If You Hit the Powerball Tonight...

[Deathgoblin]

I think I'd go the route of buying or heavily investing in Hobbico/Mobius/Round 2.  Get some new stuff funded, maybe R&D or reverse engineer some old kits.  I wonder why none of these companies have tried 3D scanning some of the old kits from lost molds to re-create them?  They could literally just put the whole sprue into the scanner and they'd not only have the parts, but the channels as well.  A little CAD/CAM and they're done.

 

[mikemodeler]

All my dreaming is out the window, only had the Powerball on one ticket. Just hope at least of the three winners is a forum member and they get their dreams fulfilled.

[StevenGuthmiller]

All my dreaming is out the window, only had the Powerball on one ticket. Just hope at least of the three winners is a forum member and they get their dreams fulfilled.

Mine too!

I only bought 4 tickets & had one matching number.

Funny thing though, there were winners close at hand.

7 nurses at my wife's place of work will be sharing $50,000.00.

A far cry from 1.5 billion, but better than a poke in the eye!

 

Steve

[charlie8575]

Well, I know I didn't win. But I was going to invest in my own firm, and do a lot of the stuff people think can't sell. 

After all- they're right. It can't sell. They won't make it! I have all the resources to make kits within an hour or so of my house, save for a decal supplier, so I'll go to Cartograf. 

Mark and I would be sitting down and have a long talk about subjects- I like a lot of his ideas. 

I'd even start offering some more large-scale stuff, and Harry would get the first one of each he was interested in. 

Beyond that, there would have been at least $150 million in various educational, medical and historical charity being supported, a house that isn't about to fall apart and my parents would be set forever. I might even buy a new car and a few toys, too. Another non-profit in Boston called the Highland Street Foundation does a program called Free Friday- 70 museums across Massachusetts open for free for the summer on Friday- 7 each week. I'd give them enough to expand it to all of New England. 

I have no wife, no girlfriend, no kids and very little family. So, my friends' children would have trusts that cover their college educations if they choose to go to college, or to help them start a business, buy a home, or invest. It must be used for some combination of those things- no crazy trips or 100" TV sets. 

But mostly, I'd invest it; I don't like calling attention to myself, and would still live a very low-key life. 

Charlie Larkin

Edited January 15, 2016 by charlie8575

[charlie8575]

I think I'd go the route of buying or heavily investing in Hobbico/Mobius/Round 2.  Get some new stuff funded, maybe R&D or reverse engineer some old kits.  I wonder why none of these companies have tried 3D scanning some of the old kits from lost molds to re-create them?  They could literally just put the whole sprue into the scanner and they'd not only have the parts, but the channels as well.  A little CAD/CAM and they're done.

 

That requires out-of-the-box thinking. While it's not quite that simple, it's not that much more complicated.

Charlie Larkin

[charlie8575]

 Since I'd be taking the lump sum because of my age( I don't expect to live to almost 92), after the tax hit I'd be left with about 570 million dollars.I would take a different route.I'd look into buying Modelhaus and other aftermarket companies and combine them into one full line accessory company operating from a large commercial facility with expanded product lines and consistent production,inventory, and delivery.

That's actually a very good idea, Tony. 

Even if I got things going the way I want to with my own line of stuff, I've toyed with doing something very similar to that down the road for additional market coverage and support of the hobby.

Charlie Larkin

[426-Hemi]

-First things first I'd BUY my apartment!

Two, I'd drop a few on the making of a 1/16th 1970 Dodge Coronet, that could have the ability to have it made any one of 3 ways, Coronet "standard", with a slant 6, Coronet "R/T" with a 440 OR 426 Hemi, OR Coronet "Super Bee" with a 426 Hemi, The slant 6 "Standard" have a standard rear, automatic, The 440 have the ability to have BOTH standard, & automatic, and the 426 the same as the 440........ Bucket seat with choice of a Bench seat. Rallye Dash, AND standard dash. Opening doors, hood and trunk. -A true 3n1 kit......

Three, I'd pay MPC/Round 2 to make the General Lee in 1/16th CORRECT, AND be a 2n1 kit, to have the ability to have not just 426 Hemi, but a 440 as well, and make all the wrong parts, RIGHT, and have a half ways decent interior!

Four, I would NOT mind seeing a 1/16th '78 Dodge Power Wagon either! NOT a Little Red Express, but choice of it as well as choice of the Warlock too, to make it a 3n1, with 3 engines to choose from 318 "stock" 360 "LRE" engine, or 440 for the Warlock.......

[lordairgtar]

Boy that kinda backwards thinkin. You'd make hand over fist with Gentleman's club versus the hobby shop.

 

It always ain't about money.

 

[1930fordpickup]

I think I'd go the route of buying or heavily investing in Hobbico/Mobius/Round 2.  Get some new stuff funded, maybe R&D or reverse engineer some old kits.  I wonder why none of these companies have tried 3D scanning some of the old kits from lost molds to re-create them?  They could literally just put the whole sprue into the scanner and they'd not only have the parts, but the channels as well.  A little CAD/CAM and they're done.

 

From what I have been told the 3d scanner only gets you the points but does not get you the surfaces to cut into the molds. Now again I have been told that a simple (compared to a model car) gallon jug like laundry soap would take almost 40 hours to do 1/2 by connecting the dots. 

You are correct in the way it could be done and I agree it should be done for older models for a new tool but it is not always as simple as we think it is. 

Sure wish I would have won so we could find out how easy this would be to do. 

 

[Deathgoblin]

From what I have been told the 3d scanner only gets you the points but does not get you the surfaces to cut into the molds. Now again I have been told that a simple (compared to a model car) gallon jug like laundry soap would take almost 40 hours to do 1/2 by connecting the dots. 

You are correct in the way it could be done and I agree it should be done for older models for a new tool but it is not always as simple as we think it is. 

Sure wish I would have won so we could find out how easy this would be to do. 

 

It probably depends on the scanner in question and the software.  I know that Jay Leno has used 3D scanning for parts on his 1:1 cars.  He had to replace a door handle on a Duesenberg, and because it was ornate and rare there were no spare parts available.  They scanned the one for the opposite side, mirrored it and printed/machined a replacement.  I've done some 3D stuff with 3D Studio, but not working with scan data.

[1930fordpickup]

It probably depends on the scanner in question and the software.  I know that Jay Leno has used 3D scanning for parts on his 1:1 cars.  He had to replace a door handle on a Duesenberg, and because it was ornate and rare there were no spare parts available.  They scanned the one for the opposite side, mirrored it and printed/machined a replacement.  I've done some 3D stuff with 3D Studio, but not working with scan data.

That is why I love Jay Leno. He throws his money at his cars for the rest of the world to look at and love. It was said that he was part of a group of guys that put money in a replacement head for Duesenbergs.  They needed patterns that my brother in law worked on 10 years ago or so.  

You are correct that the newer software might be easier but unless you are using products of the same company (or one that is designed to scan in one spot and then 3d print in another) that might be the problem from the guys I was talking to.

I will have to send out a question to the guy I know that works with surfacing now that it has been a few years.  Things change by the day with Tech. 

[Deathgoblin]

Good point!  I'd be curious to see what he says.    It's probably harder than I intended to make it out, but much less difficult than making one from scratch.