[gcmini]

Madman, the Olympic Hotel that we do is the one from the movie and I think you’ll find its very accurate to the movie version.

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Madman, Yeah, I love the new ARF and BNF models … I really don’t have a lot of time to build anymore with my business taking most of my creative time. I’ve been in the RC hobby for over 40 years, I’ve paid my dues with thousands of hours of building kits and models from scratch … now I just want to fly 🙂

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Warlords Games (Italeri) 28mm (1/56th scale) Tiger for Bolt Action just before weathering.

Warlords Games 28mm Bolt Action Germans

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Rod Robertson wrote:

What’s to stop a non-commercial collective of hobbyists swapping files for non-commercial private use?  Rod Robertson.

What’s to stop you?  Copyright law for one.

Remember Napster?  That was a “non-commercial collective of hobbyists swapping files for non-commercial private use”  ,,,, and it was illegal.  It’s called Piracy.

Using that logic, what’s to stop someone from buying a physical miniature at your local hobby shop, making a mold of it, and casting a few dozen of them and giving away copies to all his friends …. again, the law is the answer.

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

I’ve been utilizing “3D Printing” technology for about 15 years or so … long before it was called “3D Printing”.  The technology has come a long way.  I have had several FDM machines (the ones most of you are familiar with that use a plastic filament and extrude it through a heated nozzle) including a $105k machine that was the size of an American refrigerator.  I’ve also had a few desktop versions over the years.  These machines are great for quick prototypes and sometimes they are useful for masters that you are going put a lot of work into cleaning up and adding details to so that you can make a master for molding.  In my opinion these FDM/FFF machines are still a long way from being ready to produce models that are ready for sale straight off the machine.  …. and they may never be ready for that,,, that is not the purpose for which they were designed.  They are prototyping machines.
There are people producing models on these machines and selling them ,,, and good luck to them, but I don’t think I’d ever consider a model made from FDM/FFF technology, especially anything with low sloped surfaces (think of the hood (bonnet) of a car or the wing of an airplane,,, the layer lines create a stair-step look that in my opinion is unacceptable.  If you are considering purchasing a model made with this technology, insist on very close up (Macro) photos, not photos taken from a foot away or more.

The gold standard in additive manufacturing (AKA “3D Printing”) is Stereophotography (SLA).  This is the process where a vat of liquid resin is cured one very tiny layer at a time by either a laser or DLP projector.  These machines create models with nearly no discernible layer lines at all and require little clean up.  Still, I would not take a model straight off a SLA machine and paint it and use it.  I have an SLA machine in my shop and I use often to create masters that will eventually be molded.  But when you think of any technology like this, you have to think of it as just one more tool in your arsenal of tools.  When I create a master on my SLA machine, that is just the first step in the process.  There are hours of additional work that is done after the 3D model is “printed”.

These technologies are here to stay and they are getting better and cheaper all the time.  My machine cost several thousand dollars, but just a few years ago I would not have been able to get anything on this level for less than the cost of a very nice European luxury automobile.  Additive Manufacturing will continue to impact and shape our industry … but I do not see a huge change coming anytime soon.  You still need talented model makers to work with what the machines produce and then you need mold makers and casters to take it from there.  Just designing something in your favorite CAD program and pressing “Print” on the machine is just step one in a lengthy process.

These are just the opinions of a 30+ year full-time professional model maker … your opinions may differ.   But this is what I do for a living 🙂

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Very interesting topic and conversation.

I, personally, could not care less if an author writes “move your figures” or “move your men”.  Neither one offends me in the least.  I prefer the pronoun “guys”, as in “move your guys” ,,,, and I do not even think of that word as being gender specific.  If I’m talking to a group of people (men, women, or mixed) I’ll say “will you guys come over here”.

I guess the only thing that would offend me is if an author wrote “move your collection of non-gender specific miniature pewter representations of human combatants” … and only because that’s a ridiculously wordy way of saying “move your men”

Anyone that is offended either way is probably over-thinking this and should probably get back to playing the game.

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Here are my last three years.  I have never been able to see a definite pattern … it’s pretty random.  In 2014 December was better than September … in 2015 those two switched places.  June and July are never great (a lot of people on holiday) however this year July was pretty good.  There is no logic to it.  I think now many new products I release is larger factor than what month it is .. also what new games are released and how popular they are effects things.  I try not to think about it too much and go on doing what I do and everything seems to work out in the end 🙂

 

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Looking at my last 20 orders (last 4 days), the average is US$74.70.

