Interest Veracity Labs - THE V2 FX Build (DIY Kit)

[onderon]

To comment:
We’ve stepped away from 7075. It is a very easily machined material relative to the landscape of machining materials (tool steel, titanium to reference) and the strongest of all aluminum alloys but its weakness for our purposes proved to be oxidation and random discoloration.
We’ve opted to switch to the heartiest of 6 series: 6082. The most recent moms have utilized this material to great effect.

The last batch of MoM (v2 I guess) that was still made by the UK machinist was made of 7075? The TXQ versions will be 6082?

 

[BRRogers]

(7075 was discontinued when we started using the UK machinist (partially due not just to inflation but availability) I believe that would be considered batch 3 of MoM… but I don’t quite recall.)

Some Good news- TXQ has finished and assembled their first V2 sample for us. I’ll wait to share pics/photos until some higher quality ones come through.

It is looking very promising on adherence to our model!

 

[amnesia0287]

(7075 was discontinued when we started using the UK machinist (partially due not just to inflation but availability) I believe that would be considered batch 3 of MoM… but I don’t quite recall.)

Some Good news- TXQ has finished and assembled their first V2 sample for us. I’ll wait to share pics/photos until some higher quality ones come through.

It is looking very promising on adherence to our model!

I’ve thought about it more, and I’m curious how people’s luck has been asking for a return. I paid for a full stenciled v2 based on the description of it being 7075 and machined in the UK. With the exchange rate being what it is, that means I paid $700, which was already expensive, but I could justify it for the higher cost of manufacturing and the accuracy.

That said it’s extremely hard to justify that same $700 for a lower quality (no matter the argument, 7075 is stronger, more durable, more premium and more expensive to machine) hilt being made in china with an unknown shipping date. I also find it hard to believe the final product will be nearly that expensive given my BoBF hilt was 380 installed with the alternate pomel and emitter and blade.

its even tougher to swallow when I consider the VeeTwo I ordered is steel, same trooper trent stencil, includes a brass/steel crystal chamber and a second crystal reveal grenade and is 650. I also have a Roman’s steel v2 (stenciled again) coming and that was 375 and 175 for a Rudy chamber (so 550).

I’m just can’t justify having $700 in limbo for what is no longer the same product I ordered (the page without a doubt said 7075 which means a much stronger neck and made in uk) and whose quality remains to be seen. I don’t wanna do a chargeback as I know the damage that can do, so I am hoping he is doing refunds. I’m even open to leaving a like 100 deposit to wait and see how the final product turns out to decide for sure, but it just doesn’t feel right to have paid up front and had everything swapped out after the fact.

I totally get he’s under a burden cause he got screwed, but that doesn’t mean that i should in turn also be screwed.

I also just don’t see how the current product can possibly warrant the original price. I hadn’t fully remembered just how much I had paid. I also don’t plan to cancel my mom as that one is only a deposit and chamber, so unless the mom quality turns out subpar I can probably stomach that even though I was also under the expectation it would also be 7075. It matters less to me as pretty much all hero’s are aluminum. Though I also have no idea what the second half of the payment actually is supposed to be since the store is gone. So I have no clue if it is reasonable or not. But at least it should be more in line with things like the veeone and kr eco hero with the master chassis.

I’m not sure how I should go about contact him as he has ignored my last 2-3 emails as well. And those were not about cancelling anything. One being in march and another in may and it was pure radio silence.

 

[SteuerEule]

I’ve thought about it more, and I’m curious how people’s luck has been asking for a return. I paid for a full stenciled v2 based on the description of it being 7075 and machined in the UK. With the exchange rate being what it is, that means I paid $700, which was already expensive, but I could justify it for the higher cost of manufacturing and the accuracy.

That said it’s extremely hard to justify that same $700 for a lower quality (no matter the argument, 7075 is stronger, more durable, more premium and more expensive to machine) hilt being made in china with an unknown shipping date. I also find it hard to believe the final product will be nearly that expensive given my BoBF hilt was 380 installed with the alternate pomel and emitter and blade.

its even tougher to swallow when I consider the VeeTwo I ordered is steel, same trooper trent stencil, includes a brass/steel crystal chamber and a second crystal reveal grenade and is 650. I also have a Roman’s steel v2 (stenciled again) coming and that was 375 and 175 for a Rudy chamber (so 550).

