BLMA product suggestion

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I like the etched fans BLMA has produced. Unfortunatly, when I am changing fans on my kitbashed models I also need the fan housing ring to go with the etched parts. maybe BLMA can produce injection molded fan housings along with their etched parts. This way we can change fan sized and housings without having to purchase shells just for the housing rings.

I would suggest a kit for the pIII GP9/pI GP18 first. This kit would enable modelers to change their GP9 and GP18s to the proper fan housings, which have not been made available yet.

[sirenwerks]

Great idea, Daniel.

[TiVoPrince]

Thinking
the price of a seperate fan housing would be higher than a complete shell.  Not that I have any inside information but Atlas shells are incredibly low in price as a competitive item...

[wm3798]

But consider that the BLMA version could include 6 to 8 rings on a sprue, perhaps a variety of diameters and depths to meet various needs.  I think a modeler would be willing to $5 or $6 bucks for such a package, particularly if they are gun shy about cutting parts off of a perfectly good shell.

I think it's a good idea!

Lee

[daniel_leavitt2000]

My main issue is that when purchasing a whole shell just for the rings, the rings are very delicate because you have to drill them out, then seperate them from the shell. I'm decent at kitbashing but I have a lot of problems seperating these parts from the shell without damage.

[Bob Bufkin]

I like this idea also.  Would make it easier to convert Atlas Phase I (or is it phase II) into the last Phase used in GP-9's and also could use them to make GP-9B units.
Bob

[Robbman]

Message deleted

[TiVoPrince]

Not that
I would not appreciate fan rings, Gyralights, cab vents and a host of other parts readily available on a nice styrene sprue on the pegboard at Trainmaster.  I'm concerned that BLMA is (business plan correctly) targeting the RTR crowd with new products.  Parts and details seem to be losing manufacturer support just as the models we always wanted appear.   Hopefully the pendulum is moving from the good enough back to modeling excellence.  As always timing is everything...

^{Mr. Wallet is ready to support a new styrene parts manufacturer.  Maybe someone reading this needs to finance thier kids college education...}

[Craig Martyn]

I'm glad to see you guys are still talking about detail parts!   

The fan 'ring' idea would definitely help scratch-builders in their quest for prototype specific models.  While I really like the idea, there are many factors at work here that make the project difficult from a lucrative business standpoint. 

To keep things rolling, I'm going to suggest sending your requests to Mark 4 Design as his process could produce these parts easily and much more cost effective than I could.

www.mark4design.com

Keep the ideas coming!  More detail parts are coming in 2008!   

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Craig, were the fans a bomb? or is it a factor of injection molding the part that is so costly? Would you consider making the housing out of M4D's new resin casting technique? I don;t think anyone has ever made a jiffy-pop fan housing in N scale period, in resin, etched, cast metal or on a model for that matter. Lots of pIII GP9/ pI GP18 modelers out there.

[Robbman]

Message deleted

[amato1969]

I don;t think anyone has ever made a jiffy-pop fan housing in N scale period, in resin, etched, cast metal or on a model for that matter. Lots of pIII GP9/ pI GP18 modelers out there.

I second this motion!  The only ones I've seen were on the old Atlas Tool Company GP-9s (circa 1983 or so).  I could use several of these fans for my Lehigh Valley geeps.

[bsoplinger]

I don;t think anyone has ever made a jiffy-pop fan housing in N scale period, in resin, etched, cast metal or on a model for that matter. Lots of pIII GP9/ pI GP18 modelers out there.

I second this motion!  The only ones I've seen were on the old Atlas Tool Company GP-9s (circa 1983 or so).  I could use several of these fans for my Lehigh Valley geeps.

The Gold Medal Models GP-7, GP-9, GP-18 Detail Sets 160-40 has a couple of these fan etchings. I used them for my LV geeps

[Chulvis]

I don't think anyone has ever made a jiffy-pop fan housing in N scale period, in resin, etched, cast metal or on a model for that matter. Lots of pIII GP9/ pI GP18 modelers out there.

Ph IIIa GP9s used a 48" cap-top fan... which I'm guessing is what you're refering to as a 'jiffy-pop'.  No GP18 had them as built, as that grill ring was replaced with the 48" pan-top ring.

Robbman: You really need to write a book or something. You amaze me sometimes.

[Wlal13again]

Cab signal boxes for PRR/PC/CR units?