We've been clearing out the workshop this week, making it a bit more organised and efficient. Not a hard job when you see how if was before we started...!
(http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l575/PendrakenMiniatures/Forum%20Stuff/Before1.jpg)
(http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l575/PendrakenMiniatures/Forum%20Stuff/Before2.jpg)
It took a whole day just to pull everything out and work out what was going to be kept, and what could be thrown. That bike at the end of the pic above was left outside to be taken to the scrapyard. We were saved a job when it disappeared within an hour! Then Tuesday was spent fitting new insulating boards to the roof and doorway, so hopefully it'll be a lot warmer come winter this year. I unfortunately had to get rid of my 'Coke Wall' though...
(http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l575/PendrakenMiniatures/Forum%20Stuff/CokeWall.jpg)
So, now our workshop looks like this:
(http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l575/PendrakenMiniatures/Forum%20Stuff/After1.jpg)
(http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l575/PendrakenMiniatures/Forum%20Stuff/After2.jpg)
I've still got to get the other end done, which is around the corner in the pic above. That'll need the roof insulating, and all the resin stuff pulling out so that we can fit a new worktop for that area. Then it could all do with a good coat of paint! Although that wall with the cardboard box next to it was sprayed a nice shade of GW Skull White!
Just for fun, I took a pic of both Dave's desk and mine/Gandalf's. Dave insists his is organised, and to be fair, he can usually find exactly what he needs in all this clutter!
(http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l575/PendrakenMiniatures/Forum%20Stuff/Davestable.jpg)
Me and Gandalf's is a bit more spacious. Ignore all the graffiti though, the eldest has always enjoyed scrawling on the desk!
(http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l575/PendrakenMiniatures/Forum%20Stuff/Leonstable.jpg)
:D
Thanks for the pics Leon. Cool to know what the Pendraken Forge looks like ;)
"Coke Wall" :D ... wall of coke
really interesting pictures, thanks for sharing.
To tidy - far to tidy.....
IanS
Admiably suitable for preparing Aztecs!
(http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt239/goatmajor/tarl.jpg)
;D
You never give up, GM, do you!
Thanks for sharing your intimacy!
;)
Quote from: goat major on 15 September 2011, 11:19:20 AM
(http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt239/goatmajor/tarl.jpg)
As far as I know, there were no Tarleton's present in the 1st Schleswig-Holstein war... ;)
AWI's are on the opposite wall!
Cool place! Maybe could you do a competition with for the winner a ticket to go visit the shop and write his name on the table? ^^
Quote from: Arsenus on 15 September 2011, 04:22:19 PM
Cool place! Maybe could you do a competition with for the winner a ticket to go visit the shop and write his name on the table? ^^
:D
You don't need a ticket, just pop in a grab a pen!
Good grief, Leon, have you people never heard of Health & Safety? Nanny McFee would have kittens! :o
Quote from: Hertsblue on 15 September 2011, 05:31:08 PM
Good grief, Leon, have you people never heard of Health & Safety? Nanny McFee would have kittens! :o
Bah, H&S is for wimps... :D
H&S kicks in once you have 5 or more employees IIRC.
Maybe so, but the "before" picture strikes me as a great place to break your neck even before you add in molten lead and resin fumes. I m glad you cleaned up, I'd hate to have you kill yourselves before all my projects are complete.
Quote from: lentulus on 15 September 2011, 10:56:05 PM
I'd hate to have you kill yourselves before all my projects are complete.
your concern for the pendraken team is, indeed, most touching :)
Suspect it's selfish, not a genuine concern.
IanS :d :d
Quote from: lentulus on 15 September 2011, 10:56:05 PM
I'm glad you cleaned up, I'd hate to have you kill yourselves before all my projects are complete.
:D
The injuries are almost unavoidable, there's always a molten metal burn or jagged metal slice on my hands somewhere! We're fitting another window though for better air flow around the place.
These photos help explain why Pendraken prices are so low!!!!
Quote from: fred12df on 16 September 2011, 04:40:53 PM
These photos help explain why Pendraken prices are so low!!!!
must admit i'd always envisioned the Pendraken offices as being something more like this;
(http://www.flashydubai.com/images/Tallest-Buildings-in-Dubai01.jpg)
The Emirates Towers - not as impressive as you'd think once inside...
Excellent Pics! 8) Thanks for sharing the view.
Dave
Which side tower is Leon in ? :D
Pendraken central! Nice peek at the powerhouse (coke fuelled) of 10mm gaming.
I was thinking it was some designer workshop/high end factory with the qaulity of your minies and their far reach (I heard of them all the way from california). amazing that you can do what you do without such things..
Quote from: ianrs54 on 16 September 2011, 11:11:09 AM
Suspect it's selfish, not a genuine concern.
