Hasbromaniac
Main Eventer
Joined on: Nov 17, 2004 16:13:30 GMT -5
Posts: 3,598
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Post by Hasbromaniac on Oct 16, 2009 20:51:06 GMT -5
Sorry but I'm calling out highnoonleo here , as I think that somebody is just screwing around with us. I'll be man enough to apologize, if he can post some production pics or give us some background info. Until then, I call BS.
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Post by humanitarianaryan on Oct 17, 2009 0:03:09 GMT -5
call BS on who? highnoonleo or Brian??? or both? bk
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Burger Lad
Main Eventer
Joined on: Jun 30, 2009 8:41:44 GMT -5
Posts: 1,542
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Post by Burger Lad on Oct 17, 2009 2:48:32 GMT -5
It's all gone quiet....has anyone had PMs answered!? I defo think Badgerboy is as legit as they come though but too busy to log on here. Shame as would have loved to know some more about our favourite line...
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TheRockers
Superstar
Joined on: Mar 21, 2006 11:20:31 GMT -5
Posts: 710
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Post by TheRockers on Oct 17, 2009 12:41:16 GMT -5
I believe badgerboy did work at Hasbro and the prototypes are the real deal but he doesn't have much knowledge of the WWF line or simply doesn't remember. It was in the early 90's so we can't really blame him. I rather him not post lies just to make us happy, he could easily just post random made up stories and stuff but he's not, he seems honest.
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ICHIBAN 一番
Main Eventer
✮SINCE 1977✮
Joined on: Feb 16, 2008 10:49:27 GMT -5
Posts: 4,001
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Post by ICHIBAN 一番 on Oct 17, 2009 14:49:18 GMT -5
i think weve probably lost both guys if they read some of the comments here!
I know its exciting but they probably dont see it from our point of view, so lets all be respectful and let badger boy or highnoon comment in their own time.
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wrestlelord
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Jan 25, 2007 17:26:16 GMT -5
Posts: 149
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Post by wrestlelord on Oct 17, 2009 15:38:32 GMT -5
I think people need to give these guys some breathing room and also be realistic since this was from 15+ years ago. I wouldn't really want to respond to a whole bunch of people who question my legitimacy...let alone hound and pry tons of questions out of me. Just let the guy talk and give information as he remembers it. I'll sure their mailboxes are stuffed with questions and on top of that, they actually have real lives to attend to. Relax and be patient!
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romafan87
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Dec 21, 2008 22:24:31 GMT -5
Posts: 450
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Post by romafan87 on Oct 17, 2009 19:27:28 GMT -5
i think weve probably lost both guys if they read some of the comments here! I know its exciting but they probably dont see it from our point of view, so lets all be respectful and let badger boy or highnoon comment in their own time. Absolutely. Some of the stuff posted on this thread is annoying, repetitive, and down right creepy. I can't even imagine what was PM'ed to either of these folks.
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habrofan83
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 4, 2009 9:29:20 GMT -5
Posts: 1,033
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Post by habrofan83 on Oct 17, 2009 20:41:03 GMT -5
take your time boys we apprieciate the info you have already given and yes we eagerly awaite more but only when your ready.
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Post by humanitarianaryan on Oct 17, 2009 21:08:44 GMT -5
yeah...i mean c'mon guys. These ex-employees weren't even fans of wrestling when they worked there. It was just their jobs. To put in into perspective...imagine you worked at Mattel 20 years ago. And a Barbie fanatic BEGGED you to come to the Barbie message boards! And on top of that, they wanted to know what color hair you spray-painted on Ken's head!! Or how many ALTERNATE shoes you gave a certain Barbie. I mean c'mon, you wouldn't have dared to remember those days... No offense to any Barbie collectors out there. To each his own... BK
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Hasbromaniac
Main Eventer
Joined on: Nov 17, 2004 16:13:30 GMT -5
Posts: 3,598
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Post by Hasbromaniac on Oct 17, 2009 21:56:37 GMT -5
Thought my message was clear, I was calling out highnoonleo.
No problems with badgerboy at all;heck he's the one who had the protos.
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wrestlelord
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Jan 25, 2007 17:26:16 GMT -5
Posts: 149
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Post by wrestlelord on Oct 17, 2009 23:38:43 GMT -5
yeah...i mean c'mon guys. These ex-employees weren't even fans of wrestling when they worked there. It was just their jobs. To put in into perspective...imagine you worked at Mattel 20 years ago. And a Barbie fanatic BEGGED you to come to the Barbie message boards! And on top of that, they wanted to know what color hair you spray-painted on Ken's head!! Or how many ALTERNATE shoes you gave a certain Barbie. I mean c'mon, you wouldn't have dared to remember those days... No offense to any Barbie collectors out there. To each his own... BK Haha, exactly!
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Deleted
Joined on: May 6, 2024 9:33:58 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2009 1:53:39 GMT -5
i ve won 3 of brians ptypes. i ve also have email contact with him. he said at the moment he is preparing an 10 days trip to germany. when he is back he also will return on board...
