What are multiples?

Practically any entity produced in quantity more than one is a multiple. Every consumer product that you buy in store is a multiple.

In professional model making we usually being required to multiply a scale model, replica, sculpture or other subject or object, which has to be produced in quantity, that is smaller than the minimum quantity which mass manufacturing facility would agree to produce. Mass manufacturer is interested in producing a run starting from 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 copies and more, depending on type of product. A production run less than 1,000 copies usually might be produced only by model making company capable of performing as a short run manufacturer.

Multiples in Sales

It is smart and very effective tactic if your company has a number of sales representatives that meet with buyers and participating in trade shows independently. Sales multiples can be installed in different locations or can be carried by sales persons, in which occasion model can be installed in a brief case or custom carrying case. Sales representatives equipped with a tool as powerful as sale model are mobile, can act independently and respond to the potential buyer’s inquiry with maximum efficiency. Sales of residential developments, resorts, business and industrial parks, various devices, structures, installations, crafts and many more will be faster, easier and more effective using multiplied sale models.

Multiples in Marketing

Multiples produced for marketing purposes are practically fully custom promotional items, used as exclusive give away gifts for the most important buyers, donors, investors and guests. Presenting such gift is not only a token of respect or a piece of precious memory. The power of model, which described in article “Why Model”, will make its keeper to be subconsciously bonded with the design. Accepting of design’s physical existence in scaled down replica will make this important person to feel favorable to the design and might as a result have made a decision that will exceed all your expectations – all because of a little model.

Promotional multiples might be produced in different editions – smaller generic version, larger, more detailed and luxury edition, depending on importance of a person to whom it will be presented.

Multiples in Fundraising

It is one of the greatest uses for multiples. Nothing can be compared to a collectible multiple that you are selling in order to raise funds for community building, preservation of historical building or any other noble cause. Any other standard items, such as t-shirts, mugs, posters or calendars will be treated as such and will fade away without leaving a trace. Collectible replica will stay with its buyer for a long time as a piece of precious memory. Also, how much profit can be made off selling a t-shirt or a mug? $10? $15? After all there is a limit of how much one can ask for a t-shirt even sold for a noble cause. Exclusive custom collectible replica, on the other hand, might be offered and sold for a few hundred dollars, bringing incomparably higher profit and all parties will feel good and accomplished about it. Also, t-shirt or mug is not even a representation of the cause, but merely a reflection of it. Collectible replica is the cause, real and physical, only scaled down. You are not selling it, you presenting a piece of your cause as a token of gratitude for donation, leaving a good feeling a great memory.

Art Multiples

Sculpted art multiple based on artwork by Mickalene Thomas

These are limited edition, in most cases scaled down replicas of art pieces by certain artists. Also it can be a three-dimensional representation of artist’s paintings motives.

Although produced by model making company, these replicas usually signed by the artist, numbered, accompanied by certificate of authenticity and being considered as originals.

No doubt, it is a great way for artists to expand their sales and to offer these multiples to the fans and collectors which cannot afford to buy an original art piece. Also it is a way to promote artist’s name and art where the artist is not known yet.

Costs

Naturally, the cost of limited edition production in model making shop will be significantly higher in comparison to manufacturer’s cost per copy when producing a large run. However, can we compare pricing and costs distribution pattern here?

Manufacturer quotes an industrial tooling, which is quite expansive, than each copy produced on automated or semi-automated lime, using that tooling. When the run is large, a cost of tooling is being evenly distributed between the copies. The larger quantity, the lower will be cost per copy.

Model making shop doesn’t have to produce an expansive industrial tooling – in most cases silicone rubber molds or vacuum-forming patterns are all is needed. A cost of tooling itself is significantly lower. However, model making shop does not have such luxury as automated line – casting, assembly, painting, decoration, even packing – all done by hand. Therefore a cost per copy itself is tens times higher and the tooling cost, although lower than industrial one, being distributed between merely few hundreds if not less copies. Also, a price of producing a master (the initial sculpted or fabricated model or replica which is to be replicated) has to be added and its alone can cost a few thousand dollars.

