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I`m doing resin casts for the company casting bases and minis from urethane resins. We had a quick chit-chat at the workshop and we came to conclusion it would be cool to allow all the hobbyists out there to make reproductions of their own conversion parts, models and all the other funky bitz they come up with.
So if you made something you`d like to cast mail me at jeskenis@gmail.com .
One word of notice though - we won`t make a copy that would break anyones copyrights, shame on you for even trying . So if you`ll ask us a quote on copies of 100 Eldar Guardians your request will be thrown to sludge pit where all our chemicals lie and forgotten (all that will be left of it would be a quickly disappearing patch of smoke just after hearing a familiar "shhhh" noise ) . On the other hand if you sculpt a shield you`d like to use on your warriors or even sculpted some models you`d like tu use as your own regiment I`ll be more than happy to help you make that desire come true .
All our casts are made from high quality urethane resins. They`re flexible and at first could be mistaken for plastic. This kind of resin is perfect for gaming purposes as the casts don`t break and we`re able to reproduce even the tinest and most intricate of details.
But to not take only my word for it I`m attaching a sample pic of the pre-production piece I did for Pulp-City (www.pulp-city.com).

What if I build a scratch which contains a copyrighted symbol (ie there is a FW mechanium symbol on the side of a tank I made)?

@jabbakahut : I`ll repeat an answer I`ve given on one of the other boards.
tough question. Personally I wouldn`t mind if someone used some parts from my models as long as most of the work is original. On the other hand we all know GW is, quite rightly, a bit too nervous about their copyrights.
I`m not 100% sure but I think law states that as long as most of the model is original and you`re doing such piece for yourself all is fine. I`ll ask folks from our legal department and will pm you their answer as soon as I get it.
At the moment it would be cool if you could mail me ( jeskenis@gmail.com ) pics of your models so I`ll know what we`re talking about .

Hmm, I think you could plead ignorance and just say "whats wrong with it? its just a fancy cog"

skavenfreak wrote:Hmm, I think you could plead ignorance and just say "whats wrong with it? its just a fancy cog"

well, since the OP is doing the casting, he could also just send them back to you and plead ignorance as well.. "what stuff? I never got any stuff.."

Its very simple why Przemas shouldn't or wont cast items using or based off another companies IP, The small amount he will make as a profit casting someones item will no where off set the Legal fees, fines and penalties he may occur defending the item in court if sued.

well said Dragonforge .
But that`s not the only factor - I`m making a living from casting pieces and as I don`t want my copyrights to be broken I try to behave in a similar maner and I don`t want to break someone`s elses . Simple really . We have a saying out here - "you don`t sh...t into your own nest" .

How does your pricing work?

I thought you could do whatever you wanted so long as you personally created it? Like greenstuffing a cog with a skull on it. Thats a rather generic symbol IMHO.

skavenfreak wrote:I thought you could do whatever you wanted so long as you personally created it? Like greenstuffing a cog with a skull on it. Thats a rather generic symbol IMHO.

Sculpting your own gear like thing on your model is one thing .. scratch sculpting a tank and putting a forge world produced Icon on it and then wanting to cast for resale is another. I be leave that is what the original discussion is about.

sculpting a cog with a skull is probably ok, sculpting it to look exactly like art work from GW would be considered an IP violation.

Yeah, I was talking about using something from an icon pack. My mind was spinning after reading about that crazy guy who did the 4 scratch build Titans casting his own resin.

This is very interesting!
I have tons of questions. heres a few.

- How do you work out the prices?
- What kind of putties do you prefer the sculpts to be made in?
- Do the masters get destroyed in the process?
This next question may seem slowed but i wanted t ask it nevertheless
- Imagine i create a original sculpt i then ask you to cast it several times... do you keep the moulds after my request? Do you continue to cast it to diferent clients?
- Is there any quantities limits?

NAVARRO wrote:This is very interesting!
I have tons of questions. heres a few.

- How do you work out the prices?
- What kind of putties do you prefer the sculpts to be made in?
- Do the masters get destroyed in the process?
This next question may seem slowed but i wanted t ask it nevertheless
- Imagine i create a original sculpt i then ask you to cast it several times... do you keep the moulds after my request? Do you continue to cast it to diferent clients?
- Is there any quantities limits?

