Foosball men

[Sshado]

I am planning on building a custom foosball table, but does anyone know how to create your own foosball men, or where to buy custom men.

BTW, I am planning on Simpson's vs. Southpark characters.

[mattv]

I'm sorry - your question is far too rational to be in this fourm

OUT, out! damn deamons of stupidity

try here
http://www.tablefootball.com/Harvard_Foosball_Accessories.htm
and here
http://www.bonziniusa.com/foosball_sales/foosball/tables/PlayerFigurines_Men.html

and HERE (build your own foosbball table, just like BYOAC but without a fourm full of retards)
http://www.foosball.com/learn/knowledge/tablebuildingguide.html

[Sshado]

Wow, don't be such an ---uvula---.

I built my own Arcade (three to be exact).

I also placed this question in the "Everything Else" forum on the boards that I "usually" get great responses from.

[mattv]

Sorry man, I wasn't having a go at you.

99% of the questions posted in this forum are so pointless it's not even funny, and it's a shame because genuine questions (like yours) get lost in the noise.

But my posting a bunch of rubbish is not going to help the situation much. I looked into foosball a while ago and found a bunch of places that will help you out with custom tables, but no-one doing custom men (see the links above).

[Floyd10]

You need plastic molds

[SirPeale]

He was kidding.  He did provide some nice valuable links.

[Sshado]

I have searched the net and can't find anything relating to making your own men.  I found plenty of sites for making the table and other sites that sell all the parts.

Maybe I will just buy some figurines and drill a hole in them  

Thanks anyway.

[Ken Layton]

The men are manufactured with injection molded plastic machinery. It's possible a plastics manufacturer might do a small run of custom men for you, but I think the cost would be expensive.

[abrannan]

I have searched the net and can't find anything relating to making your own men.  I found plenty of sites for making the table and other sites that sell all the parts.

Maybe I will just buy some figurines and drill a hole in them  

Thanks anyway.

Try some websites devoted to sculpting and casting, you'll find instructions on how to cast your own molds.  The hardest part (whether you buy figures or sculpt them) will be finding material that won't crack or break the first time somebody hits a ball into the table.  I'd recommend Dental Plaster (The stuff they make dentures out of) as some brans can take about 200psi of pressure before they crack.  

The website and forums for hirstarts.com may be a good place to start.

[ErikRuud]

If I was going to attempt this, I would scuplt my one figures using Scuply Modelling clay.  The clay figures would be used to create silicone molds for resin casting.

I imagine that tensile strength and shear strength are more inportant than compressive strength.

Take a look at the resin's from Smooth-On or Alumilite.

The strength ratings are much higher than 200psi.

[Floyd10]

That sounds usable.

[DaveMMR]

BTW, I am planning on Simpson's vs. Southpark characters.

That's a cool idea.  The only stumbling block I forsee is that foosball men are generally all the same height while, if you use the relative dimensions of the cartoon characters, they'll be quite different.  For example: Cartman, Kenny, Kyle, Stan, Bart, Lisa, et. al may be too short (or too wide if you make them all the same height).  If you make them all the same dimensions, some characters may look out of whack (i.e. like taking a 300X400 pic and resizing it to 600X200).

Anyway not saying it's impossible, just something I was wondering about.
 

[Dartful Dodger]

BTW, I am planning on Simpson's vs. Southpark characters.

That's a cool idea.  The only stumbling block I forsee is that foosball men are generally all the same height while, if you use the relative dimensions of the cartoon characters, they'll be quite different.  For example: Cartman, Kenny, Kyle, Stan, Bart, Lisa, et. al may be too short (or too wide if you make them all the same height).  If you make them all the same dimensions, some characters may look out of whack (i.e. like taking a 300X400 pic and resizing it to 600X200).

Anyway not saying it's impossible, just something I was wondering about.
 

Good point.

If you had the dolls (action figures) for each, maybe you could just attach heads or something like that.

A foosball table is a great idea for a project.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[DrewKaree]

foosball men are generally all the same height while, if you use the relative dimensions of the cartoon characters, they'll be quite different.  For example: Cartman, Kenny, Kyle, Stan, Bart, Lisa, et. al may be too short (or too wide if you make them all the same height).  If you make them all the same dimensions, some characters may look out of whack (i.e. like taking a 300X400 pic and resizing it to 600X200).

Make the top part of the body in the shape of the character, and the bottom part a standard foot (bottom of player)

[Floyd10]

foosball men are generally all the same height while, if you use the relative dimensions of the cartoon characters, they'll be quite different.  For example: Cartman, Kenny, Kyle, Stan, Bart, Lisa, et. al may be too short (or too wide if you make them all the same height).  If you make them all the same dimensions, some characters may look out of whack (i.e. like taking a 300X400 pic and resizing it to 600X200).

Make the top part of the body in the shape of the character, and the bottom part a standard foot (bottom of player)

good IdeA