Looks good Art. Here's my feeble attempt:

You have at least one guy interested here.

Your work seems familiar? Do you like model making? I mainly do civilian corperate airambulances and rare large model.

These were done for our local medical program. Wish I had more orders that 2 this year. I always have one sitting around incase.

These are test modles I want to re visit this winter but sometimes ther is anoth model to do as well.

Does anyone have an idea whare I can find a good page on the spitfire float plane? The line drawings were found in and old book of plans I found years ago. I suppose in a pinch I could refer to the typicalphotos of a spitfire

Of course it is a wonderful way to build models where you get the full credit for everything you build and not just assemble and paint according to printed instructions.

I started off in my younger days in school with thermocol or expanded polystyrene carved out with a razor blade and had a whole fleet of airliners and a mini airport too!!! Had a lot of cuts on my fingers due to using an open razor blade with no handle but then I was only a beginner with no instructions or help from anyone. No, not even popular magazines to guide me but just three view drawings from Flight International Magazine that helped me a lot in those days (late 1970's).

Then I progressed to hard wood like Teak for making models using a hacksaw and rough and fine wood files to give the models the final shape. I used to use fillers for some sections that were difficult to carve out like pointed noses using sawdust mixed with Araldite (resin and hardener) or Fevicol (wood glue) adhesive to give a fine and smooth finish to delicate sections like the nose of the fighter aircraft with a metal pin embedded in it to make the antenna for some models. I also used thin plywood or veneer sheets for the wings and sometimes used thin aluminium sheets for wings and other moving surfaces too.

Then I moved on to thin plastic / acrylic sheets with wooden molds for making some parts like cowlings and wheels (in half sections joined together) by heating the plastic slightly before pressing it over the male mold to get the shapes required and then filing or cutting them off to get the final accurate shapes.

Finally I progressed to what I love doing best ..... using thin and thick ivory paper card to build the models and that really gives me a high when I finish my models. Using scale plans in either 1/72 and 1/48 from scale modelling magazines or some books is the way I make the models without any instructions using my own ideas about how to build them using techniques that include building the structure as it is actually built with ribs and spars in the wings, bulkheads in the fuselage with some stringers to make it look realistic if one were to cut it open or see inside the model too. I also try to make the cockpit as close to reality with the meagre resources I have at my disposal using ball point pen tips to etch out the ribs where there are too many to actually make inside a small wing on small size models, use a lot of indigenous plastic parts like cut plastic ball point refill sections for some parts like cockpit gauges, etc.

It takes a lot of time to build some of them and sometimes my models are lying around for months without any progress at all as I work on them only when I am in the mood to do so!!! I do build or rather assemble plastic aircraft kits too but they never give me the same satisfaction that I get from scratch-building my paper card models!!!

Cheers,

Aadil.

Mumbai, India.

There were quite a few different models of the Spitfire float planes so you will need to be specific about which plans you have. If you are not making very detailed models then I suppose you could use any one of them and they would all appear to be the same if seen from far.

Cheers,

Aadil.

Hello Aadil,

               India is where many "Supurb" hand crafted models are made.I understand they have been since the 40's I enjoy hand crafting, as many times I am the only one who has a particular size of model. My models are built up in a matter of 4 hours once the templates are made. And yes I have one model that is sitting waiting. Some one mentioned we should open a forum. "Sure" There are plenty of reasons to cross over to hand crafting the biggest is cost per unit. I build a model kit for $3.00 dollars and can sell it for $$25.00 Really it is as captivating as the modelers enjoy from a box. Both have their place in the glorious hobby we call scale modeling.

Aadil.

       The model you see is one that I was inspired to create from what I see. The wings are short stubby the pontoons are a recent design use on the Airtractor Fireboss so pretty much the model spifire is kitbashed. As you said these models owe themselves to their builders. You'll see this in my work as time goes on.

Plastic is a crutch for people who can’t cope with maple (and mahogany & ...).

Hi Tom, I don't sweat spelling as I'm just a hobiest,and while I'm more intrested in seeing the offerings from everybody on this forum my spelling is worst when excited I feel.... Do You Carve civilian aircraft or what?

TomZ2

Plastic is a crutch for people who can’t cope with maple (and mahogany & ...).

Personally, I prefer basswood- God's special gift to scratch model builders :-)

Hi Alph,

Well, I guess it is always cheaper to build your own models and the pleasure of building them is never the same in assembling models from kits. I build my models only as a hobby and not for commercial purposes.

Cheers,

Aadil.

Hey wow, thanks for kicking this thread back to the top, I hadn't seen it before. There are a couple of off the wall subjects that they don't make even limited run kits for. I might have to give carving a few of the simpler ones a try. I guess the worse that can happen is wasting a piece of basswood.

And Aadil: welcome to the FSM forums!

Hey Don ,I've always like the NothStars but don't like Dallas. Are we allowed to post photos in the forum these days?

Hi Gamera,

Thanks for the welcome, very much appreciated. Scratchbuilding is what interests me most in this hobby of scale modelling where I have tried out all different forms of modelling and many different materials as well like thermocol (expanded polystyrene), hard wood like teak, balsa wood, plywood, veneer wood strips, metals like aluminium, plastic sheets and finally ivory paper card which is what I love working with mostly nowadays.

