• @siredblood:

    @John:

    Did you make the towers yourself, if so how did you do it? 3D print? Just curious!

    However you did it. Props, to a cool looking piece. :-D

    I WISH I had a 3d printer, I actually looked for one before this mission, as Ive made 1000’s of 3d models for games, but didn’t want to shell out a few hundred bucks for a sucky one, then have to buy the stock…. then hope the printer works right, I read many complaints on 3d printers (unless I shelled out 2500 bucks… seems those work lol). I hand carved the upper tower out of balsa wood, the bottom was cut from the risk game piece, most of us use for the major complex… youll notice the naval base has the small factory from that same risk piece in the design.

    We’re looking at picking up the MonoPrice Mini Select 3D printer - I’ve seen some of the prints from one personally and they’re pretty darn nice, considering it’s a $199 USD 3d printer! They aren’t finished quality nice as you still have to clean up the layers but without going to a $2-3000 printer, it’s tempting. Getting into casting is another prospect that has been calling to me, but without the initial models what do we cast? A problem a 3d printer would certainly help with, lol.

    Very nice job on these pieces man. I like the unobtrusiveness of them as well!

  • '17 '16 Customizer

    Thanks for the comment, let me know how that printer works out. I’m tempted to design a major base, I like the one from risk, but I think I can make one that takes up less space. If i do, I’ll also mold the minor factory and cast the 4 piece set in pewter.

  • '17 '16 Customizer

    After several painting styles for these common pieces, I’ve finally got it! I’ll post the final product later in the week, at that time I’ll make the air and naval pieces available to those interested.

  • '17 '16 Customizer

    Sorry for the delay, too many A&A crap going on :)

    I am pleased to announce Ive talked with James, IwillNeverGrowUp, and he will be providing his services to allow these pieces to be purchased from his site www.iwillnevergrowup.com.

    Along with these, there will be major/minor factories also available, as well as rail/train units. We hope for this to be going by Jan 31st.

    My current air/naval base are not perfect, but they worked for me. However, the ones available will be copied from masters out of a 3d printer ( I should have next week)

    I will be taking crits on the pieces prior to the final print and welcome change requests. Ill have the 3d renders (Facilities) up this week (probably Friday)

    Im pretty stoked, I love having pieces, im telling you, once you have pieces, youll never want to look/play at/with the cardboard again haha.

  • '18 '17 '16 '15 Customizer

    @siredblood:

    Sorry for the delay, too many A&A crap going on :)

    I am pleased to announce Ive talked with James, IwillNeverGrowUp, and he will be providing his services to allow these pieces to be purchased from his site www.iwillnevergrowup.com.

    Along with these, there will be major/minor factories also available, as well as rail/train units. We hope for this to be going by Jan 31st.

    My current air/naval base are not perfect, but they worked for me. However, the ones available will be copied from masters out of a 3d printer ( I should have next week)

    I will be taking crits on the pieces prior to the final print and welcome change requests. Ill have the 3d renders (Facilities) up this week (probably Friday)

    Im pretty stoked, I love having pieces, im telling you, once you have pieces, youll never want to look/play at/with the cardboard again haha.

    Awesome news man. Thanks! Looking forward to seeing these. :-D

  • '17 '16 Customizer

    Here are the wips for the facilities, I didn’t want to 100% copy the complex from the older game, but I like it lol, so I just moved the stacks.

    Any suggestions, just let me know. These are basic and smooth as it will be better for the mold.

    If all goes well, within the next 2-3 weeks I should be able to ship out the first batch to James.


  • Looking great. Can’t wait to see the physical product.
    I guess we should discuss pricing at some point too.  :-D

  • '17 '16 Customizer

    @IWillNeverGrowUp:

    Looking great. Can’t wait to see the physical product.
    I guess we should discuss pricing at some point too.  :-D

    Ill know my cost soon, I have few scenarios going atm.

    1. Injection mold - (which is being a hassle, as my 3ds Max (a 5k program) wont save in STEP, but will open them lol. Which means I need a new program, AUTO CAD (same company who makes 3ds MAX!)…. why I need STEP? Well, I decided I want this to be painless for me, so I need that format to get an aluminum mold done made for the injection molding. (highest startup cost, no my production time)

    2. I 3d print the masters, then make silicone molds, and pour, which would be a huge hassle, but doable. (cheapest for startup, Huge production time for me to do)

    3. There is a print shop near me that specializes in 3d printing, need to get a quote from them for say 400 pieces at a time (100 each) (print cost is high,  0 my time)

    I prefer to go 1, spend the cash for the injection molding, ya it will be up there for me in cost, Unfortunately I need the files from Auto CAD to get the quote, so im going to get the quote from the print shop tomorrow, start there. I already know I can do option 2, just trying to find a better solution for myself.

    If they end up being injection molded, the detail will go through the roof!.. casted, unfortunately they need to be smooth as much as possible to keep the molds from breaking down.

    I also met a guy last weekend while I was playing Axis and Allies at a game store, apparently hes made a few minis and had them tooled for injection, ill be talking to him again next weekend about his sources.

  • '17 '16 Customizer

    Its looking like injection mold will be pretty reasonable, so my questions are:

    Is there any other A&A game that had Major/Minor complexes that were cardboard? These pieces are small, so I can do all 4 in a single mold, but I don’t want to end up with a grip of extra air/naval bases. I need this mold to be small as possible to cut the tooling cost. So for now im looking at all 4 in a single mold.

