"Modular Starship in Plastic" Topic

I'm confused – what's the scale of your project, Leland? Will I be able to mix these ships with my GZG and Kallistra ships?

Ravenstar,

I am all over this, and the free sprues will be nice – although I've committed to share them with the other fans who assisted me on the WF forum with the fan-based development of the sprue contents (and they know who they are, evil geniuses all).

I for one will be a steady consumer of this project should it hit production, as I am an incorrigible kitbasher of starships as you know, and a dedicated sprue of parts and bits such as this will take that process to a whole new level IMHO, to say nothing of making it insanely easy for old hands to expand on their existing fleets, and newbies to get started in the hobby playing such fine systems as GZG's Full Thrust.

IMHO this proposal of mine is a win-win-win for newbies, old codgers like us, and WF's bottom line.

Thanks again for pitchin' in! I sincerely welcome all the enthusiasm and support I can round up for this harebrained scheme!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Ninjasaur,

the scale is essentially "generic," as we have to fit the components on a 4" x 6" sprue. Come over to the WF forum for details:

link

IMHO you should be more than able to use these with either of the ship series you name, either as a new fleet, a supplement to an existing one, or as a source of detailing bits to enhance your models.

Hope this helps!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

well i hope it works , i think you would have had to set if there was a solid design behind it. :)

Thanks – it does help, Leland. I had a skim through that thread but I'm getting over a bout of flu so I confess my attention wandered. Are the designs finalised or am I right in thinking it is still work in progress?

Ninjasaur,

not finalized yet, as we're all still waiting for the WF 3D wizard to have our number come up on this proposal. We are in the queue 'though, and the fan-made 3D renders have been a big help IMHO, and should be of use to the WF 3D honcho when the time comes…

Hope this helps!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Not to be negative, but are we sure meeting 100% is going to result in actual production in a reasonably timely fashion? Looking at their forums there seems to have been some real bitterness about them failing to make some 6mm scifi not-Necron types after they made their quota. Does anyone know if thats been settled satisfactorily? Maybe it's old news (he said hoefully)?

I've been involved in one too many production disasters to be very trusting anymore.

"Not to be negative, but are we sure meeting 100% is going to result in actual production in a reasonably timely fashion? Looking at their forums there seems to have been some real bitterness about them failing to make some 6mm scifi not-Necron types after they made their quota. Does anyone know if thats been settled satisfactorily? Maybe it's old news (he said hoefully)?"

WF are working out some fiddly technical issues on the 6mm proposal IIRC… in all fairness, they delivered their first L&UL proposal -zombies- and continue to roll out new historical releases (their original focus). WF is s start-up run by one (1) guy with a single 3D worker, another guy who provides regular support (TMP's own infamous "Mexican Jack Squint"), and so you can imagine the degree of effort involved by such a small team trying to "train as they fight."

I for one remain guardedly optimistic about WF; they've been improving their quality of design and execution with each new release, they've been getting their turnaround times slowly, painfully, but progressively shorter AFAICT. WF's 3D honcho is working right now on hashing out the 3D renders for the sci-fi "Greatcoats" and communicating with the fans on the WF forum regarding their input/critiques/vitriol/praise.

I say we all hang tough on WF, and give them their due for fightin' the good fight for our little community.

At least that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Fair enough. I wonder if one of the unstated issues on the 6mm deathbots might be legal concerns – the designs are awfully close to specific Necron parts, and GW's legal shrks are notoriously bloodthirsty. I suspect a C&D order (even one that ultimately got rescinded) after startup would be fatal to a new-ish small company, so caution is the watchword.

Modular starships shouldn't have any such problems, of course.

Didn't know Mexican Jack Squint was involved. That's reassuring.

BWS,

IIRC the whole skeletal-homicidal-robots-built-by-a-long-extinct-alien-civilization-now-running-amok was from fred Saberhagen's classic BERSERKER novels, not GW.

That said, IMHO those 6mm "Deathbots" aren't anymore necrons than the assorted skeletal robots available from a number of manufacturers, to say nothing of a certain "Endoskeleton T-100/1000/whatever" from popular film.

IIRC there are technical issues with the mould making process concerning retaining as high a level of detail as possible. IMHO it's better to get the job right the first time, then rush to production and deliver .

