Classic-Castle.com

Moving this to the more appropriate forum.(thanks Admins.)

What you are about to see might, just might, astound a few of you.
I know I'm quite pleased with the outcome so far.

Keep in mind, that what you see is only a prototype, and
is subject to change in production.
The prototype is made in a clear plastic, and will be produced in color(s).

For your viewing pleasure -
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/BLAST ... cn0924.jpg

And the entire folder once mod'ed.
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=72883

Once you've seen the proto(s), please let me know with
a simple "yes or no", as to whether or not you would want this
actually produced. If you'd like to make further comments or
ask questions, that's fine also.

(This is definitely "non-lego", for you purist.)

Thank you.

I don't know what to say... Yes I do! I don't exactly like it. I like the helmet and lance, but the arms, well, I just don't think it's that good looking. Of course, it is a prototype so I will give it another chance... So the short answer is, no.

i dont see a problem, they are good! Obviously they are prototypes, and the more i look, the more the arms seem to want me to like em! only one bad thing bout the arms, the color but, that can be changed.

Cool armor as well!!
all in all cool!! (as all ways )

Nikos

You know, after seeing the gallery, I totaly agree with the_great_one. I think that one picture of the knight just wasn't enough. With some colour, these could be revolutionary!

I dunno... Perhaps this is too non-lego for me... Cool idea and design, though. I want to see how this turns out.

I like the lance and helmet a lot!

Wow, those are awsome! My problem is that this borders on no longer just being a "prop" like your blasters and swords. but hey who am I to hold back change! (good change anyway unlike those grays :evil: ).

I say go for it!

Go for it Jeff!

Those arms are great! Now we really can have two-handed swordsmen.

Will

Hey Jeff, how flexible are these things?

Very cool! I'm not sure I would run out to buy a bunch of these as it is another step away from "Lego purist"--for some reason accessories bother me much less. That said, however, the effect here with the posability is really nice, so I'd probably get at least a couple of pairs. Also the arms look very muscular with bulging biceps (Popeye custom?). A few questions:
--It takes some force to pull arms off a minifig. How well do these custom arms hold up to that much force?
--How stable are they? That is, if you put a fig in a pose holding some weapon etc, do the arms start to droop or do they stay in place? Is there a maximum amount of weight that this works with (e.g. normal sword stays up, large halberd droops, etc)?
--Do the wrists rotate? Or are the hands one piece with the forearms?
--In a similar vein, if these were ultimately produced, would the hands be in a different color than the arms? If so, would you use yellow or skin tone?
--Is it possible to take them apart, so you could mix and match arm and hand colors (or even upper arm and forearm colors)?
--Would this be similar plastic to your weapons? Or something softer?
--What sort of price point would you think for a pair of arms?

Bruce

That's really cool Jeff, it's great to see the arms in action. I absolutely love the posability, though I don't think I'd get them for more than a few figs. I hate having to remove arms from torsos because of the stresses involved.

I have one suggestion/criticism. Would it be possible to square off the end of the back of the elbow and shoulder?. This would prevent the elbow bending backwards, and it would reduce the sausage link look.

A good example are the large Bellville figs that have ball joints galore.

http://guide.lugnet.com/set/5811

Of course, I realize you probably have a mold already made, and it would be expensive to have another one made.

But really cool stuff Jeff. I'd love to get my hands an a few pairs.

--Anthony

Short answer: yes

My first thought is.....SWEET. Finallay a more movable arm. I cant wait to see them in color.

thoughts: How durable are they?

I have one suggestion/criticism. Would it be possible to square off the end of the back of the elbow and shoulder?. This would prevent the elbow bending backwards, and it would reduce the sausage link look.

To get the elbow swivel, the ends have to be rounded.
At least dealing with such a small scale. I don't have the
actual mold made, so minor changes can still be done.
This is why I'm showing "prototypes", not the real thing.
Oh, and they don't bend backwards as is.

--It takes some force to pull arms off a minifig. How well do these custom arms hold up to that much force?

Even these rapid protos hold up compared to Lego arms,
and they're not even made from ABS. In ABS form, they
would be equivalent to Lego, no doubt.

--How stable are they? That is, if you put a fig in a pose holding some weapon etc, do the arms start to droop or do they stay in place? Is there a maximum amount of weight that this works with (e.g. normal sword stays up, large halberd droops, etc)?

Very stable, as I expected. There is no "droop", as of yet.

--Do the wrists rotate? Or are the hands one piece with the forearms?

They rotate AND articulate(bend).

--In a similar vein, if these were ultimately produced, would the hands be in a different color than the arms? If so, would you use yellow or skin tone?

Right now, I plan on producing the entire arm in various
Lego-like colors. Meaning - If you want yellow hands, you can have them.

--Is it possible to take them apart, so you could mix and match arm and hand colors (or even upper arm and forearm colors)?

Yes.

--Would this be similar plastic to your weapons? Or something softer?

Like the weapons - harder ABS.

--What sort of price point would you think for a pair of arms?

Not sure yet. Possibly $1-2 per pair.

Good answers. I'll definitely line up for a few pairs.

Bruce

Jeff, I think I'm going to be in minority here and say no. Maybe I'm too much of a purist, but I'm just not liking how they look. That being said, I am looking forward to seeing them in colors. My imagination isn't working today, and all I see is clear sausage. Once I see the final product, there is a chance that I'll eat my words and order.

Short answer - no, but don't NOT make them on the account of a guy whose imagination isn't "on" today.

No problem Nate. I can't stress enough how, at this scale,
it's really difficult to not have that "sausage" look AND have
the articulation. That being said, I'm sure I can retool the
elbow somewhat.

Again, these are subject to change, as I'm sure they will.