Production Update 19

PROGRESS

This will be our final Production Update™! The production process has now been completed. As of yesterday Vicky, Brett and I ran the final molds for the remainder of the pieces we needed for fulfillment. We are now moving into our Fulfillment Phase and you will be receiving updates regarding our fulfillment progress until shipping is completed.

We have completed 16 four- to eight-hour casting sessions since the first weekend of January. Over that period we have finished 44 sculpts, 8 master molds, 82 production molds, used 594 pounds of metal, and cast 38,350 individual pieces. Unfortunately since I contracted the resin casting to Valiant I don't have the metrics for their production contribution to the project. But, they have cast 13,750 assorted base inserts, 1000 ammo dump pieces and 400 rocket bikes.

When we initially launched the project last September, we projected an estimated delivery of January. At that time, I anticipated we would probably top out at maybe eight to ten pieces. Although we prepared twenty four concepts for production, I assumed the Kickstarter project would only fund about half that and we would make the remainder over the following year for the online store. Response to the project was exceptional and we have been working day and night to get the fulfillment completed between Vicky and I plus the help of our local Bomb Squad team. Thanks for sticking with us and thanks for your patience and encouragement.

NEWS

At this point about 85% of the lower backer rewards packages (under BOMB KIT level) have been processed and shipped. Approximately 70% of the BOMB KIT level has been processed and/or shipped out. The remaining unprocessed packages number around 700 or so. This coming week we will be tackling the rest of the Bomb Kits and above to get as much out to you as we can. Valiant has indicated they should be completed with the reminder of the Rocket Bikes and we are supposed to have them by Friday.

Over the next couple of weeks as we work to package up shipments and get them labeled, some of you will be contacted by Brett who will be handling support. He is now filling the role of troubleshooting about 10% of the total pledges that contained errors or confusing selection in the backer surveys. We want to make sure that all the backers receive the items they are expecting. For the rest of you, your packages will be going out as soon as we can get them processed.

Several factors have delayed the Convention Maelee piece, the largest of which has been completing the production for the Kickstarter fulfillment. So, we will be making her available for GenCon. With ReaperCon three weeks away the work required for sculpting, molding, casting, and packaging is outside the realm of possibility within that period. We are making plans to have a selection of the Babes available for purchase at ReaperCon.

The online store should be ready by the end of April. We are projecting that the majority of fulfillment packages with correct survey selections will be shipped by ReaperCon, the third weekend of April. Packages with selection or selection issues will be handled on a case by case basis but will not affect the launch of the online store. When we return from the show, we will finalize the web store for launch and notify all of you with another update then.


See you next week!
~Patrick
The Sculptdude