    I also really like the rail idea GeneralHandGranade posted, and I don’t like little tokens, so while im getting this tooled, im thinking of adding a Train unit, and also track pieces.

    Im only tooling once, so it needs to be right, maybe if I needed 2 minor, 2 major, 1 air, 1 naval in the mold… but if I recall, G40 has approx. 10 more of each for Air/Naval over the Factories.

    Im game for recommendations, thanks.

    Or if you also think train/rail pieces are a waste of time (ill just cast my own)

    Thanks.

  • '18 '17 '16 '15 Customizer

    Very cool stuff going on here. Glad I finally took the time to read it.

    I have always associated naval bases with cranes. Don’t know if you have thought of that or if it is even possible. It would add unnecessary complexity and maybe cost; more of a style flair than anything else. That was the only thing that came to mind.

    I can’t see anything bad with the models you have now though. Simple and identifiable, probably the best way to go. Very nice and a welcome improvement over what we currently have.

    Do you have models for the trains/rail lines you mentioned? Even a sketch? Are there mechanics for this worked already worked out? I find the idea intriguing, but haven’t heard much talk about railroads elsewhere.

  • '17 '16 Customizer

    Do you have models for the trains/rail lines you mentioned? Even a sketch? Are there mechanics for this worked already worked out? I find the idea intriguing, but haven’t heard much talk about railroads elsewhere

    Not yet, GeneralHandGranade made a topic in house rules, which I liked a lot, just with one exception, which is the train unit I want to add to his track idea, I think his track idea was pretty flawless. Personally I want a train unit to act as the transport, probably same stats, 1 guy/tank, 2 guys, etc. I have some rules for it, ill go into on the house rules if I decided to add it.

    Good news for this though, looks like im going to have access to a CNC to make some molds, I just have to attend a class first. Ill be going to the site later in the week for a walk through. If ill be able to tool my own molds, this project just got really epic. Once I know for sure, which im 99% sure, ill update the pics of the Facilities.

    As for the 3d print option, fk that, this will be 100% better.


  • Oh man. If you can tool molds and have an injection place loned up i might have some jobs for you. Lmao.

  • '17 '16 Customizer

    @IWillNeverGrowUp:

    Oh man. If you can tool molds and have an injection place loned up i might have some jobs for you. Lmao.

    Ya for sure, ill have access to a Morgan Industries injection molder, Model  G-100T, this also saves me from having to buy the CAD program, I can use theirs on site, in addition, I guess its set up to make molds for their machine. Not sure if they are auto release, or ill have to manually do it, either way, im pretty jazzed… though auto release would be epic, set a box under my work space, and let it fill up lol.

    Ill be in touch soon, later in the week ill know about this class I have to take, they said its just a 1 dayer (they don’t want me breaking their stuff I guess lol)… im sure there is a schedule though, hopefully not too far away.

  • '17 '16 Customizer

    Sorry for the delay, I took on too many projects at the same time :P

    I mentioned earlier (not sure where) I was planning on a train unit, I decided to make a station instead. I really liked the idea of rail ways GeneralHandGrenade talked about in House Rules. I really thought about it, and for me, I just want a facility marker, which will act the same as Air/Naval … giving ground units +1 movement. It is weird if you think about it, Air/Naval have a +1, but no ground? Anyway I thought what the hell, easy House rule… +1 movement.

    So here is the WIPs as of now, redid the Naval. I was going to add more detail, but I started too, and I just didn’t like it, I actually like the planeness of the facilities.

    I was trying to have these underway by now, but time just slips away, and im glad I waited, I like the naval base better now.

    In case you missed my vid of the painted units, here is the link… it shows the current Air/Naval bases, you can see the size and how it looks in game.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojggR9lrFVg&t=76s

  • '18 '17 '16 '15 Customizer

    Awesome! Those are sweet!

  • '17 '16 Customizer

    @LHoffman:

    Awesome! Those are sweet!

    Thanks LHoffman! Im not 100% sold on the Naval base (the others im sure), but I know it will be a crane thing with a dock.


  • @siredblood:

    @LHoffman:

    Awesome! Those are sweet!

    Thanks LHoffman! Im not 100% sold on the Naval base (the others im sure), but I know it will be a crane thing with a dock.

    Definitely have to work on the crane. Looks far too breakable and hard to mold for sure.

  • '18 '17 '16

    I think it should be a motorized working crane that can lift my battleships off the board. There should be blinking lights too. And longshoremen who take long breaks.
    Actually no, I like those docks the way they are. I liked the old style too that pokes out into the water, it reminds me of my dock at the cottage which I always miss in the dead of winter and can’t wait to get back there.

  • '17 '16 Customizer

    Its actually a hard piece (naval), I don’t know what it is, but I cant seem to get it…. I think its the lack of an idea for it lol… got the train station on the first try, literally took less the 5 min to make the 3d model, and im happy with it 100%.

  • '20 '19 '18 Customizer

    I love the idea of 3d pieces to replace the cardboard tokens. I like your airfield, naval base (first design with two docks) and major factor. I’m okay with the minor factory although to me the dimensions don’t really work when you remove one ‘roof triangle’.

    Your second option for the naval base (the crane) got me confused. It seems not to resemble what you want to depict in the first place. Might be just me.

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