Will has been working on the B9 since last summer. I think it may be the last metal ship to be reproduced in Shapeways.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, October 22, 2020 - 11:40 am: Edit

Will just sent me the B9 so it should be released with the November batch.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, October 22, 2020 - 05:52 pm: Edit

Behold the B9

By Aaron Staley (Awwwdrat) on Thursday, October 22, 2020 - 06:28 pm: Edit

That is so friggin cool.

By ART TROTMAN (Drneuro3000) on Saturday, October 24, 2020 - 07:35 pm: Edit

Thanks Will for competing this awesome B9 at last! And thanks Steve for releasing so quickly in the November batch! I can’t wait until Monday November 2 to order one in 1/3125 and one in 1/3788, soon after. But it will be awesome to add that big 1/3125 beast to the already added FD7 and C5, to complete my fast squadron of Doom.

By Aaron Staley (Awwwdrat) on Friday, November 06, 2020 - 10:01 am: Edit

Now i have one of every 3788 Fed miniature (that is currently available), all counters on the way to be added to their storage trays, and additional custom made battlefo, i mean storage trays for what will soon get painted.
Thats how i wanted it done 20 years ago.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, November 06, 2020 - 07:23 pm: Edit

Shapeways did not exist then. Pity.

By Aaron Staley (Awwwdrat) on Friday, November 06, 2020 - 09:31 pm: Edit

I just wish they could print in pewter. But plastic will have to do. Foam trays custom made for them, and magnetic stands. Starting my klingon collection now.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, November 06, 2020 - 11:53 pm: Edit

I think they can print in brass but nobody would pay the price.

By Steven Zamboni (Szamboni) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 10:33 am: Edit

Metal prints also have the issue of recasters using them as molds.

By Aaron Staley (Awwwdrat) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 10:55 am: Edit

ANYTHING has recasters using them as molds. Doesnt matter what it is. But, you have to be a real expert. Otherwise you end up spending 3 times as much. (And there are experts).

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 11:02 am: Edit

I can remember my one attempt at casting back when I was 12. Block of clay, three inch toy battleship, mom melted some wax for me. The one ship I did broke in four pieces coming out of the clay, impossible to scrape the clay off of the ship pieces without destroying them. I learned a lot that day.

By F Michael Miller (Fmm) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 05:49 pm: Edit

I did cast several Zocchi Fed CAs in silver using the lost wax method. SVC has one. I also did 1 Fed DN. I cast a Neo Tholian CA by making a plastic mold, a jewelers wax positive, then a brass (or bronze) copy via lost wax.

By Aaron Staley (Awwwdrat) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 06:18 pm: Edit

Is there a plan for the return of dice sets? Stuff like that interests me. Print on demand with shapeways might be good for those.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 06:53 pm: Edit

No plan for dice. I am not sure I knew Shapeways could do them, and doubt they would hold up under use, but maybe one of the sculptors knows more than I do.

By Aaron Staley (Awwwdrat) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 07:03 pm: Edit

Ah well, just a thought.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 08:37 pm: Edit

Like I said, maybe one of the sculptors knows something.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 08:43 pm: Edit

Shapeways had buckets of dice. I don’t know if any of you would pay $5 or $10 for one die. And I have no idea of the durability of the printed plastic.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 08:47 pm: Edit

As you mentioned, Shapeways can do brass. Can you imagine rolling brass dice??


Garth L. Getgen

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 09:26 pm: Edit

I'd be concerned about balance for dice.

By Aaron Staley (Awwwdrat) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 09:41 pm: Edit

I would buy if they look like the old star fleet dice.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, November 07, 2020 - 10:12 pm: Edit

Making dice the old way (paying a plastic company to run off a huge pile) isn't going to happen. We inherited a 55 gallon barrel of dice that TFG could not sell. We spent years putting them into games until we ran out, just to use them up.

Other short-run methods of making dice were interesting but frankly we had too many other ideas to be bothered with something that might sell a very small quantity.

Getting one of the sculptors to put them on Shapeways with imperial emblems like the old dice is easy. But if a sculptor wants to do it, is the sculptor going to be interesed in doing the Gorns or Hydrans if the Klingons and Feds didn't make him any money?

By Aaron Staley (Awwwdrat) on Sunday, November 08, 2020 - 06:02 am: Edit

What? They want to make money? Hehe.
Yeah thats definately a consideration.
But as i said, just a passing thought. Would still be cool.

By Aaron Staley (Awwwdrat) on Sunday, November 08, 2020 - 12:32 pm: Edit

Well. I ordered some of your drones today. Im not happy about them but i ordered some anyway. We will see if i like them or not. What the heck, i'll give it a chance.

By Aaron Staley (Awwwdrat) on Sunday, November 08, 2020 - 05:35 pm: Edit

Klingon Z2 & ZV fighters coming soon? Will be needing them.