3D Printing is both fast and slow. If you want to get a single item from design into your hands as a physical object, it is very fast. If you are relying on 3D printing to manufacture hundreds of parts, then this becomes a challenge and a topic for academics (an answer, if you're curious, is a 3D printing farm of a few hundred printers can be quicker than injection molding, but it depends on size, shape, and whether assembly is required.) At DioWarriors we have been upscaling many of our 1:18 scale kits into 1:12 scale. Some items can be easily enlarged by simply rescaling the object in CAD. Other items need to be remade from scratch, and still other items require a combination of rescaling and then adjusting the details of the design.

When it comes to the actual printing, it takes time to print a larger model. There's more material that gets used and more area to fill in. What would take 3 hours to print may take 5 hours, easily. 

At DioWarriors we normally would keep items on-hand for inventory, but the reality is we often get more orders for certain models than we can 3D print to replenish the inventory. For many items we end up having to print-on-demand. That is something we don't want to do and have been trying hard to break out of that. So we print extra items when we can with the aim of rebuilding inventory. Printing extra items means we're not printing items that we need to fill an order. So it becomes not quite a Catch 22, but something like that.

With 1:12 scale we're trying a different approach. We'll only make items available in the store when we have the item already 3D printed and ready in inventory. In this way we hope to avoid delay from the manufacturing process and simply grab the item and place it into a shipping box. But there's a down side to this. Folks are going to notice many 1:12 items will be unavailable -- "sold out" -- until we replenish the inventory. Such a thing happened in the past when DioWarriors first started. In those early days we didn't have as many 3D printers as we do now, so items were listed in the store and quickly sold out. We would scramble to print the models, but as soon as the store got updated, orders would quickly make those items sold out again. Then folks hit Facebook to complain that our items were always sold out.

So it's going to be something unavoidable. But with 1:12 taking longer to 3D print the big fear is it'll interfere with the regular 1:18 scale items. We'll try to get dedicated machines just for the 1:12 scale. But until then, please excuse an unavailable items. We're trying, but any solution will still take time.

Space is an issue. Many toy companies are trying to pass the larger 1:12 scale as the "collectors scale." Indeed there are many choices to choose from, especially concerning sports and wrestling. Star Wars and GI Joe action figures are now available in 6", but I grew up with the small 3 3/4" scale of the '80's era. When modern 4" scale came out and I started collecting again, I started displaying my purchases. First it was action figures. Then as I became accustomed to buying toys as an adult, I started purchasing vehicles. At the beginning I had a lot of space to show the collection, then the vehicles started taking up the space. I invested in plastic tote boxes because I simply ran out of space for the vehicles. I got married and moved to a larger place and started to bring out as much of the vehicles to show off the collection side-by-side with the figures. Today my 1:18 scale army of Cobra figures from GI Joe takes up much of the display. Then there's the other lines in the 1:18 scale: Marauder Task Force, Boss Fight Studio, Microman, Star Wars, and many miscellaneous others.

But when it came to the newer 6" scales for Star Wars and GI Joe I simply could not justify army building in the same way as I did with the 4" scale. Squad building is one thing, but army building is just not practical for me. So when it came to considering props -- the things we do at DioWarriors -- I wasn't too keen to get involved: the current work area is full of 1:18 scale prototypes and production parts either being prepared for customer orders or on display in a diorama. Where will I put the 6" scale items? So I tried to avoid "getting involved".

2021 I couldn't avoid getting involved once the blue shirt Cobra troopers became available. It was a fiasco trying to order from Target, and none of the Targets near me had the troopers. There was disappointment from collectors who also tried to order through Target, and anger over scapers selling GI Joe Classified at crazy prices. So the thrill and fun of driving around town toy hunting wasn't there for me, and I saw that feeling echo with many collectors. So when JoeFest 2021 occurred and I was meeting collectors who came by the DioWarriors table, I was amazed at how many were asking about DioWarriors props in 6". Didn't expect the demand that was there. Some folks even commented they had stopped collecting 1:18 in favor of 1:12. "Hrm, something to consider and think about after the convention" I told myself.

Well, it's now after the convention and orders are finally under control enough that I've been looking at what we have that could best be a 6" scale prop. We do have several large 3D printers, but not enough for large numbers of large props. So we're starting small by first focusing on easy to replicate props.

