well i have consumed enuff liquid gold tonite to feel like chiming in here
anyway as someone who has been building oddball custom things for 30+ years i feel for Nick. i don't think working with epoxy in this setting is easy - but at this price point i think it should be consistent cosmetically. (personnaly i don't think it is the right way to do it.) nevertheless it is a functional, cost effective solution and i think the customer has to understand that. he also needs to understand each piece is unique and will look that way - the same way he accepts that he can't change anything about his cable once the epoxy is poured.
That said, the builder must always strive to do his best EACH time while trying always trying to improve his technique or method. he must look at his work and if he is ashamed in any way of what he built, then he should sh*tcan it and do it over. then he must stand behind his sh*t for his customers (i think Nick does that, don't you??). if he does this then he has little to be ashamed about.
i think TS has a fairly large percentage of nontechy folks, part of its charm and much of its reason d'etre. to me, that likely means many of the TS vendors may see a higher percentage of unhappiness. ... especially when it comes to handwork like this kind of stuff. so that means Nick might mear more comments than more normal vendors...
unfortunately the usps issues and lost cables and "i want it this way but you made it that way" crap comes with the territory. and it is esp painful for the small business person financially. but just that's the way it is.
i do think that you need to find a way to do your work w/o the kiddies climbing your leg every day. if you are gonna make it a business, then you must treat it like a business. having said that and working from my home with 4 kids (i know the realities), i wish you and me both a bunch of luck.
so Nick, i think the community here is very supportive of your efforts. are you ashamed of any thing you have done? likely not. so walk away from the table for a minute, have a cold one, take a deep breath, and go back and get yer *ss to work cause you do have good folks waiting on your stuff...
hope this is taken in good spirits, people willing to do good hand work (and stand behind it) these days are slowly disappearing
neil in san marcos
oh, and i've been married 25+ years now. so i'm gonna order a bunch o' cables cause i needs lots o' knobbers. i heard nick's gotta deal going on