Hi Guys
Sorry this is a long post, but it is the only way I can make my point and warn you all about this unethical person that is still trying to scam the members of this hobby.
It has been eighteen months since I was aware that Richard Tripp AKA Steel Dragons was recasting my products, which was in November 2010. A lot has transpired since then, which you can read about in the thread at the top of this forum. It took almost a year, with a "cease and desist" letter, plus several other letters between our attorneys to get him to remove my products of his web site. He finally removed my products and all other vender products in September 2011 and posted the statement on his web site shown below, which is still there today. To remove all the products he simply discounted the links to his product sales pages.
If you read this statement it implies that his failure to delivery products was due to venders not supplying him and that he was discontinuing relationship with these venders. The real truth is that these venders cut him off due to his unethical practices.
In January 2012 he reopened his product pages and all the vender parts were re-listed. I cannot speak for Armorpax, Panzerwerk, East Coast Armory and Steve Winstone, but I do know that he cannot supply many of my parts without recasting them, which I know he is doing. There is a slim chance he may still have some of my original products in stock, however my last delivery to him was in August 2010. He currently has about a hundred of my products listed on his site, some of which I have never delivered to him.
The products listed below on his site I know are recasts, for evidence of recast download the PDF file at the following link. The spread sheets at the same link shows a complete list of parts supplied to Steel Dragons since 2005, plus parts listed on his web site that I have never sent him. I have hundreds of hours of work in making the masters to cast these parts, he has just used my original castings to make molds and has been reaping the benifits from my hard work.
http://www.afceremonials.com/steeldragons/
TT05-01 Tiger 1 & Sturmtiger ‘U’ Shackle Set of 4 $30.00
TT05-03 Tiger II and Jagdtiger "U" Shackles Set of 4 $50.00
TT21 Tiger 1 Air Vent Early Type Deluxe Set $75.00
TT21A Tiger 1 Air Vent Early Type Basic Set $30.00
TT22 Tiger 1 and 2 Air Vent Late Type Deluxe Set $65.00
TT22A Tiger 1 and 2 Air Vent Late Type Basic Set $25.00
TT37K5 Tiger 1 and 2 Periscopes Cover Kit $45.00
PZIVUS Panzer IV/Hetzer 'U" Shackles Set of 4 $20.00
I also suspect these parts have been recast, but have no evidence to prove it, merely that the quantity of these parts I have supplied to him are so small and so long ago in many cases, he can not possibly offer them for sale and be able to deliver them, unless he is selling recasts.
TT05-02A Tiger I, II and Jagdtiger "C" Shackle Pair, with working wing nuts. $65.00
TT05-02B Tiger I, Tiger II and Panther "C" Shackles Pair assembled $35.00
TT37K3 Tiger 1 and 2 Periscopes Kit $160.00
TT37K4 Tiger 1 and 2 Periscopes Top Kit $60.00
TT37K6 Tiger 1 and 2 Cupola Exterior Detail Kit $155.00
Pan25 Panther and Jagdpanther "U" Shackles set of 4. $50.00
Gent022A Small Armored Hinge with Pin $2.50
Gent022B Spacer for Small Armored Hinges $1.00
Gent023 Small Armored Hinge with Hatch Stop Post and Pin $3.00
Gent024A Large Armored Hinge with Pin $3.00
Gent024B Spacer for Large Armored Hinges $1.00
Latest proof of recasting my products is on his Tiger 1 build page. I have no idea who he is building the FOA Tiger for, but the customer should be aware the he is using some of my recast parts to build it.
The recast parts he is using is my Tiger 1-2 late cupola, he has only had two of these from me, a complete one in 2008 (TT37) and a external detail one in 2010 (TT37K6) Yet he is offering TT37K3 ( Periscope Kit), TT37K4 ( Periscope Top Kit), TT37K5 (Periscope Cover Kit) and TT37K6 (Cupola Exterior Detail Kit) all of which he can recast from the cupolas I delivered to him.
