The Man With No Name

Actually it's a long and complicated process. I'm sure it started out with basic design sketches based on the dominant block figure of the time, Kubricks. After a lot of back-and-forth and experimentation the Art Asylum folks settled on a design that was similar to the Kubrick design yet distinctive enough aesthetically and legally.

Based on those designs, sculpted clay versions were made. I'm sure those went through many iterations to figure out articulation, tolerances, etc. This first design is nowhere near what you see today. It was much more Kubrick-like and didn't have elbow or knee joints. Of course it was closer to the larger three-inch version than the current two-inchers.

Once the design was final and all the bugs worked out it's handed over to a machinist. He (most of the machinists I know are male, I'm not saying women can't be machinists, just that they are underrepresented in the field, and that if you are going to choose a pronoun to represent them, the masculine pronoun is more likely to apply to any randomly selected individual) is responsible for creating the steel mold, or tool, for each piece of the Minimate listed by youbastards above. Of course like all molds the tool is a negative version of the finished item. The machinist has to remove the steel where ever there should be plastic. It is a valuable trade that doesn't seem to get the respect it should, IMO.

The machinist doesn't just create one tool per part. Multiple torso tools (for example) are assembled in a rig. This rig does have a technical term that I can't recall and Google isn't helping. Each piece in the rig is connected via channels. When the plastic is injected, these filled channels become the sprue that the Minimate parts hang off of. It's also possible that the tools are assembled so that all the pieces for a single Minimate are on a single sprue. Usually they are combined in whatever way produces lowest cost. If pieces are molded in different types or colors of plastic, their corresponding tools are going to have to be on different jigs.

The actual injection process begins with solid plastic granules being poured into the injection machine. Transporting and storing liquid plastic is a recipe for disaster. At this point lubricant is applied to the interior of the tool to aid in product removal. Inside the machine, the plastic is melted and forced into the cooled and lubricated tool. The tool is kept cold in order to harden the plastic upon contact. I'm not sure what types of plastics are used in Minimates but I do know it has changed over the years. At this point in the process, depending on the plastic, the mold needs to be shaken, pressurized, rotated, or caressed gently.

After cooling, the plastic is ready to be removed. Everything is unscrewed and the sprues with the Minimate parts are popped out. Then the tool/jig assembly is all put back together ready for another injection. The sprues of Minimate parts are taken to the examination area where teams of detail oriented engineers examine them. They are looking for any irregularities or mold failures that could cause problems down the line. Last I heard their rejection rate at this point in the process is down to 2%. Bad sprues are stored for archival purposes.

After examination, the sprues are taken to the purification chamber. Here they are subjected to series of chemical baths in order to make them safe to handle. First it gets a spray of Bromous acid (HBrO2) in a 0.3 micromolar solution. Next is the Thiosulfuric acid (H2S2O3) for color. And finally the chamber is filled with Hydrogen Selenide (H2Se) in order to cure. Seventeen hours later the room is ventilated and the sprues are taken to the Paint and Tampo department.

I don't know much about the Tampographic (tampo) process. From what I understand it's a type of pad printing, but I haven't had any first-hand experience with it. I did try taking a class in it though. But once they opened the vial of cobra venom I decided it wasn't worth the risk and dropped the course. For your purposes it probably isn't necessary anyway.

After painting, the Minimate pieces are sent to the Assembly Building via underground pneumatic tubing. There's actually an electronic eye in the tube that can identify the particular part and send it to the correct output bin. Sounds cool right? That's not the half of it. The Assembly Building is like nothing you've seen. Completely automated. Robots everywhere. They've got robots that remove pieces from sprues. They've got robots that attach Minimate arms to Minimate torsos. They've got robots that grind up the sprues and pour it into other robots for use as fuel. They've got robots that sweep up the plastic dust that the grinding robots leave behind. They've got robots that make sure the Minimate head is pointing the right direction before putting a Minimate helmet on it.

The assembly robots finish their work by gently placing the finished Minimate in its proper spot in the thin plastic tray. These trays are placed on a conveyor belt which leads to the Consecration Room. Very little is known about what goes on in here and rumors abound. Everything from application of addictive substances to Masonic rituals to Chuck personally blessing each figure with Glinda's wand... But one thing is certain a Minimate is not truly a Minimate unless it comes out of this room.

Then everything is boxed up, put in a shipping container, placed on a boat, sailed across the ocean to Diamond Distributors, then sent to your LCS or TRU.

I think that about covers it.

Wikipedia terms for further research: machining, tool and die, injection molding, pad printing, Lysergic acid diethylamide

Cool thank you that was very informative, I think I might need some ergotamine tartrate for this reaction . I think you should wiki Dimethyltrypamine, my person favorite

Step 1: Make 14 unique molds for the basic Minimate figure

- Head

- Torso

- Crotch

- Upper Left Arm

- Lower Left Arm

- Upper Right Arm

- Lower Right Arm

- Hand (1 mold for both left and right)

- Upper Right Leg

- Lower Right Leg

- Upper Left Leg

- Lower Left Leg

- Knee Pin (1 mold for both left and right)

- Foot (1 mold for both left and right)

Step 2: Pour the correct plastic material into molds to form the parts.

