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05-17-2009, 03:17 AM | #1 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 12
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I've wanted to make custom bodies for a long time but suck at sculpting(I've tired) and not having a 'blank' body parts doesn't help either.
Ever since I've heard of Shapeways I thought maybe it was possible for customizers to use their service. I don't think this is a perfect solution, I see 3 major problems with this method: 1. The printings don't seem smooth, there is a little bit of texture. I don't know if you could hold a lighter up to the printings to smooth them a little bit or what, looking at all my G.I. Joes none of them have razor sharp edges anyway, like the knives sculpted to the side of their legs. 2. Its expensive, this, for most people, will be a once in a lifetime thing. You could make a mold and try to sell enough models to make up for the cost of the printing/mold making/production, but this leads us to point 3. 3. Copyright. If I made custom parts I would want to make them to work with existing parts. I don't think I would want to make heads, I would want them to work with existing heads for example. I don't know how Hasbro's legal department would feel about someone making a 3D model of a body and customizing it on the outside but leaving the insides the same to work with other parts. You could make one for your self, but once you tried to pay for the printing by making duplicates to sell you would be in that gray area that lawyers like to take you to court on. Now that I have the 3 problems out of the way I would love someone to prove me wrong on these points. Heck, even if you make more points to why this is not possible I'd like to know. But what I was thinking is if this is possible making a community database of digital files for custom parts would be the way to go. They could be licensed under the GPL so anyone could use them and make molds of them if they wanted. The GPL would stipulate they would be required to say where they got the files from, how they did it, and included a download link to them. I think this would be the way to go because I'm sure there would be a lot of great files made by people that can't afford to have them printed or duplicated, but maybe someone will and they can buy the fig/parts they designed. I've been thinking of this for a long time and wanted to do it myself, but I'm not talented at anything that would require this to come to pass. So what does everyone think? Possible or a fevered dream of a mad man? Does anyone know how much molds would cost to make, production of parts after the molds, and has anyone used a 3D printer that could do this? Thanx, Stan |
05-17-2009, 03:29 AM | #2 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,470
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#3's not really an issue actually. My concern is generating the virtual creation. A torso would have to be generated in 4 parts, plus the issue of the joint (these aren't universal a universal part like the t-bar). There are internal structures to the torso that would need to be recreated as well.
What's the cost & how would you generate the virtual rendering - those are the big issues.
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05-17-2009, 05:08 AM | #3 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 12
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Hmm, the torso looks like it's two parts, it can be done with this 3D printing process, there is a really good video on youtube, I'll try to find it. Actually, if you wanted just one copy for yourself and never wanted to make a mold then it could be done in one part, again, I need to find that video.
To make the digital file you first need to digitally scan a part you want to re-create, again, the video is great at showing this. The scan is a 3D scan that has both the insides detailed and the outsides. You can make your own digital scanner with webcams/digital cams that can scan a penny and make a 3d model of it. Then you have a 3D model with like 1,000,000 points if you want. You take that model and edit it, save it, send it to safeway, and they can print it out. But you need to remember just one person has to do this then everyone can use the scan they made for a starting point. The parts need to be categorized into 'waves' though, so you would know if the torso would work with the body you own, or the arm you have would fit into the body someone else made. The arm joints seem to be pretty universal if you pick a 'wave' to swap between, i.e. all the G.I. Joes from a given year can swap between other G.I. Joes from that same year. You can make an entire functioning arm all at one go, I'm not kidding, it's pretty amazing, but again if you wanted to make molds you would need part from the elbow to shoulder two parts but the elbow joint and the elbow to hand can be one part each. The rivets shouldn't be that hard to find to connect these parts. Make no doubt, there will be some assembly required, they are small parts and I don't know how accurate a mold can be, but the printers at shapeway are amazing. I'm just not sure they can print that small, I'm just judging by some of the really tiny parts they make. A lot of work I know, but I think it's possible. I hope everyone is understanding me, it's kinda confusing to explain. |
05-17-2009, 05:50 AM | #4 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,470
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And it's even more parts than it looks in the picture. Upper torso is two parts, torso joint is three parts, lower torso is two parts. Also each upper arm, lower arm, lower leg, & foot is three parts.
