Hello all,
I have just joined the forum and thought I should introduce myself.
I have been a model maker since I was 8, over 50 years ago and a professional since I was 18.
Being a sometimes precarious way to earn a living I have also done a few other jobs from tractor driving to running a technical publications company as an illustrator/author.
I ended up in full size car modelling as a clay and "hard" modeller, making show cars and prototypes for the (mainly) German car industry until one day my agent told me it had all been computerised and I was too old to re-train. At that point, I bought a canal boat and we lived on that for a while.
Now I amuse myself making all sorts of models including the occasional pattern for others. Mainly railways and slot car bodies.
The railway stuff is entirely in brass (now totalling over 500!), the slot cars in wood or Ureol modelling block.
I'm currently working on a Dragon Rapide in 1/32nd scale, a big model, for an American chap.
My interests in aircraft are strictly sports, touring and racing/record 'planes. I'm not remotely interested in militaria. Purely from an aesthetic point of view. When kites get guns and tanks they get ugly in my view and, like Ruskin, I try not to have anything in my house which is not beautiful or useful.
I have made solid models of a Robin home-built, a Fairchild Argus and an Andreasson BA4b for members of my local flying club.
I now have taken up R/C model flying after so many false starts. So alongside the Dragon Rapide solid is a big Super 60 of 35 years vintage which I am rebuilding as my first trainer.
I'm looking forward to being a member on here, the only forum I know where kits don't get a look-in and may that always be the case. Ironically I have made patterns for hundreds of kits, yet I hate building kits!
I get my Ureol from local rapid prototyping companies as offcuts or I use steamed pearwood, which is hard and virtually figureless and can be worked almost entirely with metalworking tools, or can be carved if you miss your chisels!
Cheers,
Martin
Martin thank you for your very interesting introduction,I can see that you are a man of good values and enjoy skills that are long getting forgotton,it is up to us to carry them on and at least try and get others involved.
Yes we are quite unique in the world of model building in that the thrill of creating a model from scratch is with us,I hate the mould that kit builders are caught up in,by thinking outside the kit box brings real creativity but I accept that not everyone has the inclination to start from the bottom up using raw materials to build models,and then there is the time factor whereby many do not have that precious commodity to use building so kits may suit them fine.
I think that your knowledge will be really appreciated here and I hope that along the way you too will also learn a few things as old hand,I look forward to seeing some pictures of your Rapide which is one of my favourite aeroplanes,a machine that I have spent hours rebuilding and maintaining as an aircraft engineer myself.
Barry.
Welcome aboard, Martin. I know Martin has a friend who is also trying to register with us, so another is coming gents. Make sure you register in the gallery as well. It is a separate registration though you can use the same login info if you choose.
Ken Pugh
Well, thankyou gents.
Barry, your knowledge of the Rapide might be your undoing! I'll be pestering you about how this, that and the other was done or should look or changed. The American gent is sending me photo CDs and I have a plan that just feels right to me thanks to the other chap that Ken speaks of. I do go by gut feeling on plans. If I like the look of a particular one, I'll adopt it and check against photos. Generally I like to measure the subject and do my own drawings, but alas, petrol is too expensive to do that any more unless you know of a Rapide in Fenland!
But nothing shows everything and currently I'm a bit worried about how best to suggest stringing and rib tapes. On some photos they're right "in your face" Others not so. I assume different restorers/repairers have slightly different methods or standards.
I tried aluminium tape and primer this morning, but the primer was too thin and crept under the masking tape and didn't round it all off as I'd hoped. It has to be a method which needs as little cleaning up as possible as that could double the time to make the model. In 1/32nd scale there has to be something there. The stringing seems to be the normal English "across-the-rib" type. I use the term "stringing" in deference to my Dad's RAF hand written and drawn notebooks.
So I'm sure I can pick up some tips on here as well as offering any help I can. metalworking is my speciality, so making those little bumps and scoops in ally or soldering brass is right up my street. Ask away,it's not as difficult as you might think.
One piece of advice I always give is visit your local boot fairs and Sunday markets for tools. There will always be a Sorby chisel there somewhere and you'll never find a better one. Often swiss files will be found. Only buy Swiss Vallorbe or Genuine Stubbs. I have some I was given as a 14 year old and I still use them.
Recently I found a B&D bandsaw for £12! How did I ever make do without?
Cheers,
Martin
Welcome Martin. I am sure we will gain great knowledge from you.
lou
Thanks Lou,
I have some pics ready to show, but am not yet registered on the gallery as far as I know. Is there any other way to show pictures on here?
Martin
Martin we have two Rapide's at my local airport,if you want to know anything in particular please let me know,the rib tapes are standard herring bone over the rib capping,down and up then a knot creating an 'L' shape,the edges are pinked creating small bumps over the beeswaxed cord,beeswax is used because it is compatible with the dope finish,although cellulose is not allowed these days but a more obnoxious smelling substitute.
You are right about the way the tapes show up,it all depends on what type of fabric has been used,good old fashioned Irish linen has given way to longer lasting synthetic fabrics,the sun attacks linen and it rots that is why they dope up with red and finish with a metallic dope ie silver,the idea being that the suns rays do not attack it,but they do !
You say 'Fenland' ? do you mean Fenland UK or are you in Finland Martin ? just curious to know if you are the UK as myself.
