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The VLS Corporation. The Early Years.
- Thread starter bob letterman
- Start date
Wow!!!!Interesting stuff, thanks for sharing.
Laurence
Glad to see you posting Laurence!! Are you finally settling into your new home and job?
Glad you like the thread. I wasn't sure anybody would be interested.
Bob
John, I'd have ask Terry to be certain as I had nothing to do with Dave's Hard Corps models venture. It was like a moonlighting job for him, but, I believe so. In fact, if I remember correctly, almost everything Dave sold on that website was manufactured by Terry's 3D printer, except I think Dave patterned some Sherman air intake and exhaust vents to allow them to come ashore in shallow water. They were the tall ducts that extended from the engine deck to above the turret top as they needed to stay above water. They were British designed Duplex Drive "Swimming" tanks nicknamed "Donald Duck" tanks by the crews. Dave's passion was the Pacific theater and I believe he cast those in resin after making the original pattern. and possibly other products as well.
Did you buy any accessories from Dave's website? I've remained in touch with Dave's buddy and sometime roommate, Bill Chilstrom, who, for seven years before I sold the company,was one of the primary sculptors for Warriors, Custom Dioramics, Fanta-Z, Legends & Lore, I35th Construction Battalion, Streets of Laredo and other VLS subsidiaries as well. Bill now lives in Portland, Oregon. I'll check with him.
John, I talked to Bill Chilstrom and he said that Terry designed the products in a cad cam computer program for Dave, but due to cost problems, Dave had to have them manufactured at another 3D printing company. Also, the miniature duplex drive exhaust and intake ducts had major design problems and couldn't be manufactured at that time because the scale thickness would be so thin in 1/35th scale, it would have been impossible to cast. He mentioned that the technology at that early date was such as there were striations clearly visible in the end products. That was almost 20 years ago and the technology has improved today but still not 100%.
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JSteinman
Master at Arms
I had a set of the tracks - they were beautiful, but I wasn't using them so they went to a new home!
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Oh, just curious! I think he sold a lot of his 3D products in the little time it was operational!
White_Wolf
Master at Arms
Yeah ....Naah. If by settling in you mean upsetting people who have done nothing and don't listen, then yep, I am the champion of that. The home bit is going very slowly, but it's ours and that makes all the difference in the world.
As for this thread, of course I like it - you can see I am not the only one either
.Laurence
Well, I wanna see you back on the Bismarck ASAP!Yeah ....Naah. If by settling in you mean upsetting people who have done nothing and don't listen, then yep, I am the champion of that. The home bit is going very slowly, but it's ours and that makes all the difference in the world.
As for this thread, of course I like it - you can see I am not the only one either
Laurence
Bob
White_Wolf
Master at Arms
Same here, believe you me. That water needs to be sorted out still ... any news on that pesky email provider of yours ?
Laurence
Unfortunately, not yet! This is a major corruption problem. We've been with ATT Tech support for a total of 16 hours and they have yet to figure it out! I'll let you know as soon as it is working again!
Brokeneagle
Master at Arms
Fanatastic stuff Bob. Thanks for posting. I have 2 very special memories of VLS from the 80's/ 90's.
The first was in 1989 when the Hobby shop down in Melbourne, in the main street of the city centre, was advertising that they had VLS diorama items for sale. I was living in Bendigo at the time as I was still in the Army and my best friend showed me an 'ad' in an Australian model magazine. We jumped in my car that Saturday and did the 2hr drive south to Melbourne just to buy some VLS buildings, figures and accessories in 1/35 scale.
The second was when I was at Mastercon in 1993 and you guys organised the wharehouse tour where we could buy stock direct. I remember filling a sports bag with stuff to take home (that was worth about $900 dollars at the time) in the US but back home it would have cost me about $4500). I still remember shuffling into the wharehouse with the other visitors, the cardboard box and resin smell and seeing all these models that I couldn't get in Australia, at insanely cheaper prices.......I just thought 'OH YEAH, hear we go!
Thanks for that Bob.
The first was in 1989 when the Hobby shop down in Melbourne, in the main street of the city centre, was advertising that they had VLS diorama items for sale. I was living in Bendigo at the time as I was still in the Army and my best friend showed me an 'ad' in an Australian model magazine. We jumped in my car that Saturday and did the 2hr drive south to Melbourne just to buy some VLS buildings, figures and accessories in 1/35 scale.
The second was when I was at Mastercon in 1993 and you guys organised the wharehouse tour where we could buy stock direct. I remember filling a sports bag with stuff to take home (that was worth about $900 dollars at the time) in the US but back home it would have cost me about $4500). I still remember shuffling into the wharehouse with the other visitors, the cardboard box and resin smell and seeing all these models that I couldn't get in Australia, at insanely cheaper prices.......I just thought 'OH YEAH, hear we go!
Thanks for that Bob.
We had modelers come to Mastercon from the four corners of the planet. It wasn't the largest model convention but it was likely the most unique one. Over the years of it's existence, we averaged around 600 registered attendees plus their spouses and children. Of course, those warehouse sales were a big draw. We used to have a prize at the awards ceremony for "The Big Spender". I think the highest amount ever was a single guy who bought $ 9,000.00 worth of stuff. He had a large pickup with one of those covers on the bed and filled it to the top. Some of the best memories of both Susan and I were those 19 Mastercons we held from 1988 to 2007. WE had seminars there that blew people away. Francois Verlinden and Lewis Pruneau together at round tables teaching modelers all their tricks. Those seminars were standing room only and were packed to the doors! Another major factor were the awards. I spent more than $5000 every year on trophies. We had medals with the Dutch masters cast in gold, silver and bronze colors with a ribbon that was placed around their necks and came with velvet cases. The major awards were Napoleonic eagles cast from the originals. They were prized by everybody who took them home. This one mounted on a base was for Best of show. Other shapes and sizes of Napoleonic eagles were for Peoples choice, The Master's Trophy, etc..The only member of Modelersaliamce.org who has one is Alex De Leon and I believe he has at least two of them!Fanatastic stuff Bob. Thanks for posting. I have 2 very special memories of VLS from the 80's/ 90's.
The first was in 1989 when the Hobby shop down in Melbourne, in the main street of the city centre, was advertising that they had VLS diorama items for sale. I was living in Bendigo at the time as I was still in the Army and my best friend showed me an 'ad' in an Australian model magazine. We jumped in my car that Saturday and did the 2hr drive south to Melbourne just to buy some VLS buildings, figures and accessories in 1/35 scale.
The second was when I was at Mastercon in 1993 and you guys organised the wharehouse tour where we could buy stock direct. I remember filling a sports bag with stuff to take home (that was worth about $900 dollars at the time) in the US but back home it would have cost me about $4500). I still remember shuffling into the wharehouse with the other visitors, the cardboard box and resin smell and seeing all these models that I couldn't get in Australia, at insanely cheaper prices.......I just thought 'OH YEAH, hear we go!
Thanks for that Bob.
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Thanks Dave, I sometimes feel like the Methuselah of this hobby and us old guys love to tell stories about the good old days!
Bob
Well, subject-wise, there are Golden years but it is very different from times when more scratch-building skill was the norm instead of simple assembly and fantastic weathering (the finishing overtook the builds).
Regards from a dinosaur,
Saul,
We dinosaurs had our golden years way back when as well. I'm a bit jaded after all these years, not to mention what running VLS for 23 years did to me. Despite all the incredible kits available these days, That feeling is simply not the same as it was way back then! :-( Come to think of it, Not much else anymore has the same impact it did long ago! Comes with the age!
Bob
