Ennis House Tiles from Blade Runner

[AKU-AKU]

Hey Mike - thanks for chiming in!

I guess I got a pretty good deal on mine, huh? Of course I got it at a fire sale price, but I would have easily paid $40 for it too!

Since it wouldn't be cost-effective to use your vac-formed tiles to cover an entire wall (or room), can these tile "cavities" be used to make, say, plaster or expanding foam castings? I'd hate to ruin the only full-size tile I have... Perhaps make the new vac-forms out of thick ABS?

My other thought was to create an aluminum tool and have these injection-molded in expandable foam, that way they'd be solid with a flat back for double-sided tape or tile adhesive mounting. I could get quotes, but I'll defer to Mike or anyone else (SD Studios? Rylo?) who has the means and funds to do so - the tooling could easily come out to $5K or more, and I don't have that kind of cash'olla, nor can I deduct it as a business expense.

Suggestions appreciated!

Yes,
That is one of my tiles I made a few years back. If you guys want some of these then PM me. I am open to making some more with the mold I have. I will not give any prices on this thread. But they will not be $5.00 .

Just to let you know I love those mini tiles, There great.

HMS Mike

 

[androidandy]

I am interested in these of course, but the idea is a way to make them affordable to be made in large numbers, enough to cover a wall. The first person who can do that wins the award

Andy

 

[TridCloudwalker]

I am interested in these of course, but the idea is a way to make them affordable to be made in large numbers, enough to cover a wall. The first person who can do that wins the award

Andy

Contract a bulk order with a shop in China. Other than that, the only way you're gonna get it done cheap is if you trick local children into making them for you with fun caustic chemicals.

 

[Darth Brass]

Is there a way to do a run of molds? Maybe we could then use that for plaster casts at home?

Just a thought.

 

[androidandy]

I would be in for a Vacuum formed copy. Especially if I can have permission to try and use it as a female mold for my ideas with paper and foam. I am pretty sure this can be done.

Andy

 

[SaberFreak]

Contract a bulk order with a shop in China

I can do that!

I have good contacts in Guangzhou who can get me anything, and they'll even help do the quality control before anything's shipped to me. So far I ahven't been disappointed

Make a master injection mold and just churn them out like tupperwear!

But aren't any project involving the Ennis House tend to get a C&D, or even attract a lawsuit rather quickly? :confused

 

[Chronicle]

I'll be watching this. If you make it happen, I'll buy a bunch of them. Thanks!

 

[Ham Salad]

I'll be watching this. If you make it happen, I'll buy a bunch of them. Thanks!

Ditto. Always wanted to do a wall.

 

[AKU-AKU]

I added the draft angles last night - the top square and the two ribs protruding from it get more generous angles than all the other features.

If you like, shoot me your e-mail so I can forward you the 3D file for quotation.

Some questions, though: who will put up the capital for tooling and mass production? What material will they shoot in? Will they paint/fleck the tiles before shipping? Does your factory have an MOQ? If they ship a container full of tiles, who will pay for the FOB freight, customs duties & port fees, trucking, warehousing, and crating & packing supplies for large orders?

By my calculation, assuming 16" x 16" tiles, to cover a 10' x 12' room (4 x 8' high walls), one would need roughly 198 tiles - minus door & windows, ceiling not included:

Could any of us really afford these quantities to make the project worthwhile?

I can do that!

I have good contacts in Guangzhou who can get me anything, and they'll even help do the quality control before anything's shipped to me. So far I ahven't been disappointed

Make a master injection mold and just churn them out like tupperwear!

But aren't any project involving the Ennis House tend to get a C&D, or even attract a lawsuit rather quickly? :confused

 

[jackdoud]

Just wanted to post up that I noticed repros of the tiles in the Farscape episode "Till the Blood Runs Clear". They built whole walls out of what looks like cast concrete/plaster tiles:

So the tiles have made it to Australia. :lol

 

[androidandy]

They used them another time on Farscape too, when they were in some giant maze like room. I wish I could remeber more about the episode, sorry.

As far as the tiles being affordable enough to fill a room, if they could be done for around a 1$ each, I say yes it can. If we can find someone who could do blister pack forms and everybody commit to over a hundred of them, it seems even more feasable to me.
Andy

 

[sapper36]

That's how I did our house - I made a polyurethane mold & cast 4 or 5 tiles a night in the garage out of architechtural plaster till I had about 150 tiles. To fill a room your gonna need 1000 or more tiles. I'd splurge and make a gang mold to get at least 4 at a time.

My mix on the plaster included a fluid added to the water to make the plaster more weather resistant and 1/3 sand to 2/3 plaster.

One of the bigger problems I had was vibrating the bubbles out of the mold. I used a sprinkling of talc for mold release and poured the parts on a plastic table in the garage & then tapped the bottom of the table & around the mold with a baseball bat - Got most of the bubbles out. For the scale of production you want I'd go ahead & bolt a concrete vibrator to your table & run it while you pour & for a couple minutes after.

To flatten the backs of the tiles & rough them up for adhesion I just rubbed them on my concrete driveway a bit.

Good Luck!

 

[Treadwell]

If I ever get around to this, I'm not going to cover entire walls, just a single strip along the top of them, or around the near middle like a chair rail. Maybe one or two vertical strips between furniture or the like.

 

[androidandy]

My Idea to make an entire room is based on the fact that his apartment had a stepped layering of different levels, and non patterned tiles too. I am making a stencil to paint the majority of the room with a stencil for a faux 3D feel, stippling the more raised parts of the block with a textured lighter colored paint, and a flat dark background. I am thinking I might have to use three different shades at least for full effect. Then I could use the actual 3D tiles to create the the detailing (ridge along ceiling), and maybe one finished wall backdrop, or wall section. I would obviously prefer to have the full room done in the tiles, but that will be a long time down the road.

Andy

 

[EvilRocketeer]

I picked these up the other day. They look great in person. They are 8 by 8 cement tiles of the ennis tile

 

[kgaijin]

Nice! Where did you acquire those Evil?

 

[Kylash]

just noticed these were used on ALOT of sets in Farscape..

 

[propologist]

I like Frank L. Wrights 16" ones...very nice.

 

[DivineHeresy]

I picked these up the other day. They look great in person. They are 8 by 8 cement tiles of the ennis tile

Very nice!

 

[EvilRocketeer]

I purchased them from the evilbay. An architect in los angeles owns a few tiles and has been selling them on there. He is a great seller.

I consider getting the 16 inch ones, but they are way to big and expensive. I'm literally out of room, and the only space I have left is a small section on the wall. The 8 inch were a perfect fit