In the next few weeks you'll see more and more classic DioWarriors props being upscaled. I'll be sure to post some videos showing the process. Our current angle of attack is to focus on themes, such as a laboratory theme. Microscopes, scales, and other lab themes could take serious advantage of the DioWarriors aesthetics and look impressive next to a 6" figure. Most of the DioWarriors props are capable of being upscaled easily without a lot of changes. Other themes or random props will follow, most likely containers and modern plastic barrels.

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by the table at JoeFest and expressed the interest for DioWarriors props in 1:12 scale. We listened, mulled it over, and agree that DioWarriors should and will be involved in this larger scale. Items will be a bit more detailed too. Of course the time it takes to 3D print an item will take longer, and the amount of material will be more, but we'll do our best to keep costs as low as possible.

Spread the word, foks! DioWarriors props in 1:12 scale!

As we get closer to JoeFest 2021 and also closer to launching our first Kickstarter event for the DioWarriors Conspiracy action figures, I went ahead and made a little teaser video. The action figures are in development, and we're being very secretive about everything concerning it. However, it is no secret it involves aliens. A few years ago during one of the last GI Joe conventions (JoeCon) DioWarriors had on display a 3D print of an alien prototype. But Conspiracy is much, much more.

So, as we do get closer to the Kickstarter we'll start revealing more about the different figures, how they will be produced, and how things might fit in to our larger plans. It's going to be an exciting future.

We recently did a time lapse video of the VSS Bridge Console being printed. The video shows the starboard side console -- a nine hour print -- condensed into a one hour video.

Bad News!
There's been a disaster. The primary laser cutter is down! Started going crazy right in the middle of doing some cuts.

DioWarriors uses a number of laser cutters. We have two from FLUX, a company in Taiwan (we also use 3D printers from FLUX). Well, it's been a crazy week with Thanksgiving approaching (now past) and I'm working on the orders too. Lots going on. All the printers and laser cutters are busy every day from the morning to night. Things wear down with use. A control cable within our FLUX BeamBox -- the primary cutter -- must have flexed too much and broke, at least according to the tech support. So a replacement cable is on the way, all the way from Taiwan. In the mean time we're not slowing down.

Engine Room Continues
The next stage for the engine room is the portion that comes in direct contact with the VSS. Deck 4 is 002's central deck and the engine section connects to it. The way it connects is via rails and a linkage assembly. The engine section simply slides along the rails until it connects. So the engine section is in two parts -- the rear which has the thrusters and all the stuff I've been posting about and then a small part -- the inner section (in blue in the screenshot) -- that fits directly inside the VSS deck 4. This inner section is critical and it has to be strong to support the weight of the engine section. So the approach I've taken is to design this like a box that fits into the VSS structure.

002 Has Been Moved!
VSS 002 is now in my Joe Room. Currently it sits on a 6' table -- one of those folding types -- and already it is obvious it's going to need a longer table. But having it in the Joe Room will make it easier to show it in a video. It'll be easier to show up dates as it gets worked on.

Not Taking a Pause, But....
So, for the last few weeks I've been posting about the engine room section and it might seem like there's been a slow down with this VSS project. But that's not the case at all. There's just a lot of details to make right before committing resources. I've been going back and forth updating objects as I get nearer to 3D printing them. For example there's a lot of beams to support the floor or the walls. Since they take hours to print, and there's many of them, I can spend a week or two printing one set of beams. So I need to make sure the design is not going to change, which might require a reprint. So I inspect those beams, making sure they will print correctly, that the design is sound so I won't need to alter those beams in the future, that they fit correctly...I'm not taking my time on it, just being sure before committing. With JoeFest being the target deadline and there's much to do still, there's no luxury to reprint too often.

New Props and Such
Now with VSS 002 in the Joe Room and the project is coming together, I find myself thinking of new props -- not just for this project, but props that can be used in general for any project. My thoughts are returning to the generic machinery that were in the DioWarriors Store years ago. Those are going to be updated very soon. New consoles and displays are also going to be looked at. New tables and cabinets, and other things needed in a diorama to fill-in. Stay tuned because things are going to heat up! :-)