Templar and Happy New Year!

It may not look it, but the Templar is nearing the finish line. I have the shoulder shields done. They are designed to be optional so if you don't like them you can leave them off. It is wobbly in this pic as the ankle and knee are ball and socket joints to give you some posing options. I just need to finish the arms/guns and she will go to the caster. The plan is to get it there when the Wolfhound is done in about a month. As for who the caster will be...well...more than likely not JPG productions. I was once told I had to choose two of the three options: Good, Fast, Cheap. I settled for Good and Cheap but the slow part has gotten almost untenable. I cannot wait over two months or more for a kit to be cast. So that means Good and Fast is the newest option...downside is that means mechs will probably get a bit more expensive. Based on previous experience I would say expect about a 10% price increase. Overall, that is not too bad and on the upside, I will actually be able to cast 5-6 next year!

After this is the Shadow Cat. It is really turning out well. I have most of the parts roughed out and the putty/sanding work has started. Bleh...most boring part.

Then comes the Kodiak if I can fix a few little issues. The 3D print is beautiful but the parts were not designed with casting in mind. The Torso is going to be brutal with all the details, undercuts and whatnot.

So, here is to a Great 2017! See you all on the flip-side.

Wolfhound Pre-order is live!

Alright...the Wolfhound pre-order is going LIVE! Pre-order price is going to be $75 plus shipping. If you don't get in on the pre-order the retail price will be $95. Let me know below if you want an invoice or you can e-mail battlemechmodels AT hotmail.com. Make sure you let me know where it will ship to so I can create an accurate invoice. Pre-order is limited to 15 kits.

Shadow Cat and Private Project

Update 1: Shadow Cat

She may not look like much, but they all start somewhere. The torso parts of the Shadow Cat have been roughed out. I am really working hard on this one to make it pose-able. Models being pose-able has always been a weak part in my my builds. The Shadow Cat is light enough I can try a few new things.

Update 2: The Private Project

As I have sold the first 5 of 6 (one for my build-up), I figure word is going to get out so here it is: The Sagittaire

Pre-orders pretty much sucked on this one. Only 6 people even asked for an invoice. I worked with Jimi Glancy Jr. to do this one a little different. He allowed me to pay for the molds, then buy them in batches of 5. This was one of the reasons I was trying to sell of old stock...to pay for this one without a pre-order. Thanks to selling a few things at a discount and a loving & supporting wife who funds my insanity the Sagittaire is seeing limited production.

Enjoy!

Wolfhound Commission

The Wolfhoud commission is nearing completion.  Once kitted, it will have the two different hands, a separate head assembly and the upper legs will have a touch more length on them.  The customer is happy with it so it is time to stop tinkering.  I plan on kitting this at the beginning of 2017 after the Nova Cat is done and the private project is rolling.  While we wait on kits, enjoy some pictures. 

Nova Cat Pre-Order Closed

Yup.  We hit the mark.  The pre-order is closed.  All further purchases will be at the full retail price. As always, thank you very, very much to all those who support the production of these kits.  

On another note, I need to post pics of the Templar.  It is coming along but is more difficult than I first thought it would be.  I have also started the Woflhound commission.  That one should be cool and will probably be kitted. 

Nova Cat and other thoughts

Still trying to get to 15 paid pre-orders on the Nova Cat.   I had another thought...I could knock this out pretty quick.  Awesome anyone?

Nova Cat Pre-order is live!

Nova Cat pre-order is going LIVE! I am planning on plaques for the first 15 paid pre-orders. These plaques will be like the ones for the Atlas, Loki, and Owens regarding size and material. Cost on this is going to be $130 plus shipping for the first 15 paid pre-orders. After those first 15 paid pre-orders, the pre-order will be closed and further sales will retail at $140 plus shipping. Just send me and E-MAIL requesting an invoice at Battlemechmodels@hotmail.com. Image is of the prototype. The production version will differ slightly with increased detail and improved shoulder joints.

Next Project

Guaging interest....how many of you would buy a Nova Cat?  Price would be under $150.  Please leave a comment.

Last Atlas

I have one final Atlas from the production run.  No more are going to be produced...this particular kit is one I held for a customer who promised to pay and after months of excuses I am done holding it for him.  If you are interested, it is $180 plus shipping.  E-mail me if you want it....

Sagittaire Cancelled

I am going to have to cancel the Sagittaire pre-order.  After 350 page views here and the 50 or so people on the private FB page, there have only been six people who have expressed interest in the kit.  To make a run viable, I need a minimum of 15 paid pre-orders.

Below are some thoughts related to some questions I have been asked about producing mechs.

