has anybody heard if they are going to be released by anyone .Has bob ever posted any pictures of them.or did anyone get any.

Hi Wayne , AFAIK - no photo's were ever posted of any WIP or completed Master's. Bill did say he completed the master though.
No commercial production was undertaken.

As for the future - who know's?

Best

Paul

Bruce Culver has the pics of the Panther A/D masters and will soon be in posession of those and others. Right now I'm putting the finishing touches on the M-36/M-36B1/M-36B2 Masters and they just might go to the very same person. Sorry I didn't post them here, couldn't figure out the Pics link thingy on this dad-blasted $#@%$&* Network 54 stuff.

Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com

Bob , what is happening with the HVSS suspension units? Are they in the job lot you have up for sale or has somebody picked them up?

Best

Paul

Those will be included in the entire sale deal of Iron Division to a certain someone here on this Forum who's name shall not be mentioned right now. Unless, of course he wants me to, eh Doctor Evil? Right now, all I have to do with ID is making masters for future stuff and waiting for the go-ahead to ship the entire kit and kaboodle to an undisclosed location in the USA. Yes, Iron Division is staying here in the US!

Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com

It is my hope and intention to keep Bob's masters and usable molds together to see if we can re-start this line. It is NOT guaranteed! There are still financial and technical issues, but these are doable. I have some small experience in the hobby (40+ years), a potential partner, and a consultant who does resin casting now, and has the equipment to do a professional job and teach me everything I need to do this on a professional and hopefully profitable basis. The Panthers are coming to me, and I certainly would want these released as soon as possible, since the need is so great. I don't know why Tamiya hasn't done the A or D models, but they never did them in 1/35 either, except for the 1970s-era kit that is very poor.

I will admit I do not expect to make much money from this venture. It will be more a labor of love thing like Steve Faxon's operation. There are huge holes and opportunities in 1/48 armor modeling, and that is good for us. However, we are under no illusions that more than a small percentage of 1/48 modelers are likely ever to use resin aftermarket parts, much less complete kits. I will do what I can to encourage folks to stretch their skills, but that is an uphill fight. Fortunately, we will not be afraid to try some "obvious" kits and conversions, because even if we get skunked by a plastic kit duplicating one of our efforts (as happened to Ken Swenson with his excellent M8 Greyhound a/car), we won't lose that much money, and we can afford it. And, given the simpler level of detailing on some 1/48 kits, some of our parts might be usable as quick detail upgrade sets.

To some extent, this opportunity has resolved some thoughts I've had about what I want to do with my retirement. I have thought of writing some miitary novels, and that may happen at some point, but this new development does give me an organized reason to get up in the morning, and that could be a good thing. I feel that Bob had developed a good line of quality resin parts and kits that were competitive and reasonably priced. I hope we can continue with that, and Bob is willing to continue doing masters, so the heart of ID will still be here. Pray for Rosemary's baby.....

Bruce,

While military novels sounds fun, how about more vehicle titles to Squadron. Loved that series!

Damon.

Bruce,

While military novels sounds fun, how about more vehicle titles to Squadron. Loved that series!

Damon.

Bruce , wishing you all the very best for your new Adventure - I DO hope it works out for you. You will have a customer here for those Panther conversions if they come to pass- what else am I going to do with the 12 G'sI have set aside for the A + D's but keep them up for a Sunny Day

Same goes for any of the other I.D products

Best

Paul

What I ment to say is Don't ever quit producing your great products Steve..
Bruce

Yea !!!!!!!!
Please, Please keep the line going. We're all behind these products the same as if Steve Faxon were to quit production.

THANKS GUYS FOR ALL THE GREAT STUFF

Bruce

......Simply too good to see disappear.

Period.

While I have purchased several of Steve Faxon's products (they are lovely, BTW), Sarge's ID bits are simply stunning, given the quality vs. price/service.

If Batman's ID products disappeared forever, it would be a nasty blow to us, the "TOTS Tribe".

Tim, Lad, has all the British Sherman bases covered, but I kind of relied on Bob for the US Shermans.

Please, Bruce, Batman, whoever, PLEASE don't let these parts vanish. They are just too good.

