new playmobil style figures.

[Steve]

Hi all,
I have a small manual injection molding machine and was thinking of
making small figures in the Bearbrick or Playmobil style; I was
thinking of doing offbeat stuff such as holiday figures or historical
subjects such as the Thirty years war or WW2.
What do you think? What sort of things would you want to see made if I
go ahead with this?
Regards,
Steve

[GaiusIulius]

well, in the first place its ur dicision. To my mind Id like to see some WWII soldiers, cuz they r really rare.

[cheng]

.....a small manual injection molding machine......Bearbrick
...Steve

Hey Steve,
you could be getting a long wish-list of 'orders' and no time to earn your living 
there are so many war themes not 'customable' without using 'foreign' materials 
i dont use putty/molds and dont even have a printer for transparent stickers 
maybe i'll just wish for a samurai soldier(with his semi-bald n folded tail-on-top hairdo!) large loose sleeves and mid-length baggy pants tied into his straw 'slippers'
...sorry if i sound like i'm teasing but i'm serious 
(its a tall order only to be tried by a seasoned customiser...not me  )

i've a better suggestion...how about helping wargaming members 'manufacture' headwears not made by geobra (for french foreign legion....sloped-bearskin hats etc etc? its a win-win thing too for GB, we'll buy many more basic figures from GB

what material will your moulds be made of?
have you any customs to show?

[Steve]

"you could be getting a long wish-list of 'orders' and no time to earn your living"
....Cheng, This is how I plan to make a living. I love plastics technology and I love toys; I come from the world of toy soldiers, and toys are my passion.
Steve

[cheng]

i also have a great passion for toys and been collecting since young but its only a hobby, like most members here. 

so Steve, what do you think of making unavailable PM parts first (rather than a whole klicky which we can buy from the DS) if your prototype gets enough orders?

just confine it to parts PM never made...like i mentioned, a samurai hair-do?  you can mould it in a single snap on hair piece...we'll have no problem painting his hair...but to match klicky skin tone will be a challenge...perhaps start with simpler parts like a WW2 german or british helmet.

my sincere apologies if other members are in a state of shock because this is against our Forum policy, can someone please say so before i start dreaming of picklehaube(s) and etc and etc ...Richard, your advice please?

 

[Richard]

what material will your moulds be made of?
have you any customs to show?

my sincere apologies if other members are in a state of shock because this is against our Forum policy, can someone please say so before i start dreaming of picklehaube(s) and etc and etc ...Richard, your advice please?

Hello, Cheng ...

You have asked for my advice. Yes, this is definitely against our Forum policy. It could also cause some serious problems with Playmobil's copyrights. As tempting as it is to have parts that are currently unavailable, we could be opening a legal Pandora's box.

However, I am curious about the plastics that you intend to use, Steve. And, like our friend Cheng, I would like to see some examples of what you have already moulded.

Most injection moulding machines use metal moulds which require expensive tooling. Do you have a different method in mind, Steve?

Steve, if you have an inexpensive production technique that is going to be limited to a hobby for profit, we might be able to keep everyone happy. First, as Cheng asked, do you have some examples to show us? Then after looking at your examples, perhaps we can worry about the next step.

All the best,
Richard

[cheng]

hello Steve,
hope we didnt sound too harsh....i think its ok to explore your suggestion...we can always work out an acceptable arrangement,
i think this board will benefit from 'toy-lovers' like you and me, as long as we pull back in line whenever we stray 

right Richard(our voice from above)    ?

[bennain]

Hello Steve,

a warm welcome from Germany.

Best Regards
Bennain

[edwinmodels]

Now this could be an interesting idea If it dosent upset the powers that be. there are so many items that I would like to see made. First of for the Napoleonic period there is the hussar jacket which could be painted in british, french russian, austrian etc colours (not sure why the powers that be havent done this them selves) Next is the Kilt which would also please the Napoleonic collectors. And now I am thinking how about a busby they only made one for a special figure and I am sure that the french fans would love to build a collection of the old guard. Next the most obvious is ww1 or wwII helments and weapons. I would also like to see rabbits because wouldnt it be great to build up a collection of cute bunnies for your railway or victorian house or battle field. Personally I cant wait for the day that some one comes up with the idea of a giant bunny, I am sure that would be a brilliant idea and one that collectors would seek out for years to come. So forget about accurate historic ideas just produce bunny heads and hands