15 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Some of you might be interested in taking a look at this - one of our local vets with a God-given model-making talent...

http://www.mrof1engineering.co.uk/

DCN

[Bloggsworth]

"Quite remarkable" as David Coleman would once have said; the model of the cat was particularly realistic!

To me the single most interesting thing was the 1961 Ferrari chassis - I was 15 years old at the time, and can say in complete confidence that I could then have designed a chassis a hell of a lot stiffer than that, no wonder Moss ran rings around them on the twisty stuff!

Edited by Bloggsworth, 16 March 2011 - 21:23.

[Pink Snail]

Some `stunning` work there DCN. I especially like the BT44 Brabham and the Hesketh 308, two cars that have graced the track in recent years - not enough for the BT44...good models though!!

[Barry Boor]

Beautiful models but they are mostly Tamiya's, aren't they?

[werks prototype]

No, I think they are indeed scratch built. I have that particular issue of SMI in which his work, on the Brabham, is featured, (Also makes mention of a research trip to France regarding one of the Matra's). I always found it odd that I couldn't find out much about him online at the time of the publication. Now I know why. He has a day job! The website must be a fairly recent thing.

Absolutely wonderful stuff!

I now know of an ace modelling 'Vet'! And an ace modelling 'Dentist'. A pattern is emerging here.

Edited by werks prototype, 17 March 2011 - 00:12.

[macoran]

Beautiful models but they are mostly Tamiya's, aren't they?

Not sure about that Barry, not if I correctly read and understand his materials and methods page.

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

Not sure about that Barry, not if I correctly read and understand his materials and methods page.

iI think John Shinton told me about him some tears ago , John said he was very talented , but yes he has a life away from model making .

[T54]

I could be wrong, but I believe that they are personalized Tamiya models for the most part, and they look very nice. I have several of these kits and opened a couple to compare the parts, and they are identical.
It is a huge amount of work to properly assemble one of these complex kits, and the number of hours spent to make them as nice as they are in this case, mean that they could not possibly be sold for a profit or even to recoup costs. This is where Chinese companies like CMC are so good, using low-cost labor to assemble engineered "kits" that turn into pretty extraordinary models, that literally put great modelers such as Wingrove, Conti, Olive-Sans etc., out of business.
By any means, I admire Mark's patience and dedication... his finished models are tops, regardless of what he started with. Kudos!
Doug, thanks for the link, now bookmarked.

[jj2728]

I think, that when he first began, he used Tamiya kits as donor cars, but that's since evolved into complete scratchbuilds. As a modelmaker myself, who has sold a few military figures, vignettes, and dioramas in the past, I truly admire his skills and can appreciate the artistry and degree of workmanship that goes into these pieces.

[Arjan de Roos]

I think, that when he first began, he used Tamiya kits as donor cars, but that's since evolved into complete scratchbuilds. As a modelmaker myself, who has sold a few military figures, vignettes, and dioramas in the past, I truly admire his skills and can appreciate the artistry and degree of workmanship that goes into these pieces.

A natural pattern. Our generation grew up with Tamiya. I have met several other great model car makers who nowadays build 100% scratch build models, and have started via Tamiya. Even Vincenzo Bosica still likes to improve those kits.
The Hesketh and M19 Yardley are certainly mainly scratch build. Great talents!!

[Marticelli]

Model making started out as a way of developing the real thing, and is still used as such by aerodynamicists, architects, shipbuilders etc, although of course computer aided design has rendered that fairly redundant nowadays. Many of the best such proper models are on display in places like the Science Museum and the fabulous collection of ship models in the Glasgow Transport Museum from the heyday of the shipyards.

Although of course the individuals concerned beaver away happily, I do wonder whether the effort involved couldn't be put to better use, although I freely admit to being very impressed with these amazing efforts, here and on other similar threads. My own late father was a master modelmaker, who built scale models of the German dams to help the dambusters aircrews train in a converted cinema in Leamington Spa for that famous wartime raid, so they can sometimes have a very real purpose.

Marticelli

[Doug Nye]

Tamiya Schamiya...

So far as I am aware, Mark entirely scratch builds his models, starting from a cuboid of air space - moulding and forming body panels and multi-curvature parts with his own fair hands. Within his veterinary practice he's a specialist cardiologist, working on small animals, and many of the same skills - and similar instruments - transfer from one activity to the other. If you see a cat scream past sounding like a V12 Matra it might have been one of his patients...

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 17 March 2011 - 08:33.

[Twin Window]

So far as I am aware, Mark entirely scratch builds his models, starting from a cuboid of air space - moulding and forming body panels and multi-curvature parts with his own fair hands.

It would appear from his words here that he is almost at that stage now, albeit utilising 'off the shelf' DFVs and Hewlands and the like.

He says he began by part scratch-building consumer models which presumably were Protar kits as well as Tamiya. Regardless, they are all absolutely gorgeous and I'd love to see them in the flesh! The M19 is just fantastic...

[ensign14]

It would appear from his words here that he is almost at that stage now, albeit utilising 'off the shelf' DFVs and Hewlands and the like.

Which makes his models even more authentic...

[PCC]

Not only are the models gorgeous, but they have been photographed with genuine skill and care. I know this is a secondary consideration, but it shows the meticulous attention to detail that he brings to every aspect of the project.

[Gary Davies]

Mark sounds delightful, as well as absurdly talented! If anyone here has read Neville Shute's works, Mark may remind them, as he reminds me, of Keith Stewart in "TRUSTEE FROM THE TOOLROOM"