I thought to get two tanks at the price of just one...

[Garga]

Got my first three rubicon tanks (pziv, Sherman and t34) an mounted them!
They are simply fantastic...


The only thing that slightly disappointed me. Is the fact that variants are really alternative... I mean that for the Sherman there are not. Enough pieces to mount two turrets but just one... So it fails somehow my expectations that were to build BOTH turrets with a single model...

I found a way to do it anyway but is far less attractive than I expected... Having two separate turrets would actually require to put another couple of pieces in the sprue so was technically feasible..
Clearly an even more nice feature would be to produce a separate sprue with all what you need to build a different version (eg the 76mm turret) so that in principle you may also sell it separately...


This is not the same issue eg for the t34 or Panther where you choose one version just for historical or aesthetical reasons
The two turrets transform the tanks into a very different one and what I expected was to get both of them with a single kit... For space saving reasons this would be great... Many of us have their homes filled with models and this could save some space and perhaps some money (nit the primary focus however).

I understand that the big cost is in the mould for the sprue but perhaps a different arrangement may end in a more flexible model... The hull for the Sherman is the base for several kits... And this is also the case of other tanks like the t34 or the pz iii/iv...
I think you already adopted this philosophy for the hanomag if this is the case I think most of us will buy the multi options version and I hope that the personalization sprues will also be sold separately...

I hope that future models that have this dual version option (eg) the stug /h42 will be made so that a guy may have both models with a single box and do not have to choose on that...

This is the only flaw but a very limited one... Other way assembling the models is a true pleasure!

Keep on we are all waiting to buy late hanomags  in tons...

[Rubicon Models]

There are several reasons why we have designed our kits like this:

(1) To give customer "choices" to built different variants out of the same kit.  That does not mean you can build one vehicle with all available options.  In some cases, customer can scratch build extra parts to met that expectation; some parts can also be magnetized or pinned for swapping in and out!  But our official stance is "You can only build one vehicle per kit".

(2) Making plastic injection moulds are rather expensive, particularly when we have to make 3 sprues for each kit.  Unlike the modeler market, sales volume is limited by the size of our tabletop gaming communities.  To be competitive, we have to keep our kits highly detailed, yet simple to build and paint.  A lot of work had been put into the design to make this concept work.  Designing a model kit is much easier when compared to creating a gaming kit - we had to limited our total parts per kit to a "magic" number so that gamers can build the kit fast and easy!  This is also one of the main reasons why most model making companies do not enter the gaming market... the volume is just not large enough!

(3) This design approach also help our retail channels saving valuable shelf space to display just one box instead of multiple boxes of the same vehicle with multiple variants.  This also help simplify ordering and warehousing requirements for our products.

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Over the past few months, we have received a lot of positive (and negative) feedback from our customers.  We have taken these feedback seriously, a lot of these inputs are being applied to our new work.  With experience gained from our current product offerings, we are now better equipped to tackle old and new problems.  Without mistakes we will never learn!

We hope our first wave of Q1/2015 new products will met your expectations!  Thanks for your support!

[Garga]

Thank you for your comments... My ones were constructive and I am sure you have good reasons for what you did... Being a professional in  optimization I understand and was just curious on them.
I love your models. They are great and you adopted construction solutions like those for the tracks that make them easy to assemble and also great to paint (I plan to paint track separately and glue them at the final stage).
Furthermore the great interest on customers opinions and suggestions make us very happy and motivate us to bring you suggestions that we think may help you... In the end we all want that your business is rewarding and grows so that you can bring on our tables a continuous flow of your models...

Returning to the topic.
I already used magnets to provide the interchangeability of some versions and they are a good compromise... Maybe in the future you can facilitate this by leaving the space where to put them... I will try to post pictures of what I did...

