31313 News! Got a nice update for you today! Mike Jensen Drone Sniper’s 3D print images, Final images of Christophe Desse’s L’Estafette, and Manchu Steam Car update!

Mike Jensen’s Drone Sniper »

Before you’ve heard the shot, you’re already dead. The 1/8 scale Drone Sniper print is done and ready for casting. The print looks amazing and if all goes well with the casting quote, it’ll be our most affordable large scale figure yet, which is the goal for our 1/8 scale figure line.

Preorder Starts: 3.20.2013
Shipping: Late April 2013
Price: TBD (sorry, but soon!)

Click here to get a Drone Sniper Notify Me email.

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Manchu’s Steam Car »

Philippe Bouchet, aka Manchu’s 1/35 Steam Car is just about ready for production. The figures, modeled by Pedram Karimfazli, are complete and look great in the car. We should have a final, color render of that soon. Meanwhile, here’s a shot of the Steam Car and Figures separately. Preorders start in April 2013!

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Christophe Desse’s L’Estafette »

Here’s the final images of Christophe Desse’s 1/35 L’Estafette w/figures (included with kit!). Of note are the new rims. After some feedback and research of wire rims done with photoetch, we realized that it’s difficult to design, (not really a problem for us) difficult to cast as we wouldn’t want to split the wheels in half like more PE/Resin wire wheels do for 1/35 motorcycles so would mean each wheel would have 5-6 parts that would have to fit PERFECTLY and resin shrinkage is always a problem, and difficult for the average modeler to do correctly the first time without needing extra wheels (why most 1/35 motorcycle kits don’t have wire wheels as the default). So what we’re going to do is have the wheels be 4 cool dieselpunk mag wheels, with two optional hubcaps for the rear wheels. We may do an optional set of wire wheels if there’s enough interest. Let us know!

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Time for a steamy edition of iMech news! In this episode, we update you on Friday’s Steampunk preorders, show off Christophe Desse’s L’Estafette roadster, and finally show the Orb Ship I’ve been working on as well as put the 2nd Edition up for Preorders!

Fish-Fry Friday »

First up, the new fish sub, Prof. FichtenFoo’s Implausible Long-Nose Submersible goes up for preorder on Friday March 1, 2013 along with Christophe Desse’s Submariners and the Skipper. All three of these Steampunk-styled kits are in 1/35 scale. All three will be shipping in Early April at the latest. The Skipper is the long awaited pilot for the original Fantastical Fish-Shaped Submersible (which is in stock now) and comes with a new seat and control sticks. Will be great for ships, balloons, etc!

Prof. FichtenFoo’s Implausible Long-Nose Submersible » $99 + Shipping

Christophe Desse’s Submariners » $35 + Shipping

Christophe Desse’s Skipper » $18 + Shipping

L’Estafette Renders »

Christophe Desse has posted some fantastic renders of his upcoming 1/35 scale L’Estafette. I love these because they look like finished plastic figures. Cool stuff coming in May 2013!

FichtenFoo’s Orb Ship Build-up »

I finished up my Orb Ship build-up last week after putting it aside for several months while working on other masters and product launches. It’s a really fun build and if you haven’t had a chance to get one, you can preorder the next edition on Friday. Here’s the pics of my build-up and more detailed info/tutorials on the build can be found on my blog at FichtenFoo.com.

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Scott Robertson’s Orb Ship 2nd Ed Preorder »

The Scott Robertson 1/48 scale Orb Ship‘s 2nd Edition will be available for PREorder on Friday 3.1.2013 as well. This very large ship is $155 + Shipping.

Wow… I’m getting several emails a day asking about this kit, it’s release date, images, etc… Looks like it’ll be a hit! Make sure you get on the notification list by registering for the shop (not the forum, as that’s a separate registration as is not connected to the store in any way) and clicking the notify me link on the Rook page. I’m planning to launch the preorder in mid February, but need to finalize all the costs to come up with a retail price first so bear with me.

I received an image of the printed master parts of the rook (pilots and pawns are coming) today and it’s too cool not to share. I’m told that the joints are nice and tight with the included resin pins, and there’s only one leg printed (since we’ll duplicate that 4x in the casting process for each kit) so we can’t show a built-up version yet. However you can see the crisp printing, detailed parts, and just it’s general coolness.