As for the Modular Starship, the concept is my own, the proposal is my own, and the original sketches posted on the WF forum from which the other fans were inspired to cook up their 3D renderings are my own, provided to WF *in gratis* with no strings attached save what WF promises those of us madmen whose L&UL proposals reach production (ie., some freebies and bragging rights).

Should this proposal hit production, yours truly will be parting with hard-earned cash on a regular basis for these sprues, the better to kitbash starships from empty deodorant containers, body wash bottles, nasal spray containers…

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

98%… 25 sprues remaining…

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

It's my birthday today, so I treated myself to a virtual, might-come-to-be gift :-p
Ordered the last 25! Take that, WF ;-)

Well, I thought I had, anyway. The site still says 25 needed… Hmm. Maybe it'll take time to update.

SleenRippa, you are now a god in my country!

You'll all pardon me now, I have to e-mail Tony Reidy and really shamefully harass him about this…. BWAHAHAAHAHHAHAAHAAAA!!!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

3/4 of the designs out there don't appeal to me, so I've never been much of a starship miniatures player. But if these modular pieces go into production, I will pick up hundreds worth.

Hey All,

I'm looking forward to the modular sprue!

You may be interested in a similar project based on 3D manufacturing I've started. I've been working on several modular spaceship components, which I hope to enter production on in the next few weeks.

You can vote for which modular components should be produced using a doodle poll at doodle.com/vax6gcvhpevqnn8i

Pictures of the candidate components are at:

link

After the selection, the component prototypes will be improved and the components will be sold at:

shapeways.com/shops/objects

Note: The pictures are just prototypes. More detail will be added after this vote is used to downselect. They are designed to be manufactured in a variety of Shapeways materials.

Thanks for all the help and good luck with the modules!

Just an update –

The 3D printed modular components have gone into production and are available at tinyurl.com/yhvvb7n

They feature about 30 different elements:

– Structural Components
– Engines (two types)
– Habitat Sections (two types)
– Gun Turrets (four types)
– Panels (fourteen types in two sizes)
– Prows (three types)
– Cargo Pods (five types)
– and other assorted bits

All parts are designed to combine together easily for scratch building custom vehicles, or for use as bits for customizing existing models. Basic structural cubes are 6mm x 6mm x 6mm, with other parts designed to match. Component packages range from $4.65 USD to $5.60 USD USD.

Some samples of what you can do with them:

picture

picture

I wonder when we'll see renders from WF? The process of making the designs can be very quick, as Objects May Appear and Irrational Designs show us. Probably more steps involved in making something that can be injection molded, though. 3D printing is a very different animal.

"Probably more steps involved in making something that can be injection molded, though."

IIRC there's a whole process of 3D rendering, then die cutting the moulds before actual production.

"arodrig6's" product is very nice, but I for one am more than a little predisposed towards the injection-moulded plastics route here, due to allergies involving a great many resins. Also, many if not all resins are potentially unhealthy should you be sanding them/filing them/cutting them without a dust mask on; breathing in the dust particles is not good for one's lungs apparently.

That all said this is a nice little product IMHO that many will appreciate, especially the "flying scaffold and boxes/Space 1999" style of starship design.

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

That Objects May Appear stuff is GREAT! I gots to get me some, then a set of simple generic space combat rules.

Anyone try Hack in Space (or whatever it is called) yet?

…I for one am more than a little predisposed towards the injection-moulded plastics route here, due to allergies involving a great many resins.

The standard material used in the Shapeways process (their 'White Stron Flexible' material) is not resin, but a nylon plastic. In fact, I believe it is a material used in some plastic injection molding processes.

Still, it is a good idea to use a dust mask when sanding/filing ANYTHING as even inert particles can irritate.

I think the WF sprues and my own component sets will be a complimentary effort – the more 'generic' components out there, the greater flexibility for the end user.

Agreed. The more choices when fitting the little pieces together will result in some interesting and unique ships.

Everyone wants to be able to add something to the models they work on…bring on the bits.

And the fact that arodrig6's stuff is quickly available is a bonus.

I really like the real space look.

The first orders have reached others (and more talented ones than I):

link

"I think the WF sprues and my own component sets will be a complimentary effort – the more 'generic' components out there, the greater flexibility for the end user."

Agreed 110%!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net