I am sorry that happened to you. I plan to call AWI and complain, because I've given them high marks in the past. By the way, there are TWO facilities that are associated with that name. I deal only with the facility in Minnesota. Charlie Felds is my contact up there. Here's what happened when I had them do some work:
I had an original Hanlon-Wilson exhaust system in great condition except, my RH muffler shroud showed a few cracks due to vibration. Nothing sufficient to take it out of service however, and I had no intentions of doing anything about it for quite some time. No inspector had even the slightest concern about it, as the cracks were at the edges at the screw holes and no danger exists for this situation. The shrouds may have been good forever. It was a nice shroud actually, still showing it's bright-work of engine-turned polishing, and stainless Hanlon-Wilson datatag spot-welded onto it.
But I was talking to AWI and attempting to get them to donate an exhaust system as part of my Kelowna-convention Maintenance seminar, and Charlie Felds mentioned the problems they were having with certain replacement parts, notably converting "pancakes" to Hanlon-Wilson style. I began working with them to develop that conversion kit, when other difficult-to-obtain parts came up in conversation. Charlie mentioned the RH heater shroud for '53 and later airplanes. (For those of you who don't know, the '53 and later RH muffler and shroud have several significant differences than the LH does. Early model owners ('52 and previous) are not concerned with this, nor are pancake-to-H/W conversions.)
What was planned:
Charlie said he had no way to make a RH heater shroud because he had no model. I offered to send him mine, if he'd make one for us. (I now believe my offer was not sufficiently well-expressed to Charlie. It was my intent to let him use my perfectly serviceable heater shroud as a model, in return for him making a spare....which I planned to donate to TIC170A.... and returning mine to me for reinstallation.)
What transpired:
I remove mine and shipped it to him and a couple of weeks passed.
Charlie called me to tell me the shroud was completed and ready for shipment to me, and he wanted to tell me that he was including a small bag of Tinnerman nuts with the new one for attachment purposes. I told him that it was not likely to be acceptable to have separate Tinnerman nuts for mounting that shroud due to the "blind" nature of the re-isntallaiton. (There was no convenient way to hold the flat, internally-fitted Tinnermans in place while mounting the shroud.) I insisted that they be spot-welded in-place for the shroud to be useful. (At this point I was thinking about the recipient of the donated new shroud, and how bewildered they'd be if they received a shroud that couldn't be mounted in a simple replacement-action.)
Charlie expressed concern about the technical difficulties of a spot-welding operation, but he agreed to attempt it.
What resulted:
I received the shipment and opened the box to find only one shroud,... the newly mfr'd one... and not including my "model". The new shroud was made of a very-slightly heavier gauge stainless sheet-metal, and was very well-made. I was very happy with the workmanship, and called AWI to tell them so, and inquire as to when my original would be returned as my airplane was grounded until it arrived. I did not talk to Charlie, but talked instead to "Tom", who informed me that my original was destroyed in the manufacturing process and that my new shroud would be followed with an invoice for $240 plus shipping.
Clearly, something had been missed in the original communication. Here I was thinking I was helping a company who could serve the owners out there, but what happened was the company apparently thought I was ordering a new shroud for my personal airplane.
And, the replacement shroud did not have the H/W datatag attached.
I blame myself for not being more clear and for using verbal instead of written communications in setting up this transaction. I do not blame AWI or Charlie Felds for misunderstanding my purpose of submitting my shroud to them. After-all, they actually are in the business of making "owner-produced-parts" by reverse-engineering our exhaust systems, which is why they need a model... And THAT is why my original part could not be returned to me. So, I took it upon myself to accept the blame for poor communications.
AWI did subsequently come thru and donate an entire system to TIC170A, and it was a beautiful system that was donated. It raised good money for our association, and it provided a much-needed, quality exhaust system for our winning member. But it cost me personally, two and a half C-notes. I was then, and still am disappointed that the true intent of the excersize was lost during the process, even tho' I accept the blame as the root-cause of that misunderstanding. (My recent article in
The 170 News makes
communication with mx facilities a central issue. Now, I always carry in my hand to the shop a written list describing the work to be accomplished, and it includes a
description of the criteria by which the results will be judged. In that
170 News article, I presented the shop with my
written request itemizing the work to be performed, and describing the quality expected of the completed project. As it turned out, the shop in that article was not the shop that needed such specific direction... their work ethic is definitely up to the tasks they undertake... but most shops need such specific direction, and
all shops occasionally need it. So do it! Every time! Verbal communication alone does not reliably work.)
Bottom line:
In fairness to AWI and Charlie, they did make a really fine, well-fitting heater shroud. But only after I insisted upon their making it exactly as the removed shroud. (The Tinnermans had to be spot-welded to my satisfaction, and they did so at my insistence. The resulting shroud was
very good.) The H/W datatag was returned to me after I called and asked for it. (Needless to say, it is not spot-welded onto the shroud, to my minor disappointment.)
I think AWI is a shop that is capable of excellent work... but you may have to be very clear and very specific in your order for your "owner-produced" parts. (And if it's important to you, remember that loose Tinnermans are not an exact-copy of a reverse-engineered part. Each annual inspection will likely cause you irritation as that shroud is removed/inspected/reinstalled.... or, to possible error, not inspected at all because the inspector doesn't want to deal with those loose Tinnermans.
You might want to call AWI and complain and insist they spot-weld those. While you're at it, remember this: YOU, as the owner, are responsible for the final quality-control in any scheme where you have participated in an "Owner Produced Part". If that part does not meet the original design in every significant and functional respect, then the owner is likely to be held accountable in any untoward event.
I mean 170B award.....