"Exclusive" is one of the most over-used words in product marketing. Most things labeled exclusive are regular things with a sticker. So when search queries for "exclusive prop builds" land here, the honest question is: is anything about a PropBuilds kit actually exclusive, or is this just another shop using a buzzword?
The honest answer: every PropBuilds kit is exclusive in the literal sense, but probably not in the way you expect. No numbered editions. No artificial limited drops. No "only 100 will ever be made." What there is, instead, is a kit that didn't exist before I designed it, printed in a one-person workshop when you order one, with no licensed alternative anywhere. Here's what that means.
Every Design Is Original CAD
Each kit starts as a blank CAD file. I model from scratch using reference screenshots from the game. No ripped assets, no purchased STL files, no licensed templates.
The Minicopter took roughly three months of evenings before it was ready to ship. The Hackable Crate went through three iterations before the press-fit joints behaved correctly. The Oxum's Gas Station (currently retiring) needed a redesign of the signage piece because it cracked at the first printing tolerance.
Original CAD work is the difference between a kit that fits cleanly on the first try and a kit that needs glue, sandpaper, or apologies. It's also why no other shop sells these. They literally don't exist anywhere else.
One-Person Operation
PropBuilds is one person. I design every kit. I run every printer. I inspect every part. I pack every box. I ship every order. No fulfillment center, no print farm, no third-party warehouse, no contractor in a different state.
The trade-offs are real. The catalog grows slowly. Customer email sometimes takes 24 hours instead of 4. New kits drop when they're ready, not on a publishing schedule.
But the hands that designed the kit are the hands that pack the box. If a part comes off the printer with a flaw, it doesn't ship. If a kit needs a redesign, it gets one. That's the closest thing to exclusivity that exists in this category.
Print-to-Order, Not Warehoused
Every kit is printed when you order it. None of them sit in a stockroom waiting for buyers. Practical consequences:
- Turnaround is about 48 hours from payment to ship. Most orders go out the same week
- No "out of stock" in the traditional sense. If a kit shows available, it can be made
- No overstock dumping or clearance. Kits are made to demand, not stockpiled
- QC happens at the per-kit level. Each gets inspected before it leaves
It's the model I'd want as a buyer. I'd rather wait 48 hours for a kit that was just printed and inspected than receive one that sat in a warehouse for 8 months.
Fan-Made, With No Licensed Alternative
PropBuilds is a fan-made shop. Kits are not officially licensed by Facepunch Studios or any other studio. That disclaimer ships on every kit and every product page.
What that disclaimer also means is that PropBuilds is the only place these specific kits exist. There's no licensed alternative being sold by Facepunch or a merch partner. No big-box Rust Minicopter in a discount bin. If you want one of these kits, you can buy it here, or model your own.
That's a different kind of exclusivity than "numbered edition of 100." It's the exclusivity of "this is the only place this product exists at all."
The Current Lineup
Four active kits, each with its own thing inside the catalog:
- Rust Hackable Crate - The press-fit entry kit. 26 parts, no glue, no tools, about 10 minutes
- Rust Minicopter - 29 screws, free-spinning rotor and propeller, about 25 minutes. Most mechanically detailed kit, top seller
- Rust Shotgun Trap - Screw-built, hardware and Allen key included, about 15 minutes. Closest match to in-game silhouette
- Rust Oxum's Gas Station - 36-part press-fit, Full Color or paint-it-yourself White variants. Currently retiring - check PDP for stock
How New Kits Drop
I release new kits when they're ready, not on a calendar. Design cycle averages three months from first reference screenshot to first shipped order. That's slow by ecommerce standards. It's also why no PropBuilds kit has shipped with quality issues that needed a recall.
The process: pick a target that passes the recognizability test, model it in CAD, print the first prototype, identify parts that need rework, iterate, finalize the print profile, write the assembly instructions, photograph, build the product page, list it.
Once listed, a kit stays in the catalog. No "available for 30 days" framing - I don't think it's honest. Currently shipping kits stay available. Kits in development get added when they're ready.
Beyond the First-Party Kits
PropBuilds also curates physical replicas and 3D-printable models across 12 games via the Resources Hub, the Rust physical props directory, and the Rust print library. Same standards: verified sources, real props prioritized over figures, biweekly audits.
How to Hear About New Drops
- Newsletter - Signup in the site footer. Email when a new kit lists, plus occasional behind-the-scenes
- Discord - The builder community sees prototypes and weighs in on what comes next. Earliest visibility
- TikTok and X - Public launch posts go up when a kit goes live
If you want to suggest the next kit, Discord is the right place. Several kits in the catalog started as "what about the X?" in a Discord thread.
Common Questions
Numbered editions?
No. Every kit is print-to-order from the same workshop, same print profile. No certificates, no artificial scarcity.
Custom commissions?
Sometimes. Email contact@propbuilds.com with what you have in mind. Most don't move forward, but the ones that do typically become catalog kits.
Will current kits be discontinued?
Oxum's is retiring. The other three stay unless the print profile becomes unsustainable or a v2 refresh warrants a swap.
How long to design a new kit?
Roughly three months from sketch to first shipped order.
Why not faster?
One-person shop. Faster output requires either lower quality or outsourcing. Neither produces a kit I'd put on my own desk, which is the only quality bar that matters.
Actually fan-made?
Yes. Not licensed, endorsed, or sponsored by Facepunch Studios or any publisher. References are inspirational. Third-party trademarks belong to their owners.
The Short Version
Exclusive at PropBuilds doesn't mean numbered editions or fake scarcity. It means:
- Every kit is original CAD work that didn't exist before it was designed
- Every kit is printed, inspected, and shipped by one person from one workshop
- Every kit is made to order, not warehoused
- No licensed alternative exists for this category
Start with the Hackable Crate ->
Or step up to the Minicopter ->
To suggest the next kit, join the Discord. Newsletter signup is in the site footer.
Fan-made decorative build kit. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Facepunch Studios. Rust and all related game assets are the property of Facepunch Studios.