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Last edited by Prince of Fire & Thunder; 05-17-2009 at 05:55 AM.. |
05-17-2009, 07:09 AM | #5 |
Operations Officer
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Highland NY
Posts: 1,256
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Wow, this is interesting. At minimum, i'll do some research on it.
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05-17-2009, 07:09 AM | #6 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 12
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Oh wow Prince of Fire & Thunder, I've never seen a G.I. Joe with as many parts as that. Most of mine are vintage, like pre 90's to early 90's. I'm sure the one you posted up above is possible, but I think baby-steps would be better to start out with. This is what I mean by 'Wave', the old one's would go in a different category than new ones. By switching the parts around on mine I think there are at least 4 or 5 categories that span about 10-15 years. I bought some of the remakes of the style I have but haven't opened them, as I have them already.
I need to buy some like you have pictured above, I don't have any. I like to take them apart and such. |
05-17-2009, 07:24 AM | #7 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,470
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K, I was assuming current style & you were talking vintage style. Now we're on the same page.
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05-17-2009, 09:28 AM | #8 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Statesboro, GA
Posts: 705
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This method is more for mass production than prototyping. When you hear companies say its not cost effective to tool a paticular toy, they are talking about this process. There are three major areas of production that are part of this process.
1. 3D CAD software purchase and opperation. Depending on wether the part is sculpted vertually in the computer or sculpted by hand in wax and then scanned in to be touched up in the computer, there is a large cost in the purchase of the software, the 3D scanner and the training on how to opperate and create in it. You have to contend with the training yourself or out source it out to someone who does have the skills. 2. Rapid Prototyping machines are expensive! The cheapest model I have seen is $5,000 and only prints out a maximum cubbed area of 5 inches. The next cheapest model is $18,000 and it can go as much as $150,000. So the alternative would to out source the printing to companies like the one you have the link to. Again you are paying for the use of the equipment, time, materials, and the labor it took to print the piece. This method is used to test fit pieces and insure it does not have any flaws before moving onto the tooling phase of production. These pieces are not ment to be the finial product. 3. The last phase is the tooling of the molds for the injection machines. The 3d CAD file that was used in the Rapid Prototyping machine (that had passed the prototype stage) is sent to a plastics factory that has tooling machine. The machine cuts into a block or blocks of metal either with lasers or drill, using the 3D file as a map. From here it goes to the injection machines and melted plastic is injected into the molds about every 5 seconds. So if you plan on making 5000 copies or more, then that method is ideal approach. But if you are only looking to make 1 to 500 copies, then you should look into silicon molds and liquid resin. Companies like Tri-Gate Creations and Broken Arrow Toys, use this method because the tooling cost is cheaper and more versital. It is abit mre labor involved, but the skill factor is not as extensive as learning 3D CAD software. The turn arround time from having the initial sculpt to plastic product is a matter of hours verses weeks of coordination with various companies. There are several tutorials out on the web that cover molding and casting and the opperation can be done in your garage on a budget of less than $300 (verses the $20,000 tooling cost). So the question needs to be asked, what is the purpose in making this part? Is it for your own use with in your hobby? Is it sculpted with the intent to sell several thousand copies world wide? |
05-17-2009, 02:17 PM | #9 |
I.O. SpecOps
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: In a secret underground bunker.
Posts: 4,404
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Here's a thread from a 1/6 forum about the same thing.
Custom mp13s - 3d printed STL guns - One Sixth Warrior Forum
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05-17-2009, 02:35 PM | #10 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 573
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My brother-in-law had one at his school, but I don't think he goes there. He asked me about my lil' GI Joes I make and he was like.. I should have told you about this machine we have that could make you stuff, lol.. of course, he tells me about this after he's not there anymore.
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