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baggio
Jobber
Joined on: Oct 6, 2009 19:58:41 GMT -5
Posts: 22
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Post by baggio on Oct 19, 2009 17:28:07 GMT -5
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Post by badgerboy80 on Oct 24, 2009 1:25:16 GMT -5
As I read the comments on genuine prototypes or if they are some cobbled together parts or repros here are a few points to ponder. When the first figures were made concepts were drawn up. Typical poses, what sort of action should the figure have, how much would each figure sell for, how much mechanism should be put into the figure to meet the selling price. Engineering would have us make a sculpting buck. This is a skeleton or armature that had the necessary mechanical fitments at the shoulders, elbows, neck, feet, anywhere the figure had to bend/articulate. The sculptors would then apply the medium they preferred to work in, staying away from the machined surfaces. Some figures like GI Joe were sculpted 2X true size and pantographed down to 1 to 1. I'll add a photo of the wax that was machined. The medium the sculptors worked in was either a pink jewelers wax or a two part epoxy putty. The wax was a special concoction the sculptors cooked up themselves. I think it was a blend of waxes that was available from Contenti Jewelers supply. Once the figure was finished we would get the individual parts and establish a parting line on each part. The part was held in a clay nest and a pencil lead on a small acrylic triangle was rubbed around the perimeter. This established the parting line for the Klean clay to be built up. We would bury each segment of the figure like this. A styrene wall was built around the embedded part and RTV Green rubber was poured on it. Once cured (the next day) we would flip the mold over, remove the clay and pour the second half. The following day the original part was removed a new styrene wall was built around each mold half and we would paint the rubber with an epoxy surface coat, this was then backed up by Dyna-Cast. The result was a hard tool master that was then mounted to a piece of birch plywood. We would then bring the mounted halves to the Metrology Dept. They would mark the exact lines the tool makers needed to align the halves to cut the steel cavities. We would get the boards back and counter-bore for 4 datum plugs. two on the x axis and two on the y axis. These were then realigned in the Metrology Dept. by Zeke and he would anchor them with super glue, we would then spike them with an .125 dia dowel. Seems like a big process but if the halves are not aligned the parting line is off and you don't get a perfect fit. Same for the parting line, if you don't get it exact, you have an undercut and the tool has to be modified again making a poor fit. Look at some of the cheap plastic army men from China. There is flash and drag marks all over them. Once the tools are set they were shipped to Portugal for the tool makers to cut steel. Those Portuguese were fabulous toolmakers.
Back to the Rubber>>>>we would make another set of Dyna-casts for internal use. The Machinists would take the 2X patterns and pantograph them down to 1 to 1 in Blue machinable wax from Freeman pattern. These waxes were then covered in rubber and prototypes were cast. these solid castings were hollowed out and the mechanical actions were machined into the core side. The Core side rubber was then poured. These rubbers had interlocks and gates and vents for the urethane to flow. The casting was done under pressure. I have some photos, again, I will dig out and do my best to get them on here. It's my best estimate that each figure took about 120 man hours once it came to our shop until a prototype mold was made. Then another 80 hours to cast all the prototypes. Now they need to get painted, my guess is 2 hrs. per figure. So what is that, 200 hours give or take to make all the thirteen prototypes. Hasbro had alot invested in each of these figures, and the quality shows if I could brag a bit.
Now back to the original point, Do your due diligence on buying any of these figures. But as for counterfeits, Geesch if a guy wants to go through the trouble and time and expense of trying to mimic a prototype, he's goofy. Kinda like counterfeiting 1 dollar bills, sure it looks good but it would cost you 5 bucks a piece to do it.
Now as for Leo, I'll let him divulge what he cares to about his days in the shop. What I will say is he worked a number of years in the Fantasy gaming/figure genre. A talent and entrepreneur.
As for the insider info on why or what figures were produced...I'll have to say we were not privy to that info. The boys on the bench had so many different projects coming across their bench that unless they took a personal interest in the particular product line, the insider info would consist of such nuggets as: Crap, when I was turning that barrel on the lathe the stinkin' tool dug in and now I have to body putty up the tear out. Hey, who has the split centers? Nice work, who didn't spray enough release on the rubber? Frick, my rubber didn't set up, I primed it, did someone touch this with blue rubber? Who left the lid off the dynacast? Who didn't clean up the dynacast off the scale?, the bastard. Who let the rubber cure on my stir stick? That sort of thing.
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wrestlelord
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Jan 25, 2007 17:26:16 GMT -5
Posts: 149
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Post by wrestlelord on Oct 24, 2009 2:09:16 GMT -5
Great write-ups badgerboy...I really enjoy hearing all your stories, even the ones that don't have to do with this particular line of toys. You have no clue how many people would love to hear your stories and other workers stories. Have you thought about doing a blog?
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Burger Lad
Main Eventer
Joined on: Jun 30, 2009 8:41:44 GMT -5
Posts: 1,542
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Post by Burger Lad on Oct 24, 2009 3:05:35 GMT -5
Thanks for the update Badgerboy - as a fan of both GI Joe and WWF it is brilliant to read on the process and just how much effort goes into each figure! Thanks!
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Post by Guest on Oct 24, 2009 4:59:12 GMT -5
Thanks badgerboy - i guess everyone got a little too excited about having someone who worked on our beloved figures join the board - thinking about it now and what your job entailed you probably weren't that bothered about which figures were due for release etc etc
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cdp
Main Eventer
Joined on: Jul 28, 2009 1:18:51 GMT -5
Posts: 2,281
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Post by cdp on Oct 24, 2009 10:40:32 GMT -5
Many many thanks Brian!! Love the story!!!
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Hasbromaniac
Main Eventer
Joined on: Nov 17, 2004 16:13:30 GMT -5
Posts: 3,598
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Post by Hasbromaniac on Oct 25, 2009 21:13:02 GMT -5
Thanks badgerboy80 for ther background on figure making, very interesting indeed.
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tibbo
Superstar
Photoshop Machine
Joined on: Sept 6, 2009 8:43:18 GMT -5
Posts: 710
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Post by tibbo on Jan 31, 2010 9:56:33 GMT -5
So you are now selling Warrior prototype number 600 Brian? hehe It seems that there were more prototypes made of this figure than the actual production figure itself..... or of course you are just making new versions of the figure and selling them on fraudulently. Either way, your silence is deafening.
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