What dose old tooling and new tooling mean on a model kit ?

[Matthew]

Dose the old tool mean that it's come to the end of its life it's just a seen new kits where it says new tooling ?

[HobbyModeller]

'Tooling' refers to the mould that is used in the press to create a kit, it's injected with molton plastic which then dries to create the pieces.

An Old Tooling is one that has been around for a while eg. since the 1960's, obviously accuracy and quality wasn't as good then.

A New Tooling is a brand new kit with the plastic from a new mould meaning it's much better quality



Hope this helped

[Gav0909]

Its to do with the technology used to make the moulds that the plastic kits are then cast in. Previously moulds were created either by hand, or by the relatively limited computer technology of the 60's etc. As technology has improved kits are now designed in CAD, meaning designs and sprue layouts can be created by computer. This allows much higher amounts of detail to be cast into plastic parts.

Slide mould technology allows fully formed round parts (such as gun barrels) to be moulded as one piece, rather than two halves.

Basically a "new tool" kit is one that will have been made with the latest technology available to the company and therefore will be a highly detailed, well fitting kit. Compared to say an "old tooling" from the 70's which is likely to be of plainer detailing, have raised panel lines (was the simplest way to make panel lines back then) and might have fit issues. But that doesn't mean its no less of a "good" kit in the end.

[Matthew]

Cheers lads now it makes sence