Also as you can see, the box art is finalized and will soon be going to print for both the Rook walking tank and the Pawn Brigade figure set.

The Rook will be cast by the same firm as the Dustbuster so you can expect VERY high-quality castings with minimal plugs and almost no mold-lines. Should ship by the end of March 2013.

Really big update today ladies and gents! Three new designs and one announced a while ago seemingly risen from the dead. And of course the usual preorder/restock updates.

Calum Watt’s Freaky Gothic »

I started talking with Calum Watt a few months ago about collaborating on some of his cool mechanical designs. (see his sites here and here) He’s working on fleshing those plans out for us, but meanwhile he updated a very old sketch I was very interested in using as the Squid Sub pilot/captain.  This cool steampunk-esque figure will be available with the Squid without the coat as the pilot. A separate coated figure will also be available in 1/35 aka 50mm scale. But not only that… the figure is so cool that I’m really considering doing a 1/6 scale (300mm, 12″) version as well. The figure will be 3D sculpted by David Richardson. David’s been collaborating with us on a number of unannounced projects already and does amazing work. (don’t ask… I can’t tell!) You can view David’s site here. No release date yet on the individual figures, but the seated pilot will come with the Squid. Fill out the Notify Me to get info when a preorder is available.

Pre-Sculpting Plans^

Original sketch circa 2005^

Alb-Lab’s T-Zero »

This one has been in the works for a while from Alb-Lab, makers of the Markov Racer. The long sleek T-Zero designed and fabricated by Alberto Longo & Daniele Cattarin is their latest anti-gravity racing endeavor. Featuring resin body and a vacuform canopy. No word yet on decals or PE parts. Expect this one to be available in Fall 2012. Fill out the Notify Me to get info when a preorder is available.

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FichtenFoo’s Fish Sub II »

Since the Squid Sub is delayed, I still wanted to have a new FichtenFoo steampunk vehicle available for 2012. A while back I saw some cool fish X-rays and one caught my eye. I finally sat down and started the master last week for a new Fish-Shaped Submersible based on the Longnose Butterflyfish. It’s a cool-shaped fish and depending on how squared back I make the fins, (do a Google image search to see how the actual fish looks) will look very sleek and fast. The eyes are set low on the body so this craft will be piloted by someone seated in a prone racing motorcycle position in order to see out the windows. I’ve just gotten the basic body shape done so far so expect more images as I detail it up. It’s slightly smaller than the original Fish Sub I did a few years ago. I do know this kit will use LOTS of photoetch, a potential white metal (pewter?) propeller, clear glass eyes like the Hornethopter, and of course resin and wire. Watch for a preorder later this year. Fill out the Notify Me to get info when a preorder is available.

Mike Jensen’s Drone »

A loooong time ago I announced we would be kitting Mike Jensen’s “Drone” figure. He sent me the 3D files a few weeks ago, but I didn’t have any renders until now. This will be a 1/6 scale resin figure kit. Approximately 300mm/12in. tall, but no base. No info on the release date yet, but I’ll keep you updated of course when I know more and you can also fill out the Notify Me to get info when a preorder is available.

Final Preproduction Render ^

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Steampunk Contest Voting »

Voting continues for the Steampunk Costume Contest. Click here to submit your vote by June 30th.

Preordered Item Updates! »

First up is the preorder info. I have several casters working diligently on getting these done so that I can get them out the door and into your hands.
Sasha 1/35: All 1/35 Sashas are shipping Monday UNLESS they’re paired with a 1/35 Deckhands set and need shipped together.
Sasha 1/32: Replacement casts shipping by 6.20.2012 to those of you that filled out the replacement form.
Deckhands 1/35: Different caster from Sasha, the 1/35′s and some of the 1/24th’s I believe are shipping on Monday 6.18.2012 to me from the caster. Once I receive them I’ll box and ship immediately as usual.
Deckhands 1/24: Same caster as 1/35′s, I might have a few next week to start shipping out… not 100% clear there. However I need to wait for the labels to get back from the printer. Wasn’t expecting the resin so soon!