I’m just can’t justify having $700 in limbo for what is no longer the same product I ordered (the page without a doubt said 7075 which means a much stronger neck and made in uk) and whose quality remains to be seen. I don’t wanna do a chargeback as I know the damage that can do, so I am hoping he is doing refunds. I’m even open to leaving a like 100 deposit to wait and see how the final product turns out to decide for sure, but it just doesn’t feel right to have paid up front and had everything swapped out after the fact.

I totally get he’s under a burden cause he got screwed, but that doesn’t mean that i should in turn also be screwed.

I also just don’t see how the current product can possibly warrant the original price. I hadn’t fully remembered just how much I had paid. I also don’t plan to cancel my mom as that one is only a deposit and chamber, so unless the mom quality turns out subpar I can probably stomach that even though I was also under the expectation it would also be 7075. It matters less to me as pretty much all hero’s are aluminum. Though I also have no idea what the second half of the payment actually is supposed to be since the store is gone. So I have no clue if it is reasonable or not. But at least it should be more in line with things like the veeone and kr eco hero with the master chassis.

I’m not sure how I should go about contact him as he has ignored my last 2-3 emails as well. And those were not about cancelling anything. One being in march and another in may and it was pure radio silence.

I‘m in the same boat. Preordered the V2 under the impression of it being produced in the UK with the best material available. That‘s also the reason I was willing to pay more for the hilt. Now that this all changed (not to mention the time it already takes up to today), how can anyone drop out? There are makers who provide superior hilts produced in China that are much more affordable.

 

[BRRogers]

Thanks for your replies- and bringing my attention to the front page info. With things having been transitioning I will get some clarity here.

(I thought I had mentioned it...) There IS still a possibility that the UK machinist will come through and provide the agreed-on product as originally stated. The reality there is that *they* have been the ones who took the money and stopped working... Frankly- their dedication to maintaining high quality machining had also been waning (I won't go into the other machined goods for 7 chambers other products).
They were the ones who recommended we switch to 6082... but that brings up some good points.

TXQ has been faster- and more communicative than the UK guys where (even with Lewis IN the building) while provide lightning fast feedback in real-time.

I'll check in with TXQ when they're back at work tomorrow to see if it's being run with 7075 (That is what is specified on our bill of materials).

A couple things to note:
The machining and construction on this is different than any other hilt... regardless of materials.
The depth of nuance included in the model (and being demanded in machining) creates several atypical challenges.
It includes parts re-designed or made exclusively with other known makers in TheRPF.
Khal- clamps.
Roy- new levers we redesigned together (seen on Dave's V2 run as well).
Trent- NEW stencils not yet on the market or provided to other vendors (and his neck tape adapters)
New cone knobs
Never before seen clampcard with Slothfurnace
The neck is reinforced with the similar Stainless Steel neck bolt setup
and it is compatible with our highly complex, all metal crystal chamber.

If you purchased weathering and assembly services with Wells Weathering- you're agreeing to the pricing he asked to perform a personalized service for you.

Korbanth is banned on this board for a myriad of reasons so I'll refrain from discussing points about other vendors pricing-
- You should feel like you're getting what you paid for
- I'm asking Lewis to review these posts and provide feedback.
- If you want to cancel your order for the reasons you stated above and get a refund I don't think it's out of the question... I'll ask about that.


Here is a video we got from the factory processing the sample.
It is the first sample for us to review from TXQ- it looks about as good as the original UK sample... if not better.
(In that- there are less prominent visual items that need to be remedied)

The TXQ office should be getting us some better photos tomorrow.

 

[amnesia0287]

First, I did email and he did respond and I’m satisfied with the outcome.

Second, just so it’s clear, I am NOT complaining about the design nor the quality or really even the pricing. It’s more just super stressful to have so much money in limbo when it’s still not clear which shop will even ultimately produce the v2 or what material it actually is going to be made with. I had only done the full preorder with stencil up front as that was the only slot left and FOMO and at the time I was still under the impression it was UK made 7075. I would have much preferred to do a deposit, but it wasn’t an option at the time, and since I couldn’t get an email response then I just ordered first without knowing the exact state of things.

I never meant to imply Wells services were unfairly priced, I know he does good work and I expect I will eventually commission a few sabers to be weathered by him directly. I’ve been very impressed by his work, multiverses and anstorias (and whoever did the weathering on my empress regent).