Navarro a few general answers to your questions on materials and molding.

You can make your original model out of just about anything but sulfur based clay ( which is rare so don't worry) so as long as it solid you can make a mold off it.

Masters should not get destroyed in the process unless its been poorly put together and it pulls apart because rubber gets behind it and pulls it off. GW switched to RTV molding and making Urethane castings of all their original greens and then master molding the urethanes to make metal figures a while back just because it helps save and protect the original model for future use.

The molds have a life span, simple models the mold could last upwards of a 100 castings before it breaks down and tears. Ive torn molds after 5 castings because there were so many undercuts the rubber grabbed and tore. Using a quality mold release will extend the life of a mold too.

As for the pricing end, as I don't do production work for others I can't give you answers on those questions.

Thanks for the clarifications mate, I apreciate it.

I ussually do all my sculpting in Greenstuff so can i assume its good enough for casting purposes?

Casting some bitz and pieces for my armies would speed up the convertions process, although prices do need to be "good", i rather spend more time and scult all pieces one by one than splashing serious money on casting.

I'm curious if my detail work can be replicated by casted resin.

NAVARRO wrote:Thanks for the clarifications mate, I apreciate it.

I ussually do all my sculpting in Greenstuff so can i assume its good enough for casting purposes?

Casting some bitz and pieces for my armies would speed up the convertions process, although prices do need to be "good", i rather spend more time and scult all pieces one by one than splashing serious money on casting.

I'm curious if my detail work can be replicated by casted resin.

Greenstuff is perfect. Also other putty's like Milliput, Aves, Magic sculpt and so on. Many of the french sculptors like to use Fimo to sculpt from and it is an ideal method to reproduce fimo sculpts.

RTV will pick up the slightest of details, Ive had finger prints I couldn't see on a model show up glaring in a casting once cast. Its idea for the slightest of details.

As for time verse money spent I guess you have to consider what your time is worth. Im a sculptor/model make by profession..I use the technique because its quicker for me to sculpt one and replicate than it is to sculpt over and over. Plus the added fact that there is a consistency with the cast parts over sculpting it over and over.

@Navarro: Dragonforge covered most of the answers - models can be made from almost anything that cures solid, there`s no danger to original model (we often cast pre-production models from resin that later are used during creation of a mould for metal minis - as DF said it helps save and protect the original model for future use).

As for pricing - we base it on the size of the model and quantinity ordered. First we calculate estimated volume of the mould and of the model and thus we know how much materials will go for the cast. Having this and knowing how complicated the model is we`re able to give you exact price.
As you pay for the mould separately you receive it with the rest of the order. So no we won`t use it without your permission .
Sometimes if the piece is interesting we agree to different deal - we cast at lower prices or even for free if we`re stunned by the piece but retain rights for further reproduction. But as I`ve said - only when the customer asks us to work this way.

Thanks for the replies mates

Check your PM's Przemas

PS: are you przemosz on chest of colors?

I wish I was good at sculpting just so I could advantage of this. I've been wanting to do a Kitsune army(using High Elf rules) for such a long time, but there's no skill in my hands with putty.

pic of the next mini I`ve been asked to cast

Looks very sharp mate.

I'm sculpting some stuff for you guys to cast, lets hope i manage to finish it by the end of next month... So far, from the examples you provided im very optimistic about the potential results.

Hi all,

Does anyone know where the line is regarding components that fit on other models?

For example, if I were to sculpt a set of ornate mechanical arms say with a sword and shield, and they just happened to fit the GW plastic drednought model, is there any way that might violate GW's IP if I were to sell them? (Obviously they wouldn't be called drednought arm alternatives).

Another example would be heads - if say someone did various heads with pointy ears and tall helms that were compatible with say the high elf spearmen or archer regiment - is there a line that can be crossed there?

Regards,

Danny.

I dont think the problem is bitz that fit with other ranges but more about the design of those bitz.

First example, the mechanical arms to fit a dread would have to follow the already GW design ( shoulderpads etc)... even if sword and shield were generic enough the arms should not have dread shoulderpads or anything similar to GW design or illustrations etc...
Second example is also a violation of GW ip since you intend to copy the GW pointy elf helmet design.

Personally i wouldnt make those two examples and theres always a bit of controversy about bondries and limits of IP...

