This is just something Ive always been curious about, which I thought would be an interesting article if someone published it [:p] How exactly are these plastic kits made and manufactured? Do they sculpt out the pieces for molding? If so, how do they get them to fit so well? Im sure with the technology we have today , its probably donw mostly with computers, but models have beena round for ages now. Where do all those tiny parts come from? Dont know about anyone else, but I think it would be neat to have a tour of one of the assembly lines…oopps, we are the assembly lines lol … I guess “pouring and packaging lines”
now that you say it, I am wondering too.
[sigh]Another question swimming around in my head, thanks alot guys!
Great idea for an article! Hopefully, Lawrence reads this and runs with it!
Very good question–and the answer is pretty fascinating if you like to know what makes things tick.
We ran just such an article in the Dec. 1988 issue (p. 34), which followed a new kit through the process from design to shipping from the warehouse at Revell-Monogram’s soon-to-be-closed Morton Grove, Ill. plant. [sigh]
(I could swear I saw a similar, later article, but I can’t find it now. Maybe I’m having false memory syndrome…)
The issue is long since OP, so maybe I can prevail on Mark to let me “reprint” the article as an OnlineEXTRA.
That would be great, Lawrence! I’d love to read it.
Please, Mark?
I took a tour of the Tamiya factory in the late 70’s and it was fascinating. The designers were working on a new tank they were planning on releasing. They had teams that designed specific components from drawings. I watched as they were making the tank cannon with each small part out of putty. later these would be used to make a master out of aluminum so the molds could be built.
The only down side of the tour was, they would not let us take in a camera.
Thatd be great Lawrence!![:P][bow] Hope we get to see it.
Turns out I wasn’t having False Memory Syndrome this time: A forum member just pointed out to me there was/is a later article, “How Model Kits are Produced” in the Feb. 1997 issue (p. 52). Same start-to-finish concept, but this one featured the Testor factory in Rockford, Ill.
[:(] Does that mean you guys wont do another ? [V]
yeah, lawrence. what about me, I just picked up my first FSM in may. so I don’t have mags from back in '97
I am another that has not been lucky enough to have been around FSM for very long. Would be nice to see stuff like that.
Id like to either see a reprint of both articles…or maybe have them as an online EXTRA! Im curious about this process as well.
I second (or third, or fourth) the motion. How about an online extra!
Regards,
-Drew
So, you want to know how the model kits ‘re made…Ok !
First, a bunch of specialists from Tamiya, or Academy try to find some nest full of eggs…WHAT…You didn’ t know that ?!
Then…Hey, do you know how Bonsai trees 're made ? It 's quite the same…They squeeze, push, press, twist, the baby plane or tank which ‘s just comin’ out from his egg…It 's a long and tedious job, you could believe that !
And when the say baby plane ’ s reached the right size, workers put him in the box ALIVE…You could understand why, more often than not, parts of kits jump outside the boxes to hide under your chair or IN the carpet: poor little thingies 're quite terrorized !
Believe me, that ‘s the true, and sad, story of the makin’ of a modelkit…Trust me !