Re: The Thugger twins
 

Pm'ed!

Re: The Thugger twins
 

Well I thought my Thuggers were coming today, but what arrived was the Shapeways sample kit...makes sense as they stated there was a 20 day lead time on my order.

Any way the sample kit is excellent and (obviously) ships out instantly...I'll post some pics soon with some info in a separate thread. It really helps to see the different materials and GET THIS--METAL!!!

Looks like it will be at least a couple more weeks before I get my Thuggers. :-(

Re: The Thugger twins
 

Awesome work! I hope to put an order in sometime before the week is up. How long does shipping take? To US.

Re: The Thugger twins
 

very interesting.

Re: The Thugger twins
 

Thanks guys...Unfortunately the Thuggers cannot be printed in metal. The technology is not there yet. But recently Shapeways have released a bunch of new materials: frosted detail and frosted ultra detail! I can't wait to see how these new materials will turn out!

Delivery time is usually 10 working days, about 2 weeks...

So, the first orders have already shipped to some guys on the boards, I'll be getting mine in about tomorrow. I'm eager to hear some feedback, if you have been facing problems or suggestions of improvement. I have been hearing both positives and negatives (one of the Thuggers seemed to have broke into pieces).

For those who found their Thuggers broken, please send me a picture of your broken figure and tell me which areas are at fault. If the break is due to a design fault, I'll send you a replacement Thugger at no extra charge.

Of course, Shapeways plastic is not Hasbro plastic, so do take care during assembly.

For those who really love what I did here, a little compliment wouldn't hurt as well :lol

Re: The Thugger twins
 

Alright guys...My Thugger samples have arrived, and something is amiss...

Apparently Detail material is not as capable as I thought it was, or I received a fluke sample, but parts of it were simply too thin to hold up to even light assembly/play.

In response to my discovery, and to be fair to future buyers, I am stopping Thugger sales for now until I remedy the problem.

As I said in the other board, for those who have already purchased Thuggers, I know I have said in the first post "This is revision 2.0, and there could still be possibility of problems in the sculpt." and I am making next to nothing markup for sales, I can shrug off complaints from any of you who are dissatisfied with broken/goofy/defective Thugs. But I'm not going to do that because I hold my credibility as a designer in the highest priority.

So if any of you received Thuggers and are unsatisfied with them, take pictures, pm me and we can talk about refunds (out of my own pocket). Maybe not a complete refund but I'll try my darndest to help out. I hope that's fair.

In the meantime, I will be making improvements to the mesh! Hopefully by revision 3.0 they will be in a good place!

Sincerely,
Ariel

Re: The Thugger twins
 

So here's the story. I ordered 4 black Detail Thuggers. For those who didn't read my previous post, the first one I assembled literally crumbled in my hands as the material is too weak for the fragile parts. Additionally, one of the other Thuggers came with two left arms.

However, the good news is that remaining 2 Thuggers worked in the end, and I managed to give them the paintjob they deserve:


The paints are a combination of Gunze Lacquer, Testors Fluorescent, oil wash and Future clear coat. Painting these tiny guys was really fun, but the kicker is trying to paint their visors. Try it.

More pictures here at my Flickr.

So revision 2.0 is in a good place in terms of design, but I'll have to tweak some areas like wall thicknesses and joints for additional stability. I'm thankful for all those who purchased him, and I'm glad to say (barring manufacturing mishaps) you're gonna have your money well-spent.

Revision 3.0 is going to be much, much better...

Issues in Revision 2.0:
- Detailed materials warp easier than Strong Flexible, especially in contact with warm water and under physical pressure (i.e. ball joints). The joints are looser than I would like. I would be thickening some parts in Rev. 3.0 for additional endurance.

- Sometimes you will receive a bad print. As stated above, the material (specifically Detailed material) will turn out softer than it's meant to be. This issue is especially crucial in a figure that small as the Thuggers, as tiny parts such as the weapon pegs simply break off. I have designed the Thuggers with some leeway in fragility, but the material failure is unacceptable. I'm currently contacting Shapeways to see what they can do for customers with bad prints, be it a reprint or a refund. I will update as soon as there's news.

- The level of detail in Detailed material is pretty good, although there are still artifacts on the surface. I intend to order the next batch of samples in Frosted Ultra Detail which is reportedly stronger. We'd see how it goes.

- Cleaning is done by first using a blade to scrape off most of the uncured material, then going at the rest with a toothbrush and soapy water. Toothpaste works amazing, too.

With all these being said, these are the issues buyers have to be aware of before purchasing, and I state all these observations up front. As unpleasant as it sometimes sounds, buyer beware. I have been putting in my best in making the design work, but there will always be lemons amidst the apples.

Sincerely,
Ariel

Re: The Thugger twins
 

Thanks Fakebuster. Mine have arrived and I had a look...would it be helpful for you if I take some pictures and post them here before I try and paint/assemble them?

My cursory check showed things in tact...only one of the ball-joints on the feet seemed incorrect...the ball isn't 'defined' enough but I wonder with a little paitience that it can't be sculpted...

I want to give the set a go and see if I can help in any way!

Cheers,

--Echo

Re: The Thugger twins
 

Ooh nice they've arrived!

What do you mean not 'defined' enough? As in, the ball is not completely round? Yes, some pictures will be much appreciated :)

You might be able to try sculpting or using epoxy clay...I'm not sure how it will react to the material. By the way, which material did you order?

Thanks Echo!

P.S. by the way if there really is a problem with the sculpt, like missing pieces, you can contact Shapeways directly through their customer service.

Re: The Thugger twins
 

Will there ever be an "archivist twins"?