We are describing this because there are many customers that are approaching model makers with expectations to have their multiples produced by the price close to the price of industrial manufacturing, only in quantities of 50 – 200 copies. Some customers are so disappointed that are leaving being convinced that model makers are trying to rip them off.

So, be ready that the price per copy will be tens times higher than in industrial production.

Specifics of short run production.

Another thing that you have to consider and to accept is that model making shop’s methods of replication and choices of materials are limited. Model making shop is set primarily to produce prototypes which are close, but still, imitation of look and feel of future products. Model maker’s first choice of replication techniques is resin casting, because it is relatively simple and almost does not require expansive tooling and machinery. A family of modern polyurethane resins is huge; their properties can be adjusted to imitate practically every material and texture, whenever it is plastic, metal, rubber or glass. By adding color pigments to the resin while it is in the liquid state, cast products could be instantly colored. However, resin casting cannot be compared to industrial replication, such as injection molding, it would be a mistake to have such expectation. Resins are pretty sensitive to the temperature change. Same color pigment formula might color resins differently, depending on temperature or humidity level in the shop. Resins are slightly shrinking and deforming in soft silicone rubber molds, which pose certain difficulties when accurate assembly of separately cast parts is anticipated.

So, be ready that there are certain limitations in short run production and properties of multiples produced in model making shop cannot be compared to properties of industrially manufactured product.

Model Scale, Part 1 – Scale

Scale is the most important term in model making. It is the main model’s characteristic, describing a size of the model in relation to life-size of the origin.
In US architecture scale usually based to inch/foot measurements and looks like, for example, 1” – 20’ or 1/8” – 1’, where, in this particular sample 1” on the model represents 20’ of life scale size, or 1/8” on the model is the equivalent of 1’ in life-size.
Communicating with architects we are using this system as well. However, we prefer to use scale system that is not based on any particular measurement. This scale called international, or engineering, or, sometimes, metric, although, like it was said before, this system is universal for any system as long as measurement units are the same. This scale represents how many measurement points of the origin are represented by one measurement point on the model and its record looks:

1 : X, or 1 / X and reads “one to X”

The scale describes by the following formula:

Scale = Lo/Lm

where Lo is Length of the origin and Lm is Length of the model.

It is important for model maker to operate with scale related calculations freely, as such calculations sometimes tricky and may lead to mistake.
Let’s analyze a situation where we have a set of drawings in 1:Y scale and have to build model in 1:X scale. In order to recalculate drawing into model size easily we have to use the formula above. Let’s put into the formula all that known to us.
Lo in this case will look like this:

Lo = Ld x Y

where Ld is Length on the drawing and the whole formula for scale X will look like this:

X = Ld x Y/Lm

The only unknown in the equation above is Lm, which is the measurement that we will have to calculate multiple times during the model’s fabrication.
Than

Lm = Ld x Y/ X

Let’s separate Y / X from this formula as it is a part of calculation which will be constant for finding each particular measurement, and let’s call it recalculation coefficient k, where

k = Y/X

Than our main formula transforms into:

Lm = Ld x k

All we have to do now is to take any measurement from the drawing, multiply it to k and to find its equivalent in model’s scale in a simple and elegant way.

It is important to remember that scale applies only on linear measurements. Never apply scale on area measurements or, God forbid, value – it will be a grave mistake.

Starting the blog!

This is the first post, just to let know to occasional visitor that this blog is just started. So… it will be a mess for a while – I am learning. Just finished to shape the look and colors and this was terrible as I learned how limited are my options. Templates really should be more flexible and customizable.

Next I will be shaping categories and pages.

The main reason for starting a blog is easier interface and CMS than when you are designing a website. I maintain my company’s website www.lifeinscale.com myself, so I might not having troubles with publishing there, however I would like to do something that will be more than just corporate posts, announcements and such. Maybe I will decide to diconnect the posts from corporate topics at all and will just write about model making and model making related topics.

Meanwhile you might want to visit a Model Making Knowledge Base and read articles posted there. Eventually articles will be duplicated here, I will add new ones, but here you will be able to participate more, comment and interact.

Anyways… stand by and see what will be happening.