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Miniatures Adventure => Interwar => Topic started by: Lluís of Minairons on 24 July 2012, 03:48:31 PM

Title: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Lluís of Minairons on 24 July 2012, 03:48:31 PM: I'm proud to acknowledge you all that, after a lot of months of hard planning and working, a new miniatures company is born and will be fully operational by the end of summer.

It has been christianized as Minairons miniatures and it's aimed at producing fast assembly, multi-scale hard plastic miniatures. Our ranges will usually have a close relationship with the military history of the nations of Iberian Peninsula –with a particular accent on Catalonia, where the brand is born. However, it's our aim that our productions can be used for a wider range of wargaming purposes.

This way, our starting range will consist of a selection of Spanish Civil War fighting vehicles, starting with those among them with a wider use in other Inter-wars conflicts, or even early WWII.

Minairons' first releasing is scheduled by mid-October: the ubiquitous Panzer I A, whose Spanish nickname was “negrillo” (=”blackie”). It will be released in 1/72 scale first, to be re-scaled at 1/100 later –expectedly by Christmas.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Dknc9aoBE50/T-mUnVijoSI/AAAAAAAADbc/2UOrhiiXj-4/s640/99GEV002_01.jpg)

PzKpfw I A model kit will consist of a sprue of just 9 parts, with the Breda 20mm gun turret as an optional, tenth part. Kits are to by sold by the box, within each one you'll find 3 sprues as well as a decalsheet with basic markings for making your tank Spanish, German or Chinese.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PTYGWyqqcuQ/T-mUj5rmWjI/AAAAAAAADbU/W5PCJhBwROs/s400/99GEV002_03.jpg)

Production hasn't started yet, for moulds are still being made right now. However, you can see our 1^st and 2^nd generation prototypes at our news blog: http://minairons-news.blogspot.com (http://minairons-news.blogspot.com). Naturally, these are quite crude in report to the hard plastic final product –especially the first one, 3D printed. However, they've been good enough for verifying the model basic characteristics and checking eventual flaws. Those of 2^nd generation have been made of resin and, once painted by the talented Heresy Brush artist, will be used for promotion –that is, to show in this forum for instance!!

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yBlc5cg-2ig/UASeJugmy9I/AAAAAAAADe8/z7u4GOTy9zg/s400/prototip2_002.jpg)

Our website is http://www.minairons.eu (http://www.minairons.eu), but won't be operational until some months' time. In the meanwhile, works progression and news can be watched at our blog, http://minairons-news.blogspot.com (http://minairons-news.blogspot.com) as said.

Hope you like it!!

Lluís of Minairons
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Dr. The Viking on 24 July 2012, 04:00:51 PM: ~~YAY!~~

EDIT:

Shute.. I thought it was 28mm :?

Obviously nice and a very good idea... but not my scale. Plastic 28mm tanks, now that would have been major news. lol

They look very lovely though. Nice nice nice.
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Lluís of Minairons on 24 July 2012, 04:10:20 PM: Dr. The Viking,

Models are digitally designed in a larger than 1/56 scale, so that they could be re-scaled to 1/56 too.

As a matter of fact, we initially planned each model to be released in all 3 sizes (28, 20 and 15mm), but the interest degree created among users of your scale has been lower than expected so far. This has refrained us a bit, admittedly. :(

However, re-scaling still keeps being technically possible. ;)
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Dr. The Viking on 24 July 2012, 04:12:50 PM: Quote from: Lluís of Minairons on 24 July 2012, 04:10:20 PM
Dr. The Viking,

Models are digitally designed in a larger than 1/56 scale, so that they could be re-scaled to 1/56 too.

As a matter of fact, we initially expected each model to be released in all 3 sizes (28, 20 and 15mm), but the expectation created among users of your scale has been lower than expected so far. This has refrained us a bit, admittedly. :(

However, re-scaling still keeps being technically possible. ;)

Oh I completely understand. I guess Tamiya must be pushing the envelope on plastics in 1/48 a bit hard too.. Although I'd love to get rid of the hassle of:

1) Assembling detailed kits o_o
2) Assembling ridiculously expensive resin kits, that don't fit together anyhow! >:(

So I'd be a customer. lol lol lol
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Arlequín on 24 July 2012, 04:43:26 PM: Si, yo concuerdo. Plastic tanks in 28mm would have been quite an announcement!

The cost of vehicles in 28mm is quite prohibitive, so a source of vehicles in a potentially cheaper medium, in an easy build format, is very good news. That they would be for the SCW would be even better news.

