If I Ran Revell....

[niteowl7710]

18 hours ago, stitchdup said:

I'd re-release the vw corrado kits..

Well you could re-release the convertible, but they "destroyed" the regular Corrado tooling when they made the convertible. It's the same fate suffered by the BMW 850i. 

[ChrisBcritter]

I'm surprised the Duel Valiant and Peterbilt haven't been done as 1/64 diecasts yet, considering that's how a lot of movie/TV cars are produced nowadays - wonder what Universal would want for a licensing fee?

[Junkman]

On 4.1.2019 at 10:42 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

And I'd buy 'em all. Every last one. And at LEAST two of the Borgward, the Scenicruiser and the Duel truck.

I nominate this man for King (as long as you throw in a bullet-nose Stude).  

You are a sick puppy, but you shall have your Stomachacher once I'm King.

[Tommy124]

Great discussion going on here. I specifically followed the one about the possible outlook that our mutual hobby might be facing.

I'm surprised however it has not been brought up that we will probably be facing a technical development, maybe revolution even, that will dramatically change the way plastic parts can and will be produced in the not so far future. I'm talking about - of course - 3D-printing. Some of us already use that kind of technology for creating parts they do not get elsewhere. Those parts imho often miss the "final touch" presision-wise, but that will change, I'm sure.

Hardware, printing materials and CAD designing software are progressing towards perfection all the time. Not so hard to imagine that kind of technology could replace an expensive and energy-intensive molding process which requires molding tools that are very expensive - even on an industrial scale.

To my knowledge, companies like LEGO consider offering POD (print-on-demand) production for certain plastic parts in the future. And if THEY do, along with declining model kit sale figures, I'm sure there will be the need for the model kit industry to go down that road, too. 

This doesn't necessarily have to be bad news to us, the builders. First off, real big quantities (if any) might still be produced the "old way", if that's cheaper. But unlike in molding production, in 3D-printing there are no tool costs and only low setup costs, which allows to go for small quantities. Product variations that required expensively (maybe irreversibly) modifying the molding tools before, can be done easily just by additionally designing the required parts. A huge field of specialized after-market part producers could develop and add a lot to the variety.

And then there is the vision that one day 3D-printing devices will be part of normal domestic life. Not only for modelling parts. Download and print your model kit parts yourselves at home one day? Don't believe it? You better...

It may not all be happening that way, but I guess most of it will. Sooner or later. I guess we might become the "vinyl guys" of modelling one day... 

Edited January 11, 2019 by Tommy124

[Snake45]

It might be a while before 3D printers are affordable enough for the average hobbyist. However, I can see a situation where hobby shops, places like Hobby Lobby/Michael's/AC Moore, or even Office Max/Staples have them available for public use. You'd buy or download a program (or create your own) for what you wanted--perhaps even ordering a model kit EXACTLY the way you wanted it, checking off options the way you used to order a new car--and then go print it for a reasonable price. 

Are we printing 3D clear parts yet? Because that will be necessary to print model car and airplane kits. 

Edited January 11, 2019 by Snake45

[mikemodeler]

9 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

It might be a while before 3D printers are affordable enough for the average hobbyist. However, I can see a situation where hobby shops, places like Hobby Lobby/Michael's/AC Moore, or even Office Max/Staples have them available for public use. You'd buy or download a program (or create your own) for what you wanted--perhaps even ordering a model kit EXACTLY the way you wanted it, checking off options the way you used to order a new car--and then go print it for a reasonable price. 

Are we printing 3D clear parts yet? Because that will be necessary to print model car and airplane kits. 

To add to Snake's comments, imagine creating your model kit and sending it off to be printed (like Shapeways) and pick it up at the store later? We do that now with printed materials on paper, so why not model kits or other items? Architects could use this same technology if they aren't already.

And ordering a model like Snake mentions above (using an option sheet) gives you the creative freedom without buying multiple kits or forgoing a build because of the cost of three kits to get the same result.

If I was running Revell, I would be studying this technology and try to incorporate it into a business plan soon. 

[Snake45]

It might also be possible to print your model out in whatever scale you wanted--1/25, 1/24, 1/32, 1/43, 1/48, whatever. How cool would THAT be? 

[Ace-Garageguy]

35 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

It might also be possible to print your model out in whatever scale you wanted--1/25, 1/24, 1/32, 1/43, 1/48, whatever. How cool would THAT be? 

Of course it's possible. There's no "might" about it. The machine does the number crunching, and gets it right. Many of the 3D printed parts available TODAY are already available in several of the common scales.

No reason, in the easily foreseeable future, a hobby shop or other outlet couldn't have a printer onsite, pumping out parts and kits to order rather than stocking a bunch of inventory that might never sell.

