Core77

[shadrach]

If anyone is willing to indulge me, I'll be thankful.

I'm curious about the design process of plastic toy soldiers (high-end, collectable 1/32nd scale) from sculpting to mold-making.
Is this done with wireframe and clay while certain repeated parts (rifles, gear) are sculpted and resin casts made?
Or is it done with software and pattern-making exported from the software? (bear with me, I'm a graphic designer not in the ID biz so be patient with my ignorance)

I'm asking as I may be helping out on a student film where the main character reluctantly sculpts such figures in addition to other, cooler ID work. It would be helpful to know the process.

thanks in advance!

[tempurabacon]

There are alot of different ways to get the sculpt for toy figures.
Most traditional is a wax pattern to make the final tool. Wax can take very fine detail. The wax pattern can be made into an EDM (electro discharge machining) tool and burned into the steel.

A digital model from FreeForm can also be used but when printed out will steel need to be cleaned up and possibly re sculpted in areas to get fine detail.

The final pieces can be injection molded.

hope this helps-

[sonaheart]

If anyone is willing to indulge me, I'll be thankful.

I'm curious about the design process of plastic toy soldiers (high-end, collectable 1/32nd scale) from sculpting to mold-making.
Is this done with wireframe and clay while certain repeated parts (rifles, gear) are sculpted and resin casts made?
Or is it done with software and pattern-making exported from the software? (bear with me, I'm a graphic designer not in the ID biz so be patient with my ignorance)

I'm asking as I may be helping out on a student film where the main character reluctantly sculpts such figures in addition to other, cooler ID work. It would be helpful to know the process.

thanks in advance!

I guess you are new face in toys industrial.If you have a sculpt model,it is very easy to transfer to a mold;

1) you duplicate a hard model from the sculpt model(normally it is a plaster model) ;
2) make sure the duplicated model is same as your origin sculpt model exactly; otherwise you have to repaire it;
3) making a mould(core and cavity side) by scale-engraving machine from hard model;

[Brett_nyc]

I think the McFarlane stuff is sculpted in 1.5 or 2X scale to get lots of detail, then scanned and shrunk to make masters.