Lou's first public display 19 April 2008. (Completed 05 Jun 08)

[lastvautour]

I am getting ready for my very first public display. I have printed Do Not Touch in two languages and address cards for SMM.

Note original photos were link to a site I no longer belong to.

Lou

[Oceaneer99]

Lou,  Kudos to you for showing your models to the general public.  This has certainly taken a great deal of effort on your part, and we appreciate what you are doing.  I must have been thinking about your model display because last night I had a dream that I was at some show with a table of solid wood models... and then some juvenile delinquent stabbed me in the leg with a small chisel.  It was a strange dream.  I hope it goes well, and there aren't any threatening chisels walking around.

Garet

[R.F.Bennett]

Good luck on exposing yourself in public Lou... 

[lastvautour]

Garet, I will make sure no tools are available and for Ray, it pays to advertise!!
Thanks for the good wishes. My wife has graciously offered to guard the collection with me.

[teddon61]

Lou, how many planes are you going to display at the Mall, the more you display the more the viewers marvel over them, you will hear remarks like: " You built these ", and " you mean they're not from kits ", or the inevitable " I thought they were plastic".
People will ask how long you're going to be there because they want uncle George to see them etc etc.
Please enter some photos of your display.
Once you do it, other opportunities will open up for you, it starts one off on a brand new persuit.
Ted Billings

[cliff strachan]

Good Luck Lou. It looks like a real neat display. The Group should receive some well deserved publicity and if you do get a lot of "I thought they were plastic" comments they will certainly be justified. Your work has always been as realistic as the medium allows.

Cliff

[R.F.Bennett]

Sorry Lou, the address on your cards is wrong. This is the one you need...

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/           

[lastvautour]

Good thing I showed it to you first. Thanks, I will reprint them.

Lou

[lastvautour]

AWESOME, FANTASTIC and everything else everyone said it would be and more. I have never heard so much praise in my life. Such things "my dad would love to talk to you, where did you get that kit, wood, can't be etc etc etc... and it went on and on.


My table was rather crowded but people were impressed. This one guy came back at least 15 time to look at my display. I even engaged a young lady of 86 who remembered the Airspeed Oxford when it flew out of Greenwood. She called it correctly by it's nickname OxBox. I will definitely be there next year. I did not enter the competion and good thing I didn't. I would have won every catagory and peeved everyone off. Other modelers said they were glad I was not entered. The contest organizer presented me with his "Personnal Favorite Display Model" prize. It was quite a surprize as I did not enter anything. See the remaining photos (some blured) at http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/z%20-%20First%20Display/?start=all
Man what a rush. I have never taken my models out of the basement before. You where all correct in your assessment of what I would encounter. It was 5 full hours(seemed like 1/2) of questions, praiseworthy comments and basking in my glory. The misses helped out in explaining they work involved and shared in the glory. So much so I took her out for dinner tonight. WOW, what a day.

[R.F.Bennett]

Congrats Lou, You deserve every bit of that rush!      Perhaps your the reason we've been visited by an all time high number of guests today.
Ray. . . 

[lastvautour]

I gave out at least twenty cards/w SMM address to people interested in our hobby. Advertising helps.

[teddon61]

Super display Lou!!!
There is no feeling like it in the world, people actually fawning over your work after you spent years struggling over it, often times doubting your efforts, a little reluctant to display it ,only to find how appreciative the public is.
You have become a traveling museum, keeping a part of history alive that many people know little about, and inspiring others to create and learn.
The crowding of items on a table can be a real problem, however we can't always get what we want as you well know, do I take a lot of items and crowd my table ,or take fewer items and display them more clearly? A real dilemma.
I try to place 16 aircraft on an eight foot table, seems about right, but I,ve done more and fewer, getting them out there is the most important thing.
Congratulations
Ted Billings

[lastvautour]

Thanks Ted. I am thinking of a foam layered box to hold 10 to 12 models and then just open as many boxes as I can properly display. Of course the larger items such as the Athabaskan could not be treated as such due to its size. The mind is thinking ahead to next year and perhaps other displays in the local area.

Lou

[teddon61]

Lou, I can get as many as 25 planes into a single box by using large cardboard boxes that computors came in,(the dealer is a friend and fellow aircraft nut) I simply lay down a layer of foam peanuts in ths box, place a layer of planes, then another of the foam peanuts etc. until the box is filled.
This may not work for everyone because planes with hand made props could be too delicate. I will usually place more breakable planes on the final layer so there is less weight on them and they are easily retrieved without fishing recklessly to find them in the box.
I have transported several bi-planes and floatplanes this way with no damage.
On a few of my planes with props, I try to mount the props in a way that they can be removed from the plane for transport, and replaced on the display table.
I don't enter this as a complaint, but few people realize the effort it takes to put on an interesting display, but then again, they don't experience the public gratitude for accepting this effort.
Ted Billings

[cliff strachan]

Congratulations again Lou. A very well deserved reception and thanks for sharing your enthusiastic response. You've probably done more for this hobby than has been accomplished in a very long time. A wonderful display.

Cliff