Step 3: Assemble parts together to make a bootleg Minimate

Okay cool, now we're getting somewhere. I assumed step 1, but what sort of correct plastic materials are we talking about here for step two? They don't need to be the exact same as the real ones but close enough works for me. And then also I don't know anything about molds, what do you use?

And then you just pour and go? Seems too easy, what's the catch?

everything needed to really mold and cast and make these guys. I saw a post on here where some guy was making clear purple and pink minimates that looked way sick. Do you need everything to be under vacuum too, stuff like that?

Thanks everyone for reading

Wasn't he just dyeing blanks?

Anyways, if you have to ask this question, you're probably best off not pursing the idea....

Maybe he was dying blanks I didn't know, that's why I was asking?

And I totally disagree, if you don't ask questions, then how would you know anything? People said I shouldn't go to college, then they said it would be too difficult to pursue nuclear chemistry, Japanese and making neon sign's all at the same time with no previous experience in any of those subjects. I had no background in those areas and now I teach/work with nuclear chemistry in Japan for half the year and I still make neon sign's on the side for fun too.

Tisk Tisk too coming from the Staff, I would expect more from you people.

So can anyone help point me in the right direction? Come on folks your out there I know it. Do the people who make the minimates toy line read this forum??

What "chemicals" are you talking about? Do you mean for making customs? Because paint is the only chemical that I use. Well, and occasionally Super Glue. As far as setups go, I basically just work at my dining room table, but I'm hoping to put in a little workstation into our new house. My wife thinks the idea's cute.

everything needed to really mold and cast and make these guys. I saw a post on here where some guy was making clear purple and pink minimates that looked way sick. Do you need everything to be under vacuum too, stuff like that?

Thanks everyone for reading

Hello, don't know if this is in an older post, but I was wondering if anyone one knows what kind of chemicals you need to make these guys and the exact amounts and what kind of setup people have and stuff like that?

Thanks

Is that a picture of him in your profile picture, can you post that I want to see it bigger?

I mean, sure, make him, they only have 1,200 other guys anyways, and you can bet half of those are doubles and up So boring

We need more originals!! I like them without the bulky gear and constraining outfits, and more in raw form, like Xavier without his wussy blanket and suit and tie. If they could make the battle beasts like him with tons of detailed paint, and gear, that could be much cooler. Sorry for the tangent

Kang would be cool too after seeing him in the Avengers Earth's Mightiest Hero's cartoon. He was right about to tune them up Real hard. He should have one that fight. Also will I'm thinking of it, his boys were pretty rowdy too, they could stop time and do sh*t. How they ever lose that fight is beyond me. They might be cool in minimate form too.

Okay sounds good everyone, kinda silly, but I guess that seems to be the crowd here. Anyway if you made it like yojoe.com where anyone and everyone submits very similar action type poses with white backgrounds and good lighting, I think that would just add to your site and it wouldn't be all that much work for you. I only have about 50 guys so I could do as many as I could and send em over if your about it. Doesn't have to be all at once, but these things take time and slowly adding them into your website would only further befit you in the end. Thanks again for all the wacky responses I got.

The only worker (that I know of) is Ivan,and he is on this board so you could shoot him up a message

And they do have pictures geared up

Sorry I should have been more specific. I meant geared up with weapons blazing and in some cool pose that makes you want to go buy that figure right away. I think it's one of the reasons I have so many Joe's, had to stop looking at yojoe.com geared up pics, everytime I was trying to convince myself to buy another one.

Hello, I was wondering how to get in touch with the people over at the minimate database. They have no contact info, and I wanted to make a suggestion. I was thinking how cool it would be for them have another picture where the characters and geared up, like on yojoe.com. Maybe even let people submit them if they all follow certian standards your looking for? Like only white backgrounds for instance, stuff like that.

Any help?

Thanks

See, I've never seen Boromir or Merry on ebay, I've only been interested in these guys since like june, but still nothing. Also does any one have any pics of the supposed series 3?

Thanks for all the feedback too

I'm also still interested in price and rarity if anyone knows??

Hello all, just wondering, did they ever make a Boromir minimate? Seems like maybe, maybe not?? If so, is he rare, and how much does he go for?

Thanks

My first minimate and still one of my favorites, Nemesis AOA soo sicky

2. My new wave 28 deadpool, so much detail in 2 inches, who knew

3. Professor X without his suit and blanket or helmet on. His outfit underneath is so freakin cool. and his Chair is weighty

4. Luke's custom NES Mega Man

5. Excalibur box set Juggernaut, so awesome, I don't have him yet though

I really like the 90's Sabertooth too,looks just like the cartoon I grew up watching