1960's and 1970's vehicles Poll #2

[Rasputen]

Does this mean that you'll need to make 2-part molds for the wheels (to mold the axle hole in them)?  That adds to the complexity (and price?)  Or if you are planning on the modeler drilling the axle holes, that will be a pain in the butt for the modeler.  If you molded wheels as a part of underbody/interior part then a single 2-part mold would produce the underbody/interior and properly aligned wheels, all in a single casting.  I don't understand this need for axles in N scale static vehicles.

Consider these as craftsman kits, where some trimming of flash from the body and drilling holes in the wheels will be necessary.  It would take me too much time to make a full chassis with the wheels cast in place for every variant I am working on.

[PJPickard]

This maybe deserves its own thread, but...

How does the whole licensing thing work with models of vehicles?
I did a bunch of looking around on the web and also asked the question on the N scale vehicles yahoo group. No real definitive answer, except...
you guessed it: ask a lawyer. Yuck, takes any interest I had in doing anything away real fast.

Any thoughts on this?

OH, I vote for kits.

[rail and tie]

This maybe deserves its own thread, but...

How does the whole licensing thing work with models of vehicles?
I did a bunch of looking around on the web and also asked the question on the N scale vehicles yahoo group. No real definitive answer, except...
you guessed it: ask a lawyer. Yuck, takes any interest I had in doing anything away real fast.

Any thoughts on this?

OH, I vote for kits.

Hi there,

New to the site, but have some experience with licensing in this kind of matter. It really depends on the company and their attitude towards their trademarks, logos and liability. A few years ago we worked on some model aircraft kits of Cessna aircraft and such. When we approached Textron who owns Cessna, they said no right off the bat.  Their reasoning is that there may be uncontrolable liabilities that could come back to them. Very similar to the GM comments about choking hazard above. In this day and age of everyone looking for an excuse to sue, I do understand their concerns.

Boeing on the other hand will allow royalty free licenses for things like models and allow the use of logoes etc as long as you go through the hoops.

It always relates back to who has the deep pockets in case something happens.  In GM's case, who would the lawyers go after, the little basement hobby manufacturer or GM...

I think one of the best ways around this is to call it something else other than a GM truck. It would appear that this is what Woodland Scenics does by calling their truck a "Pick em up truck" though it would appear to be a copy of one of the full size Big 3 vehicles.

my two bits (advice worth what you paid for it!!)

Darryl

BTW, I vote for detailed kits including steering wheels!!  I love a challenge.

[GimpLizard]

Just to show what an cantankerous, argumentative, I am...

I don't need no steering wheels. I don't need to interiors. I don't need no window glass. Fact is, I'm fine with solid cast. As long as they is early to mid 60's... an' include sedans & station wagons... I'm a happy ol' crank. 

[up1950s]

So it's a tie on pre fab axles , and DIY . .............. So they decided that only one axle of the correct length be included in the kit .

[peteski]

Consider these as craftsman kits, where some trimming of flash from the body and drilling holes in the wheels will be necessary.  It would take me too much time to make a full chassis with the wheels cast in place for every variant I am working on.

I'm now confused. Didn't you mention making interiors?  A chassis (with or without wheels molded with it) would just be basically an extension of the interior piece.  I'm not talking about a fully detailed undercarriage - just  a flat piece which would hold the interior and possibly the wheels.

Or is your plan to just provide a small piece of styrene sheet for the chassis, piece of wire for the axles and 4 generic wheels with no axle hole in the back?  If I have to drill a hole through exact center of the wheel, I rather just glue the wheels to the edge of the chassis. Much less futzing and visually identical.

[Rasputen]

I'll see if I can make a casting with the interior, chassis, and wheels in place, but that is going to be tricky to do for me.  The parting line of the mold is going to be all over the place!

[peteski]

I'll see if I can make a casting with the interior, chassis, and wheels in place, but that is going to be tricky to do for me.  The parting line of the mold is going to be all over the place!

True - as a budding resin caster myself, I can see your dilemma!  So far I've only made simple open molds.  As the saying goes, my mouth is writing checks my hands can't cash.