 December 6, 2010 - 3:18pm | Ok, I was discussing some minature designs with Woot and Jedion a couple of days ago. I am in discussion with a rapid prototyping company that can convert my designs into plastic 3d objects. Well here is the good news, most of my Dark Tempest models convert with complete compatibility and at reasonable costs to produce. Bad News, my new designs created for the classic SFKH starship design project are not compatible the models are too complicated with way too many polygons for the machine to 3d print into plastic. So, I will attempt to dumb them down over the next couple of months to get a low polygon version that they can convert. I will keep everyone posted but at least some of my projects can be built. |
 December 6, 2010 - 3:31pm | Cool. I can't wait to see them. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
December 6, 2010 - 4:25pm | Does anyone have any special requests as to what would make the mini's more playable and user friendlt. (Sorry gimble stands are out of the budget). I could use a scale in cm's too. The first mini in production is the Expedition Class (see in the dark tempest project page) I am going to scale this one at 1.5cm as a Frigate. |
 December 6, 2010 - 6:39pm | 15mm? I'd likely use that as a fighter but then maybe I should assemble a smaller scale fleet and look into rules that support large scale actions at this size 1 inch bases would be called for and that would allow for a larger scale area of space on a 8'X4' wargaming table. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 December 6, 2010 - 7:01pm | I want to see ships scaled to each other. Instead of individual fighters you could do something like this; |
December 6, 2010 - 7:04pm | AZ, Didn't someone post on this site a company that has software available, you download, create the renderings, upload and they craft? |
December 6, 2010 - 7:24pm | yes, i am using their competitor, the prices are better |
December 6, 2010 - 7:33pm | 15mm? I'd likely use that as a fighter but then maybe I should assemble a smaller scale fleet and look into rules that support large scale actions at this size 1 inch bases would be called for and that would allow for a larger scale area of space on a 8'X4' wargaming table. Someone told me that the scale of the SFKH Frigate minature was 1.5cm long. I can't see how that would be a fighter? How big do you want a Frigate to be; 3 inches?? After all they can make them any size but you as the consumer will end up paying for the larger size. I think a 3inch long mini was about $15-20 at cost and that doesn't include my design mark up or the cost of shipping. The 1.5cm was going to be about $5. Obviously the more people order the I can come down a little on price by spreading out the shipping costs more. However, keep in mind what war hammer 40k mini's are going for, its not cheap by anymeans and some of those mini's are around 25mm. |
December 6, 2010 - 7:37pm | Actually, the UPF frigate is 2 inches (5cm) long (I just measured it) but I believe all the original minis were in the 28mm scale. So scaling it down to 15mm scale would make them about 2.7 cm or just over an inch long. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
December 6, 2010 - 7:45pm | ok i will reprice that for you at 2.7cm |
December 6, 2010 - 7:50pm | 2.7cm x 1.2cm x 1.5cm is a base price of $7.00 per unit in paintable white plastic. |
December 6, 2010 - 7:55pm | 5.0cm x 2.91cm x 2.25cm is $35.00 base price per unit |
December 6, 2010 - 7:57pm | at 5 inches the price jumps up to $180.00 base price per unit |
December 6, 2010 - 8:20pm | obviously those prices dont work. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
December 6, 2010 - 8:41pm | You're making them AZ. Build them at whatever scale you want. I was just providing the reference scale for the existing miniatures. But the 5" ones are definitely a little pricy  .Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
December 6, 2010 - 9:14pm | Actually the prices at the small end arent that bad when you consider what WH40K mini's go for. The important thing to remember is that there is no set-up fee, mold making fee, and we can order as few or as many as we need (Obviously fewer means absorbing a higher shipping cost). When the TSR people created the Lead minatures in the 80's they shelled out a but load of money to higher a professional artist to make the sculpture and the initial molds. Then they went into production and made hundreds of mini's off of each mold. The end result is that they spread out the cost of their set and production across the the entire production line. In the rapid prototyping model you dont have to pay all that cost up front and are not limited by a minimum order number. But you do end up paying more on the per unit cost. |
December 6, 2010 - 9:16pm | 1.5cm would most like end up being under $4 per unit if I have a bunch of orders to cover the shipping. |
December 6, 2010 - 9:17pm | This is actually cheaper then shapeways which had a set up fee |
December 6, 2010 - 9:26pm | Like I said it's scale that matters to me, not size. AZ, I think your on to something. You can produce the Dark Tempest setting book, comic, adventure modules and a mini's line. Wow... the possibilities.  |
December 6, 2010 - 9:33pm | I just looked at the costs for using a casting company to produce metal mini's in white metal (lead/pewter) the cost @ Eureka is a base rate starting at $3.00 per figure and they may or may not make them if you dont plan on purchasing a quanitity sufficent enough to justify creating the mold. I also checked with Griffin and its about the same if not more for their mold making fees. So 4 or 5 dollars for white plastic with no set up fee and additional postage is definitely fair for 15mm. |
 December 6, 2010 - 9:38pm | Would appreciate more details on availability and pricing for the range of ships. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
December 7, 2010 - 12:27pm | I reduced some of the details on the UPF Frigate model and the company gave it the green light for production. I am pretty happy with the cost and size at 2.4cm long. At what price point do people feel is too much for a high quality plastic model? Since this is as close to the chit silhouette as I can make it with my existing software and tools its pretty much specific to the TSR type designs so it would fit in with the game. |
December 7, 2010 - 3:06pm | Can we see the design/image? |
December 7, 2010 - 4:32pm | Very nice. Now I just need to find some money to buy some. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
December 7, 2010 - 5:26pm | I hear that, while the prices are reasonable it may be a few weeks before I can place the order for the prototypes. |
 December 7, 2010 - 7:52pm | I know how they are doing this. I have looked into the systems they are useing and the prices of the printers are not that bad. I have been looking into getting one for myself. It makes things much easier to fabricate anything from one to well how many do you want. The biggest price is the material that is used; however, I have been checking out one type that has real cheap materials that the company says is good as the rest. I am going to try to get them to send me samples of the materials and a small sample model. I have done research on the materials also and have found some intersting stuff that they can use. This type of fabrication has been around since the late 1990s commercially and longer in prototype. |
January 2, 2011 - 7:35pm | Prototype Minatures Have Been Ordered I Will Advise When Product Arrives And Post Pictures |
January 6, 2011 - 3:21pm | Prototype Minatures Have Been Ordered I Will Advise When Product Arrives And Post Pictures How? I didn't give you my address.  |
January 6, 2011 - 4:46pm | I just received confirmation this morning that the product just shipped from the company in France, we should have them late next week or mid week the following week. |
