"Thoroughbred Figures Photos" Topic

Sorry it has taken me a bit of time to post these. Photo links below to the latest 14 releases in ACW naval 1/1200 scale.
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US Armed Ferry, Riverboat Transport & Confederate Gunboat
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Screw Steamer, Yankee Gunboat & CSS Gaines class
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USS Roanoke monitor, USS Milwaukee Class, USS Onondaga & CSS Virginia II
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US Timberclad (Tyler or Conestoga), USS Lexington, USS Essex & USS Sassacus class
Complete list at:
thoroughbredmodels.com
Go to the 'Odds and Ends' page in the Products section.
Toby Barrett
Thoroughbred Figures
Portsmouth, Virginia USA

These miniatures are fully as exquisite as they look in the pictures. That Sassacus is one of the longest models in this series so far, and it's right about 2.5" long. The amount of detail rendered in the castings is amazing, and without mold lines or flash. I'm very happy with the ones I got.

For those who haven't ordered any of these, the masts in those pictures have wire embedded in them, which is probably how they can be so thin and delicate. It's really hard wire – it notched my wire cutters!

- Ix

Is this range going to keep growing? I'd love to see the larger ocean-going fleet units (corvettes, sloops, frigates, etc.), and some raiders and blockade runners for them to engage.

This is also the right scale to render the European ironclads. If Thoroughbred produces the ships of Lissa, my wallet is in trouble.

- Ix

Yellow Admiral,
Yes, there will be additions forthcoming, but for now please enjoy this latest batch of releases as it represents a lot of intense work and casting trying to get them ready for the Christmas special.
I'm also jumping back into some 1/600 projects which might interest some folks in that scale.
Your cutters are probably designed for soft materials – plastic, copper or silver wire. I use diagonals or needle nose pliers with better cutting jaws for steel.
Toby Barrett
Thoroughbred Figures

For us 1/600 scale fans you gave us a teaser what about a piece of meat? Would "W" be an initial?

Yes, there will be additions forthcoming

Excellent! I can't wait to see them.

But I still have questions. :-)

Your 1/600 miniatures have pretty much defined the standard for ACW riverine and coastal actions, and in fact, are the entire reason I got into this genre of gaming at all (too beautiful to resist!). 1/1200 is a better scale for big, sprawling battles and/or big ships, and that doesn't seem to be what you're carving and casting in this scale. I'd be very interested to hear what got you detoured into an entirely different scale, and where you anticipate going with it. I'm trying not to hold my breath, but you've already produced 32 more 1/1200 ACW naval kits than I ever expected from Thoroughbred, and I may yet turn blue….

for now please enjoy this latest batch of releases

More than I can say. :-)

Your cutters are probably designed for soft materials – plastic, copper or silver wire.

Or just cheapo knock-offs from China. :-)

An old pair of forged steel wirecutters I retired from garage work a couple decades ago did the job handily, but this is the first time my crappy undersized cheap-ass crafting desk tools have been utterly defeated. I never anticipated serious industrial-grade materials in my miniatures. BTW, I also had to switch files – my craft desk files are wimpy bargain-bin finds barely capable of dealing with lead-free pewter. I'm pretty sure the piano wire is harder than they are.

On a slightly related topic: my appreciation of this line extends also to the material you cast them in. It's stronger than pure lead and stiff enough to resist most small accidents, but still soft enough to be filed and carved as needed and malleable enough to be flexed without cracking.

- Ix

Here is my guess –

It appears that you had your 1/600 models digitized, scaled to 1/1200, and then printed at the highest resolution.

You then used the high-resolution printing as a master to cast these.

This is incredibly cool if true.

Lucius, I doubt if Master Caster gives up his secrets!

You then used the high-resolution printing as a master to cast these.

This is my current opinion about the best use of 3D prints. I'm not impressed with the durability or quality of 3D printed miniatures. I find lead, resin, and cast plastics much nicer in almost every aspect of modeling and gaming.

I could be wrong, but I doubt this is what Toby did. 3D prints tend to have grainy surfaces, and all the miniatures I got had smooth surfaces everywhere. He might be committed enough to 3D print a bunch of parts, sand them all smooth, assemble them into a castable master, but I'm not sure that saves any labor over plain old hand-fabrication. Especially considering the learning curve with CAD programs…

- Ix

I saw some spaceship models cast in resin at a show last year and couldnt understand how the guy made such perfect masters . I asked him if he made them using 3D prints which he denied time and time again. Finally when I convinced him that it was impossible for anyone to make such a fine quality master by hand he relented and told me he used a laser technique from a CAD drawing so it wasnt the same as a 3D printed item.
CAD programes are a lot easier to use these days and you can store something complex like a paddle box pattern in a file and use over and over for several different models.

Thank you all for your comments and kudos. I realize I'm disappointing a few readers on this, but I simply do not give away my techniques, materials or prototyping processes. The reasons are many.

"I realize I'm disappointing a few readers on this, but I simply do not give away my techniques, materials or prototyping processes. The reasons are many."
And by the looks of your models, the absolute right thing to do! NO ONE makes ships SO well. Thanks Toby!
Peter

Ceterman,
Thank you very much for your support. Several things have helped me immensely; a degree in history, familiarity with photographic analysis from my US Army days, and casting and making molds for over 45 years.
Toby

Since the information is freely available on the internet, it won't be a crime to post it here:

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Wow,,,and all along she told me it was magic.

Well, it is. ;-)

I loved the earlier releases from the TB 1/1200 line I've purchased and these photos looks just as good. I'm amazed at the level of detail on these small ships.

Thanks Mike. I'm planning on another batch of 1/1200 later on around early summer……maybe a few for the Williamsburg Muster convention in May.