My humble opinion.

And to Bob: You have my sincerest thanks for your work, it was most definitely NOT time wasted. I love the ID Sherman parts, Sarge.

Cheers, Pat

I will not be doing the Panthers, but I will make sure - with Bob's prior approval - they get to someone who will produce them. My wife and I have had a very long, intense conversation about the ID business. Sad to say for the business, she has a basic moral objection to my producing models of WW2 German military vehicles. This is the woman I love more than anything, and more to the point, I must, and do, respect her opinion concerning this subject. This is a moral decision on her part. I can build a model of a Panther or VW Kubel and fully separate the model from the evil of the government that built the original; she cannot, believe such a searation is possible, and that is the heart of the problem. My interest in military history has always been a concern to her, but she knows my opinion about the Nazi government and what they did, so my building models of German vehicles has been OK, if not great. Producing kits of German subjects, though, will be beyond the pale, and I do have to respect her opinion about that.

I am sorry if this will disappoint those waiting for the Panthers, but know that they WILL appear, just not from me. As for ID, if Bob doesn't change his mind, I will gladly take over the Allied kits - all the Sherman parts and conversions, including some that were not released - AND some new stuff that he didn't have a chance to get into production. We also have talked about some new lines that could be interesting. More later on that. I really hate to give up the '251 conversion business, but there may be other outlets for Bob's German prototypes.

Things may change in the future, but I would not count on it. I will be happy to consider any Allied subject, and provide the quality and service you have a right to expect. Your mileage may vary.....

hi bruce iron bob said that you had photos of the iron div panther masters any chance you might be able to post them just to tease us thanks wayne

I will put the Panther stash i set aside for the ID conversions up in the loft and keep my fingers crossed that Bob finds a good home for his German stuff.

but, as an Amish Luddite (and durn proud of it..... ), I haven't developed the skills needed to conquer the internet. Konrad has a FAQ on this somewhere, probably on the Assembly Line forum. Let me pop over there and see if I can defeat the Minotaur..... If not, I can email the pix to someone who can post them.

Does this mean more Allied stuff in the future? The German stuff is killing off my passion for the hobby-those camouflage patterns vex me. M36s would be nice. How about those CMP vehicles?

Well, having said goodbye to the vast riches achievable by modeling German equipment , we'd have to offer more Allied equipment to compensate. There are so many gaps in 1/48 armor that in the beginning, it would be difficult to choose just a few. There is the problem of competing with resin kits from Europe, but less expensive kits available here with the less costly postage would seem to be a good deal. Obviously, we would not want to duplicate currently available kits UNLESS we felt we could improve on them. There are significant holes to fill, and we'll have to ocme up with a list. Then too, it can depend on what kits the major manufacturers release. Say, for the sake of argument (and loud huzzahs), Tamiya were to release a 1/48 M3 halftrack model. We could in short order come up with close to a dozen detail sets and conversions without breaking a sweat, particularly if Tamiya doesn't release any other versions.

Bob has covered most of the Sherman variables, and he is finishing up M36 masters that will cover all the WW2 M36 variants. CMK has the M32 TRV, so we would probably leave that alone because several US/Canadian dealers handle CMK resin kits. There are also possibilities in the diorama and accessories field that would be a new direction from doing only vehicles and conversion parts. My British references are not extensive, and perhaps Tim, lad (TM), would be better positioned to handle that part of the 1/48 modeling field, but for US stuff, we should be able to get the information we need to do some good of the hobby and our scale. And for me, that is the whole reason for doing this: to give the faithful some more reasons to stick with us, by eliminating as many gaps as possible without breaking modelers' budgets. Good Lord willin' and the creeks don't rise.....

Does this mean more Allied stuff in the future? The German stuff is killing off my passion for the hobby-those camouflage patterns vex me. M36s would be nice. How about those CMP vehicles?