Upcoming Preorders »

Remora 3rd Edition: At caster who will start next edition production next week. I should be able to start a preorder in Early July.
Frankenstein 1st Edition: At caster who will start molding next week. I should be able to start a preorder in Early July.
Chompbot #5 & Chomp Troopers: Both are at different casters and are in production. I should be able to start a preorder in Mid July.
Other upcoming preorder items: Sasha 1/24, Barrio Guy 1/35, Barrio Guy 1/24, Orbship, and Dustbuster.

Restocks! »

We’ve sold out of a LOT of items this past month and will be casting new editions of some of your favorites.
Remora: We’re still aiming for a July restock of these. Fifty of the 3rd Edition kits will be available for preorder next month.
Sasha 1/35: We’ve not got the first 100 out the door, but there’s been a lot of interest in her. As soon as I can get the first ones done I’ll start a preorder for the next batch.
Hornethopter: Lots of interest in this little beastie after we sold the last 10 at Wonderfest. I’ll attempt to restock these in August or September…. need to get some of our new scheduled releases out the door first.
FichtenFoo’s Fish-Shaped Submersible: Gave the master back to the caster to start molding for a 6th run! Planning to restock this one early Fall 2012.
Kastor: Same as the Hornethopter… planning to restock this one early Fall 2012.

Fill out the Notify Me to get info when a preorder is available.

Hi everyone! I’ve been on a family vacation to the beach this past week so haven’t been as in-touch as usual. Hotel had great wi-fi of course, but the netbook I took is crap! Got back yesterday after a 9-hour drive home with kids in the car (Fun!) and am getting to your emails and questions as fast as possible. Hopefully this post will help.

Today I’ve got preorder updates for Sasha and Deckhands, images of many master prints including the Red Star 47, Sasha and Barrio 1/24, and Dustbuster pilot, and probably a few more informational tidbits.

Preorder Updates! »

First up is the preorder info. I have several casters working diligently on getting these done so that I can get them out the door and into your hands.
Sasha 1/35: I am told I’ll have her casts by 6.14.2012. Otherwise the boxes are filled with wire and ready to go.
Sasha 1/32: Replacement casts should be shipping next week as well to those of you that filled out the replacement form.
Deckhands 1/35: Different caster from Sasha, he’s aiming to ship the rest of the 1/35′s I need to cover preorders to me on Monday 6.11.2012 So by the end of next week they should be boxed and out the door.
Deckhands 1/24: Same caster as 1/35′s, aiming to ship those to me by Wednesday 6.13.2012 so they’ll start shipping the week of the 18th.
Other upcoming preorder items: Remora 3rd Ed, Sasha 1/24, Barrio Guy 1/35, Barrio Guy 1/24, Chompbot #5, Orbship, and Dustbuster.

Restocks! »

We’ve sold out of a LOT of items this past month and will be casting new editions of some of your favorites.
Remora: We’re still aiming for a July restock of these. Fifty of the 3rd Edition kits will be available for preorder next month.
Sasha 1/35: We’ve not got the first 100 out the door, but there’s been a lot of interest in her. As soon as I can get the first ones done I’ll start a preorder for the next batch.
Hornethopter: Lots of interest in this little beastie after we sold the last 10 at Wonderfest. I’ll attempt to restock these in August or September…. need to get some of our new scheduled releases out the door first.
Kastor: Same as the Hornethopter… planning to restock this one early Fall 2012.

Red Star 47 »

Here’s the first images of the master print taken by Ownage prior to shipping. As soon as I receive it I’ll snap more images, create the photoetch parts (since I need to do measurements) then send it off to David Guertin for casting.

Dustbuster »

Here’s the first shot of the driver print taken by Ownage.  Like the Red Star, as soon as I get it, more pics, PE design, then off to production at Collapse Industries.

Sasha and Barrio in 1/24 »

This pair is currently in production and the images were taken by the caster, Collapse Industries. More info soon on when they’ll be available for preorder, price, etc…

Happy Memorial Day to those of us in the States. In this update we’ve got info on the Miguel Lopez Dustbuster, Dmitry Parkin Vampire, and Kallamity Kastor! Also preorder info for Sasha and the Deckhands.

