how are kits made? Start to finish, how are the molds made and so forth. Just curious. How difficult is it to mold those little parts?
It’s a little known secret that they are made by magic, a little snake oil, two pinches of eye of knewt and stir.
How difficult? VERY HARD, especially to make the smallest part.
[8]
I read in one of the other threads about a book written by Mr. Tamaiya about how the modeling industry does its thing in making molds and the process of making the plastic parts. I have been trying to find the actual post but as of yet no luck. If I find it I will get back meanwhile maybe someone else will know about the book.
Richard
Vance is correct - it’s very hard.
I have been following the progress at AM Tech for the last couple years on the P-61 and F-15 Reporter. These guys have the resources to throw at the project and it has been well into two years on basic research and parts design then the masters have to be sent out to a die cutter/machinist for tooling (making the molds). Then the molds have to be inspected by the designer at AM Tech and approved. Now you need to find someone with a 200 ton plastic injection machine (probably in Korea or Hong Kong) that has the capacity to shoot that much plastic in one shot (see the Sword S-43 wing as an example of someone who did not have a large enough machine) and run a test shot of the parts. Since you are now overseas trying to get work done lets factor in that ‘lost in translation’ aspect. Now you have to inspect and assemble those test parts, find the problems and you can bet there will be problems. Fix said problems (refer back to the ‘lost in translation’ thing) and adjust tooling for that fix and repeat the test shot. Meanwhile you have the whole artwork/packaging/instruction/decal thing to worry about and then get it to the distributor at which time some AMS hobbiest is going to bitch that this aspect is not to scale or it’s 1 scale inch too short or the rivets are not right and you just mortgaged your house (for the third time) to pay for the final tooling and you’ll only clear $10.00 off each kit sold - why in the world would you even want to make a kit???
People that design and produce models need professional therapy and have my utmost respect.
Hey Matt!
Have you heard anymore on the AMTech P-61 and F-15?
I have been to their website and nothing!! I am really interested in these kits. One of my favorite planes of all time. Right up there with the Skyraider and Invader!!!
Randie [C):-)]
Currently I am hoping to see these around Nov or Dec 2004. That is about 8 months behind schedule but better late than never. Projects of this scale are magnets for Murphy’s Law incidents also.
As a teenager in Michigan I actually saw a P-61 fly over our ranch at a relatively low altitude - it was veeerrry cool.
Glad you are back Swanny - hope the trip went well - have you any idea of the materials from which the molds are made. They presumably have to be very resilient? You see the thing that intrigues me is presumably everything has to be “reversed” or mirrored. Having scratch built some model ships I can understand how difficult it is to fashion tiny parts from a reasonably durable material. I cannot see how one can fashion tiny part and then make a mold (by say pouring) that will be durable enough to “fire” the plastic at it enough times to produce a viable number of kits - or have I lost the plot entirely - sorry.
The best molds are made from steel or stainless steel. Limited run kits use softer materials like Room Temperature Vulcanizing Rubber. This is cheaper and faster but even at best you will get fewer than 500 issues from the mold before it’s kaput.
Oh yeah, the trip was a blast - thanks for asking.
i’m with swanny, why? but im mighty glad they do!! i would love to follow the steps from start to finish on a kit. that would be very interesting. later.
Richard, that was my post…Mr. Tamiya goes in to some very specific detail about how they make the molds for models. It’s interesting to read about how Tamiya was struggling when they were in the process of switching from Wooden models to plastic models. They also had to have the molds made by someone else, and they were at the time charging outrageous prices (which I am sure isn’t much different today. Eventually Tamiya started to “recruit” mold makers from around Japan who were learning the process through the local companies. Now Tamiya does all of the mold making “in house”, and has spent tremendous amounts of money purchasing the equipment to make the molds. The Milling machines alone probably cost thousands of dollars. We just recently purchased one for our shop that is not computerized, and it cost a little over $10,000. I can’t imagine how much the high tech machines may cost…probably hundreds of thousands…According to the book though, in this day and age, Tamiya is strictly digital…using CAD designs to do the mold making process. The only time humans get involved in the mold making (accoring to the Tamiya Process described in the book) is to check the lines, and to put on a couple of finishing touches. The smaller companies more than likely do the process that Swanny described. If you ever get a chance pick up Master Modeler by S. Tamiya, and you will be suprised by the interesting history of the company, and learn a lot about the modeling industry in general.
Education is a beautiful thing! I think I’ll try to borrow that book by Mr. Tamiya. Swanny, once again, or rather; his knowledge, shines again.
Out.
Okay, let’s see. 7 to 8 months, hmmmmmm. I ought to be able to save enough money between now and then to HOPEFULLY get one of each one they plan an producing AND maybe even enough for the PANDA UH-1 kits!! [8D]
Thanks for the info, Matt!!
Randie [C):-)]
Definitely a book I’ll be looking for. I’ve wondered about the whole process that feeds our addiction, maybe now I’ll learn something new.
If i recall correctly there was an article in FSM about how they make models. I don’t remember which edition of FSM.
Chris,
i believe you are right.
i will try to check my index tonight and see if i can determine what issue.
Swanny -
clear $10 or is it more like $1 ?!?
Swanny is right.Maybe I am just getting old but I think the average modern modeler is spoilt especially the WW2 Warplane modelers.Whjen you consider the quality of the product,the cost of production and in some cases the complete lack of appreciation endured by the manufacturers I too wonder why they bother.Most of these models are little works of art even though they are mass produced.If just one was made and put in a museum the average modeler would be captivated, now for a few bucks you can have a museum quality piece in your home if you are willing to put in your own creative effort.The guys who produce these pieces are artists in my opinion .I just wish as a Golden Age modeler that I had only a small percentage of what the WW2 guys have.Cheers! John.
sorry for the delay - here is the info:
there were at least 2 FSM articles covering this topic.
guess it will come down to how complete your collection is!
“How Plastic Model Kits Are Made” December 1988
“How Model Kits Are Produced” February 1997
i have them both
there may be a more recent article, but my index only goes to mid 2003,
so i could have missed it.
i will also plug RMW enterprises excellent FSM index on CD.
that’s how i found the articles (tho i had to search for the word ‘how’ after trying injection, manufacture, molds and a few others!)
check their site www.rmwenterprises.com
this tool helps me find articles in my overgrown FSM collection when i start a new project, or a question like this comes up.
an no, i don’t work for them. i bought the cd from an ad in FSM w/ my own $$,
and have never regretted it.
Swanny’s use of the term lost in translation reminded me of a tale from way back.
In the 1800’s An english nobleman wanted a set of china made. This is the whole thing, hundreds of pieces, family crest etc. So pattern piece’s were made, the design’s were drawn on them & the various colours written in. These piece’s were sent off to China at great expense. Eventually the set came back.
Beautifully made China, of a delicacy that English potters couldn’t match at the time,
Crests etc beautifully applied, and the words green, blue, red, etc written into the spaces that should have been coloured in!
Who said this site isn’t educational?
Pete
Folk’s,
The moulds for an injection plastic model in 72 scale start at $US300,000.00, they are stainless steel, in relation to Tamiya, all their moulds are now made in the Philipines, along with most of their reissued kits, also Tamiya have 200 kit mould masters held in house of all scales for future releases, the plastic sheeting in Multi Media kits is Vac Formed, the resin and white metal are cast by hand or machine.
I hope I’ve been of some help.
Rob.