Cheers,

Aadil.

I'm impowering a more green way of modeling and then comparing cost per unit to show where modeling may end up in acouple years. Yes I have made  money as a maker of POC models "Proof Of Concept"  Sadly there are fellows in Your country who are exploited for these skills and don't make close to what they are worth in skills. Aadil I get the idea you have a world of experience in model carving "Please share your work with us......Al in Spokane Wa

Gamera, Please refresh my mind on how to post photos in our blog. I have some inspiration for guys who seem to be intrested in this art now. I don't see on the tool bar where to import the jpegs.Or is it cut and paste? Thanks.... And Yes Welcome Aadil.

Gamera

Hey wow, thanks for kicking this thread back to the top, I hadn't seen it before. There are a couple of off the wall subjects that they don't make even limited run kits for. I might have to give carving a few of the simpler ones a try. I guess the worse that can happen is wasting a piece of basswood.

And Aadil: welcome to the FSM forums!

You have to make photo copies of this drawing. Take your time or you'll miss all the fun of making your model. I'd go to a kinkos and inlarge 350%

Artworks2: Thanks, I'm not going to start on anything right away, it's just you guys have given me some great ideas to think about. I've got way too much stuff on the bench now but when/if I try it I'll give your advice a try.

Fellow forum member DoogsATX posted this on his blog with step-by-step instructions on posting photos:

http://doogsmodels.com/2011/01/27/how-to-post-your-photos/

Hope it helps!

Artworks and Aadil: Looking forward to seeing some photos of your work guys!

I think thats what you mean by too much on the table That the story of my life. but I get weekdays off so I make the best of them....  this thread was started by me Gamera...

Thanks Al, I don't think I deserve that kind of praise, I am just a simple guy with some pretty basic modelling skills and have built very few models and most of them are still unfinished as I usually don't end up painting them. I don't have any photos as yet but when I do take them I will surely post them out here!!! 

Cheers,

Aadil.

If anyone wishes to move into wood modeling this one is the most simple. I've come under fire by my plastic building brothers for just building civilian aircraft. I do have some air tankers like the 777 which isn't even on the market yet. This photo just gives an idea of how line drawings work. Every thing else is the minds eye and refrence photos as you all very well know...

Artworks2:

My apologies I thought I'd copied the link to Doog's site but apparently didn't so I just reposted the same photo link again.

Here is the correct link:

http://doogsmodels.com/2011/01/27/how-to-post-your-photos/

Though since you just posted your photo I guess you figured it out

If I do try to carve something that's a good idea, I'll have to start with something like your Microjet I think it is?  I can see what you mean about having a good set of plans. 

artworks2

If anyone wishes to move into wood modeling this one is the most simple. I've come under fire by my plastic building brothers for just building civilian aircraft. I do have some air tankers like the 777 which isn't even on the market yet. This photo just gives an idea of how line drawings work. Every thing else is the minds eye and refrence photos as you all very well know...

 

This craft lends itself to many inexpencive tools like coping saw or electric jig saw. I use a scrollsaw,motortool and finish sanders. In the early days all I had was a coping saw/sandpaper. I'm open to questions and can tell you 100 ways to create a model from wood. I'm always finding better ways to join these models. If this hobby fits into fine scale modeling it's because prior to plastic models all a guy in the 30's had was wood kits.Kits of wood came alittle later.

artworks2

If anyone wishes to move into wood modeling this one is the most simple. I've come under fire by my plastic building brothers for just building civilian aircraft. I do have some air tankers like the 777 which isn't even on the market yet. This photo just gives an idea of how line drawings work. Every thing else is the minds eye and refrence photos as you all very well know...

 

This craft lends itself to many inexpencive tools like coping saw or electric jig saw. I use a scrollsaw,motortool and finish sanders. In the early days all I had was a coping saw/sandpaper. I'm open to questions and can tell you 100 ways to create a model from wood. I'm always finding better ways to join these models. If this hobby fits into fine scale modeling it's because prior to plastic models all a guy in the 30's had was wood kits.Kits of wood came alittle later.

Sure you can find the drawings via Google. There are lots of easy aircraft types just as easy as the BD-5 the concept is all the same. "just have to take your time" Google has great line drawings of the J4 M1 with all its shapes.....

This photo shows how cemetry is important in modeling there are two different S-76's an A and the C model one is shorter with more powerful engines.Line drawings only get us to the model carving is intuitive. I use to do two models one to test my idea and the second was the proof. I'm ready for questions these models were suppose to goto a company that was going to make resin copies but I wasn't gonna get credit so I'll do the vaccu forms myself........ say what you want  it's was like a child passing off a picaso for his usual stick figures.

Here is a 1/72 scale Heinkel Luft 46 design made from aluminum. I did this one 6 years ago.

Some WIP photos:

And finished photos:

What kind of CNC machine did you use? You must have worked alot of lunch hours to build that. I like wind tunnel models. 

Gamera: This is the only picture I could find about me and my models!!!

Well, this picture of me and some of my models is from an article that a local newspaper had done on me and my hobby of scale modelling. 

Cheers,

Aadil.