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Does anyone know how plastic figurines like that are cast? I've been recently looking at some similar toys and they have many concave features and small details

by avian 7y ago

Does anyone know how plastic figurines like that are cast? I've been recently looking at some similar toys and they have many concave features and small details that seem impossible to make with simple injection moulding (as in, you wouldn't be able to remove them from the mould)

Phillipharryt 7y ago
Funk pops in particular are rather blob-like, their eyes protrude like raisins on a snowman so that casting is incredibly easy. For the intricate pieces (like a fish's fins) the main body just has holes, that then have a separate piece placed in them.
- avian 7y ago
  Here’s one that’s distinctly not blob-like (note the hair curls, I don’t think those are separate pieces): https://media.entertainmentearth.com/assets/images/e9792a6afbaf4d7a857e3cb84a2f86c6lg.jpg https://media.entertainmentearth.com/assets/images/e9792a6af...
janekm 7y ago
The remarkably simple answer is that they are pulled out of the mould while still hot and flexible. Here's an article about the process with a youtube video showing the casting process (in a very small-scale facility): http://rampage-toys.blogspot.com/2011/09/making-sofubi-how-it-all-works.html http://rampage-toys.blogspot.com/2011/09/making-sofubi-how-i...
- avian 7y ago
  Interesting. Thank you for sharing this!
troydavis 7y ago
It probably isn't the exact Funko casting, but here's how someone made their own soft vinyl figures (including concave features) using rotocast molds: http://www.mnartists.org/article/how-make-your-own-vinyl-toysculptures http://www.mnartists.org/article/how-make-your-own-vinyl-toy... Basically, sculpt by hand with polymer clay, make a resin cast of your sculpture (from a local vendor or DIY), and send the resin cast to one of many rotocasting vendors, most in China. Here's some examples: https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/rotocast-toy-manufacturer.html https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/rotocast-toy-manufacturer.h....

by avian 7y ago

Phillipharryt 7y ago

Funk pops in particular are rather blob-like, their eyes protrude like raisins on a snowman so that casting is incredibly easy. For the intricate pieces (like a fish's fins) the main body just has holes, that then have a separate piece placed in them.

avian 7y ago
Here’s one that’s distinctly not blob-like (note the hair curls, I don’t think those are separate pieces): https://media.entertainmentearth.com/assets/images/e9792a6afbaf4d7a857e3cb84a2f86c6lg.jpg https://media.entertainmentearth.com/assets/images/e9792a6af...

janekm 7y ago

The remarkably simple answer is that they are pulled out of the mould while still hot and flexible. Here's an article about the process with a youtube video showing the casting process (in a very small-scale facility): http://rampage-toys.blogspot.com/2011/09/making-sofubi-how-it-all-works.html http://rampage-toys.blogspot.com/2011/09/making-sofubi-how-i...

avian 7y ago
Interesting. Thank you for sharing this!

troydavis 7y ago

It probably isn't the exact Funko casting, but here's how someone made their own soft vinyl figures (including concave features) using rotocast molds: http://www.mnartists.org/article/how-make-your-own-vinyl-toysculptures http://www.mnartists.org/article/how-make-your-own-vinyl-toy... Basically, sculpt by hand with polymer clay, make a resin cast of your sculpture (from a local vendor or DIY), and send the resin cast to one of many rotocasting vendors, most in China. Here's some examples: https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/rotocast-toy-manufacturer.html https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/rotocast-toy-manufacturer.h....