I'm also making my bitz for my GW armies and even if they are not intended for resale and are just for my personal uses i avoid to copy the GW designs.

as Navarro said - if the design is original there`s no problem even if it fits other product. I know it sometimes may be difficult to draw a definite line - how many original swords can you come up with ?
As a rule of a thumb you can assume that as long when you show the part you did yourself none tells you "oh, it`s a part from space marine / catachan fighter / etc" it`s ok .

hey, im very interested but I have a question and would like you to pm me the answer. Im making a type of "ruined power plant" that I would love to be casted. However, there are many small wires and the original model is made out of nothing but tubes, plastic, wire and smaller tubes. Would it still be possible to cast this? What about if it has been mounted to a base? And is it a violation to have it casted with a couple of GW bitz on it?

PenguinParsons wrote:And is it a violation to have it casted with a couple of GW bitz on it?

I'm not speaking for the Resin casting service.. as I'm just a forum goer like tourself.. but I know the answer to this..

the Short answer is "its an IP violation" its the same as casting an arm.. leg.. or powerfist from a GW model.. the prefer you to make your own original model to cast.. and not have any thing that is from their models.. it needs to be an original sculpt.. and cannot look like their models in any way.. i.e. you can't make your own space marines (which look just like GW's space marines) and cast those ..

I recently emailed GW legal asking many questions regarding the matter..

You can on the other hand do cast them for your own personal use (they frown on this though.. but not enough to be bothered).. but because this is a service.. this is not the case.

I think this is an awesome idea to offer a casting service.. and although I have the skills to do this myself.. I see the value in offering such a service to the hobby community and hope the best of luck with your endeavors.

@PenguinParsons : small bitz shouldn`t be a problem, nor the materials used . The GW bitz are tricky though...

@xv15mods: thx mate

One thing to think of also, folks, is that you are only violating IP if you sell/distribute for profit.

So Joe-Bob can cast GW pieces to his heart's desire. Joe-Bob CANNOT cast GW pieces and then sell them to his buddy Karl.

In a similar vein, Przemad cannot cast GW pieces for you. He can cast tehm and use them HIMSELF, or YOU can cast and use them, but he can't take your money for them nor mail them to you.

Just a reminder that while you're prohibited from doing something in the business world, you aren't necessarily prohibited from doing it in your garage. This is why FodaBett can make his titans and cast his components including GW bitz.

DeathGod wrote:One thing to think of also, folks, is that you are only violating IP if you sell/distribute for profit.

So Joe-Bob can cast GW pieces to his heart's desire. Joe-Bob CANNOT cast GW pieces and then sell them to his buddy Karl.

In a similar vein, Przemad cannot cast GW pieces for you. He can cast tehm and use them HIMSELF, or YOU can cast and use them, but he can't take your money for them nor mail them to you.

Just a reminder that while you're prohibited from doing something in the business world, you aren't necessarily prohibited from doing it in your garage. This is why FodaBett can make his titans and cast his components including GW bitz.

DeathGod, are you an IP attorney to make comments like the above?

I'm certainly not, but before this thread gets locked for straying into trouble, I'll just point out that DeathGod's opinion above is almost certainly not the commonly agreed upon interpretation of IP law in most countries.

Now, if one is making copies for themselves, the likelihood of GW a) finding out and b) doing anything about it may be near zero, but that does not make it legal.

Vale,

JohnS

Just to clarify, are you offering to make moulds for people (and they then cast the models themselves), or offering to make moulds, cast and then supply the finished miniatures to the customer?

Cpl_Saint wrote:Just to clarify, are you offering to make moulds for people (and they then cast the models themselves), or offering to make moulds, cast and then supply the finished miniatures to the customer?

That has already been addressed:

Przemas wrote:...
As for pricing - we base it on the size of the model and quantinity ordered. First we calculate estimated volume of the mould and of the model and thus we know how much materials will go for the cast. Having this and knowing how complicated the model is we`re able to give you exact price.
As you pay for the mould separately you receive it with the rest of the order. So no we won`t use it without your permission .
Sometimes if the piece is interesting we agree to different deal - we cast at lower prices or even for free if we`re stunned by the piece but retain rights for further reproduction. But as I`ve said - only when the customer asks us to work this way.

Emphasis mine.


Eric