Bugatti Fan

I don't know how long Western Models were in existence, but they did make some very nice white metal kits in1/24 scale. Did you know that much of their market was for built up models rather than kits. South Eastern Finecast (ex Wills Finecast) as far as I know still trade. Their car kits were primarily the Wills Finecast range that had full engine detailing. Wills took over a company named Auto Kits and brought their range of less detailed white metal kits into the catalogue under the Auto Kits Range banner. They also have a range of Traction Engine and Steam lorry kits in 1/32 scale. Much of their business is however their British Railway range of engines and parts. SMTS (Scale Model Technical Services) dabbled in 1/24th white metal fully detailed kits. I have their E Type and I know they made an AC Cobra kit as well. Not sure of any more. Still trading mainly in 1/43rd scale. There was also a company named Auto Replicas in Poole Dorset England who kitted a Frazer Nash in 1/24th and a couple of Bugattis, one of which was a Brescia. Not sure about whether still in existence or not,

A couple of the best scratch building references that I can think of are the two books by the late Gerald A Wingrove. The Complete Car Modeller 1 and 2.

Interesting project Ken. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your build. Quite a challenge! I scratch built the Hispano Suiza in 1/12 scale with wood planking in a similar fashion about 4 years ago. Putting in all the 0.5 mm brass rivets after the planking almost drove me crackers!

Ricky, I can understand where you are coming from with regard to contests. A scratch build going up against (for example) a well built Model Factory Hiro multi medium kit or similar in competition is a difficult one. Up to about two or three years ago IPMS UK Scale Modelworld dropped a separate scratch built auto class and grouped it in with highly detailed kits during a class rationalisation exercise. So basically I am not going up against like for like any more either. However, this has not stopped me from entering the competition no matter how it is judged, as from my point of view my work appears on a top level competition table, and any good modellers viewing it draw their own conclusions about the work in it. My advice is keep entering and show your work. Don't lose any sleep over any judge's opinion, because that is all it is, an opinion My philosophy is that your model will be no worse when you take it off the table than when you put it on the table!

We have also been on lockdown in the UK since early April. It was dreadful to see on our news the queues of US citizens in their cars to use a food bank last week. The UK government has furloughed virtually all the working population on 80 per cent of their salary up to a figure cap temporarily. Cannot see how long this will last, or what will happen when it stops! The idea being to crank up the economy fast and get people back to work when things get better. There will be many lulled into a false sense of security by being paid to stay at home for now, particularly the public sector. It will be the private sector that will take the brunt of work losses initially not being paid with tax payers money.

I don't think that there is actual snobbery regarding whether scratch building is done entirely by hand skills, machining or using 3D Cad to design a part. It really just comes down to each individual's perception of it, and what way they prefer to work on a model. Cost comes into the equation as well, as I daresay that there are many potential scratch builders who would like more advanced equipment but simply either cannot afford it anyway, or justify the expense out of a tight domestic budget. So cirrcumstances often dictate what road we follow. It matters not what avenues we explore as modellers, as long as we do not lose sight of getting personal enjoyment from what we do and ignore any imagined peer pressures.

What a fantastic piece of kit! It does not stop at the 5axis CNC machine however. Unless already versed in 3D designing for manufacture, be prepared for a steep learning curve on the software and the prohibitive costs for a hobbyist of both machine and software. Pro Engineer Creos, Solid Works, Autodesk Inventor and Solid Edge to name the major players is very expensive on top of the cost of the machine and computer to run it. A 3D printer would be a less costly option, but the 3D design software is still the sticking point. Yes I know that there are downloadable parts already programmed for 3D printing,, but unless you get lucky there may not be a part that you want in a program inventory that is readily available.

Tom, we had a similar thing over here in the UK. A number of years ago a group named Beatties were buying out individual owner model shops. Tho old owners went to be replaced with spotty adolescents who did not know the difference between a Barbie Doll or an Airfix kit. The whole lot went under wiping out the many local model shops they bought up. Another group of shops owned by Amerang trading under the name Model Zone a few years later went into administration. Bean counters cannot successfully run model shops with no depth of experience in the subject. Customers soon suss this out and do not bother to return any more. Cannot see any model shops existing after another 10 years, and the Corona Virus is just another nail in the coffin as those shops are deemed low priority traders.

Clapped out tooling used over and over. I can see why it has been common over the years, but what used to annoy me was a reissue of a kit with the word NEW on the box.

Renshape. Looks to be a good product probably aimed at prototyping in industry. Would it really be any better than very close grained woods like pear, holly, obeche , apple, jelutong or beech?