Even the saber I can’t really say one way or the other. Much like my mechanical keyboards, the cheaper worst quality ones and the fanciest most valuable ones are all manufactured in china. It’s all about how much work they put into producing it right vs fast and the amount of QC they perform. The main reason 7075 is/was so appealing to me is cause it’s like twice as hard as 6000 series, and I’m a clutz, so I’ve dropped and bumped several sabers and keyboards and even dented one of my 6063 series keyboards by accidentally dropping my plastic tv remote on it (Which honestly baffled me), heck, one of my nicest boards actually uses 5000 series cause it can be finished cleaner and anodized more cleanly in a broader range of colors. But it is even softer.

But I’ve also never seen anyone else using 7075 for sabers and only 2-3 keyboards i ever saw run did as well cause it is expensive and slow to machine (and at least in theory keyboards shouldn’t be taking many impacts) so I totally get it. Plus I have enough Luke hilts that some being dedicated shelf queens is really no issue.

It’s all gonna come down to how cooperative txq is and how well they deliver on what they say. So I’m honestly very hopeful, I just want to wait until I’m closer to certainty.

In my email back to Lewis I even said outright:

I’m honestly glad the colab with TXQ is going well as Chinese shops can totally produce high quality goods as many of their factories have nicer machines than the local ones, but you gotta find the places who actually have a competent machinist (or a few) and that actually do QC. It’s even better to find shops that already produce similar stuff. Just based on their iterative improvements on the BoBF, I’m pretty sure they can produce plenty high quality, just a matter of designs. And unlike ELF they don’t seem to be stealing designs.

I still look forward to getting my paws on the MoM and seeing how it turns out. I will probably even end up just buying the V2 again with a chamber later if it turns out as good as I hope. Just wanna make sure they actually live up to their agreement unlike the other shop.

So I’d say I’m just cautiously optimistic. Especially since TXQ seems to be doing a very good job communicating with you. It’s the chaos and changes without knowing that made me nervous so I’m waiting to get my mom and see how the v2 production shapes up. But assuming they actually produce the thing to your expectation, I will likely end up just ordering it again. Cause I love you guys products and I am of the mind I can never have too many Luke hilts.

I also fully understand none of this mess is you guys fault. I also apologized in my reply and I’ll also do so here as I know the last thing you want is more drama and stress. I just needed to alleviate my own anxiety (I actually take anti anxiety meds). Part of me just wants to say F* It and wait it out, but then that little devil on my shoulder says “what if TXQ screws em over too” and logically based on the evidence so far and TXQ talking about their collabs openly it seems unlikely, but I just can’t stop stressing over the uncertainty (I can only imagine how much worse it’s been for you all), especially seeing Elf so obviously rip off shadowfoils arcann design.

I genuinely hope everything goes well as there are so few designers making really high quality replicas and the market is just getting tighter and more competitive. The last thing I want is for 7chambers to stop making sabers (or any of the accuracy focused designers).

 

[BRRogers]

It’s all good… communication is the most obvious factor that needs to improve- but having things *to* communicate make that job easier and I have (personally) been gaining more hope since things had apparently started going south with the UK machinist.


TXQ is helping making communication easier and that in term helps us (the designers) ensure that the product quality is adhered to. Hey, who knows. If we’re getting crazy we might even be able to quote some accurate deadlines. (Ok but I won’t get too crazy)

I’m just thankful for the abundance of patience- hopefully I’m translating what I know effectively.

(On that note) I’ll stick to trying to get some better answers on questions like the above this week.

 

[BRRogers]

Sample images from TXQ home office:
My initial thoughts from my visual comparisons are that this IS a closer first sample than we’ve gotten before.
There are about 4 details (mostly pommel) that I can see will need another round of refinement but overall this is very encouraging to see.

TXQ had marked down 6 series aluminum as a continuation of what the UK machinist was prepping but we’ve updated that to 7075. That’s more expensive for production of course but it IS what was advertised.

Full disclosure however- the emitter face will need to be 6 series so that it can be bent accurately for weathering. 7075 is too brittle in the process and breaks instead of bending so that will be the exception.

Next: as always this sample is on its way to Adam so he can caliper it and give tolerance notes back to TXQ

 

[Rakkso]

How do you get in contact with 7chambers? I have tried to message the email on their website for over two weeks now, but no response.

 

[blobcat]

How do you get in contact with 7chambers? I have tried to message the email on their website for over two weeks now, but no response.