The main evidence of have of this recasting is the periscope armored covers. I know these are recast as the casting lines of the front edge of the covers do not match the casting lines on my original. See comparison pictures below. As these parts are recast I must assume the whole cupola has been recast. The hatch arm appears to have been modified before casting, but it is still are recast.
Casting molds are like a finger print, none are exactly the same as you can never accurately control shape at the parting line of the rubber of a vulcanized mold, a professional mold maker can set the parting line were you want it, but it will always vary slightly. On the recast parts of the armored covers they are way off from my originals.
I have taken pictures of my armored covers freshly molded.
Armored covers still in mold, you can see the shape of the parting line in the mold and on the parts.
Armored covers still attached to casting ring.
Comparison picture of both castings.
Further proof that he is willing to recast any other manufactures parts. He is offering for sale FOA Tiger 1 track links in white metal. To my knowledge FOA never produced these in white metal and I was informed by a third party the he did not have permission to do this. These white metal links are clearly recasts of the original FOA links, they still have the FOA logo in them.
Here is a copy of a e-mail I received from one of my customers, name and address removed. I received this e-mail on Dec 17, 2010, as the customer met with Tripp 18 months earlier I can only assume by the statement made by Tripp to the customer that he has been recasting parts since mid 2008 and possibly a lot earlier.
All I have is photographic evidence of my parts being recast. What I really need to prove beyond doubt is a actual recast part or parts to inspect. If anyone has done business with Steel Dragons and purchased any of the parts listed here I would like to hear from them. I would like a photograph of the parts to determined if they look like recasts. If I feel they are I will pay all costs to have them sent to me, I will replace the parts with my originals and offer a $100.00 credit to purchase more parts from me to cover your time involved. Your name will not be used in any future posts or communications.
If you have been a victim of this person and want some payback, read my new post in the main topic of Steel Dragons at the top of this forum.
E-mail: toyrific@mindspring.com
Regards
Mike
Sorry this is a long post, but it is the only way I can make my point and warn you all about this unethical person that is still trying to scam the members of this hobby.
It has been eighteen months since I was aware that Richard Tripp AKA Steel Dragons was recasting my products, which was in November 2010. A lot has transpired since then, which you can read about in the thread at the top of this forum. It took almost a year, with a "cease and desist" letter, plus several other letters between our attorneys to get him to remove my products of his web site. He finally removed my products and all other vender products in September 2011 and posted the statement on his web site shown below, which is still there today. To remove all the products he simply discounted the links to his product sales pages.
If you read this statement it implies that his failure to delivery products was due to venders not supplying him and that he was discontinuing relationship with these venders. The real truth is that these venders cut him off due to his unethical practices.
In January 2012 he reopened his product pages and all the vender parts were re-listed. I cannot speak for Armorpax, Panzerwerk, East Coast Armory and Steve Winstone, but I do know that he cannot supply many of my parts without recasting them, which I know he is doing. There is a slim chance he may still have some of my original products in stock, however my last delivery to him was in August 2010. He currently has about a hundred of my products listed on his site, some of which I have never delivered to him.
The products listed below on his site I know are recasts, for evidence of recast download the PDF file at the following link. The spread sheets at the same link shows a complete list of parts supplied to Steel Dragons since 2005, plus parts listed on his web site that I have never sent him. I have hundreds of hours of work in making the masters to cast these parts, he has just used my original castings to make molds and has been reaping the benifits from my hard work.
http://www.afceremonials.com/steeldragons/
TT05-01 Tiger 1 & Sturmtiger ‘U’ Shackle Set of 4 $30.00
TT05-03 Tiger II and Jagdtiger "U" Shackles Set of 4 $50.00
TT21 Tiger 1 Air Vent Early Type Deluxe Set $75.00
TT21A Tiger 1 Air Vent Early Type Basic Set $30.00
TT22 Tiger 1 and 2 Air Vent Late Type Deluxe Set $65.00
TT22A Tiger 1 and 2 Air Vent Late Type Basic Set $25.00
TT37K5 Tiger 1 and 2 Periscopes Cover Kit $45.00
PZIVUS Panzer IV/Hetzer 'U" Shackles Set of 4 $20.00
I also suspect these parts have been recast, but have no evidence to prove it, merely that the quantity of these parts I have supplied to him are so small and so long ago in many cases, he can not possibly offer them for sale and be able to deliver them, unless he is selling recasts.
