Loki Research
Motor Manufacturer
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2011
- Messages
- 1,414
- Reaction score
- 646
All Loki Research hardware is now back in stock. Some propellant reloads are hit or miss. I'm doing my best to keep up production to meet the increasing demands for Loki Research products. I have the website updated for inventory. Those who have placed orders, please be patient. I have a batch of white to make this week which was delayed from this weekend. I had a funeral to attend across the river in Illinois yesterday so I'm trying to get it started today/tomorrow. Lots of work to do these days. I'm hoping my wife can help out some, she's back to part time work again, working weekends only and helping me out in the office during the week starting next week. She got laid off last May and has been trying to find/keep steady work ever since. I have a part time employee lined up to start in the near future, but with the wife working part time I need more for the bills at home. Fortunately, work at Loki Research is more or less booked for the next several months and there are some more new motors in the works. So keep the orders rolling in, plan ahead and be patient. It will be rewarded in due time with more of the reliable cool products you have come to enjoy from Loki Research.
76/8000 and 54/4000 cases.... You will find that these two cases look much different than the rest of the hardware does currently. The local plater near the machinist could not fit these long cases into his tanks so I had to ship them off to be plated. The long cases look amazing (and very dark) but they also cost an arm and a leg compared to the others which I also never had to ship anywhere. The color of the rest of the hardware in a much lighter blue, however both were done in type 3 hardcoat. I did specify a minimum coating thickness of 0.002" on these longest cases, so they were specified with a range of 0.002" - 0.0026" thick with 0.0023" as the target. Being that these are the largest cases in their size, I wanted them to stand out. The rest of the hardware was plated with a slightly thinner coating as this plater could not match the same thickness. The sample I saw done on a 76/3600 case was .0.0018" thick, so a thinner coating, different dye and different facility results in a much different look. The machine quality is top notch on both, as you should expect. FYI type 2 coatings are normally 0.0002 - 0.0012" thick. Here's a good read on anodizing. https://www.omwcorp.com/understandingano/anoindex.html
The 54/4000 cases were a slight oversight on the coating thickness. The case that my liner supplier uses to test the fit of the liners in 54mm is a type 2 coated 54/4000 case. Because of the tight liner tolerances I maintain, and because of the thicker coating on these newest cases, the liners I had previously cut did not fit. I had to sand the outside diameter down a few thousandths of an inch on the lathe in order for them to fit. THE ONLY 2 PLACES where the fit could be a problem is
1) if you purchase one of these newest 54/4000 cases and you purchase a reload already in someones hands right now. ALL 54/4000 liners that leave Loki Research will fit the new hardware and older hardware. There are very few of these older liners floating around out there, but always test the fit of all parts before assembly. Email me if you happen to have a 54/4000 reload and will soon be purchasing a newer case for it. I'll get you a liner that fits.
2) if you purchase a new 54/4000 case and either currently have 54mm Loki liners or purchase a new 54/4000 case with my current stock of 54mm liners. Future liners will be specified with a slightly smaller OD and I will send my supplier a new case to use as a fit gauge for future production.
If you have dealt with me often, you know that I absolutely do not like selling products which I do not have in my possession and receiving your money for it. Have I done it? Yes. Do I make it a habit? Absolutely not. The only exception to this I make is for custom made products which require a 50% deposit upon acceptance of the order. If I don't have it on hand, I can not control when I will have it or when you will have it. I rely on many different suppliers for hardware and raw materials for production. I have no control over any issues that may arise with any of my suppliers which may impact my ability to deliver product to my customers. And these issues always come up. So when it's out of stock, it is out of stock. I try to never put myself in a position where I might oversell products for these same reasons. This is why I hate doing preorders. I have only done this with brand new items that take a larger investment to get moving. I believe this is the most honest way to run my business and earn the loyalty of my customers. That being said, I know all too well how frustrating it can be waiting on something. (like a 54/2800 case) In general, I would rather it be my money and credit waiting on the line for a delivery than yours.
Dave, send me all the good launch photos you got from Notre Dame. The same goes for everyone else flying Loki Research. Thank you for posting and sharing them all.
I think that is all for now. Have a great year flying Loki Research everyone. As always, thank you for your business and thank you for your support of this growing company. Keep posting your flights here as well.
76/8000 and 54/4000 cases.... You will find that these two cases look much different than the rest of the hardware does currently. The local plater near the machinist could not fit these long cases into his tanks so I had to ship them off to be plated. The long cases look amazing (and very dark) but they also cost an arm and a leg compared to the others which I also never had to ship anywhere. The color of the rest of the hardware in a much lighter blue, however both were done in type 3 hardcoat. I did specify a minimum coating thickness of 0.002" on these longest cases, so they were specified with a range of 0.002" - 0.0026" thick with 0.0023" as the target. Being that these are the largest cases in their size, I wanted them to stand out. The rest of the hardware was plated with a slightly thinner coating as this plater could not match the same thickness. The sample I saw done on a 76/3600 case was .0.0018" thick, so a thinner coating, different dye and different facility results in a much different look. The machine quality is top notch on both, as you should expect. FYI type 2 coatings are normally 0.0002 - 0.0012" thick. Here's a good read on anodizing. https://www.omwcorp.com/understandingano/anoindex.html
The 54/4000 cases were a slight oversight on the coating thickness. The case that my liner supplier uses to test the fit of the liners in 54mm is a type 2 coated 54/4000 case. Because of the tight liner tolerances I maintain, and because of the thicker coating on these newest cases, the liners I had previously cut did not fit. I had to sand the outside diameter down a few thousandths of an inch on the lathe in order for them to fit. THE ONLY 2 PLACES where the fit could be a problem is
1) if you purchase one of these newest 54/4000 cases and you purchase a reload already in someones hands right now. ALL 54/4000 liners that leave Loki Research will fit the new hardware and older hardware. There are very few of these older liners floating around out there, but always test the fit of all parts before assembly. Email me if you happen to have a 54/4000 reload and will soon be purchasing a newer case for it. I'll get you a liner that fits.
2) if you purchase a new 54/4000 case and either currently have 54mm Loki liners or purchase a new 54/4000 case with my current stock of 54mm liners. Future liners will be specified with a slightly smaller OD and I will send my supplier a new case to use as a fit gauge for future production.
If you have dealt with me often, you know that I absolutely do not like selling products which I do not have in my possession and receiving your money for it. Have I done it? Yes. Do I make it a habit? Absolutely not. The only exception to this I make is for custom made products which require a 50% deposit upon acceptance of the order. If I don't have it on hand, I can not control when I will have it or when you will have it. I rely on many different suppliers for hardware and raw materials for production. I have no control over any issues that may arise with any of my suppliers which may impact my ability to deliver product to my customers. And these issues always come up. So when it's out of stock, it is out of stock. I try to never put myself in a position where I might oversell products for these same reasons. This is why I hate doing preorders. I have only done this with brand new items that take a larger investment to get moving. I believe this is the most honest way to run my business and earn the loyalty of my customers. That being said, I know all too well how frustrating it can be waiting on something. (like a 54/2800 case) In general, I would rather it be my money and credit waiting on the line for a delivery than yours.
Dave, send me all the good launch photos you got from Notre Dame. The same goes for everyone else flying Loki Research. Thank you for posting and sharing them all.
I think that is all for now. Have a great year flying Loki Research everyone. As always, thank you for your business and thank you for your support of this growing company. Keep posting your flights here as well.
