Final Post of 2012

Another year has come and gone and boy has it been one heck of a year.  The better half of the year was spent in and out of doctors offices and resulted in two surgeries...damn cancerous tumors!  Damn you I say!

On the model front, the Puma line was closed out.  Pity...I always had a soft spot for that mech...probably because it was the first scratch built mech I considered a success.  The Cougar pre-order was a success beyond my wildest imagination.  That one sold so well I am having to close that line...the molds are worn out.  Now, we have the Daishi at the caster and I am planing on which mech to do next.  It is my hope in 2013 to be able to produce 3 mechs.

What is going on right now? 

I just finished a TRO style Jenner commission.  No, I will not post pics...

I am working on a Victor commission. This one has potential.

I have been asked to do another Shadow Cat.

That is what others have asked for. I still have the Nova Cat to tweak. I have started a Nova and have Scott's Mauler and Owens to finish. I have made up plans for a Catapult that is more TRO style than Scott's MW4 version. I really want to do a Wolfhound too.  There are just too many mechs.

So, where does this leave us? I may be out of work, have doctor bills out the butt, and have more models to build that I can possibly get to...but life is good.  I have a great wife and son...what a great support system. And I have you guys...yeah, sappy huh?  Seriously, I have gotten to know many of you over the past year and value your friendship.

Thanks for all the support and see you in 2013.

Funk

Hey All,

Anyone else out there in a funk?  I just can't motivate these days.  I was commissioned to do a Jenner and while it is making progress, I am just not enjoying it...nor am I enjoying any of the other projects going right now.  I hope it is not the Holiday thing...normally I love Christmas with the family.  This year, I cannot even get excited over that.

Blah! Blah! Blah!

Update from the caster

Hi All,

I received an e-mail from the caster with an update on the Daishi.  The mold/casting cost have increased slightly but this is my fault.  When I got the initial quote, I forgot to include the SRM-6 that goes on the shoulder.  No worries though...the extra cost won't affect those that have pre-paid.

Here is what the caster had to say:

Hi Tim,

We will be wrapping up the mold mid next week and will start production on the initial 15.
We are hoping to ship the first batch of 15 before the holiday break.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Quick update

First...on a personal note...I am kinda irked.  Looks like the furlough is being extended another 30 days.  I think it is just time to look for a new line of work.

The Cougar line is closed.  I just got the last few from the caster and it seems some of the molds are starting to die.  I hope you bought them when you could, 'cause they are no more.

I have not heard from the caster since sending the Daishi...but that is not out of the ordinary.  Their casts are great...communication, not so much.  I will probably e-mail next week to see how things are going.

T

Daishi

The Daishi pre-order is closed.  If there is a second run of the Daishi the price will be significantly more than the pre-order price.

The masters are at the caster.  In the next couple weeks the molds should be done.  I will keep you updated.

I hope all my friends in the states had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Daishi to the caster

Just an FYI that the Daishi has gone to the caster...Express Mail...insured...ready to be cast. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks we can get some test shots of the castings.

On another note, a couple more pre-orders would be nice. There are quite a few customers who were very vocal about getting a Daishi but have gone silent since the pre-order went up. The pre-order price is good through November 23, 2012. After that, the price will go up to about $150.

Thanks to all of you who did pre-order and especially to those who pre-ordered multiple copies! Without you, there would be no Daishi! I really appreciate your support!

Update: Daishi Pre-Order

We still need 5 more pre-orders to complete production of the Daishi.  To pre-order, see this page.  The pre-order price is $125 plus shipping.  The cost will go up once the pre-order closes.

Here is a layout of the parts. 

One thing you may notice is the arms are one piece.  This is for a few reasons...first (and primarily) cost.  One large arm is a lot cheaper than two smaller pieces.  Second, I did not intend this to be a kit originaly so I made them as a single piece.  To make them into two smaller pieces would have required substantial time and effort.

 

I did tweek the leg/hip area.  It is set up as a ball and socket...but you can grind down the "ball" and there is a nice hole through the hips for a dowel.

Finally, I added some detail.  Again, as a display piece I was happy with it but for it to be kitted I felt it needed a bit more detail.