In case nobody was paying attention, I posted a 3-part series that goes well into the availability NOW of "affordable" desktop printers, AND desktop injection molding. Part 3 of the video series also goes into how 3D printing of the tooling necessary for high-production of injection molded kits can be expedited and cost-controlled with currently available technology.

The precision is HERE NOW. The cost is already easily accessible for many who are still working, or are comfortably retired.

Here are links to all 3 parts of the series...it's video, so no worries about TLDNR. And they're short videos.

 

 

 

Edited January 11, 2019 by Ace-Garageguy

[djflyer]

34 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Of course it's possible. There's no "might" about it. The machine does the number crunching, and gets it right. Many of the 3D printed parts available TODAY are already available in several of the common scales.

No reason, in the easily foreseeable future, a hobby shop or other outlet couldn't have a printer onsite, pumping out parts and kits to order rather than stocking a bunch of inventory that might never sell.

In case nobody was paying attention, I posted a 3-part series that goes well into the availability NOW of "affordable" desktop printers, AND desktop injection molding. Part 3 of the video series also goes into how 3D printing of the tooling necessary for high-production of injection molded kits can be expedited and cost-controlled with currently available technology.

The precision is HERE NOW. The cost is already easily accessible for many who are still working, or are comfortably retired.

Here are links to all 3 parts of the series...it's video, so no worries about TLDNR. And they're short videos.

 

 

 

3D printing is definitely here - I get some great parts from vendors on Shapeways and many are in my choice of 24th or 25th scale.  Prices are alot less than buying extra kits just to get the one part I'm looking for.  My idea for Revell was they should resurrect the Monogram name (if they own it) and use it as the banner for hobbyists that want to order custom kits, or parts of kits like a body only.  I'm guessing they already have a wealth of CAD files from the tooling that could be converted to print files.

To the posts Ace had put out on desktop manufacturing,  Formlabs has been sending out links to forums on how to use 3D printing to create injection molding tooling.  So thats already here as well.

[Tom Geiger]

4 hours ago, mikemodeler said:

To add to Snake's comments, imagine creating your model kit and sending it off to be printed (like Shapeways) and pick it up at the store later? We do that now with printed materials on paper, so why not model kits or other items? Architects could use this same technology if they aren't already.

It's coming!  I do a lot of printing through Staples.   When I'm running events in other parts of the country, I email my materials to their store closest to the event.  Then when I land there, I pick up my order of printing and supplies I've preordered.  I got tired of bringing 100 pounds of booklets and posters on the plane with me!

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

It's coming!  I do a lot of printing through Staples.   When I'm running events in other parts of the country, I email my materials to their store closest to the event.  Then when I land there, I pick up my order of printing and supplies I've preordered.  I got tired of bringing 100 pounds of booklets and posters on the plane with me!

This isn't news. CAD files are sent all over the world to be CNC machined elsewhere...including data for model car tooling. And real-car parts tooling. And design work produced right here on my desk to be rapid-prototyped elsewhere...often 3D printed, to evaluate a part prior to machining from the final material.

It's not science-fiction or leading-edge anymore. The technology exists. It's just a matter of management deciding to implement it...and that doesn't happen without sufficient foot-dragging, innumerable meetings, blame-spreading (prior to actually DOING anything, it's always important to know who's going to be axed if something goes wrong), etc.

Dontcha just love business?   

[mikemodeler]

2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

 

It's not science-fiction or leading-edge anymore. The technology exists. It's just a matter of management deciding to implement it...and that doesn't happen without sufficient foot-dragging, innumerable meetings, blame-spreading (prior to actually DOING anything, it's always important to know who's going to be axed if something goes wrong), etc.

Dontcha just love business?   

Having been in the auto parts business for 35 years at different types of companies - OEM & aftermarket manufacturers and distributors- this has been the hardest part to deal with.

I have wasted more time in meetings listening to reasons why something can't be done when in fact most of the time it's because no one will take ownership of a project or process.

 

Like I said in an earlier post related to this topic: If I ran Revell, I would be exploring how to implement 3D printing into the kit development process and selling 3D kits and parts.

[440 Dakota]

On ‎1‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 8:45 AM, Snake45 said:

It might be a while before 3D printers are affordable enough for the average hobbyist. However, I can see a situation where hobby shops, places like Hobby Lobby/Michael's/AC Moore, or even Office Max/Staples have them available for public use.

the local library here already has a couple for public use, I have no idea what brands/models I've never looked in to using them

[Tommy124]

On 11.1.2019 at 3:06 PM, mikemodeler said:

If I was running Revell, I would be studying this technology and try to incorporate it into a business plan soon. 

