Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So with the Finecast launching and the presence of high detail plastic kits making the bulk of GWs line I’m asking out of pure curiosity, why sculpt in metal/resin at all. It’s my understanding that the plastic process starts as a 300% (or larger) sized model. When completed it is 3D-scanned, loaded onto the computer, logically disjointed into component parts, loaded onto sprues and voila. Plastic come out great, all the time, so with the problems that resin present why resin at all. The single figure sprues that came out with SoMagic are excellent, so it got me wondering.

This is not a FineCast bitch thread, we’ve got plenty of those already. I’m curious about why one technology with a proven track record isn’t applied on a wider base. Is there some sort of technical issue. Is it tradition or is it cost based. Is it really that hard to produce a new plastic project, or does it require a different type of sculptor that isn’t readily available in this day and age. Or do they just not have enough of the technology at hand to do all projects.

I would really love to hear from some people who have the inside scoop on this.

-MightyG

Its really expensive as pointed out in a lot of other "why cant we have all plastic kits" threads

Not to mention its a time consuming process, lots of things can go bad such as the mold getting dropped or something, it has to be profitable, and the list goes on. Its not as simple as "make 3D render and voila"

The moulds are made of metal, which still have to be cut out the old fashioned way. The old fashioned way being a real life human hand scanning the 3-up with a stylus that is linked to rotating bit by an armature geared to miniaturise the master by three 'a milling machine'. It is possibly automated now but if anything it would make it more expensive as there are still alot of people who are skilled with milling machines.

Finecast/forgeworld moulds are made of silicon, i.e. the stuff available to amateurs

Ok Ok, I see that there was a thread started two weeks ago that answers the question I was asking. Mods if you want to go ahead and kill/lock this thread, I'd be pleased. If I have any other questions I'll raised them in the other thread. Thanks

-MightyG

Done!