Crowdfunded MR manufacturing

[peteski]

We have wheels and they always are in stock. 

But ESM wheelsets are only a single axle length?

[JoeD]

I thought you only needed about 30k to get a model into production. They are going for $250,000.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ho-40-single-sheathed-box-and-auto-cars-1929-70s#/

Someone has to pay to sweeten my tea.  LOL   Hard to put a number on new tooling frankly.  If they are doing something like PWRS does...one car, 600 different versions, it can get that high very quick.  you also have to pay for spray masks, assembly fixtures, artwork, materials, boxes and printed inserts...and on and on...oh yeah, couplers too.

[railnerd]

I think these "prototype junction" guys overestimate how much money is flowing through the hobby.

My friend Robert tried his hand a low volume production, and ran into significant difficulty:

   http://vasonabranch.blogspot.com/2016/03/making-limited-run-models-with-3d.html

I can see crowdfunding being part of a business plan, but I don't see it as the soul source of funding a venture.

My friend who bailed out Intermountain a few years back says: "The easiest way to make a small fortune in model railroading: start with a large fortune."

-Dave

[peteski]

My friend who bailed out Intermountain a few years back says: "The easiest way to make a small fortune in model railroading: start with a large fortune."

-Dave

While your friend said it, that saying has been around for quite some time. Unless of course he coined it. 

[thomasjmdavis]

While your friend said it, that saying has been around for quite some time. Unless of course he coined it. 

I think it has been said about restaurants since the first inn opened in China about 6000 BC.  And the first time it appears in reference to the theater is in a play by Aristophanes.

[peteski]

I think it has been said about restaurants since the first inn opened in China about 6000 BC.  And the first time it appears in reference to the theater is in a play by Aristophanes.

Yes, now that I think about it, the version I heard was "The easiest way to make a small fortune owning a hobby shop: start with a large fortune."

Just like with ethnic jokes - take one of those and just plug in whatever nationality you want to make fun of.

[narrowminded]

Someone has to pay to sweeten my tea.  LOL   Hard to put a number on new tooling frankly.  If they are doing something like PWRS does...one car, 600 different versions, it can get that high very quick.  you also have to pay for spray masks, assembly fixtures, artwork, materials, boxes and printed inserts...and on and on...oh yeah, couplers too.

This is the short version of the truth.  Not much original is going to be manufactured and marketed for $30,000. 

Folks know that I'm playing at making some detailed track and turnouts.  I'm retired and can do this for fun and it's also based on a whole host of cards falling in place for this exact venture, not something that can be planned for.  The skill set, the financial position, the access to in house and out house ( ) equipment, and the desire to spend the time doing it, finding it challenging and fun.  But if this was in my actual design and build business that went on for thirty years or so and when it mattered financially, I wouldn't need much more than the most cursory look to never entertain the first step of this effort.  Sometimes there's a reason that something isn't produced.

If I was to have to charge anything close to a legitimate rate for design time, machine time, etc, etc, that an ongoing business would need to do, not to mention the variety of experiences that make it possible to even entertain the completion of such a product, the cost as I can quickly rough out on the back of an old envelope will already be in the tens of thousands before anything that could even resemble a product really hits the streets.  And that's just this little effort.  The only reason that I'm doing this is because I enjoy the work of figuring out challenges like this.  I want to do it and can.  The financial end isn't a part of the equation.  And if I had run my business this way I would have had the skinniest, barefoot kids on the block.

I wish them luck.

[reinhardtjh]

Their original deadline for funding expired on Feb 8th, but they got a deadline extension from GoFundMe.  A one time 30 days so now it's March with 26 days left.  They were at $17K yesterday and $20K today but still a long way to go.  I have doubts they will make the goal.  Not unless someone with big pockets comes along and drops a wad of cash on it.

Possibly, they should have gone the other way with fewer options and a lower starting goal.

[reinhardtjh]

With 24 hours to go, funding is at 9% of required.  I'd say they're not going not make it.  I wonder if they will try again with a different model?

Randy has an interesting discussion of costs --> https://www.prototypejunction.com/2020/03/what-does-it-take-to-make-model-why-so.html

I'm sure it will cause some arguments.  I have no reason to believe he's wrong on any of the calculations but I have no experience in producing a model like this.

Funding page: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ho-40-single-sheathed-box-and-auto-cars-1929-70s#/

[railnerd]

Pretty sure they could have handled this better.  There are differences between shooting for the moon and shooting oneself in the foot.