Bugatti Fan

Both Airfix kits have been released again after all these years. I can remember the Bugle Buggy being sold by VW main dealers way back when in the 70's I think. Royal Berkshire Motors in Reading UK had the Bugle Buggy kit in their showroom with a metalflake green finished body and all the chrome plated goodies for it when that kit car was released. There was a bit of a fad for beach buggies at the time, but the enthusiasm for them dropped as time went on.

Anyone tried Revell's new aerosol chrome?

It's getting close to the world's largest scale model show the IPMS UK Scalemodelworld 2023 show at Telford UK in November. Full details on the IPMS UK website.

Not sure if a stock DB5 will ever be on the agenda due to the tooling costs. Matt Bacon's suggestions will probably be the best way to go for a standard DB5.

Some mentions of the 'old tool' Revell E Type have been made. I can remember building one many years ago and it did have some fit issues. Also, I seem to remember it being 1/25th scale as it was a Revell USA kit. The new one is 1/24th scale and very much better. My only criticism is that the wheels are a bit too wide and do not quite look right. Maybe someone produces the correct width wheels and tyres as 3D printed items?

The Brooklands Outer circuit speed record holder is an aircraft engined car, the polished aluminium bodied Napier Railton. The car was powered by a Napier Lion W12 engine. The car can currently be seen at the Brooklands Transport Museum. A photo of my scratch built model is in the 'Let's see some scratch built things' thread for anyone to see what the car looks like. Also plenty of pictures of the real car available to see on line.

After all this you might also like to use Nick Edwards' catch phrase 'May Contain Airfix!' lol.

Thanks for coming back with the techniques explanation David. Made a really interesting read.

Very effective weathering done on this model. Any chance of describing the techniques used?

Fascinating developments. modelling This is going into the realms of super modelling. By far more than I would attempt for a static model.

Agreed Frank, new technology makes this possible and you have described what the difference is between designing (or scratch drawing as you describe it) something in 3D to make it as opposed to actually scratch building something by more conventiona! methods. It must be remembered that before 3D printing, scratch built masters would have been made for repeat parts to be cast. Basically the discussion has been just about terminology used as to whether 3D printing is scratch building or not. It has not been about whether we should embrace the new technology of not. It is here and a good thing as far as I see it.

Pierre, I think that Francois is already looking at marketing some of his upgrade parts. Look at the buying and selling section over on Britmodeller. Also, Nick Edwards is developing a number of Bentley kit upgrades. Look up his Unobtainium website. He does a nice set of replacement wire wheels for the Bentley.

Ironically the shelves that are full of pre built models are predominately car models rather than all the other genres combined. The market there is to satisfy the car enthusiast who in the main would like a reasonably priced replica of a car they might desire but could never afford, hence the general car model market. One step up is the more serious collector willing to spend loads of money for high quality models like CMC, Autoart, at the lower end up to top end models by Amalgam and Misco. Then of course the extremely wealthy collector of models by artisans like Gerald Wingrove, Conte, Brianza and Olive Sans to name a few. However, anyone can buy a built up model and plonk it on a shelf to admire it, but that is nowhere like the satisfaction derived from either building a model from a kit or scratch building one.

What an improvement on all those kit parts by being replaced. Cannot see Airfix ever completely re tooling that elderly kit, so you and Nick have a nice little niche market for making replacement upgraded parts for the modeller who want to improve it.

If it ever gets to the point where no builder is required, then that will be the point where our hobby will be dead and buried as far as buying commercial kits are concerned. Not sure if it will ever happen though. Creativity will never be stifled. Many folk will always want to make things

My problem has been with my replies to posts. Sometimes, actually quite often they just will not save . Absolutely infuriating when I have spent quite a bit of time writing them.

Lots of different viewpoints made. This has been a lively discussion and remained civil. I guess that there is not much that is different that one can add to this thread that I now feel has possibly run its course. Lively respectful debate is what makes life interesting. Although many of us will have to agree to differ on this subject it is pleasing that so many have taken the time to respond. All the input is valuable, so thanks for the participation guys.

Thanks for the numerous replies. There have been many differing viewpoints put across on this thread. 3d printing has revolutionised model building across many genres like figures, aircraft etc. Justifying the expense at home level is another matter unless looking to make for others and charge for a service. So I will be sticking to hacking away at the plastics, metals and wood the conventional way for the foreseeable future.

Aaron stating about 3D printing being in the same category as CNC machining and resin casting is a red herring. 3D printing technology allows hollowed out sections and undercuts to me made directly as it works by layering material. Those two things are impossible to do on a CNC Miling Machine or Lathe whilst machining as the material is being cut with a mounted tool where either the tool rotates in a chuck on a milling machine or the work rotates in a lathe and a tool held in a tool post is brought on to cut the work. Masters for resin casting have to be made taking into account to allow the object to be removed from the mould when cast.

Impressive progress Francois! Going back to the body covering dilemma. Maybe the ladies glove leather might be worth another look. Perhaps trying a bit stretched over and glued to a piece of plastic card and spraying it afterwards might give a better rendition of the rexine in scale. Worth an experiment maybe?

Question is Mike, the 3D printed or resin surfboards look great, but did you derive a lot more personal satisfaction from crafting your own? If you made a second pair yourself I would guess that they would look far better than your first two having developed your carving skills and taken perhaps a first step into artisan scratch building.I It that is your first attempt at scratch building by making those surfboards, I reckon you did a good job on them.

A very, very nice build.

The old Volvo Bread Van! Nice model taking shape here.

The music analogy is going off script a bit here. Making music by sampling on a PC is not the same as playing an instrument as I see it though. Scratch building as I see it is having artisan hand and eye dexterity to develop and make models (and parts for) using conventional tools and machinery. Generating a 3D model on a computer screen is 3D Design as it is the printer making the parts that essentially become a kit, albeit perhaps a unique kit, A high level of 3D design programming skill is required and that is without question. But the skill set is totally different from the artisan craftsman. If you mess up on 3d, a few keystrokes will get you a quick remake. The artisan does not have that luxury if things go wrong.

Bob, nobody has said on here that model building does not require good motor skills. I trust that you are talking about building from kits when you refer to building. Of course building a good model from a kit takes time, patience and skill development. No one is arguing about that, but we are drifting off script here as kit building is not the subject of this particular discussion. Scratch building for many is just a natural progression from building and modifying kits where basic and more advanced modelling skills get learnt through experience. What got me into scratch building was a desire to make models of certain subjects that there would be zero chance of mainstream manufacturers ever doing.