Last month’s average was for the entire month was US$58.37

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

I bought mine from Contenti and it’s very nice, I’m happy with it.

https://contenti.com/jewelry-casting-supplies/spin-casting/mold-making-spincasting/mold-rubber-ring-frames

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Angel Barracks wrote:

Allen of GCMini’s plays it.

Actually I don’t.  I have the rules and some of the Battlefront minis.  But, I do not like the rules.  I’m not going to sit here and put them down … they are very popular and lots of people like the game … it’s just not for me.  Everyone has their own favorite rules set, TY is not mine.

That being said, I’ve heard lots of people report that playing the game in 6mm without changing any distances or ranges makes the game A LOT more realistic.  … and any game played in 6mm gets my support.

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Rosebud wrote:

In Greece malaka is most commonly used as a term of endearment between men; translating as pal, or mate!

I know… I used to live there 🙂

In California we use “dude”, in Greece it’s malaka.

 

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Rod Robertson wrote:

Allen: Who in their right mind would want to live in a city named “Thanatos”?

They are called Malakas for a reason.

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Shawn Carpenter wrote:

You mean “Ambush Alley: Hot Man-on-Man Action?” 

That’s the one … still hilarious.

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Shawn, you can call it “Boots On The Ground” if you want … but I heard there was a much funnier working title early on.

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

This is a somewhat related side note to this conversation the might interest some.

As a manufacturer in the miniatures gaming industry, every few years I do a customer survey where I ask questions about such things as what scale you game in, what era, what genre, buying habits, etc.  Along with this gaming info I ask some basic demographics questions as well.

I just started one of these surveys about a week ago and out of aprox 250 responses so far, ONE person identified themselves as female.

 

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

I have never personally been aware of a “women get in for free” policy at any US conventions ,,, but then I’m not a woman so it’s not anything I would probably notice.

I really like the idea of a free (or reduced) non-gaming partner pass that applies equally to females and males.  It would have to operate on the honor system because I guess anyone could claim to not be a gamer when they really are … but I’m sure that would be very rare.  The upside is that the non-gaming partner could very easily find something they are interested in and then become a gamer and show up at the next con as a full paying attendee.

Interesting that you mention male partners of male gamers … there are more gay gamers (AKA “Gaymers”) than some might think … allowing them to bring their partners might really benefit the hobby by introducing them to games they might be interested in and otherwise be unaware of.

I can tell you that my spouse has ZERO interest in the military miniatures gaming that I do … but perhaps being exposed to a good, fun, Zombie Apocalypse game might bring one more person into the hobby.

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Lagartija Mike wrote:

Have you ever got so into designing and building terrain that it’s function as a venue for wargaming recedes into the background? 

Welcome to my world.  I’ve spent dozens and dozens of hours building game boards with tons of terrain on them and never actually used them for gaming.  The fun is in the building for me as much as actually using them.

Here is one of my most famous hangar queens … it’s a 40″ x 40″ ruined European city.  Never been used in a game yet.

 

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

I told you that I might be blind.

… and it’s 6mm,,, best scale ever  🙂

Thanks

 

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Great looking stuff.  You did a great job on the buildings, the figs, … everything.

Have you seen this?  http://gcmini.mybigcommerce.com/28mm-blackhawk-down-target-building-28mmdf085/

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[gcmini]

Personally I make a lot of things “because I can” or it’s just something I want for my gaming,,, and then customers see some of these things and ask “will this be available”? … if enough people ask that question, sometimes I will release the item as a product on the site.

Some things are just for me, some are just silly …. I have a 1/285th scale Eiffel Tower model that is 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall,, this is something I built “because I can”, it will never be a retail product.

On an unrelated note, I just checked out your website and it looks like you have some really cool stuff but I could find no mention of what scale any of it is.  Maybe I’m blind, but it did not jump out at me.

Allen
GameCraft Miniatures
http://www.gcmini.com

Allen Rockwell
GameCraft Miniatures
Business: www.gcmini.com
My Blog: www.allensmicroarmor.com

[Author]

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