Miguel Lopez Dustbuster »

Ownage sent me an image today of the Dustbuster final primed print. Looks great and the Campbell’s soup can is a great universal scale device. The print looks cool and I for one can’t wait to paint up this little guy after production!

Dmitry Parkin Vampire »

Rick Cantu sent me a few images of his finished Vampire build-up. It turned out awesome so I wanted to share. Thanks Rick!

Kallamity Kastor »

I (FichtenFoo) finished up my build-up of the Luca Zampriolo (Kallamity) Kastor this weekend. Here’s the final images. I based my build-up on the Ian McQue painting on the instructions and art-card. Details on the build-up here.

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Preorder Info »

1/35 Sashas are in production finally and I should have those ready to ship the week of June 11th. Same with the rest of the Deckhands. That caster sent me what he could before he had to prep for Wonderfest, and now that WF is past he’s back to work on them and the 1/24 scale versions.Barrio guy 1/35 will be in production soon as well.

If you had problems with your 1/32 Sasha resin and filled out the replacement form emailed to you, that resin will be shipping out in about 7 days. If you didn’t get the email (spam box got it most likely) let me know.

Was waiting on the render for this, got it, then forgot to post it up. Sorry for the wait, but it’s worth it! Here’s the Dustbuster driver, 3D modeled by Benny Garcia and conceptualized by Miguel Lopez. We went with the 3rd guy in the sketches and will probably do the other two at some point as well. The seated driver will also be available separately in a standing pose. (1/35 scale… any other scales wanted? Let us know!)

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Been a while since we’ve posted about this upcoming release. This Borderlands-inspired buggy is done and at the printer and the driver is a few days away from completion. Nate Clowar did a fantastic job of modeling this beastie and getting it ready for print. Here’s some final renders… it’s going to be a fun build! Final size:  at 1/35, it is approximately 5.5″ long, 3″ wide, and 2″ tall. Small but fierce!

Release: June 2012, Price: TBD. Click here to get notified of the price/preorder date.

Final Dustbuster Renders »

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Just a few items to report on today. Kastor preorder news and a new 1/35 figure!

Kallamity’s Kastor Preorder

Kallamity’s Kastor sculpted by world renowned modeler Luca Zampriolo will be available for preorder starting March 15th. Price will be $130.00 USD + Shipping.

Sasha the Welding Girl in 1:35

Jose Alves da Silva’s Sasha the Welding Girl will soon be available from Industria Mechanika as a 1/35 scale figure kit. She’ll go on sale in a few weeks once I get the casts. Figure includes wires and photoetch to complete kit and cart. Kit will cost $16 + shipping.

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I wanted to take this opportunity to show off another few collaborators and their upcoming product. This “Steam Car” with trailer is scheduled to be our September 2012 release. The Steam Car artist, Philippe Bouchet also known as Manchu,(see his Concept Ships stuff too) is an amazing science fiction illustrator. He emailed us asking about collaboration and sent a pile of paintings. As soon as I saw the Steam Car with Trailer I knew it’d be a great fit in our line of products. I connected him with the talented Bruce Lee, a hard-surface 3D artist to collaborate on the production model.

Philippe wanted to make changes from his original painting to improve upon the design. The Steam Car is now sportier and more detailed. Also as the model progresses he is providing Bruce with amazing sketches and details to make this release as realistic/plausible as possible. These latest images provided by Bruce today show the latest progress. They’re already tearing into it to improve the suspension (front suspension cross-bar would hit car nose on a bump in the road at the moment) and grille area. After that they’ll be moving onto other details such as the interior and front fender. The collaboration process to bring this to life is amazing to watch.

1/35 or 1/24 Scale? What Would You Prefer?

We’re not quite 100% as to what the scale will be. I asked on Facebook last week about preferred scale, but didn’t show or say what the kit would be. We do a lot of 1/35 scale steampunk releases, but this might be a nice bigger change of pace in 1/24 scale. It would be roughly 13.5in long at 1/24 and 9.25in long at 1/35. So now that you see it, check out the New Facebook Thread or post on our forum what your preferred scale for this would be.

Scheduled Release: September 2012

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