people have commented on it here many times, so I don't see why you need to defend someone else's business practices. If people don't want to wait, they won't order. If they are willing to wait, they will. Letting people know it may take months to get their product from Ma's Resin isn't bashing, it's being honest and giving your fellow modeler a heads up regarding what you can expect if you decide to place an order.

The Modelhaus and R&MoM are (for the most part) "made to order" casters, and are recognized as the pillars of the resin casting industry, so to speak. They may take more than a few days to ship product, yet we don't hear people repeatedly asking how to get in touch with them and if anybody else has had trouble getting a response from them.

There are plenty of good resin casters, most of whom ship orders quickly, often within a week's time. I ordered from Bandit Resin's a few months ago, and peppered Kenny with three e-mails, all of which were answered the same day they were sent. Plus, he shipped my items within four days of placing my order, and I had nothing but praise for him and Bandit Resins.

A quick search through this section tells you all you need to know about which resin casters deliver their products quickly, answer customer's questions promptly, and deliver quality products. Maybe more telling is those companies which don't get mentioned here, often because their customer's are so satisfied they have nothing to complain about.

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I looked at Pat's comment as a heads -up on Al's products. What would be the alternative? Crappy casting at your door 2 hours later,or Fantastic quality with a longer than usual(?) wait?

I'll Take door # 2

AND..... It's about time we clearly define a business and a hobby endeavor. Just because money is exchanged,does not always make it a business.

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I've ordered from Alan in the past & it took just over 6 months. Did I complain? a little, directly to Alan himself. Did I get my product. Yup. Was I happy? you Betcha. Did I let the community know of my experience? Again, Yes. Would I order again, knowing what I know now? To be Honest, no. Unless what he casts is imperative to something I want to build in the next year, I can wait until he get's caught up somewhat, or just plan ahead, knowing fill well to double or triple the expected wait time.

Personally - I take great offense to the "Building Toy Cars" Comment. That's fine for you to have that mentality, but it's not for me. I take quite a bit of pride in my work, and really can't stand it when people reduce it down to "playing with toys like little boys". It's a huge disservice to everyone in the modelling community. I have higher standards than that, and so should you.

As for the rest of it? Just another reason for me to steer clear of Facebook.

I'm glad you were able to talk to him directly. I was not.

As for 'toy cars', it was not a slam at other builders, it was a simplified observation by myself.

You've got to admit, it's not like we're curing cancer or sending rockets to the moon or caring for ill family members. We're putting plastic kits together as relaxation/therapy/etc.

Some take this hobby WAY too seriously. I'm not a good builder so I don't take it seriously as some others.

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