TT05-02A Tiger I, II and Jagdtiger "C" Shackle Pair, with working wing nuts. $65.00
TT05-02B Tiger I, Tiger II and Panther "C" Shackles Pair assembled $35.00
TT37K3 Tiger 1 and 2 Periscopes Kit $160.00
TT37K4 Tiger 1 and 2 Periscopes Top Kit $60.00
TT37K6 Tiger 1 and 2 Cupola Exterior Detail Kit $155.00
Pan25 Panther and Jagdpanther "U" Shackles set of 4. $50.00
Gent022A Small Armored Hinge with Pin $2.50
Gent022B Spacer for Small Armored Hinges $1.00
Gent023 Small Armored Hinge with Hatch Stop Post and Pin $3.00
Gent024A Large Armored Hinge with Pin $3.00
Gent024B Spacer for Large Armored Hinges $1.00
Latest proof of recasting my products is on his Tiger 1 build page. I have no idea who he is building the FOA Tiger for, but the customer should be aware the he is using some of my recast parts to build it.
The recast parts he is using is my Tiger 1-2 late cupola, he has only had two of these from me, a complete one in 2008 (TT37) and a external detail one in 2010 (TT37K6) Yet he is offering TT37K3 ( Periscope Kit), TT37K4 ( Periscope Top Kit), TT37K5 (Periscope Cover Kit) and TT37K6 (Cupola Exterior Detail Kit) all of which he can recast from the cupolas I delivered to him.
The main evidence of have of this recasting is the periscope armored covers. I know these are recast as the casting lines of the front edge of the covers do not match the casting lines on my original. See comparison pictures below. As these parts are recast I must assume the whole cupola has been recast. The hatch arm appears to have been modified before casting, but it is still are recast.
Casting molds are like a finger print, none are exactly the same as you can never accurately control shape at the parting line of the rubber of a vulcanized mold, a professional mold maker can set the parting line were you want it, but it will always vary slightly. On the recast parts of the armored covers they are way off from my originals.
I have taken pictures of my armored covers freshly molded.
Armored covers still in mold, you can see the shape of the parting line in the mold and on the parts.
Armored covers still attached to casting ring.
Comparison picture of both castings.
Further proof that he is willing to recast any other manufactures parts. He is offering for sale FOA Tiger 1 track links in white metal. To my knowledge FOA never produced these in white metal and I was informed by a third party the he did not have permission to do this. These white metal links are clearly recasts of the original FOA links, they still have the FOA logo in them.
Here is a copy of a e-mail I received from one of my customers, name and address removed. I received this e-mail on Dec 17, 2010, as the customer met with Tripp 18 months earlier I can only assume by the statement made by Tripp to the customer that he has been recasting parts since mid 2008 and possibly a lot earlier.
All I have is photographic evidence of my parts being recast. What I really need to prove beyond doubt is a actual recast part or parts to inspect. If anyone has done business with Steel Dragons and purchased any of the parts listed here I would like to hear from them. I would like a photograph of the parts to determined if they look like recasts. If I feel they are I will pay all costs to have them sent to me, I will replace the parts with my originals and offer a $100.00 credit to purchase more parts from me to cover your time involved. Your name will not be used in any future posts or communications.
If you have been a victim of this person and want some payback, read my new post in the main topic of Steel Dragons at the top of this forum.
E-mail: toyrific@mindspring.com
Regards
Mike