IanS :d :d
There's no sneaking anything past you Ian, eh? ;) :P
Leon - that's a great tour mate - really interesting [not to mention amazing] just what can be achieved in a garage...Awesome cottage-industry-ness. Nice to see the upgrade as well 8)
Oh - and [one day] I
am going to come & sign that desk :D
Quote from: goat major on 16 September 2011, 04:45:57 PM
must admit i'd always envisioned the Pendraken offices as being something more like this;
(http://www.flashydubai.com/images/Tallest-Buildings-in-Dubai01.jpg)
That is the outside. Its more bare inside, where the sculpting slaves are kept. The top half of the left hand tower is Leon's Penthouse/suite (the only man to have a 15 floor penthouse)
Floors 25-37 are where the jacuzzi floozies live, floors 38 and 39 are the cocktail bar.
This is Leon's week end flat
http://www.pentominium.com/vt.html (http://www.pentominium.com/vt.html)
http://www.pentominium.com/ (http://www.pentominium.com/)
Quote from: KOVAV on 17 September 2011, 08:16:33 PM
I was thinking it was some designer workshop/high end factory with the qaulity of your minies and their far reach...
I speak to a lot of folk who think the same thing, but we started out working from home 20 years ago, and have gradually customised the space as we've gotten bigger. Any more growth though and we'll need to start looking at units! I do have grandiose visions of one day soon having a nice big unit with three casting stations, a resin room, a front end reception area with the computer, and a couple of nice displays, etc!
Quote from: nikharwood on 17 September 2011, 10:14:08 PM
Leon - that's a great tour mate - really interesting [not to mention amazing] just what can be achieved in a garage...Awesome cottage-industry-ness. Nice to see the upgrade as well 8)
Oh - and [one day] I am going to come & sign that desk :D
We do OK, and it saves us the huge expense of leasing a unit!
I'll set aside a space on the desk ready for you... :D
Quote from: Last Hussar on 17 September 2011, 10:30:08 PM
That is the outside. Its more bare inside, where the sculpting slaves are kept. The top half of the left hand tower is Leon's Penthouse/suite (the only man to have a 15 floor penthouse)
Ah, if only... 8->
That jump to a unit will be a tricky one - I assume the current workshop has low overheads if its an old garage. Dave has posted before about how slim the profit margins for you are, and the cost difference per square meter will be hard for you.
(On a related point - this is why I always offer a 'being sodded around' amount on anything you do for me outside of normal packs. If I need 4 figures to complete an army I expect to pay a fair price, not get them free with the 3 packs I ordered at time of enquiry. The craftsmen are worth their wages.)
Quote from: Last Hussar on 19 September 2011, 02:12:09 AM
That jump to a unit will be a tricky one - I assume the current workshop has low overheads if its an old garage. Dave has posted before about how slim the profit margins for you are, and the cost difference per square meter will be hard for you.
You're completely right, and if it came to that, we'd have to look at the figures and see about increasing prices to allow us to make that step. It's not something we like doing, but there would be benefits for everyone, as we would be able to despatch orders faster, we could look at doing more shows, and taking more stock to them, etc. If we could get another caster as well, it would free me up to do more on building 10mm within the hobby, through magazine articles and the like.
Quote from: Last Hussar on 19 September 2011, 02:12:09 AM
(On a related point - this is why I always offer a 'being sodded around' amount on anything you do for me outside of normal packs. If I need 4 figures to complete an army I expect to pay a fair price, not get them free with the 3 packs I ordered at time of enquiry. The craftsmen are worth their wages.)
We don't really mind the odd orders, as we keep a certain level of spares for a lot of codes, and most of the moulds contain 35-40 figures anyway, so there's always a few left over.
Quote from: Leon on 19 September 2011, 03:02:30 AM
We don't really mind the odd orders, as we keep a certain level of spares for a lot of codes, and most of the moulds contain 35-40 figures anyway, so there's always a few left over.
Phew, that's alright then! As a role-player all my orders seem to compries odds-and-sods! :-[ ;)
Quote from: Leon on 17 September 2011, 11:32:33 PM
I speak to a lot of folk who think the same thing, but we started out working from home 20 years ago, and have gradually customised the space as we've gotten bigger. Any more growth though and we'll need to start looking at units! I do have grandiose visions of one day soon having a nice big unit with three casting stations, a resin room, a front end reception area with the computer, and a couple of nice displays, etc!
We do OK, and it saves us the huge expense of leasing a unit!
Having worked in the early days for another Empire in NZ (read BF) stay small mate moving into units with all the additional costs just ain't worth it sometimes. ;)
Quote from: rexhurley on 22 September 2011, 10:37:00 AM
Having worked in the early days for another Empire in NZ (read BF) stay small mate moving into units with all the additional costs just ain't worth it sometimes. ;)
Yeah, I think that at times, but there's only so far we can expand where we are. It's a few years down the line yet though, so nothing to worry about yet!
8)