Demand for 3d Printed figures

LGB Guy

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Hello all,

honest question here so please give me your 2 cents. I'm having someone make me a few 3d printed Halloween figures and wanted to know how big a demand for us model railroaders (at all scales) are actually searching for new figures that are Halloween and Christmas related. I'M NOT SELLING ANYTHING! its because I'm having some made and curious if anyone else feels there is a shortage of good figurines.
 
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Zerogee

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I think that we'd all be interested to see some pictures of the designs....?

Jon.
 

LGB Guy

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I think that we'd all be interested to see some pictures of the designs....?

Jon.

I can show soon enough. What are your thoughts on finding figurines? is there a tight supply or am i making this difficult?
 

Zerogee

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I can show soon enough. What are your thoughts on finding figurines? is there a tight supply or am i making this difficult?

Good quality, realistic figures are always going to be popular I think.... by "good quality" I'm talking of the standards of Preiser, Prehm etc.
More stylised and caricatured figures have appeal to some folks (certainly they are quite common in the 16mm world), but my personal preference is for the more realistic, true to scale appearance.

Jon.
 

PhilP

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I think there might be a problem with different cultures idea of a Halloween figures.

A US 'trick or treat' figure would be very different to a German Faustian figure, for example.

Popular culture varies so much.
 

Paul M

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Good quality, realistic figures are always going to be popular I think.... by "good quality" I'm talking of the standards of Preiser, Prehm etc.
More stylised and caricatured figures have appeal to some folks (certainly they are quite common in the 16mm world), but my personal preference is for the more realistic, true to scale appearance.

Jon.
I wonder why 16mm users tend (I do mean tend, I know lots who dont) to go for caricatures, is it because 16mmers usually model bucolic branch line affairs?
Anyway, some pictures would be good, there does seem to be shortage of good figures
 

Zerogee

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I wonder why 16mm users tend (I do mean tend, I know lots who dont) to go for caricatures, is it because 16mmers usually model bucolic branch line affairs?
.........

It's a good question..... yes, maybe the whole feel of the sleepy bumbling British NG line - which is probably the most common 16mm scene - just works with the cartoony caricatured figures. While I can appreciate their charm and understand why some like them, they are not to my personal taste. But hey, Rule Eight, right? ;)

Jon.
 

korm kormsen

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Madman

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I'm always looking for figures. 36-22-36 comes to mind.....:rofl:.....All seriousness aside, good quality, to me means at least equal to or better than LGB figures. Years ago I placed Preiser figures my garden layout. The look great, but have gotten so expensive that I have switched to a mixture of LGB and Bachmann.

Before 2008 I could buy a set of three Preiser figures for about $17.50. Nowadays they are twice that and more !

So the answer would be yes, I would like to see more figures on the market at working man's prices.

I like Bachmann's figures as they are somewhat a characature but realistic enough for my taste. I've contacted them about broadening the line of figures and they have answered, "we will take your suggestion under advisement. That was maybe three years ago.
 

Paradise

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Yeah, some of the Preiser figures are ridiculous in price. The Pope is $100 Australian here therefore I have none.
The Bachmann SceneCraft G scale figures look good for British stuff. Nothing like the Big Hauler ones which are toy like. I have none of those either, yet.
Below is a pic to show how different some are.

254114
 
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LGB-Sid

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I have also tried printing figures using a FDM printer at G scale but the results are not acceptable , maybe printing to suit 16mm on a FDM printer they might work. To get the details they would have to be printed on Resin type printers for G scale but I have no idea how strong the Resin is and how it fairs to being left outside. You can get some 3D printed resin figures in G scale at the moment from one or two places but the price per figure is way to much for me.
 
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maxi-model

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3D printing of figures is becoming more common in all scales, especially where a more specific true to subject and scale product is required - even "selfies" ! By accident (!), looking for a crew for my 009 Baldwin, I bought a couple of Hattons 3D printed 1/76 scale Driver/Fireman figures, specific to a pre grouping operator. They were a lot more expensive, even unpainted, than equivalent "generic" painted volume produced figures of the same era. And that's the problem with 3D at the moment, even though you may get the print file free, cost of production. So, injection molding, quick cure resin and lesser though now white metal still rule for the sake of economy where a "volume" market is there.

I run a lot of US NG Fn3 stock so I have gravitated to the Woodland Scenics range, a little bit characterful in their own right I suppose and possibly underscale. In the 16 mm scale world, the other camp I have a foot in, I think the seeming propensity for "cartoon" figures is that there is a particularly prolific and well known supplier in that arena providing figures of the right size to match the stock and a dearth of more lifelike figurines of the right size to match the scale. The more true to life are out there though, both resin and 3D printed, but you have to look for them. Max

Examples of quality that can be achieved even in 1:76 scale 3D printed figures

20190703_112954.jpg
 
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Madman

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Resin figures are brittle, thus should be handled carefully. I don't know if ultra-violet rays have an effect on resin, though my guess is that it does, like everything else.
 

38thfoot

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I did see an article about a company that will scan you in a variety of poses and then provide 3D print(s) of yourself so you can drive your own trains!

38
 

Rich53

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for Halloween figures check out ebay Hallmark Haughton collection
 
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Alec K

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Don’t think it was them, it was in the OO9 news and a guy had himself scanned and printed in 4mm

38
That's exactly what Modelu undertake.
 

maxi-model

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That's exactly what Modelu undertake.

Clue is in the business name :D I think I have seen them at the 16 mm NGM show and at the Warley show the past 2 years. Punting themselves all over the model rail world - But then wouldn't you if you could offer your USP across all the scales. Then again they may not be the only company at it. I alluded to this in my original post. Bit like have a personalised number plate on your car ;) Max