I anticipate the response here to 'potentially in 1/56' may surprise you! ;)
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Dave Knight on 24 July 2012, 04:50:33 PM: I would be in for 28mm
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: The Dozing Dragon on 24 July 2012, 05:09:53 PM: Quote from: Dave Knight on 24 July 2012, 04:50:33 PM
I would be in for 28mm

Oh yes!
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Centaur_Seducer on 24 July 2012, 05:57:55 PM: Quote from: Dave Knight on 24 July 2012, 04:50:33 PM
I would be in for 28mm
So would I!
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Lluís of Minairons on 24 July 2012, 06:53:36 PM: Oh wow... I'm feeling as if looking at Pandora's box bottom :o

Well, here you are our releasing schedule revised, after our first (and small by numbers) poll on the matter: http://minairons-news.blogspot.com.es/2012/07/first-poll-closed.html (http://minairons-news.blogspot.com.es/2012/07/first-poll-closed.html).

Cheers,
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: flags_of_war on 24 July 2012, 07:10:38 PM: 28mm,28mm,28mm

Can be used for VBCW as well.
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: fastolfrus on 24 July 2012, 07:38:45 PM: Quote from: Lluís of Minairons on 24 July 2012, 06:53:36 PM
Oh wow... I'm feeling as if looking at Pandora's box bottom :o

Well, here you are our releasing schedule revised, after our first (and small by numbers) poll on the matter: http://minairons-news.blogspot.com.es/2012/07/first-poll-closed.html (http://minairons-news.blogspot.com.es/2012/07/first-poll-closed.html).

Cheers,

You could always post another poll on here.

1/100th is fine by me, but I would also like 28mm for VBCW
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Predatorpt on 24 July 2012, 07:56:55 PM: Ok, another vote for the 1/56-28mm versions of the tanks :D
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Dr. The Viking on 24 July 2012, 07:58:10 PM: Quote from: Lluís of Minairons on 24 July 2012, 06:53:36 PM
Oh wow... I'm feeling as if looking at Pandora's box bottom :o

Well, here you are our releasing schedule revised, after our first (and small by numbers) poll on the matter: http://minairons-news.blogspot.com.es/2012/07/first-poll-closed.html (http://minairons-news.blogspot.com.es/2012/07/first-poll-closed.html).

Cheers,

Maybe scales are just a bit off in Spain!? ;)

EDIT: I almost feel sorry for this total derailment of what was meant to be the heralding of a new line of toys. Sorry man!
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: WillieB on 24 July 2012, 08:56:21 PM: 28mm for sure and if SCW double.
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Lluís of Minairons on 24 July 2012, 10:46:45 PM: Quote from: Dr. The Viking on 24 July 2012, 07:58:10 PM
I almost feel sorry for this total derailment

Don't be that optimistic, Dr. The Viking! Not that easy to make me derail... >:D

It's good for a just born company to dialogue with gamers --even compulsory, I believe. No matter what you can be told, everything is useful provided there's no aim of offending. So no problem :)

Wargaming in Spain is currently unbalanced towards 15mm, although it has started changing lately. However, as you can see for our releasings schedule, we haven't got that influenced by this fact --although it keeps having some influence on us, of course.
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Hildred Castaigne on 24 July 2012, 10:59:22 PM: A lovely level of detail on that model kit.
I have to echo what's already been said, a simple to assemble and versatile tank like that in 1/56 would be wonderful!
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: CompanyB on 25 July 2012, 03:40:02 AM: I wonder if the injection molding costs have come down at all. We looked into it once... The amount of volume we'd have to move was a bit much to make it profitable versus costs. 1/56 Wargames market is still pretty niche. I sure don't do it to make money, as that would be a difficult task in itself!

Still, if you made the kit modular, so you could get three variants out of the base parts would certainly help.

Panzer IA
Command Panzer I
panzer Jäger I
Panzer 1 Bison
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Stu on 25 July 2012, 04:32:10 AM: I'm up for 20mm and 28mm.
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Arlequín on 25 July 2012, 07:49:28 AM: Quote from: Dr. The Viking on 24 July 2012, 07:58:10 PM
EDIT: I almost feel sorry for this total derailment of what was meant to be the heralding of a new line of toys. Sorry man!

