Author: Jimmi

Hi Gents,

Well I’ve been working like a modelling Yogin to get this all ready ! The last few weeks has been busy-as to get this all crossing the line of departure … so much for planning staged releases. !

We have just released six new product items I trust you will be pretty happy with, and released another dozen pieces that will go into existing packs that will enhance these packs further.

A list of the new released products looks like ;

1. USMC M14 Rifle Platoon (41pcs),

2. USMC M14 ‘HQ’ Platoon (45pcs)

3. LVC/NLF Porters (10pcs)

4. Australian M113 with T50 turret (.30/.50 or .30/.30 options)

5. USMC LVTP5 APC

6. USMC LVTH6 Howitzer variant.

…But some of the details I’m the happiest about is some of the new and redone figures that will go into existing packs that I have felt were sorely needed. For example; two new US minesweeper figures, a prone US sniper team, Aussie M79 grenadiers with SLR’s, and a metal ‘load’ for the Mule (replacing the resin load)  for starters. I’ve also been busy improving some of the heavy weapon sculpts we manufacture and resurrected some ‘missing’ figures from this range (eg; some old LVC sculpts that seem to have vanished). You will see these new items appear in existing packs real soon.

For those of you in North America, Carl at ‘Miniatures of Chesapeake’, and Mark at ‘ScaleCreep Miniatures’ have shipments on the way.

Big thanks to the team of people who made this happen, Chris the tireless spincaster, Nic Robson (Eureka Miniatures) the fastest, bestest mould maker ‘Down Under’, Matt Clark and crew (Reaper Miniatures) sculptors and mould-makers, Leandro Ventic the figure-sculptor, two other ‘prefer-to-remain-anonymous’ figure-sculptors, Darby Eckles (TX.USA) the 3D designer of the Amtracks and T50 turret, John at ‘Modeller’ (CA.USA) who printed the Amtrack masters, Phil and Sandy the ‘webguys’ who tirelessly defend the website against hackers and troublemakers,  and most importantly my wife Tamara who is the crucial administrator behind the ‘business’ and looks after me as I sit in the ‘shed weighing, sorting, cleaning and packing thousands and thousands of metal figures, and pouring, curing and sanding kilograms of urethane resin and mould rubber.

! Time to sit at the painting desk for a few days ! ..Woohoo !   ….. Stay ‘tuned !

Hi Gents,

Wow ! it’s August ! , Sorry if this website has been a bit quiet over the last two months, I’m a pretty inexperienced blogger !

I recognise that I tend to communicate (by habit) more by PM, and tend to lurk around the rather excellent ‘Fields of Fire’ Vietnam wargames’ site more than I communicate here… am learning …will do better.

There has been no shortage of work done behind the ‘scenes at Flashpoint HQ in the last two months ;

1. The M274 ‘Mechanical Mule’ sculpted by Karl Cederman has been released for sale,

2.The ‘Early war USMC Rifle Platoon’ (with M14’s) figures sculpted by Anton Ducrot are back, production moulded, and first figures have been spun out …(the first thirty packs already pre-promised are being sorted after I write this), we are getting a sample painted for display on the website before we release for sale.  …An ‘Early war USMC weapons/support’ pack will follow very soon.

3. We have a few Aussie infantry, and US Sniper team sculpts back from Leandro Ventic,  ….plus new VC ‘Porters’ sculpts,  and a few Civilian ‘village-wares’ items (ie; village “clutter”-you will see what I mean soon) also done. Leandro is about to start on a ‘tuk-tuk’ piece I super keen to see done. Then onto ARVN !

4.Our so-long awaited ‘Aussie’ T50 turret (with a selection of arament options) has been fine tuned/improved. We had a few teething problems with this, fixed these, and have resculpted the araments again, and got the commander’s hatch right (for the Aussie version)… am sending away to be master-moulded again ….Want to get this right ! Will be here in time for the new Aussie sculpts.

5. Our LVTP5 and LVTH6 Amtracks are being production moulded… we have been slowed by adding to the detail (tow hook and cable), but in a way that is reliably able to be production-casted … but it is about three steps further forward after a lot of work, and a number of production moulds should be getting made at the end of this week. ..So nearly ready for release.

6. We’ve sent out a few ‘monster’ orders to the USA, particularly to our old friends Mark at ScaleCreep Miniatures, and Aaron at Noble Knight miniatures.

7. We have finished prototyping a range of resin terrain of more than thirty pieces; bunkers, hooches, buildings, pigpens, wells, fences, roads, Buddhist statues… you name it. We will get to ‘producing’ these as soon as the Amtracks are completed.

8. We’ve also started writing up (coherently) the Vietnam wargaming rules we have been playing for about fifteen years….

Yeah ! …we been busy !

More to follow ……

Wow ! ..It’s June ! … we’ve had some important milestones in the last few weeks. We have received our Amtrack/LVTP5 master back, …it’s being casted-up right now …we are aiming to get the best option for producing a good moulding method. …and we have a Howitzer version (LVTH6)on the way also. Our commission from Anton Ducrot has just arrived back so ‘early-war’ US Marines packs are very close. Our ‘Mule’ is back from being production-mastered ….so is ready to start being produced soon-as ! …Looks like heaps of USMC goodness is here…
..Semper Fi !
We’ve also received our very-long-awaited T50 turret back ..we’re very happy with it…we’ll show it off as soon as we got a few ready. Sweeet !
…I’m sorry if this is all taking longer than I’ve projected, I originally wanted to stagger these releases over the last months…but the reality of ‘getting new things done’ dictates it happens when it is ready ! ..well it is all ‘ready’ about now …stay tuned !

Another ‘bigger than big’ five weeks here at Flashpoint-Miniatures !

We have had a continuing landslide of interest (and sales), some ‘new development’ works near completion, although taking longer than anticipated we are making sure we get these things “right” before pushing them through into production.
For example, we have “Kevin” the sculptor, in Texas U.S.A. drilling holes in a brass tube to get a .30cal barrel “just right” for our M113 T50 turrets …seriously ! How good is that !
… I didn’t even know this could be done !
We did already have our twin-.30cals and .30/.50cal barrels “done” for the “T50”, but decided to do it again, so we know they will be tough enough to handle “wargaming” use… not just look good.

Flashpoint’s original sculptor ; Anton Ducrot, has his new “M14 Marine” sculpts finished and just being polished up now , he has produced some excellent, and very useful new figures here !
Karl Cederman, an old Flashpoint friend and original, has finished up his M247 “Mule” (with optional driver) which he has designed specifically to carry our 106mm Recoilless Rifle, … and I guess whatever else the ‘Leathernecks’ want carried.
John at ‘Moddler’ (in Calif U.S.A), is 3D printing the hull of our upcoming LVTP5 ‘Amtrack’…. this is the best 3D-printing house we know of …we have the basic ‘carrier’ version nearly done, …before we go onto the ‘Howitzer’ version.

So lotsa good things very close now !, I’m completely glad we have such an awesome collection of incredibly talented people happy to go the ‘extra mile’ to get a good product into our hands.
I feel privileged to be able to see this happen !

!!..Additionally…if you happen to be in North America, Mark at ‘ScaleCreep’ Miniatures has a big shipment of Flashpoint Miniatures on the way !… should be there soon …

More to follow …