Greetings all;

Beginning with basics, basic, basics we have the chance to take a trip back in time to a place where aftermarket was unheard of. You bought a plastic kit and that was that. Maybe a refence monograph or book on the memories of the top ace but very little in the meat of the subject of specific modeling concerns. Colours, cockpit details, rigging, markings or engine details were all pretty generic. These were the dark times of modeling when twilight was the normal circumstance.

Scratchbuilding, a term that has become almost forgotten in the plethora of aftermarket pieces today. Yet there is always the modeler on a budget. The fellow that has more dreams than money but has the will to be more than just an out of the box builder. Though there is nothing wrong with OOB it is after all not the individual statement that most of us want to build. One freaky little dude on another site has called me an
"Ubermodeler." Hardly, I can't compare to the real masters of the craft and I stand in aw of the real masters.

One such fellow is Harry Woodman, master modeler extrodinaire. Years ago he wrote a book on scratchbuilding in plastic card /sheet. A few years ago another fine fellow (and craftsman in his own right) Mr. Peter Leonard opened a website and eventually included this book at the kind permission of it author. I invite you you peruse through this wonderful tutorial. You will be amazed how the old guard did those splendid works of art in the day before aftermarket. We as modelers owe much to Mr. Woodman.

"Harry Woodman's "Scale Model Aircraft in Plastic Card" is still the definitive guide for scratchbuilders. Conceived thirty years ago many new materials and techniques have since been developed; old established manufacturers have gone west and new ones emerged; kits long out of production are back on the shelves under different labels while new kits abound. Thanks in no small measure to the author's pioneering influence a whole raft of cottage industries now provide accessories and even complete kits in exotic materials. Nevertheless, in the absence of a longed for reprint I hope modellers will find something of interest in this online version..."

. . .from my website is Harry Woodman's Scale Model Aircraft in Plastic Card. Good fellow Peter Leonard has offered this to me incase his site ever goes down again. Enjoy!

Excellent Stephen.
Brings back fond memories of a wayward youth. :-)

And if ou really want a Buzz, get hold of "Scratchbuilt!" by John Acorn, George Lee and Peter Cooke... and "The Master Scratch Builders" by John Alcorn...
Both available through Schiffer Books.

Very inspirational stuff!!!

After getting these two books in the mail in the last month, I have sooooo many plans and ideas...

How does a 1/24 BE2a sound?

Cheers,

Hugh

Hugh:
George Lee was a personal friend of mind, his models alway blew my mind. He made a model of the Fok.E.V (D.VIII) in 1/72 scale. He got some veneer somewhere a couple of thousands thick and covered the wings with it. By the way, his glasses looked like milk bottle bottoms. A real treat is to see his Aviatik D.I, absolutely fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!! John Alcorn is another of these modelers without equals. I provided John with the data for his prize winning Rumpler C.IV.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Dan-San,
You are fortunate to have had that friendship. I envy you.

Cheers,

Hugh

I consider myself doubly fortunate; I have a copy of that book, and Peter Cooke is a member of my club. He has retired, but his brain hasn't, and, like all true modelling gentlemen, he'll discuss the finer points of modelling, at the drop of scalpel blade.
Edgar

I had a request for this thread. So here it is.

thanks for that stephen, i'm going to do a scratchbuilt model soon and its good to read up on some techniques first !

all the best

paul

Hi Paul
I am at the planning stage for a scratch build.
Maybe by the time it's ready to start we will have a KotS 2013 or a scratch build campaign!

sounds good. both of mine are ww2 based and will be used as moulds for vacforming. 1 is a conversion and 1 is a total build... if i can get my act together they could both be good... its alot of work though and i have to find time to concentrate on them.

let me know how your getting on and we can maybe share tips etc

all the best
paul

Someone proposed a scratchbuild campaign, I'd go for it with a Jodel D150 Mascaret



I always wanted a model, I don't think anyone makes one. I flew this one for a hour making 7 landings and it is a honey. That cowling will be pig though, the original is a moulding

Hi Paul
I recived drawings from Aeroplans in the UK,
Aircraft will be pre WW1
More later.

Hi Andrew
Are you Vac forming AC?
Entoni put forward Scratch build idea back in September.

No, Richard, original can be home built from plans and is all wood structure, fabric covered. I reckon I could fabricate in plastic card, the engine (Continental A-90 will be the difficult bit, And getting the tip dihedral right. Would have to form the cowl and windscreen, they would have to be vac-formed.