A big Rapide has been on my books now for a long time also the Avro 19 Anson.
Barry.
Barry, would you mind if I e-mail or PM you for details? All the stitching I've seen in pictures shows a simple transverse stitch, just a line under the covering tapes. It doesn't look like herring bone.
The one I was looking at was presumably synthetic as it was a recent restoration, painted in red oxide colour first.
I'm in Fenland, the wide flat lands near Wisbech, Cambs. Biggest skies in England, but that's because there are no trees due to the wind!! Our dog has been going nuts because he hates the sound of the wind. He hides under my workshop!
Cheers,
Martin
Martin, select the additional options below the post window. You can attach directly from your PC as long as the files are not too big.
Lou
Please do so Martin.
Barry.
Martin,
Wellcome.
I like air racers of the 1930s.
Let's interchange in a production technology of solid model.
Regards,
kenji
Thanks gents.
Kenji,
I hope we can exchange information. I used to work for Toyota in Belgium and the tool cupboards were full of superb Japanese edge tools and pull saws. Very strange to a Westerner, but very good to use.
Barry, I'll pester you a bit about that Rapide stitching. Thanks.
I must have a go at posting in the gallery.
Cheers,
Martin
Barry,
PM sent.
Cheers,
Martin
Just trying a photo attachment.
If it works, this is a pair of Aston Martins I did in synthetic wood, I believe it was CIBATool.
They were carved from photos and some rather poor computerised drawings, which I used only for sizes. they wanted something "about 8" long". I couldn't screw a scale out of them.
I made the wheels from brass and the tyre treads are photo-etched from my artwork to the correct Pirelli PZero pattern.
They went off to be electro formed in silver for Aston's giftware range.
Martin
Hoho! it worked. So here's one of the cars I did for the British Touring car Championship when it was worth watching. I did models for most of the teams to be given to their mechanics, sponsors, etc. About 1/20th scale.
Martin
Not aircraft or cars, but still basically carved, from silver-soldered up carcasses.
A narrow gauge model railway master in brass and nickel silver.
I do several of these for one guy who has purpose made chassis. Tiny things they are too as they all run on 9mm track.
Martin
Finally,
a remarkable piece of work by a very good friend of mine who is currently recovering from serious surgery. Rich never used plastic or metal for anything.
This liberty aero engine destined for a 1/12th scale model boat is made entirely by hand entirely of wood. The man is clearly mad, but one of my bestest mates, even though I've never met him.
Cheers,
Martin
Beautiful model building Martin,everything the cars the loco and that remarkable engine ! you are clearly a man of many talents and skills in various materials,and why not ? if it fits the bill and works then do it.
Barry.
Thanks Barry. I always try to use what suits the job, although I like using certain materials best.
The engine is my friend, Rich's work. He is perfectly capable of milling the piece from solid steel, but simply chooses not to, but to make it in wood. I believe that shows a certain artistry as well as craftsmanship.
Here's a genuinely carved piece, albeit in brass. A lump of brass filed into an Alfa-Romeo Spider. It was for casting into an Alfa themed Monopoly game. The guy would ring up in the morning and I'd send the model by last post at 5-30 same day!
Martin
Excellent! Thanks for the taste, may we please have more!
Ken Pugh
Well, let me see.
Two more BTCC cars, Mondeo and a Cavalier. Carved in CIBATool to that silly 1/20th scale I hate so much!
Martin
Four Packard aero engines in 1/8th scale. These were moulded from a single carved wooden master.
There were also carvings for the superchargers, carburettors and gearboxes.
Miss America X had four of these things totalling 6400 HP in a 40 foot boat. He only just beat the British Miss BritainIII which was 27 ft. long and had only about 900 HP. In fact if Gar Wood hadn't have changed the course at the very last minute, his monster would have had no chance of victory. Even he was moved to say MBIII gave him his closest race.
The complete model is in Artie's Restaurant, Fairfax, Virginia, USA along with one or two others of their ilk.
Martin
Last one today.
This is a finished model of the Jaguar XJ13 Le Mans car that never was. This was the first in a small range of model car kits I used to produce under the name of Guild Master Models.
The body for this was first carved in English lime in layers of 4mm thick. This enabled every curve of this very curvy car to be checked for symmetry as the layer joints act as contour lines as on a map.
Believe it or not I still have that wooden pattern...somewhere!
Outstanding work. Thank you for sharing. Laminated wood does provide for nice guide lines.
Lou
Thanks Lou, there isn't a straight line on this car except for the bottom of the cill, so laminations were essential. I ain't big on templates! I know, I should make them and I do sometimes for model slot cars, but on the whole, I'm a lazy divil and tend to trust my eyes!
Here's a slot car made of pear in 6 pieces, built up as a box and then carved with files and home made chisels.
An Austin-Healey Sprite Mk II in 1/32nd scale.
Here's the same kind of deal in pearwood (like the Sprite), only on this Clan Crusader you can see the wood. Also 1/32nd scale.
And then there's this ghastly stuff. Someone suggested I work in blue wax. It is horrible stuff and after I got to this stage I had the thing moulded in resin and finished it off in that.
Please don't waste your time. You actually need a blow-torch to put more on or it'll fall off!
This is a very rare Delage Labourdettes Accuvue. The cabin is all glass without pillars. It competed at Le Mans before the War.
Martin