Dr. Chop Shop Review (BAD EXPERIENCE!)

[dbnm]

Why would anyone deal with that guy?

8 months to paint a pair of sunglasses?

[ctam]

I had a similar experience with Dr. Chop Shop. This was years ago. I sent him a pair of new Oakly Jawbones that I wanted painted in a chrome finish. He first said it would take 2 weeks. But then the excuses started coming. I eventually gave up all hope of ever seeing them again. They finally arrived after about 18 months.

The other problem I have is the frames he sent to me are not the same ones I sent to him. The ones I sent to him were all black. He couldn't paint all areas of the frame - right at the hinge he had to leave this area unpainted and I can see the original finish is a pearl white and not black. Did he replace my originals with something else?? I don't know. And the chrome finish didn't even turn out all that well. There are several areas that aren't smooth and have little pits.

Overall very disappointed. I was so turned off by this experience I pretty much stopped collecting oakley's after this.

[bianchi10]

Originally Posted by ctam

I had a similar experience with Dr. Chop Shop. This was years ago. I sent him a pair of new Oakly Jawbones that I wanted painted in a chrome finish. He first said it would take 2 weeks. But then the excuses started coming. I eventually gave up all hope of ever seeing them again. They finally arrived after about 18 months.

The other problem I have is the frames he sent to me are not the same ones I sent to him. The ones I sent to him were all black. He couldn't paint all areas of the frame - right at the hinge he had to leave this area unpainted and I can see the original finish is a pearl white and not black. Did he replace my originals with something else?? I don't know. And the chrome finish didn't even turn out all that well. There are several areas that aren't smooth and have little pits.

Overall very disappointed. I was so turned off by this experience I pretty much stopped collecting oakley's after this.

OMG!!!! That's awful

[Matthew]

Couldn't you have done the same thing in like, 5 minutes? How could it possibly take months to paint sunglass frames. Should take minutes, shouldn't it?

[bianchi10]

Originally Posted by Matthew

Couldn't you have done the same thing in like, 5 minutes? How could it possibly take months to paint sunglass frames. Should take minutes, shouldn't it?

I wanted them to look good. I will say that it takes a lot longer than 5 minutes when done properly. If I didn't care how they turned out, then a quick rattle can job would have been fine, but that wasn't the case. If I had an airbrush tool and knew the slightest bit, I would have taken a shot. I know someone who does airbrushing, but I wanted someone who was used to working with glasses. In hind sight, I wish I would have just brought the glasses to the guy I know, who also happens to live 1 mile away from me.

oh well...lesson learned (This time)

[Red Tornado]

Originally Posted by biker72

+1

"All custom jobs will now have NO estimated time for completion. They will be done when they are done."

That would be a BIG red flag for me. Understand it's a one-man show & all, but I purchase my stuff to be used within a reasonable time after purchase, not to sit in a queue for who knows how long and maybe I'll get my item who knows when after I sent it.
The "artist" thing only goes so far with me. If this guy had some decent competition, that might change his ways. Right now he comes off to me as either: arrogant and aloof, taking on too much work or just no business sense to go along with his artistic ability.

[zzy]

I can't believe anyone would send something to a painter who doesn't even have a spray booth or seems to paint outdoors. You might as well rattlecan it.

[m4rk540]

Is this show on Bravo or Spike?

[ultraman6970]

Well... not 5 minutes but for example that chrome finish over black is pretty much sand... then 1 coat of the brightest black you can find and then the chrome on top of that. Frames are small... maybe 2 hours tops including cleaning and sanding? then you leave the stuff there for a week so it cures super nice.

He mentions 6 months, well...plastic is tricky to paint and actually I would not even use paint to paint plastic frames, what I would do is to use markers. And actually there's markers that can be airbrushed. Extremely fast.

I have painted plastic and I dont like to work it because you need a really good primer for it, and with plastic frames the surface is too small to even dare to put primer. Have to try to do what he does in a set of frames to tell you how hard it is.

I'm not sure why he is saying 6 months to cure tho, the paint he is using you should be pretty much cured and hard in a couple of days. Unless the dude is not using primer neither hardener or maybe using tamiya paint and that thing is water base.

Frames are super small too, you dont need like a paint booth, just a box and a fan...hobby aficionado style.

If anybody has an old set of super old white frames moving around to test and willing to take the risk of getting them destroyed let me know, would love to try painting frames...

Originally Posted by Matthew

Couldn't you have done the same thing in like, 5 minutes? How could it possibly take months to paint sunglass frames. Should take minutes, shouldn't it?

[adub]

I am surprised, kinda dumbfounded that there is enough demand painting sunglass frames to make a business out of it.

[cadence90]

.... ..
.

[dbnm]

Well, if you've got a airbrush gun, decent customer service skills and can maintain a real schedule, it might just be a career.

[ultraman6970]

Probably is his second job and thats why is causing problems. A lot of stuff is profitable but as a complementary income.

[bianchi10]

Originally Posted by ultraman6970

Probably is his second job and thats why is causing problems. A lot of stuff is profitable but as a complementary income.

It's not. He has said many times that it is his only job.

[ultraman6970]

Time to get a good airbrush!!!