playmobil parts remade with aluminum.

[-bbbb]

This was sort of interesting. It looks like someone has remade some playmobil train parts in aluminum and is selling them on ebay in Germany. This link is to a remake of the generator for a 4017/4019/4021 But they also have some connecting rod pins in their other listings at the moment.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/282867664011

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[playmofire]

It is indeed, those generators are like gold to find!

 

[James Day]

It is indeed, those generators are like gold to find!

Well found. Those items all appear to be turned on a lathe!

Wow! The pins are particularly good. I would have thought that the little generators would be best created by moulding (taking a rubber mould from one and the running it until it wears out).

A chum did the SM tool box lid and roof like this for me some years ago. Never thought about doing the generator though!

James

 

[playmofire]

Well found. Those items all appear to be turned on a lathe!

Wow! The pins are particularly good. I would have thought that the little generators would be best created by moulding (taking a rubber mould from one and the running it until it wears out).

A chum did the SM tool box lid and roof like this for me some years ago. Never thought about doing the generator though!

James

You could make a fortune if you did generators and funnels.

 

[James Day]

You could make a fortune if you did generators and funnels.

Sadly Gordon,

I am not in a position to do that now. Some chums of mine had a little factory in East Sussex and did this commercially.

I got as far as looking at the ears for the 4052, which are also highly sought after but that was as far as it got.

I my experience of getting parts made for Dublo and Tri-ang over the years none have ever been that commercially successful - missiles for Tri-ang Battle Space always did well, but the best seller of all was (and still is) rubber insulating strip for Minic Motorways - 40km made and sold since 1992!

If there is a demand I guess the 3D printer people will step in.

 

[stockers]

You could make a fortune if you did generators and funnels.

The market - although real- will always be tiny. To make a fortune you need to sell thousands, if not millions. It is a cottage industry and might manage to subsidise your hobby a little - if your lucky.

 

[playmofire]

My comment was tongue in cheek, gents. I couldn't find an emoji for that.