Yes, Yes! Bruce will be getting some really nice allied Masters in the future! Work is almost finished on the M-36 Jackson (all three versions!)and I still have three new Sherman versions that have yet to be molded/cast. Yes, the CMP's are underway. Just started the buildup of the old 1/35 scale MAX kit and am scaling it down with alot of other reference materials. Got alittle crazy last week and putzed around with a Hollow Cast RAM II Master (oops, did I say that?) which is in the early stages. Have a few other items here and there, so we'll see how Iron Division part Deuce will work out. Now Bruce and I just have to work out the details of the Panther Masters to a third party for production. Now, what should I do with the Panzer IIIG and Panzer IIF Masters when they're completed?

Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com

you'd better put those stripes back on with zippers....." (With apologies to Gen. Frank Savage) Out of the blue, the bride allows as how I'm not a Nazi, and therefore I should do what I want, since the Allied troops need enemy equipment to fight against. I do not know what to say, except I posted earlier to accommodate her strong feelings, and now she has exercised her prerogative to change her mind. Shoulda kept my mouth shut, I guess. With that in mind, Bob and I will have to reorganize, but it seems that as long as we make both German and Allied models and conversions, she feels it's a balanced enterprise and it's OK. I apologize for having thrown cold water, then hot coffee, on everybody. As a practical matter, nothing has been affected, since I still have to get the funds and buy Bob's molds. He mentioned in an email all the other German stuff he had been working on, and in some mysterious way, that is what convinced the bride to change her mind. It will take some time to get things set up, but the Panthers and a lot of other nifty stuff will be coming.



Now, I'd better email Bob and let him know officially. (Don't you just love the laid back atmosphere around here?) I will start moving on this next week. My cataract operation is for 7:30AM tomorrow, and that will slow me down a bit for a few days. But, I will be able to post and annoy people..... Again, my apologies, but this all transpired only about an hour ago. If it weren't for the honor of the thing, I'd rather have walked...... Still, there's lots of neat stuff coming up.

That cataract operation will be like nothing compared to these resin kit complexities.
Get Well Soon!

Tell the bride those German tanks are for BB gun target practice and 4th of July firecracker displays

Bruce,

I had one very large order standing with ID. If I can remember what I ordered I let it stand with you. It was basically multiples of a lot of the items.

And an M-36 is absolutely the thing I have been waiting for in our scale (I can't really explain why it appeals to me so much, but it does - go figure), so even more money will be coming your way.

You are such a nice man - you have all of my support.

Phil

... blown up Panthers too.

I read this post and she gave me half a peace sign..... Press on!

Chris "toadman" Hughes
http://www.toadmanstankpictures.com

it's gonna be a bumpy ride.....

i might have got the version wrong but the m36 on the m4a3 hull would be a nice thought. oh and good luck with the op bruce i hope it all goes to plan cheers wayne

Bruce , good luck with the eye operation. Speedy and full recovery so as you can fully enjoy your hobby and Life
Thanks for the update regarding the Panther's - you have lifted my spirits

Best

Paul

Well, so much for one-fingered peace signs! Got yer newest email Bruce and now I'm really confuzzled! Best wishes to ya and a speedy recovery!

Paul, should I forward your order to Bruce? I still have it at the shop.

In reference to the M-36's, all main versions are almost done to include the M4A3 based version. I've also made a new rear hull assembly that adapts to the Tamiya M-10 Die Cast hull perfectly and a new Drop-Fit upper hull for the B1 version. Sort of a 3 for one deal!

It is just good to hear that all the German goodies meant for ID will stay with it!

Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com

Hi Bob , please send on the order to Bruce if he is up to it

Could you do me a favour please Bob and email me what I have ordered - send it to makjager@mac.com

Just so as I don't drop with fright

Here Soup Kitchen....

Best

Paul

Hi Bob, I take it that you are still holding the advance orders that you took for the Panther conversions.
Is it be your intention to pass on these pre-orders to whoever buys the Masters, as part and parcel of the ID business. Or have these pre-orders now been cancelled?
A lot of folks like myself put in pre-orders for the panthers and other ID bits so could you please put me/us in the picture as to where we stand regarding these orders when a buyer for the ID range is found.
I know that you may have to have actually sold Iron Division before this can be clarified. But with all this cold water and hot coffee flying about i am getting a mite confused????????

P.S. Bruce Culver, have a Speedy recovery.

