Creating new molds?

[bekindsorewind]

Hi, I was wondering if there is a website who makes custom molds by request? If not, is there a tutorial or process on how to make a custom mold?

[CM4Sci]

Are you talking about for physical purposes or for LDD/LDraw?

If physical, it's best you ask in the Minifig Customization subforum.

-Sci

[bekindsorewind]

Are you talking about for physical purposes or for LDD/LDraw?

If physical, it's best you ask in the Minifig Customization subforum.

-Sci

Physical, and isn't this the Customization subforum?

[Omicron]

No site like that exists.

-Omi

[CM4Sci]

Physical, and isn't this the Customization subforum?

Wow, I definitely goofed. The light blue and white confused the two for me.

But no, I don't think any site like that exists.

Sorry!

-Sci

[AmperZand]

bekindsorewind,

I'm not an expert, but there are two basic ways to do it: injection moulding and 3D 'printing'.

Injection moulding of ABS is what TLG, BrickForge, BrickWarriors, Brick Arms et al do. TLG does it itself. I'm not sure about BF, BW and BA. I believe that BW provides the master sculpt to a specialist injection moulding company, but I could be wrong about that.

The other approach is 3D 'printing' which can be done in ABS.

Injection moulding usually produces neater, more detailed parts but is very expensive and best suited to large runs, i.e. hundreds or thousands. 3D 'printing' produces rougher, less detailed parts and is better suited to low production runs, i.e. a handful at a time. It is worth noting that the quality and detail possible through 3D 'printing' is improving all the time.

Amps

[Omicron]

Injection moulding of ABS is what TLG, BrickForge, BrickWarriors, Brick Arms et al do. TLG does it itself. I'm not sure about BF, BW and BA. I believe that BW provides the master sculpt to a specialist injection moulding company, but I could be wrong about that.

BW and BF do that.

Which leads to why they just can't do a random one-off custom mold off the bat. Molds have to be more than one item, so the spue would contain like say a helmet and armor. And if it is their own item, obviously they will cash in on it out of their pockets. However specific items (and colors) requested specifically for customers are paid for by the customers. And it's not cheap at all which is why they don't do item commissions (colors they do take into consideration if you sponsor). Most vendors may make a requested item if it popularly requested by the majority of the fans, like the centaur body that BrickForge makes (that was requested for years).

-Omi

[woody64]

You may take a look in my footer to address 3d printed items.

Sometimes if the item is interesting me I also create a new item per request.

Since creating molds is a very expensice process you must be willing to pay some 1000$ for a new mold and afterwards sell some thousand items ...

Whereas creating an item in 3d costs the time for the 3d design and some $ for printing.

Woody64

Edited November 26, 2012 by woody64