New Resume Image

Working on a new resume. Not quite done yet. The idea is, the model builder image will be in the center, and surrounding it will be various peeling posters representing other work I've done. 

Feel free to share it; the phone number is my Google Voice number.

An interview with the creator of TERADA MOEKI paper models

Interesting interview with Japanese architect Naoki Terada, the creator of a line of 1/100 paper models.

1/100 Scale Japanese Die-cut Architectural Model Accessories

There are a lot of really nice models here, but I particularly liked this one. Most of the Mercury astronauts are completely interchangeable, except one of my heroes down in the lower left -- it's Ham the Space Chimp!

NWSL Chopper II Hack

Just got a NorthWest Short Line Chopper II, and it's a delight to use. I think they missed a trick, though, so I made a slight modification to the cutting surface -- I designed and printed two new scales in HO and O, and attached them to the edge, with the zeroes touching the razor. Now I can chop things in scale much more quickly.

Stereoscopic Views of Howl's Moving Castle

Here are some stereoscopic views of my build of Howl's Moving Castle. This is one of the more intricate models I've built. No single part was terribly difficult, but there were a lot of them, and I printed this model about half the intended size. The main body is about the size of a orange.

It's available on my Etsy shop.

These images are intended for free-viewing.

Stereoscopic N Scale Hotel Railing

Just started experimenting with toughening up paper using thin cyanoacrylate. This allows me to cut very, very fine detailed parts without the cardstock delaminating. Here's a balcony railing from an Old-West type building.

I came up with a technique for curing the the cyanoacrylate quickly. I hold the uncut piece in one of the clamps of my Helping Hands tool, and apply the thin super glue along the back of the paper, so it wicks in. Then, because the catalyst that makes cyanoacrylate set is moisture, I just put a steaming cup of water under the piece, and let the rising vapors do the work. 30 seconds or so, and it's ready.

 If I don't do this, I've found myself looking at the piece stuck to my finger.

Stereo Views of the Small Brick Machine Shop

Finally got a new battery in the better camera, so here are some slightly-better-than-before stereoscopic shots to document the Clever Models Small Brick Machine Shop build.

As usual, these images are for free-viewing, not cross-eyed. US penny for scale.

Clever Models Small Machine Shop in N Scale -- COMPLETED!

I'm pleased with how nicely this building from Clever Models turned out. The supports for the water tank are a little wonky, but not too bad.

Here it is with a Dollar Store tea light LED in it. The flicker makes it look as if someone is using a forge or welding.

Big Miniatures YouTube Playlist

I've made a YouTube playlist consisting of around 3-1/2 hours of video of really large architectural miniatures. I consider some of these large because they're large scale, while I include others because they sprawl all over the place. There's everything from British miniature villages to the Langweil model of Prague to Applied Imagination's inspiring buildings made of natural material.

And of course, I had to include one of my favorites: The Storybook Land Canal Boats from Disneyland, which I've loved since childhood.

Water Tank on N Scale Machine Shop

I'm moderately happy with how this turned out -- the supports are a little cattywampus, but they're pretty good for N scale.

I modified some of the support parts using the GIMP. The original model had the L-shaped support pieces as two separate pieces to be glued together, and there was absolutely no way that would work at this scale.

This model will be done in the next couple of days. Almost all the sub-assemblies are finished, except for a simple side building and a vent or two. It should come together quickly once I finish those.

I brought this model along with me on a holiday trip, and stashed all the finished parts in a small box in my carry-on luggage. Card models are tougher than you might think!

Clever Models Small Machine Shop in N Scale

I'm about midway into this build. It's tough working this small.

I printed the windows on transparency film, and I'm laminating many parts onto black, heavy cardstock. I hope I can put an LED inside and have it lit from within, with no light leaks at the seams.

I still have to make a side building and finish a water tank that's about the size of a toothpaste cap.

Since it's a machine shop, I named it "BARTOS Mensch-Machine-Music" after Karl Bartos.

More Stereoscopic Documentation of Builds

Just doing a few more stereoscopic shots of some of my builds. These both happen to be N scale. The first is the Bates House from Psycho (free download here), the second is the Bulldog Cafe.

Views are all for free-viewing, not cross-eyed.

Clever Models Central Camera Mods

I'm actually building something else at the moment, so I'm making this quick post just to get these images up: I'm altering the signs on Clever Models' Central Camera.

"Dirkon" is my little joke -- it's a fairly well-known papercraft pinhole camera.

In fact, I'm thinking about building this structure with an actual Dirkon pinhole camera hidden inside it...

 I think I've come up with a cunning way of putting the merchandise in the shop windows -- will follow up on that soon.

Morbid Modeling

I love things like this; someone on this forum is making models of the structures built by the US Government for testing nuclear bombs. Wish I'd thought of that!