Played drums in Blues Rock Group in the 60's (they were called groups in those days). What we understood by bands then were Brass bands like the Sally Army. 'Bands' seems to have now become a generic term for vocal groups as well as instrumental/vocal groups as I knew them. My particular group did not hit the big time but we played support to many big names touring in the UK at the time. Had a great time at all the different venues back in the day. Back then all the big names did the dance halls so you could get up close, not the dot in the distance performer at the modern huge venues of today. Heady days! The one actual concert I went to just watch was the Beatles. Great atmosphere but could not hear a thing with the girls screaming. They only had Vox amplifiers on stage back then that were not up to it. I would think that most of those screaming girls now get more turned on by visiting their local garden centre!

Back in the 50's when I was still at school, here in the UK Corona was a fizzy drink that was delivered to your door in returnable bottles with flip top seals. Long gone!

I have one of those in bits somewhere in my stash for more than fifty years. Hot Curl and the Bike have long gone however.

Those big separate engine and chassis kits, great for museum and technical displays, but as a sideboard model in a domestic situation...………..Maybe not.

Sherline, Taig and Emco Unimat small lathes have retro fitting milling attachments for each table top machine that can be either fitted later or bought with the initial purchase. This may be a viable alternative to a separate milling machine depending on the size of parts you wish to make. Owners of these machines know of this already, but anybody contemplating buying any of these machines may like to know of this option.

There was a lot of inaccurate stuff about in the old days when many kits were in fit the box scale and aimed more at an adolescent market where a vague resemblance to the prototype was deemed good enough. Things have moved on fortunately, and pressure groups like IPMS have helped bring about change for the better over the years. Mark mentioned about the only kit of a particular subject may be an old one that would need work done on it, and I accept that may often be the case. Some see old kits as a challenge, others not if better, newer kits are available of the same subject. It is a case of whatever turns you on basically. Different folk get different satisfaction from the hobby depending on their approach. Some like the challenge of something difficult to correct whilst others prefer a kit that falls together. Nothing wrong with either approach!

My neighbours one looked a bit more sporty than that one. Not sure of the actual model though.

Joe, regarding me looking back with a jaundiced eye, you are quite correct. I have been building kits since the late 50s when I was at school. Seen a lot come and go, good, bad and indifferent over the years Some older kits were quite nice. Yes I have come to expect better quality and got used to better kits to build. Things have moved on and my observation about many old Aurora kits was subjective rather than unfair. One must remember the mass market those old kits were aimed at in their day. Today's market is very different and modellers these days rightly expect both accuracy and good assembly as a norm. Put it another way. Would anyone be satisfied with an old black and white TV when you can now have Ultra High Definition?

From what I can remember of the Aurora kits the ones I came across were not very good. For example embossed national insignia on aircraft kits. How were you expected to get a decal to stay down on them goodness knows. Did they make a Maserati 2300 kit along with another and the moulds are now in Revellogram's hands? We look back in nostalgia at some of these old kits with rose tinted spectacles sometimes when in reality most are best forgotten.

A neighbour of mine had a Fiat Saloon with similar body style to the Abarth but in Orange with black interior. Looked good in that colour scheme. I quite liked the square (ish) body styling of that period.

It is only plastic after all. Consider this...….rarity? Only of value if you are intending to use kits for trade or as collectables If If you want to build and or convert it, go ahead and enjoy it. Sometimes we forget what the kits were originally designed for!

In a post in section 1 of this thread, Snake mentioned that he had the Pyro 1/48th scale Gloster Gladiator kit and said that people speak highly of it. The Gladiator kit actually originated over here in the UK and was part of a small range of inter war aircraft kits made by a company named Impact. I think that a Hawker Fury, a Bristol Bulldog and a Fairey Flycatcher were the other three. They may have made some pioneer aviation subject as well. They were not in production foe very long before the moulds were shipped to the Pyro Company. The quality of those kits was very good and would stand up well against more currently made kits. It would be interesting to see who has those moulds now.

If Tamiya made a 57 Chevy Bel Air in 1/24th or really big in 1/12th with their quality it would make a very popular kit. There are too many kits of this car from clapped out moulds getting re re re re issued.

Pete. I did LOL,you live and learn! I was unaware that "using some T Cut" and "putting the Hoover around" were not terms in general use in the US. So please then let me explain it to our American friends. Us Brits refer to any mild commercial polishing liquid for restoring a dull finish on a car as "T Cut". It was first brought on to the market by a company named Car Plan in the UK, so the name T Cut became a generic term for this sort of product over here regardless of make. OK, you all are familiar with the name Hoover as a brand of vacuum cleaner. I really don't know how the Hoover name became a generic term for a vacuum cleaner in the UK. The expression "put the Hoover around" has been used over here for as long as I can remember regardless of what make the vacuum cleaner is. HTH.

ACA, ACC, AC? It is all just Superglue to me! Just like the generic terms such as T Cut for polishing up dull paintwork on cars, and most vacuum cleaners being referred to as the Hoover.