This is a bit OT, but I’ve pretty much only seen people have success on their Facebook page, but even then I wouldn’t expect a response. Best of luck to you

 

[MojaveTrooper]

How do you get in contact with 7chambers? I have tried to message the email on their website for over two weeks now, but no response.

Best way is probably to contact Malaki Skywalker / Lewis Petch directly though his Facebook

 

[BRRogers]

No major updates on the V2 since the last one:
Adam received the sample hilt in hand but we’re waiting on him to confirm all the machining from TXQ is within spec. and to either:
-note changes and deviation.
-approve the run.

He noted it was the nicest batch of sample he has seen yet for the V2 (including our previous UK sample) but hasn’t provided calipered feedback. Yet another moment of full disclosure…
He’s been handling a lot in personal life: new job, chaotic baby, got married (to baby’s momma), covid [again])…

Other forward progress-
Last week confirmed from both Lewis and TXQ that the run has been fully paid for and we’re just waiting on confirmation to pull the trigger.

Off topic:
If there are any notes related to outstanding orders of MoM, Chambers, or anything else from 7Chambers I unfortunately can do no more than refer you to Malaki Skywalker and encourage you to find him on Facebook under Lewis Petch and await a reply. I provide updates with as much frequency as I am able but am unfortunately not being updated myself with any tangible lead times or progress.
As far as I know a lot of people are waiting on updates and orders - while I am waiting for more / any detail to give.

I apologize for the lapse in updates / pursuit of updates on my part. My job has been particularly busy and strenuous recently so I’m afraid my attention has been less focused on the runs and more on being on top of workflow/ management at my day job.

 

[Verity Cosplay]

All,

Feedback on the sample has been provided to TXQ. Almost every measurement of the sample is within 0.02mm of the model except for 3 areas which TXQ will need to review further. Overall this sample is the best I've seen (including the one from the previous UK machinist). I know everyone is antsy and impatient but Bryan and I want to make sure this is all correct.

As for lack of response from 7-chambers, Bryan and I can only offer support that we are able as we don't have visibility into that side of the business however we do chase as best we can when we are made aware of issues. If people are waiting for responses it does seem that Facebook is a more reliable way to get a hold of Malaki Skywalker.

As Bryan mentioned yes i am getting over a bout of Covid so there had been some delay in sample confirmation. As of today that is now complete.

 

[Malaki Skywalker]

The best way to contact me is on here or my personal Facebook messenger which I can monitor in real-time (aside from the day job). Harry (who is soon to be the UK distributor) does check emails and responds when he can, so also keep an eye there.

 

[Noir1990]

Any news? Any estimate for delivery?

 

[Darth Fok]

I have to ask. But will there be an option for a refund? I’ve paid in full and been waiting for 2 years

 

[BRRogers]

Hey guys- will try to get some official comments and updated game plan from Malaki Skywalker/ 7Chambers.
I’m not sure why the email channel has been ineffective - I am inquiring.

TXQ is picking up the machining on the run (they are paid in full)
However I surmise that 7Chambers is trying to make good on settling his disputes with the UK machinist by completing outstanding MoM orders and issuing Chamber refunds that they (the UK machinist) had pocketed funds for. The V2 (having been paid for with the UK machinist) is still part of his official legal dilemma with them- all due to funding litigation etc… a whole other conversation with the UK legal system…

If you have un-answered emails with 7Chambers could you PM me and tag Malaki Skywalker and I’ll try and get some addition context directly. Apologies for any delays but I’ll do my best; work has been busy leading into the holidays.

 

[Noir1990]

I have to ask again. TXQ picked up the machining quite a while ago and the new prototype was also done some time ago. I'm not in need of the saber tomorrow but I would like to have a delivery estimate by now. I know you do outstanding work and I would love to get my hilt but I'm considering getting a refund and look for another vendor. The lack of communication really bothers me.

 

[amnesia0287]

I have to ask again. TXQ picked up the machining quite a while ago and the new prototype was also done some time ago. I'm not in need of the saber tomorrow but I would like to have a delivery estimate by now. I know you do outstanding work and I would love to get my hilt but I'm considering getting a refund and look for another vendor. The lack of communication really bothers me.

Txq is in the process of packing up he batch as best I know. They been posting it directly on the txq facebook.

 

[Noir1990]

Txq is in the process of packing up he batch as best I know. They been posting it directly on the txq facebook.

I thought this was about the MOM. Maybe I missed it.