Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I placed an order with Lone Star for the first time sense the big fire. I did it by phone so there was no mistakes, Mike took the order for me. I asked for 6 planks of 3X3X30 at $10.01 a piece, sold a kit so I had the $60.00 for the wood. That was on a Monday and Tuesday I got the bill for $120.00?? I kept calling but Mike has never returned a phone call. Finally 7 days later I got the wood, it was sent US Mail and looks like someone took a hammer to the wood, it has some deep gouges in it so as sheeting it has a useless outside about a 1/2 inch deep on a couple of the planks.
The 3X3X30 turned into 3X4X30 between here and there and cost over $7.00 a plank more then what I ordered.
I will be going back to National Balsa and Balsa USA again, I gave Lone Star a chance but I don't need the mistakes and lack of return calls. I only order 3 or 4 hundred dollars worth of wood a year so my lack of business isn't going to bankrupt them but the added cost of the mistake put the hurts on my modeling budget, I had hoped to be able to buy some Klass Kote paint this month but that is now out of the question.
Just a return phone call could have corrected this little problem.[:@] I just hate the no returned calls!! It's one of the few things that really frosts my cake!![>:]
Gene, the ticked off old poop!! I know, I was warned but I used to get such good service from Lone Star.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Thats a bummer. I used to buy all my wood from them before the fire. I will do the same as you (National and Busa).
Edwin

k12rc

I've been ordering from national ordered some from lone star 40 sheets of 1/8 for wing sheeting could not use so know where you are coming from

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I used to have such good service from them. Only saving grace is the wood is very light weight. The US mail service was pretty hard on the box though so I lost a lot of wood due to the shipping.
Before the fire there was a lady that took the orders and took care of the problems, sounds like it is just Mike and the one fellow that operates the saws there now day? I won't use them again. I ordered from Solarbo first but got an email the next day stating they were out of planks and wouldn't have any in stock until late December. They ordered a container of wood but had no delivery date yet. I still want to give them a try.
Gene

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

3x3x30 for sheeting?? what am I missing here?

RCPAUL

My Feedback: (1)

One of the members in our club who builds A LOT ordered from them and was also unhappy with what he got.

karolh

Gene has the facility to cut balsa planks into sheets.

Karol

goirish

HA, ha Gene never did build lite

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I get that a lot. I live in what my friends call the Old Folks Home, just a Pulte Del Web community for people over 55. We have pretty much everything you could ever want and if there are more then two people doing the same thing you end up with a club. Kinda silly but there is a club for everything. I belong to the Wood Chips wood working club. We have retired artists and cabinet makers in it so some of the projects are beyond belief. There is more top of the line equipment in this shop then in most high school wood shops. We have a re-cut saw so I buy my wood in planks and cut the wood to the sizes required for my builds. I usually have stacks of wood pre-cut to different sizes in my shop but the last pair of Swoose builds used up most of my sheeting so I only needed the 6 3X3X30 planks for my next two builds. I also have hard wood stringers of most sizes used in a model in 10 foot lengths on hand. When I get a deal on balsa wood, a plane costs me next to nothing. When I buy pre-cut wood the price of a build goes way up. Nothing compared to a kit but more then my fixed income wants to spend. I have a budget for my modeling habit.
Living here isn't just luck, my wife and I looked around a lot before we moved here. Luck was being married to a woman that knows what I like, she located this community and forced me to come out to Vegas to look at what they had to offer. I have never seen anything like this place and I love living here. We have a lot of modelers but I'm still the only builder I know here.
Did I mention the retired show girls!!!!!!!

redbiscuits

My Feedback: (6)

Sorry to hear about that. The last time I ordered from them was about two years ago, they did leave a couple of things off the order, but I called them and they said they would get it right out. I asked if I could add a few more things to the order that I forgot the first time around and I offered to split the shipping with them. They declined and sent my order out by FedEx.
Sorry to hear that they are having troubles. I had a good experience with them the first time.