Sshh! Sshh! ;)

Quote from: Lluís of Minairons on 24 July 2012, 10:46:45 PM
It's good for a just born company to dialogue with gamers --even compulsory, I believe. No matter what you can be told, everything is useful provided there's no aim of offending. So no problem :)

Okay talking 15mm... I appreciate that Panzer I, T-26 and L-3 will be the most requested and likely sold items, but trucks, 'Tiznaos' and even aircraft (NiD-52, Breguet XIX, HE-51, CR-32 etc) might be worth considering. The one thing that stops me from entering 15mm is the lack of models outside of the most obvious ones. The new additions to the Peter Pig (http://www.peterpig.co.uk/range13.htm) range look excellent and I could be sold on this if I was reasonably certain there might be an extensive range of vehicles being planned that I could use with them.

As for 28mm, the Spanish Civil War has two quite extensive ranges of figures (Force of Arms and Empress), FoA also having a quite reasonable range of vehicles too. Judging by the response here, more are wanted!
:)

Quote from: CompanyB on 25 July 2012, 03:40:02 AM
I wonder if the injection molding costs have come down at all. We looked into it once... The amount of volume we'd have to move was a bit much to make it profitable versus costs. 1/56 Wargames market is still pretty niche. I sure don't do it to make money, as that would be a difficult task in itself!

It's a difficult call... resin is obviously far cheaper to set up and produce (save the cost of the resin used) than plastic. Which is of course quite an investment in money to produce stuff for what is still a niche scale. I know the profit on resin models is slight, but I also know that I'll never be able to buy as many of them as I'd wish to.

From a customer's point of view though, the inhibiting factor for 28mm is the cost per model. I could justify buying one (possibly two) resin models of a type, but never the three or four I dream of owning, yet I could (possibly) buy the three or four models I desire, in plastic, at the same price(-ish) as one resin model.

I've lost count of the demo games I've seen where there's a lonely and lost looking single vehicle on the table in 28mm, while in 20mm and 15mm the tables are crammed with vehicles... while ground scale to table size is a factor, so is the price of the models (however fairly priced) themselves.
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Hildred Castaigne on 25 July 2012, 11:50:23 AM: By the way I quite like the tracks on these models.
There's no greater nuisance when assembling a tank than having to glue every single wheel into place.
Especially with Shermans...

Quote from: Arlequín on 25 July 2012, 07:49:28 AM
I could justify buying one (possibly two) resin models of a type, but never the three or four I dream of owning, yet I could (possibly) buy the three or four models I desire, in plastic, at the same price(-ish) as one resin model.
And that is one of the many joys of plastic! ;)
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Big Martin on 25 July 2012, 11:57:50 AM: Good luck with your venture.

Will also add my name to the "I'd buy it in 1/56th" list!
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Gun bunny on 25 July 2012, 12:10:13 PM: Very clean lines, if you should ever make it in 1/56 scale i will certainly want several for my collection. :) :) :)
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Lluís of Minairons on 25 July 2012, 03:27:39 PM: Quote from: CompanyB on 25 July 2012, 03:40:02 AM
I wonder if the injection molding costs have come down at all...

Still, if you made the kit modular, so you could get three variants out of the base parts would certainly help.

Not that much reduced, CompanyB. It's keeps being expensive. That's the reason why we try to be cautious.

About modular production: this is one of the ideas behind our models designing, besides of assembling easyness. Take this Panzer I A as a reference of such intentions.
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Durutti on 25 July 2012, 06:56:13 PM: Its a great idea, but I don't think you will find the sales volume for 1/56th models in plastic, especially the more obscure things like the various Tiznaos. You may get the volume for the standard tanks like the Panzer 1, T-26 and the BT5, possibly the little italian tankettes too. Generic 1930's trucks might be a good idea, the Ford or Dodge, and perhaps the Soviet stuff.
You may be better off going down the 1/48th route, at least there could be crossover for the scale modellers, but you would have to offer excellent detail to capture this particular market.

Anyway best of luck with your venture, I hope it all goes well for you.
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: fastolfrus on 25 July 2012, 07:04:55 PM: Quote from: Lluís of Minairons on 24 July 2012, 10:46:45 PM
Don't be that optimistic, Dr. The Viking! Not that easy to make me derail... >:D

Armoured trains!
That would be cool.

But on a more serious note, how about softskins and artillery?
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Lluís of Minairons on 25 July 2012, 10:09:50 PM: Quote from: Durutti on 25 July 2012, 06:56:13 PM
...don't think you will find the sales volume for 1/56th... more obscure things like the various Tiznaos

I do agree, Durutti. Unfortunately, plastic production keeps being essentially a matter of quantities, given the still high costs of mould making. How many thousands of tiznaos or, let's say, armoured trains in a given scale would we be able to sell? ...for we ought to produce them by the thousands.

