(Login TopGunBob) Registered Users from IP address 72.70.155.160
Sorry to say but the Iron Division 1/48th scale resin line will be no longer available as of September 30. I will be accepting orders up to 21 September and afterwards, that's it. The line is too expensive and time consuming for me to run anymore. Sorry Folks.
Bob
Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com
Only the 48th resin stuff is gone but not my work. I'll be working on new products for other folks in the future and finally finding time to actually build stuff and posting it here and on my new website. In the meantime keep your eyes on; http://www.braillescaleworks.com
Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com
God knows I've done my best to keep you in business...... We had discussed this, and I'm sorry it's come down to the wire. I'll email you about my order...... Take care, and I certainly wish you well in any future endeavours.
...about your progress on the Panzer II kit. I gotta' say, this announcement seems rather sudden and is certainly unexpected. From your regular posts here, I thought the 1/48 line must have been doing well.
I sorry to hear it. I'm quite happy with the items I've purchased from Iron Division and was looking forward to more. Will you be selling the masters and molds to another seller?
To try and answer all the questions at once, For Sherman questions please contact me off board. The M4 Composite Hull conversion is no more. The mold is shot and the Master is packed-up and ready for a voyage across the "Big Pond". Greg, I can squeeze one more casting out of the Radio Truck molds for you. Just put it in as a special request in the comments section of the ordering page.
I do have a possible buyer for the Masters with the exception of the Radio Truck and Mercedes L3000 ones. Those are packed and going home to you Bruce, this week. The STUG IV molds and Master are up for sale and are posted on my Braille Scale Works website.
The Easy Eight suspension is available, just check the 48th Scale Product listing to order it.
Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com
Bob, thanks for all your efforts. I am not into Shermans yet, but will be some day. That being said you have received one very large order from me so when I do get around to Shermans I am not kicking myself for not having your products.
Just another voice echoing sadness in seeing you stop 1/48th production. Thanks for the offerings at reasonable prices, albeit brief. I am glad I got my two truck kits. I built the cargo version and really enjoyed it. Still have the radio one to do. Do I understand that you are sending the molds for these kits to Bruce Culver? Do you know if he will offer limited editions of these kits in the future (or: Hey Bruce, will you offer these later on?)
People who build 1/35 scale put down 1/48 scale for the lack of detail, but never criticize 1/72, and sometimes even commend builds in braile scale!! So many people had such a chip on their shoulders when it came to 1/48 builds ever since Tamiya started picking up the scale. I just don't understand it.
Almost makes me start believing in the conspiracy theory!
But I'm really sad you're ending the 1/48 scale line. I was looking forward to some of the full kits and diorama stuff you had said you were going to do. Oh well...
Whish you luck with expanding your braille scale stuff.
1/72 armor modeling isn't really in competition with 1/35, so they can tolerate it. But really good 1/48 models almost equal the appearance of good 1/35 models, so we are seen as a possible threat to the flow of new kits and accessories in 1/35. That's why they are more critical of 1/48 than 1/72.
Jim, the situation is that I have tried to help Bob from the very beginning of ID to make the most accurate models he could, and I have done what I could in that regard. As part of my meddling, I loaned Bob a number of rare and valuable kits to use as masters for some of his line. Among these were a Bandai Mercedes L3000S truck, a Stok Opel Blitz 4x4 typ A radio truck, a Bandai Daimler armoured car, and a few other things that now will never get kitted, such as a Fries gantry crane for removing Panther and Tiger turrets and the like.
Bob issued the complete Mercedes truck kit and the radio body and interior set from the Stok Opel Blitz radio truck. Except for a bit of advice from me in the very beginning, all the Sherman stuff was his entirely. He really did try to meet needs as he saw them. He improved his kits as new information came along, and because he was here in the US, his prices were low, and shipping was affordable. And, his parts were among the best available anywhere.
Even though meeting the needs of those who wanted to build the HB Shermans better may have limited his appeal to others, he did meet that need, and that of folks who wanted choices in building the Tamiya Shermans. Steve Faxon can still supply the Sherman market, but his parts are solid cast and many folks don't want that. Well, now that is what is left on this side of the pond..... Steve, I still love you.....
I'm simply getting back the stuff I loaned him to master his kits, but I have no plans whatever to get into the 1/48 resin aftermarket business - there isn't any. I have a friend who can mold my own masters for my modeling use, but I'd have to be nuts to try and cater to a market that we now know doesn't really exist. Yes, there are the advanced modelers who do use resin and CA glue and will chop up $30 kits to improve them, but they are not enough to support a for-profit company in this scale - not yet. I think Bob and ID were ahead of their time, and perhaps the 1/48 armor modeling hobby will grow enough to support ID2 one of these days. But not for now.
