Things really kicked off in March 2020. My wife and I landed in the United States from Brazil. We were waiting on her visa process in Brazil, so we bought a bunch of basic 3D printers and shipped them to my folks' place in the United States in anticipation of our arrival. We were excited to set things in motion and opened an Etsy shop selling 3D prints. Prior to this, I spent a few years teaching online courses and I taught some 3D related subjects so my interest in 3D printers was keen.
Long story short those basic 3D printers were a bit of a hassle to deal with and they had a steep learning curve. I ended up giving up and selling them all at a loss thinking my days with 3D printers as a business was over. Looking back, there was some things I could of done to make them work but at the time I didn't know any better and was discouraged about it.
Then, in December 2020, thanks to my wife's encouragement. We upgraded to a better 3D printer, hoping it'd be the game-changer. And guess what? It was. Slowly, we got more printers, even though getting them during the pandemic was like waiting for Santa in July. A special thanks to those early MTCo customers who backed us – you funded the expansion of our print farm. By 2021, I slowly stopped my other jobs and pursuits to focus more on this business full-time.
We ended up having 15 of these 3D printers in the end and our 3D print farm was located in our one bedroom apartment and that, as you can imagine, didn't afford much space. But since we sold miniature tanks we could squeeze various business related equipment and processes in the small spaces. I had my shipping station in the little utility closet and the 3D print farm was in the dining room near the windows for ventilation to help with air quality. It was quite convenient as the Post Office was one block away from the apartment so I could get boxes shipped out as fast as possible.
Fast forward to June 2022 – we made a break for a bigger space, moving into a house. The garage became the promised land of roominess. We invested in heavy duty metal shelves to hold the 3D print farm securely in place. We kept improving things bit by bit, like a puzzle coming together. I kept on thinking of how things could be improved by moving things around. Now we have a climate controlled 3D print farm room inside the house and across the hall is our office with computers and a shipping station. The photography setup was moved out to the garage as it didn't matter if it was hot or cold for that equipment.
In August 2022 we got our final 3D printer of that generation of 3D printers that we still have and it still works great, a relic of our beginnings. Around 6 months later we got a new 3D printer that was released that made it possible for us to make higher quality miniatures at an even faster rate. So we decided to liquidate most of the 3D print farm who served us well and helped establish this business. Slowly we converted to the new 3D printers and now there is 10 of these new machines in the 3D print farm room all equipped with air purifiers and fans with Merv 13 filters.
And guess what? It's August 2023 as I write this. These 10 new machines are as fast as 40 of the older 3D printers. I bet you noticed things moving quicker. Miniature Tanks Company is locked and loaded for the future – more kits, speedier deliveries, and listing many new miniature tanks and vehicles. I now always have a table full of kits to list and a motorpool page of future items you can vote to see next from MTCo.
Grateful beyond words for the abundant blessings that God has bestowed upon our business, guiding each step with His wisdom and grace. A heartfelt thank you to all of you for your incredible support with the MTCo journey. Your encouragement kept us going, from the early days of challenges to the exhilarating moments of growth. We're now almost into September 2023, armed with faster 3D printers and brimming with excitement for the future. Expect more amazing kits, quicker deliveries, and a wide range of new miniature tanks and vehicles.
Cheers to what's ahead! 🚀🛡️🎉
5 comments
Hi Patrick,
I have taken note and we have some of those items on the list already to post someday.
Thanks,
James
A couple things I don’t see on your site are a 2 1/2 ton truck and have you given any thought to a Waco assault glider and maybe a horsa assault glider and possibly a m5 high speed tractor, just my thoughts, thanks
Replying to Joe: Yes we do plan to add many more accessories in the future! Thanks much for your comment.
Regards,
James
Do u plan to do accessory parts..I see many programs on internet for 3D printings. Special inters in Hummer IBIS TEK bumpers..front and back..Thanks !!! Do u use a resin printer?? First I ordered from u and can’t wait to see ur great subject matters already producing!!
Very cool, James! I did correspond w/your wife in one exchange. I’m glad this has all worked out so well for y’all. I started out buying largely preassembled stuff ( turrets, guns, etc. at most as separate parts), and only found others like Miniature Tanks that sell full self-assembly style kits at this scale (1:144 in my case)-and the others I know of are in England, which increases shipping costs-and with your (current!-business policies can change, no doubt, given future circumstances) free shipping with a $50.00 purchase deal-hard to beat!