#WIPWednesday - March 27th, 2024

 Hey there, everyone. It's time for a quick Work in Progress Wednesday post.

This past week, I was able to get some stuff moved around the workshop, and then spend Saturday, most of Sunday, and Monday evening working on a Fallout Laser Pistol. I got all the parts organized, sanded with 80, 110, and 220 grit sandpaper, and then covered with the Bondo glazing putty and acetone slurry. Most of the parts are ready for more sanding, but I need to use some actual Bondo body filler on some really rough bits on this. My goal is to get this done in time for the Fallout premiere on Amazon, but we'll see. If I can get it done, next up is... I dunno, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I'm finally starting to get focused on getting things around for the talk I'm doing in May, though I really don't have THAT much I NEED to build. I have a good amount of visual aids as it is, and I can easily fill the hour I have (before Q&A) talking about the different ways you can make props. I'll touch on all that a bit more in a few weeks, and let you all know when I do my practice run on Twitch.

Sadly, this weekend I won't be getting much work done. It's Who's Yer Con weekend in Indianapolis, and my job is a sponsor and running a table, which means I'll be helping run a table this weekend. Who's Yer Con is a small gaming convention, and I'm wrapping up printing a ton of "Time Out" dice punishment chairs using filament in my company's colors to give away for something like newsletter subscriptions. Once that is done, I'll go back to printing inventory for Troxell's Trading Post website and display case at Comic Carnival.

Looking ahead into April, other than preparing for the talk, my focus is going to be printing products for TTP, getting some old printers sold, getting an A1 Mini, and fixing up my Nepturn 3 Max so I can start doing some commissions I've had sitting on a waiting list. Then, after the talk, I'm wrapping up the final pieces of the Bo Katan commission I started two years ago (thank you for your patience, Luna!) before rolling into getting my Ghostbuster gear together in anticipation for Halloween and the eventual arrival of my Ghost Trap from HasLab. Yeah, there's also a PKE Meter, but I have one of the Matty Collector ones already, and since my goal is to replicate Ray's gear from the original film, I don't need one. I DO have the goggles printed, and the walkie-talkie, and I've reprinted parts of the proton pack, though I still need to finish it. Unless I see something I NEED to make pop up soon, then I'm holding off printing more for myself because I've just got so much. I mean, off the top of my head...

• VOY Phaser Rifle
• Picard Phaser Rifle
• FC Phaser Rifle
• Disco Phaser Rifle
• E-11 Stormtrooper Blaster
• E-22 Shoretrooper Blaster Rifle
• Aliens Pulse Rifle
• Rocketeer Helmet
• Rocketeer Jet Pack

And that's not even looking at my boxes in the basement. I should also throw in the Jedi Training A-Wing helmet from Rise of Skywalker and a BSG pistol for Lizz. In fact, I should bump those closer to the top of the list!

Anyway, that's a good block of words today. Remember to check out the photo gallery for today's post in this Photos folder. As always remember, if you like what I'm doing, you can find ways to support me through Amazon, Ko-fi, or even my mailing list by visiting TonyTroxell.info and checking out my links. Website coming soon.

Until next week, remember that the world sucks out there. Do what you can to not make it suck even more. In fact, if you can, try to make it suck a little less. Take good care of yourselves, and each other, my friends.

Tony Troxell
March 27th, 2024

#WIPWednesday - March 13th, 2024

 Hey there, everyone.

I've been kicking myself for not spending much time in the workshop this past month, and thinking I don't have anything to share for Work-in-progress Wednesday. Well, that's because I've been working on a bunch of other stuff, so I do have some stuff to talk about this week. There won't be much of a photo album, but here's an info dump!

3D Printing Expo

This past weekend was the 3D Printing Expo at the Carmel Clay Public Library in Carmel, where I was one of fifteen people talking about 3D printing. Of course, I was there to talk about using 3D printing for pops and costuming, and showing off some of my work. Now, with this being a library presentation I do attempt to keep the replicas of props based on real-world firearms at a minimum. This meant a lot of the Star Wars stuff I had was off the list, but I was able to bring my batch of Star Trek TNG-era phasers, a few lightsabers, and the Optimus Prime helmet, along with my Bambu P1P. The event was a good time, and I did enough talking that the thermos of Throat Coat tea I had was pretty useless, especially since I hated taking my mask off. I'm already thinking about what I might make if I go back next year, and I'm thinking something about backpack size. I'll let you ponder what that might be.

Email List

A week or so ago, I met with one of the people behind Beacons.AI, the "Link in Bio" tool I've been using for the past year. They've been steadily growing, offering more than just the link in bio stuff, and one of the things they have been working on is Email Marketing. So I figured, why not?

I now have an email list. Once I hit ten subscribers (huge goal, I know!), I'm planning on sending out a weekly wrap-up email on Fridays, talking about new items in the shop, new blog posts, events that might be coming up, and maybe a meme or media recommendation. If something like this would interest you, feel free to visit this link to sign up, and as a bonus, the follow-up email will have a 10% off code for Troxell's Trading Post!

Also, a shameless affiliate plug is incoming! Suppose you are looking for a way to start putting your stuff out there as a creator. In that case, Beacons offers up a link in bio tool, a media kit tool, email marketing, and a digital online store with more stuff on the way like Shopify integration and a website builder. If something like this interests you, please check them out, and if you do, please use my Affiliate Link. Doing so will get you some money off if you sign up for a paid level, and will also get me some money to help cover costs that product sales aren't covering. Remember, I don't do affiliate stuff unless I really like the thing I'm recommending, and I really do like Beacons, as well as the team putting it together.

Troxell's Trading Post and Comic Carnival

If you've been watching my social media, you might have seen that I kind of went out of my comfort zone and spoke to Comic Carnival, one of the Midwest's oldest comic shops and a place I've been shopping for almost forty years, to see if they would like to carry some of the 3D prints I'm licensed to sell. After some discussion, I ended up bringing a selection of dice towers and boxes from Fate's End, as well as some articulated critters by MatMire Makes. They ended up wanting to sell everything, so I now have a bunch of stuff on consignment at one of my favorite comic shops (of which, I admit, I have a few scattered across the state and country). I've already dropped some signage off, and found out in just a week they have sold a small amount of stuff, so I need to bring more stock in. I'll be restocking at least once a month, so if you're in Indianapolis, please give them a visit, check out my stuff, and grab some of the Star Trek comics by IDW because they have been fantastic!

Props for Cosplay/May the Fourth

So, with all that behind me, I now have about seven weeks before I present "Props for Cosplay" or something along those lines at the Anderson Public Library. This means I need to find a balance between Troxell's Trading Post stuff, Troxell Builds posting, and putting together my updated presentation, as well as getting some items molded and cast and other items finished and painted. My goal is to have enough to talk about different ways to make props for your costume. I'm planning on touching on the use of household items (lots of Star Wars props did this, and Star Trek had the salt and pepper shakers for McCoy's medical instruments), modifying toys (HasLab Proton Pack and some of the Playmates and Art Asylum Star Trek stuff), and even a bit on molding and casting. I know I have more to cover, I just need to find my notes and outline I put together before I had to cancel due to COVID last fall.

That should cover everything for the past couple of weeks. As always, make sure you visit the photo album for this week's post at this link. I'll be back next Wednesday, provided I don't get called up for jury duty on Monday, and I'll show off some of the items I'm printing this week to help refill the case. In the meantime, please remember that the world REALLY sucks out there. Try not to make it suck even more, in fact, if you can? Try to make it suck a little less. 

Be excellent to yourselves, and each other.
Tony