That is summing up in short words what I meant! And yes, of course the technology is here already. But there doesn't seem to be enough pressure on the kit companies yet to deal with the subject pro-actively... 

 

On 11.1.2019 at 9:44 PM, mikemodeler said:

I have wasted more time in meetings listening to reasons why something can't be done when in fact most of the time it's because no one will take ownership of a project or process.

There once was a company meeting in which all the others agreed that ''it can't be done". The one guy who didn't join the meeting didn't know about that... - and accidentally just DID it...  

Edited January 14, 2019 by Tommy124

[Bugatti Fan]

After all these years I am sure that Revell know better than 99 percent of us how to run their business!

I think that this thread is really more about what people would like Revell to make rather than how to run a business!

Edited January 21, 2019 by Bugatti Fan

[Snake45]

43 minutes ago, Bugatti Fan said:

After all these years I am sure that Revell know better than 99 percent of us how to run their business!

 

That must be how they ended up in bankruptcy last year. 

[Jim N]

1 minute ago, Snake45 said:

That must be how they ended up in bankruptcy last year. 

It wasn't Revell that caused the problem.  It was Hobico.  Revell was according to reports at the time doing quite well for them.

[Joe Handley]

Just now, Snake45 said:

That must be how they ended up in bankruptcy last year. 

That was their owner, Hobbico/Great Planes, but you never know who from their had input on Revell's production.

[Bugatti Fan]

Trouble with a holding company like Hobbico and Amerang for example, if they go down all the individua!  firms they own get dragged down with them. Revell have been owned by a number of holding companies in the past!    If they are viable they get bought out. If not they close. This thread about If I Ran Revell has really been more about a kit wish list than running Revell actually when it comes down to it. I stand by what I said that Revell know their market better than most of us and they probably sell more aircraft, afv, ships and star wars kits than cars and trucks. Wishing for obscure subjects from a mainstream manufacturer is a pipe dream best left to the cottage industry resin casters.

[Reegs]

Guess I'll never see that '39 Stude gasser. >sigh< I woulda bought two.

[Mike999]

On ‎1‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 9:25 AM, Snake45 said:

It might also be possible to print your model out in whatever scale you wanted--1/25, 1/24, 1/32, 1/43, 1/48, whatever. How cool would THAT be? 

Already happening!  When I wanted some 1/24 scale AK-47s a few months ago, I found a seller named "Anyuta" at Shapeways.  Along with 1/24 scale, they have AK-47s in 1/10, 1/12, 1/15, 1/16, 1/18, 1/35, 1/48, 1/50 and 1/60 scale.  And probably other scales, that's just the ones I saw with a quick search a minute ago. 

Edited January 22, 2019 by Mike999
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[Ace-Garageguy]

5 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

... Wishing for obscure subjects from a mainstream manufacturer is a pipe dream best left to the cottage industry resin casters.

Not to be argumentative, but the fact that Moebius is apparently still running in the black (and found a buyer) would seem to indicate that their strategy of producing somewhat obscure kits paid off.

Hudsons? 1950s Chrysler products? I bought several of each...and those are cars I never in my wildest dreams imagined would EVER be kitted in styrene.

[Bugatti Fan]

re Moebius, an Interesting observation there Bill, but I do not think that they run the sort of quantities that Revell, Airfix and Tamiya do, and from what I have seen they cater for more of a niche subject market than the big mainstream boys. Nice to see that they are running profitably in a tough market.

[Ace-Garageguy]

11 minutes ago, Bugatti Fan said:

re Moebius, an Interesting observation there Bill, but I do not think that they run the sort of quantities that Revell, Airfix and Tamiya do, and from what I have seen they cater for more of a niche subject market than the big mainstream boys...

My point was only that, apparently, it IS possible to produce shorter-run subjects with narrower appeal than Mustangs and Camaros, pay the cost of kit design and tooling production, and still manage to stay in business. Cost control and having a few multi-skilled folks rather than multiple layers of do-nothing management goes a long way to making shoestring operations profitable.

A similar strategy can be implemented by a company that's used to large-run projects.

More typically, everybody just agrees "we can't" in multiple meetings, while sucking up the designer mineral water, jetted-in tea, coffee produced from individually-named beans, and free-range no-GMO gluten-free bagels and croissants.

Edited January 22, 2019 by Ace-Garageguy

[Bugatti Fan]

Quite right Bill, I whole heartedly agree with you that leaner run companies can do well in a tough environment, where layers of middle management have been stripped away. In a former life I was a production engineer, so understand what you are saying.