Tuesday 2 November 2010

Is Moulding Technology Really Stuck in a 1979 Timewarp?

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Yesterday, postie dropped off an order I'd placed last week with one of the top 15mm Sci Fi manufacturers. The figs were clean, smooth castings that only needed to have the bases scored before painting.

This morning another package appeared. This time an order from a different top manufacturer and unfortunately, a different kettle of fish - with prominent mould seams and mould slippage on figures in several packs that has just turned me off the entire range. My confidence in the manufacturer's products is now shaken and if I can't be sure of the quality of what I'm buying, I dont buy, regardless of how beautifully painted the minis might be on the website.

Now, I accept a degree of cleaning the miniatures may be  required - it's de rigeur - because obviously moulding and casting technology hasn't progressed at all since 1979 - has it? But what I cannot stand or accept in any shape or form is mould slippage where the two halves of a miniature are misaligned.

I'm off to take some photos for the manufacturer and maybe the blog, before I hammer the suckers into oblivion to vent my frustration. Maybe you would like a video of these figures being hammered flat.


Cheers
Mark
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6 comments:

  1. Hey, great blog btw! I Check it daily!
    But i think this is just indicative of the difference between some 'Top' manufacturers in the same way that postage does.
    But more importantly; Hammer OR Melt them down, i have found this very theraputic!

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  2. I'm with you there... I'm only hoping that one of my recent vehicle acquisitions was an exception (massive mold slippage) and not the rule. After much attention with a file/sandpaper I may well be able to actually put it together tonight.

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  3. I'm with you on this one. There is a company I will not order from due to slipped molds. I hate that stuff. Where is QC?

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  4. That should be unacceptable, shouldn't it? Do manufacturers really think it's ok to send out obviously flawed product like that?

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  5. To be fair, the manufacturer concerned has offered to send out replacements and has asked me to return the minis (at their expense) so that they can show the casters.

    If manufacturers checked every figure I can only imagine that costs would have to rise and there would be shipping delays.

    There are instances though where I think the packer (manufacturer or contract caster) is taking the proverbial.

    Mark

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  6. Production errors happen, and you can't keep all of those errors from being noticed by customers. What matters to me is how often I get a poor product and what service I receive when it happens.

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