Is the keyword when transfering people's personal info (i.e. Credit Cards) from one party to another. This is one area that I really don't like to infringe upon. About half of all of the ID orders have this info on them and thus must be destroyed, with the exception of Paul's which he openly gave me permission. Unfortunately, with ID being (temporarily) shut-down pending sale, no more orders will be filled from here as I truthfully have no time to do it and am the only here that knows how. Also, as I stated in an earlier post (I think?), some of the key molds need to be re-done. Sorry guys, but I'm sure that once the sale is final, Bruce will get this baby up and running again soon.

Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com

The situation is perfectly understandable, r.e. destroying saved orders and card details. Thanks for putting us in the picture regarding this Bob.
It is probably the best course of action anyway as it will give Bruce some breathing space before he is ready to go into production.

Please understand that this will not happen in a couple of weeks. However, ALL pre-orders will be filled. Right now, I have no way of accepting credit cards except through PayPal, as I have a PP account for my eBay sales. It is way too soon to decide exactly how this is going to work financially, but again, ALL of you who supported Bob at ID WILL get the stuff your wanted. It will be a new company, but the kits and parts will be available, as soon as we can get up to speed on the equipment and training so we can produce the stuff to the standards you would all want. I expect that we will have to set up a merchant's CC account somewhere, and there are always the messy bits about dealing with the state of Texas to set up a business, even a simple DBA. I haven't talked about this with my partner, since this latest change came only last night.

We also have to find a place to develop and mold the kits. I do not know if I can do it at my house. Most residential areas are zoned against home businesses, yet a lot of people who work have home offices for telecommuting or working on overflow from the office. Resin molding is not an obvious industrial process like making injection molded kits, so we may be able to work out of my storage building. But, it all has to be according to Hoyle and SWMBO..... And, there are packing materials, boxes, plastic bags for parts, wrapping - all the fiddly poop that drives you nuts sometimes. But, of course all this is quite doable; it just will take a bit of time. Some of the molds have some life in them, so some kits or parts could perhaps be molded a bit earlier than others, but I don't know which ones are OK and which ones are not. We do have an experienced resin molder to guide us through the learning curves. I suspect in the beginning thise curves will look like the Texas Giant at Six Flags, but that's life.....

Try to be patient for awhile. My partner and I are both retired, so time is not a factor. Money will be a factor, but only in timing. We will get this puppy off the ground and housebroken.

It`s nice to know that the ID range has gone to a good home.I want to wish you the best of luck in this endeavour

I can appreciate the size of the task in front of you and your better half. I know nothing about Zonal laws in the state of Texas, living in the UK. But we have similar restrictions over here and i suspect local government pen pushers are all the same where ever you go.
Just try to climb one mountain at a time.

As I wrote to Bob Batdorf, the main reason I want to continue the ID line is to provide more variety in 1/48 armor modeling and help grow the scale. That's really pretty much it. Right now, I'm apparently the best bet to preserve Bob's ID line (we are going to change the name, largely to shield Bob from any claims from his former partner), and it is plenty good enough to be preserved. There are also some very nice sets that never made it to RTV, and we want those to see the light of day, like the jeep details/accessories set. There are plans for things for the Tamiya Opel Blitz (unless Jan beats us to them) and other recently released 1/48 armor and softskin kits. For example, I do want to have a set of 8-bolt wheels for the Tamiya Blitz, since perhaps 90% of Blitz trucks had these later wheels. We hope to have some good stuff out eventually. Of course, we would appreciate your support when we do get stuff out there.....

I am glad to see the line is continuing I did put in an order back in September for a bunch of stuff I can't remember what all I did order at the time Never heard from them

Sooner or later I will get the stuff I need

Chad

Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com

You did mention it in 2008. Probably the master wasn't even started.

Vedran Kalamiza
www.HRCappuccino.org

Started the lower/upper hull main parts then it was stuck in a box with some other started projects and is now in storage due to limited space here. Right now I only have space for a few projects at a time, unfortunately. The main body of the tank is pretty simple, just gets tricky when it comes to the Turret and Starfish Roadwheels.

Bob and Steve
Top Gun Military/IRON DIVISON Resins
http:www.topgunmilitary.com