Jim Spellmire (Login Railmen2000) Registered Users 66.166.48.114
Thanks for the info
August 26 2008, 12:52 PM
Thanks for the info, Bruce. I misunderstood when Bob mentioned the masters going back to you, I thought you would get his molds. At least now I know the pedigree of the Iron Division kits I purchased.
I have some 1/48th military kits coming out this year (Hopefully), but indeed I found the worldwide sales of 1/48th resin kits somewhat disappointing.
My ambulance kit has been mentioned in most modeling magazines, but for instance only 3!!! sold from Tamiya Modeling Magazine.
The masters for my Dodge WC52 are 75% ready, but I wonder how many WC51's MIG productions have sold.
I have some more plans for 1/48th conversions, for trucks (sorry lads, no tanks) but reading your message I am wondering if issueing these will be money and time well spent.
I surely hope the times will be a-changing, or it will be back to things with wings.
I personally like the variety available with the resin armor kits released so far. But, they are expensive, and the kits from Europe have the additional obstacle of postage costs, which have skyrocketed in recent months. I see O scale railroad cars in Europe listed on eBay, price of the car is $17.86, postage from the UK: $35+! So, I'm going to have to pay over $55 for one RR car. Fortunately, I got all the RR equipment I'll ever need some time ago, but it is getting to be too much to order things.
I'd like to order one of your ambulances, but I'd also be interested in your WC-52 weapons carrier with winch. I have two of Mig's WC-51, but admittedly they both were review samples and cost me nothing. However, I am very fortunate to have a decent retirement income, and a desire to build esoteric kits outside the commercial plastic kit area. I suspect there are always going to be two disadvantages to resin kits: fairly high prices due to the hand-made nature of the kits, and limited disteribution that makes it harder for the modelers to find the kits in the first place. With the Dodges, you could build better than a half dozen of just the WC-51/52, depending on whether the canvas top was up or down, and whether or not the truck had the ring mount for the .50 BMG over the right front seat, then all this with the winch for the WC-52.
As always, kit selection can be the difference between success and failure. Tamiya, for example, could have opened up a whole new range of subjects by doing a US M2/M3 halftrack kit, or the Panther ausf D/A. So far, they have resisted, and perhaps those won't be done for some time. Their kit No. 60 is the Marder III with the Russian gun, and this will open up all sorts of PzKpfw 38t possibilities in the future. It can be the same with the resin kits. ID was going to consider doing the US halftracks, but that came to nothing as they have closed up shop. But, they're still out there, waiting to be done.....
Postage is a pain in the rear for sure, but amounts of $35 are excessive!!! for a 1'x1'x1' box to the US, I pay some $20 for insured shipping. Tracked and traced.
If it fits through the maibox; simple mail will cost some €5,-
Thank you for your order, I'll send you an e-mail for the details.
Concerning the WC52, I'll keep yo all informed through here.
You are right about all the possibilities with this vehicle, but with the sales of the WC54 in mind I don't think there will be an enormous demand for ALL types.
Maybe a single kit with all options included will be the solution.
Input please, anybody.
I have been thinking about the M3 halftrack but making the masters for the tracks have put me off for now. But reading about it here makes me think I should start with planning it!!
Your comments on postage are interesting, since some companies and dealers have been tacking on pretty large fees for postage. I realize it depends on the country of origin; postage rates can vary from country to country. Model railroad stuff from the UK is ridiculous - postage often exceeds the price of the items.
I think one reason the M3 halftrack hasn't been done before is that everyone assumed Tamiya would do one. And, of course, this is a possibility, since nobody knows Tamiya's intentions. I have never understood why companies like Tamiya delay bringing out the very kits that would guarantee great sales and a lot of aftermarket activity, which increases sales further. The AFV Club '251C (should it ever appear) can be built as any one of a dozen versions, and a D model could be even more; yet it still sits waiting to be released. The US M2/M3 halftrack series can be built in at least a dozen versions, and represents one of the last huge gaps in US armor (along with the M3/M5 light tank series).
Again, there are at least a dozen versions that could be done: M2/M2A1 scout car/TD gun tractor; M3/M3A1 APC; M4/M4A1 mortar carrier; M5/M5A1 British APC; M9/M9A1 British APC; M3 GMC (tank destroyer/SP artillery); M15/M15A1 SP AA artillery; T19 SP 105mm howitzer; T30 SP 75mm pack howitzer; modified M15 SP 40mm Bofors gun (PTO); and a number of special purpose versions - command vehicles, ambulances, engineer vehicles, and the like. Even if Tamiya did bring out a basic M3 APC, there would be prime opportunities for a good resin aftermarket company to cover at least a half-dozen more variants. And, here's the thing: the chassis, suspension, cab area and engine section are all virtually identical for all the US halftracks, and differ mainly in the front fender design for the British pattern halftracks. Only the rear bodies and interior details changed appreciably. In resin, the rear bodies can be molded separately from the front, as Wespe does. So, the cost of doing masters can be reduced by doing only the areas that changed and leaving the rest as "master masters". Well, it's a thought - worth what it cost to read it...