BTW, I have a friend that lives in Sun City (Del Webb) He LOVES it!

dbacque

My Feedback: (3)

Gene,

I have had terrible problems lately with items shiped USPS. I have received packages literally snapped in two and the helpful person at the Post Office asked what was wrong with it! The good news is that Lone Star typically does make things right, or always has when I've had problem orders. Explain the mistake in the order and they will probably credit you. Tell them about the damage and they will probably re-ship.

Have you been able to get hold of them since you received the shipment?

Dave

AwwNaww

It has been a year or so since my last order from Lonestar but I was very happy with that. Sorry to hear of the troubles. I noticed that after the fire, it seemed that it was a one person show; but I had always gotten good material.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I used them for years before the fire and all was well, great service and the mistakes made were all mine. I was on the phone a lot with them this time but Mike never phoned me back and the guy operating the saw can't do anything about it. My gripe is more about never getting a call back and the fact I only had $60.00 in my account for modeling. The over charge of $60.00 means I don't have any gas money this month, what is in the gas tank is what I will have, that means no driving to the field, 54 miles round trip. I will stick with National from now on, good wood and great service.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

So I took a block to the wood shop today to start cutting the sheets and sticks I need for my next build and as I was ripping the plank 4 inches of the end fell off!!! It had a cross grain split in it like someone was using it as a bat?? This gets better and better!! Never again!! Be funny as hell if it was happening to someone else!!!

Rv7garage

My Feedback: (10)

Gene, I'm sorry about your experience with these guys... But thanks for the heads-up! I for one will never order from Lone Star!


...and don't get me started with the USPS. Horrible, unprofessional, unaccountable organization...

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

And they used to be so good?? I had to cut extra wood due to the plank end falling off so I had to use one complete plank to get the wood for one small plane.
This used to be my go to wood store too. Nothing seems to last these days.

Quigleywins

Gene you have Mates everywhere I only whish I traded with them so I could stop.
Sounds like a great place to live,tell us more about the show girls. Now you better tell us about the new build. Yours Paul T

VincentJ

No, no I"m for Gene telling us about the "show girls"! LOL...

goirish

I'm a visual kind of guy. I don't want to hear about them, I want to see them. It's OK if you can only load one picture at a time. I have lots of time, I'm retired[8D][8D]

karolh

I'm here waiting, waiting, waiting

Karol

VincentJ

We are pathetic ! Maybe we need those new 3-D glasses.....

dadragon

I deal with specialized balsa in loveland colorado,they can send you any size you need,soft-med-hard balsa,their prices are alot better than 10.00 a peice,call or E-mail Jake at www.specializedbalsa.com or call 970-461-9663. what you ask for you get,no crap involved they are a good company.

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks for the heads up! I will be placing an order early next week for winter prodjects. It will be Balsa USA getting my order.



Award winning caller

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Thanks for the address, I checked them out and the 3X4X36 planks is $17.63. In my quest for some cheap balsa planks I found Solarbo had the best prices but they are out of planks until December. I want to give them a try for my next order. The build I'm just starting on is a plane called the Old Timer Satyr. It was designed in 1942 as a free flight so it needs a few mods to make it a two channel electric RC. This is another plans build. {what else do I do these days?} I found the plans at MAN during there July sale. It calls for a lot of hard wood stringers but I'm going to try building it with balsa. I'm already giving that a second thought though so I may be cutting more stringers? I need to go buy some light ply today. Michale's craft store has the best prices for that. Shouldn't have any problems with them.
Show Girls, for the younger guys, keep in mind, I live in an over 55 place so just going over to the strip you will see more eye candy. I exercise at one of our indoor pools and most of what you see will make you go blind. Trust me, you have better at home. But sometimes!!!! some of these older ladies could still get on the stage and perform!!!
Last week when my wife and I were in the pool one lady got out and walked away going to the outside pool. My wife asked me if I saw the shape on that woman??? As I told her, I'm old and half blind but I saw every inch of that woman!! My wife is understanding and we both notice these types of things. It works both ways.[8D]

Quigleywins

Hey Gene 55 still works for me I'm 65 but I best not lel my Jenny see this.Good to here the year and type of model.I'm about to rebuild my trenton terror (all but the wing) .
I have one other question ,what is the wind like there in your state for flying. Yours Paul T