However, we're already exploring collaboration chances with other Spanish companies, in order to jointly produce shorter run products --that would unavoidably mean a different stuff, not plastic. Also exploring higher detail level chances with a different mould maker (for plastic injection still).

I'm quite skeptic about choosing 1/48^th. Such would throw us straightly into the modelism hobby world, and I suspect a fast assembly wargaming model would hardly be capable of competing with pure modelism products, no matter the detail level we put on our designs...
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Dave Knight on 25 July 2012, 10:15:34 PM: I don't know if 1/56 makes commercial sense but I think 1/48 would be even less likely, for the reasons you suggest
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Durutti on 25 July 2012, 10:43:10 PM: Quote from: Lluís of Minairons on 25 July 2012, 10:09:50 PM
I do agree, Durutti. Unfortunately, plastic production keeps being essentially a matter of quantities, given the still high costs of mould making. How many thousands of tiznaos or, let's say, armoured trains in a given scale would we be able to sell? ...for we ought to produce them by the thousands.

However, we're already exploring collaboration chances with other Spanish companies, in order to jointly produce shorter run products --that would unavoidably mean a different stuff, not plastic. Also exploring higher detail level chances with a different mould maker (for plastic injection still).

I'm quite skeptic about choosing 1/48^th. Such would throw us straightly into the modelism hobby world, and I suspect a fast assembly wargaming model would hardly be capable of competing with pure modelism products, no matter the detail level we put on our designs...

might be worth your while speaking to Empress Miniatures, they have my old 28mm SCW range, a tie in with them might be useful to you both.
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: answer_is_42 on 26 July 2012, 12:10:47 PM: 15mm is cool, I can dig it.

You know what would be good in 15mm plastic? Guns. I often find a battery of guns is the most expensive unit to put together in an army. Plastic French 75s, for example. That would be fun. :)

Good luck, anyway!
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Lluís of Minairons on 26 July 2012, 06:50:53 PM: Quote from: answer_is_42 on 26 July 2012, 12:10:47 PM
You know what would be good in 15mm plastic? Guns. I often find a battery of guns is the most expensive unit to put together in an army

Quite interesting, indeed. Worth to be noted ;)

Meanwhile, let me amuse you with a couple of pictures on one of our 1/72 prototypes, after having been painted by Ruben Torregrosa of http://www.heresybrush.com (http://www.heresybrush.com):

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OS1ku1lRW0w/UBFx1FPQkjI/AAAAAAAADgQ/_C2KyTtfGpo/s400/prototip2_004.jpg)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WVuqjxH4N8Y/UBFx-Oy6mAI/AAAAAAAADgw/0-rSKs7jvuc/s400/prototip2_007.jpg)

More pictures on our blog : http://minairons-news.blogspot.com/2012/07/panzer-i-painted.html (http://minairons-news.blogspot.com/2012/07/panzer-i-painted.html)
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Dave Knight on 26 July 2012, 07:38:40 PM: Looking very good
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Arlequín on 27 July 2012, 08:19:52 AM: They would look even better in 1/56... :D
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: answer_is_42 on 27 July 2012, 10:24:59 AM: Quote from: Arlequín on 27 July 2012, 08:19:52 AM
They would look even better in 1/56... :D

Oh, shush. I think he's got the message! lol
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: Lluís of Minairons on 28 July 2012, 09:50:19 AM: Quote from: answer_is_42 on 27 July 2012, 10:24:59 AM
Oh, shush. I think he's got the message! lol

Sigh :'(

OK OK, I swear to have got it. Let's see what I can do at respect ;D
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: traveller on 28 July 2012, 11:17:06 AM: Quote from: Dave Knight on 24 July 2012, 04:50:33 PM
I would be in for 28mm

I 'm another one for 28mm ;)
Title: Re: Minairons, a new miniatures company
Post by: eastern barbarian on 29 July 2012, 05:42:09 PM: Great looking models! Not my scale, although i might be tempted by 15mm, especially that next year FOW operation barbarossa should be out :)

I also think that 1/56 scale might be worth it, albeit as somebody mentioned due to the cost involved it would have to be popular, mass produced types such as panzer Is, t-26 etc. Osprey is releasing set of rules soon to play SCW as well and i imagine it will produce some more interest in 28mm wargaming of that period. And obviously models can be used for early WWII plus VBCW which has actually quite a following. So I sincerely hopee you will mange to release those kits in 28mm.

And I second opinion on 15mm gun kits- good idea to release them as they are normally most expensive part.