As I mentioned before, prices for plastic kits are increasing - probably in some cases due more to greed by the importers than real cost increases - and in some cases, some resin kits are not all that much more expensive and may have better detailing as well. Since many modelers are using CA glue to assemble plastic models, there is no difference at all in assembling a resin kit. Generally, armor models do not have the stresses common to aircraft models, with long wings and fuselages stressing the main assembly joints. CA is an excellent choice for assembling kits and they should last as long as models built with traditional plastic cement.
I doubt the scale is "dying." It's true that Tamiya flooded the market with piles of new kits in the early years, and why not? They were trying to establish supremacy in this scale as they once did in 1/35, and you know - they did, perhaps to our detriment in the long run, because only Hobby Boss joined in, and now they are gone, along with several afetrmarket sources we will miss. The key to continued health of 1/48 armor modeling is to buy and build, and encourage and support the aftermarket industry that can supply us with kits and conversions the big companies can't do. It's all about CONTINUED sales and profits, not just what's the latest thing out.
I also hate to hear this Bob.Your stuff was top notch. And I wish I could buy alot more of it. Good luck with everything and many thanks for all your work.
Dave
'Tis indeed a day of sorrow. This is definitely a case of where it's the economics rather than the heart which is missing. Unfortunately it seems Eastern Europe is the only place we'll be able to get aftermarket items from in the future. I always find it odd that there are so few Asian/Chinese AM producers, would have thought the closeness to the core markets and talent over there would have made it a hotbed for resin producers.
Also just want to say a public thank you to Bob and Steve for their effort. Bob's definitely one of the good guys.
we should be very grateful that Steve Faxon and Tim Perry do not need to make a living from their model part/kit production, but can do it for the love of the hobby and perhaps pay for the materials they use to make their own parts. It shouldn't be this way, but apparently it is, for the moment. To Bob, I'll quote what a British destroyer captain signaled the German heavy cruiser "Prinz Eugen" as it sailed to the US as a war prize: "Until better times."
Yes its really a pity.
I recently build the Hybrid conversion and used the update set for Hobbyboss´s M4A1(w) and I was really pleased with the sets.
But I´m no Shermanholic and I cant build no more than three different Shermans in a year.
So I did my best with building Bury, Cameron and Goose Gibblets this year.
I also have a Formations M4A2 hull left, from an other company that left the 1:48 field.
Dave Reed (Login dave37167) Registered Users 68.53.48.235
Some good news
August 26 2008, 3:53 PM
Christian, et al....
The Formations molds and masters were sold to another US company. They will be available this Fall, I believe. And I'm hoping that Bob continues doing masters and maybe the occasional small sumtin' for 1/48th scale. Maybe some of his 1/72 or 1/35th items will be generic enough for us to use!! Things like crates, or barrels, etc.
And I think we may see some other people start to produce more things...
Yes, the scene has changed....but not all for the worse!!
Hope we go into 2009 still growing as a segment!!
I too am sorry to see Bob and his wonderful 1/48 items go bye-bye. I was fortunate enough to pick up his two limited run trucks among other things. And just to hedge my bet...I have ordered just about one of everything on his site that he currently lists. Never know what you are going to need until it is too late. Also, remember that as members of T48, we have access to the buy/sell forum just in case someone is looking for a part that he needs. Hopefully another member may have what you are looking for, but as that old song goes, "...you never know what you have 'til it's gone!"
Yes Dave is correct about the Formations Masters. I bought them for the new Bagheera line since Rob was having so much difficulty selling anything in 1/48 scale. For him it just wasn't worth the time and effort for the little return he got. I will be selling what I already have under the Formations packaging until they are gone and then they will reappear under the Bagheera line. We also have a few other items coming up soon most notiable will be an accurate replacement M4A1 Lower hull so you can discard the die cast one. More on other itmes later.
Only problem is that I have been flooded with orders and many are rather large ones. I've just finished Leo's and it's on the way to him and now I'm trying to finish-up Bruce's Mega Order. Your's is next I do believe. Just started a new full-time job and trying to get the casting done at the same time. Sorry about the delays.
No need for that now, Tim! You still have my standing order...I'm thinking you are still creating an item or two, then will notify me for one shipping charge! Can't wait!