First, this is a hobby more than anything. I make kits for ME unless they are a commission piece. If it is a build that gets enough attention, I will kit it.

Second, pre-orders generally sort themselves out in a couple days. They may not be paid pre-orders but they will be things like, "I am in...I just need a couple weeks." There is usually no point in keeping them open for weeks if no one communicates any interest.

Third...there are a core of you out there (you know who you are) who would buy a flaming piece of shit on mech legs if I made it. Your support has always humbled me beyond belief but you should not feel "responsible" to make sure these kits see production. And there have been a couple out there who have offered to pre-order multiples if it would help. Thank YOU!

Fourth point relates to point three. Most casters don't like to make a set of molds and then cast only 10 kits. Molding and casting takes a lot of time and money. They need to make money too and are not going to make it only making molds and then casting 5 mechs here and 5 mechs there. Usually, they like to do around 30 but I can occasionally get them to do 20 with another 10 to be purchased in the near future. Sagittaire...only 6 firm and a maybe.

Fifth....almost every time I have squeaked out a pre-order, I end up with stock on my shelf for months and months. I still have Bushwhackers on the shelf...and all that stock on the shelf is money I could have put into another mech. Heck, I have about $1000 in stock just sitting here and that has made me gun shy. I can't bring myself to do it again with the Sagi.

Sixth...financing. Usually, when I sell a run of mechs I make a bit of profit. Nothing to live off for sure, but enough to roll over into financing the next kit or restocks of the popular kits. The Fafnir fiasco hurt. Not counting labor...I lost money on supplies, shipping, PayPal fees and I still have nothing to provide the guy who originally commissioned it. Also, think of the time I spent putting into a wasted effort. All that time could have gone into another project. In the past when things got tight, my wife would toss me some funds from our "fun" budget...but with the two surgeries, the bills from them, and being out of work for the better part of 4 months there is just no way I can justify taking funds away from the household to make kits that will probably just sit here.

Seventh...I hate doing these damn clearance sales. To me it is unfair to those who originally pre-ordered at a higher price only to see them selling for 30% less a year later. It just rubs me the wrong way.

All that being said, I am sure I will do the Sagittaire at some point. Jimi has already started the molds so there is that...it just is not happening at this time.

Sagittaire Update

We are off to a slow start...seems to be a theme.  There needs to be about another 5 orders to make this a reality.

Sagittaire is LIVE!

Sagittaire pre-order is a go! The kit stands around 10" (about 25.5 cm) tall. This is just a quick tack-job so you can see it. There will be gun barrels for both arms (only pictured in one of the arms here). I am still debating on which toe set to use..the broad or narrow. There are also fins that come off each arm and additional vents for the left and right side of the torso (not pictured). The Madcat MK II is included for a sense of scale. Sorry about some of the blur in the pics...my old camera refuses to focus well without the flash on...even with the lights in the photo-cube. But it is a decade or so old and has seen a lot of use. You can PM for an invoice for $150 plus shipping. This is a big kit so overseas shipping is going to be expensive.

Sagittaire

Start saving your pennies.  The Sagittaire pre-order should be coming in the next couple weeks.

General Update

Hi all. Surgery was a couple weeks ago...and when I talked to the surgeon yesterday at a follow-up visit he said the hernias were really, really big and it was a pretty major procedure. Currently I am on Oxycodone, Valium and Neurontin. This means I am doing very little on the mech front as I feel it unwise to be messing with sharp objects at the moment.

For those that ordered a Daishi, the domestic orders will go out tomorrow. For those that ordered internationally it will be a little longer as I cannot drive right now which means I cannot get to the post office to mail the kits. 

Based on what is ready, I think the Sagittaire will be the next kit. It is 90% done and just needs a little detail work. I should have that to Jimi in the next couple weeks and then he will get me a quote.

The Mad Cat I am working on is just kind of sitting there. I want the arms to be different from the original Armorcast kit. I tried the MWO style arms and they don't look right. I have played around with modding the Armorcast arms but have not come up with anything I am happy with.

The Marauder is a great and horrible print. The detail is great but will take LOTS of work to make castable. Some parts have to be modded to make them cast-friendly and every inch of this thing will have to be sanded smooth. Don't expect to see this one until next year.

Daishi Revival: Sold out

Jimi Glancy Jr. has been going through his stash of molds and thinks we can get a few more decent casts of the Daishi. This will be a VERY limited run...when the molds are dead, so is the kit production. Anyone interested? I am thinking around $150? The first 5 pre-orders will be guaranteed a kit.  After that, it depends on how the molds last. This is another of those resin hogs...

Surprise! Next Kit Reveal

Pics will speak for me....pre-order coming soon.