As I said for me is not a question of saving but of space so having the possibility of just purchasing an additional turret where this is possible would be great and commercially you may have pricing strategies that can keep your profitability ... The same could have been for the t34: the turret ring is different but with a different turret mount (the war gamer one as suggested in another post) perhaps you could use the hull for both and just have two turrets... Maybe the hull has small differences but most war gamers do not mind and the "purists" will complain but prefer anyway your models that are by far superior wrt the competing ones...
I thank you for the interest an the attention you put on our comments and make you all my strong wishes for a glorious 2015. I can't wait for the new releases...
Best
Garga

[Garga]

Here you have a picture of the finished Sherman. I really love this model ! Thank you Rubicon... If I start liking Tank wars I will certainly purchase two more of these tanks!



I had to work quite a lot to get two independent turrets... lots of magnets around and a green stuff mould of a missing turret hatch.

A complete review of the work and many pictures can be found in my blog

http://gargaslittlewars.blogspot.it/2015/01/getting-two-shermans-at-cost-of-one.html

happy new year !

[ripley]

That's a good job on making the hatch parts . What is the name of that product used to make the master , I would like to give it a try . How would it work if I used 2 part resin instead of green stuff ?  And don't worry about the periscope facing the wrong way . The whole hatch mount spun around , as well as the periscope mount could move 360 degrees . As well both hatch halves were interchangeable , some had the periscope mount on the left when facing the mg mount , some on the right . And some post war  76mm Shermans had the all vision commanders hatch on both sides of the turret .

[Garga]

it is called mini-mold by tt combat...
i bought it on ebay from a uk modelling store... it was quite cheap and it works... even better the molds are reusable.. you put the plastic block  in boiling water for a couple of minutes so that it softens then you press in the object you wish to reporduce and wait untill it hardens again. then you have your mold.
I used green stuff but two component resin can be used as well.
it's a great stuff to reproduce small parts. i thought to use it also to replicate small parts that are difficult or expensive to find. like an us flamethrower...

[jdg]

I feel for the same thing, bought the Sherman kit. Even though it was more expensive than other kits, I thought it would be worth it to get two useable turrets. The kit description make it seem the you get two complete turrets. Another problem is the 76mm turret is not a good representation. The turret overhang is too square but the real problem is at the front of the turret. there is a huge gap between the back of the gun mantlet and the front of the turret when assembled and the mantlet is lightly slopped forward instead of perpendicular as it should be. I was very disappointed as the 76mm version is what I really needed.

[Pinky]

The problem with mantlet for the 76mm turret is that it's too small.  The slope is actually correct - they weren't vertical.  The incorrect turret bustle shape is fairly easy to correct - just fill it in with putty.  I was disappointed with the 76mm turret as well (particularly when you compare it with the 75mm turret, which is very nice), but with a bit of work it looks okay (see my thread in the gallery).  I hope Rubicon get around to correcting it at some point.   

[Vonsloan]

All I'll say is this:
 I'm yet to buy my first Rubicon model I've been buying resin and whatever else I can find to match online but I've come to your website BECAUSE you offered sdkfz251's in multiple variants and you were on the warlord site. I'm intending on buying the zufuss 251 because I need 1 or 2 more transports and I'd like the choice of the rocket artillery. Its game driven not collector driven.
Now I'm intending to form 2 massive armies of Germany and England and I want a choice of vehicles to form varied battles with cool new weapons and rules to go with them. What I don't spend on multiple versions of the same vehicle I'll spend on an entirely new option so giving us models that can be several versions will NOT LOSE YOU SALES!! If anything it will gain them IMO
If I saw 3xsdkfz 251/1 resin models  for just under £60 which I could only use to transport troops and then I saw 3xsdkfz 251/1 plastic models for SAME price personally I'd choose the resin ones I love the weight but if those same plastic models had provision to become the pioneer version, the 3.7cm gun vers, the ambulance version or the zufuss all included as add on swappable pieces I'd definitely buy the plastic ones (and find a way to make them 'feel' heavier adding liquid gravity by deluxe materials)
Hope this does actually help as I am just as likely to spend my money on your product as any previously favoured resin variety and its due to the ability to use your model for more than one type/version
The stug3 75mm anti tank / stuh 10.5cm howitzer Rubicon model is a perfect example of a winning idea. It will be the first model of yours I buy then the 251's
Von