modelmaking/ scale modeling

[ChileanTaco]

Is here anybody into modelmaking/ scale modeling? If yes, what are you building?

I'm quite a lot (if I had more space, I would be even more ).
I like buidling: anything related to space, engineering, science, steampunk, cyberpunk.
I rarely start with a kit (did this once for the Eagle lander); usually I start on my own including parts found on flea markets, repurposed toys, trash.

Currently I'm working on a larger project: A cyberpunk diorama, made from mostly wood/MDF, parts from flea markets and parts found in the trash, damaged computer parts, plus some working electronic components. I purpose include things I got from different places all over the world (while living in different countries and traveling), plus want to give it a local "vibe" by incorporating items from here and making the building look inspired by buildings found here.
Started it a few months ago but had little time and had not all the electronic parts yet. Now I have more time (university starts into a long summer break of approx. 8 weeks which for me means I'm working now reduced and flexible hours (I do three hours early morning, three hours late at night and during the day I have time for other things... like crafts )).
That's how the diorama looks like now, and things that will be included like an antenna plus a drone landing pad built from trash found on the beach:

 

[NickAVD]

I was involved in modeling as a child. I built highly detailed ship models. Of course, these were ships made entirely by hand from wood and plywood (there were no plastic gluing kits back then). Since then, I have loved carpentry. Unfortunately, I just don't have time for it now. It takes a huge amount of time.
You are great for devoting time to your favorite activity!

 

[ChileanTaco]

Unfortunately, I just don't have time for it now. It takes a huge amount of time.
You are great for devoting time to your favorite activity!

I'm happy that I have time now

I had reduced all kinds of hobbies heavily (to: not existing) during the last years, as of:
- 2 times moving intercontinental within a few years (moving, visas, other bureaucracy, in one case learning a new language (ongoing))
- studying (working plenty of side jobs during that time), getting a PhD, postdoc positions (that's a researcher who is not a professor yet - normally one does 2x 3 years and then either is successful in applying for "higher" positions in academia or goes into industry) and very time-consuming application processes for each next career stage, to now being a professor.
During those times, I had some years with zero, really zero holidays and working 6 - 7 days a week. While friends told me where they go for vacation (not jealous, but it was just like that)
Also, with the constant moving from one place to another, I didn't want to build things that can be easily damaged when transported, or might cause problems at customs, or...
And I have now finally a "normal" amount of holidays, and normally 2 days, at least 1 day, per week off. Despite my job includes a good amount of traveling, I'm finally normally coming home after work, at least on weekends (instead of things like: x months internship abroad).
That time I'm using for hobbies such as hiking/ outdoor activities, drawing and painting, photography, modelmaking and reading (I bought plenty of books during the last years - with little time to read any of them). And time for my beardie Taco, of course. He's my first pet since many years, as having pets just didn't fit the above.

 

[NickAVD]

I'm happy that I have time now

I had reduced all kinds of hobbies heavily (to: not existing) during the last years, as of:
- 2 times moving intercontinental within a few years (moving, visas, other bureaucracy, in one case learning a new language (ongoing))
- studying (working plenty of side jobs during that time), getting a PhD, postdoc positions (that's a researcher who is not a professor yet - normally one does 2x 3 years and then either is successful in applying for "higher" positions in academia or goes into industry) and very time-consuming application processes for each next career stage, to now being a professor.
During those times, I had some years with zero, really zero holidays and working 6 - 7 days a week. While friends told me where they go for vacation (not jealous, but it was just like that)
Also, with the constant moving from one place to another, I didn't want to build things that can be easily damaged when transported, or might cause problems at customs, or...
And I have now finally a "normal" amount of holidays, and normally 2 days, at least 1 day, per week off. Despite my job includes a good amount of traveling, I'm finally normally coming home after work, at least on weekends (instead of things like: x months internship abroad).
That time I'm using for hobbies such as hiking/ outdoor activities, drawing and painting, photography, modelmaking and reading (I bought plenty of books during the last years - with little time to read any of them). And time for my beardie Taco, of course. He's my first pet since many years, as having pets just didn't fit the above.

Wow, you've come a long way to doing your favorite hobby. And I'm apparently still on my way to it lol.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Wow, you've come a long way to doing your favorite hobby. And I'm apparently still on my way to it lol.

Did also more things as a kid. And mostly smaller things as an adult as... time, moving.
Favorite hobby: One of my many favorites, I'd say (And it's good that it's not my only favorite, otherwise after some time there would be just too much of stuff standing around. That model will be approx. 60 cm high, with 35 cm for the building itself and 25 cm for antenna setup, landing pad with drone... on top. It will go into a glass cabinet. I have that one https://www.ikea.com/cl/es/images/products/fabrikoer-vitrina-gris-osc__0644199_pe702478_s5.jpg where smaller things are on the upper and lower level and that big one will get in the middle. Like the industrial look of that piece of furniture, IMHO a good match for models.)

 

[ChileanTaco]

Here is how it looks like now.

This is the main building of the diorama. In addition, I have already built various smaller things that will be put together (e.g. on the roof, into the building and so on), of which I show just two here.

Antenna is not painted, obviously. Antenna was simple; I collect lots of parts and had those being a perfect match. Antenna dish is made from a cut-out sand toy scoop; center is the plastic stick often put in potted orchids; bottom part I don't know what it is.
Chair is made by myself. Person on the chair (this will be a "hacker" character with a bionic arm) is a modified poseable action figure (was quite hard to find one of a) the appropriate size, b) shaped like a realistic human, and not like a monster, anime character and so on how they often look like) from which I already cut away parts I don't want (figure was a soldier/fighter character, thus had weapons on a belt, a bandanna around the head and both arms were normal - so I cut and sanded that off, made one arm slimmer to later on attach metal parts), but haven't added anything yet (will make new realistic clothes, will add cyber devices to the head, will cover joints at the side that is not the bionic arm, will add metal parts to the arm that should look bionic).

 

[xp29]

Here is how it looks like now.

This is the main building of the diorama. In addition, I have already built various smaller things that will be put together (e.g. on the roof, into the building and so on), of which I show just two here.

Antenna is not painted, obviously. Antenna was simple; I collect lots of parts and had those being a perfect match. Antenna dish is made from a cut-out sand toy scoop; center is the plastic stick often put in potted orchids; bottom part I don't know what it is.
Chair is made by myself. Person on the chair (this will be a "hacker" character with a bionic arm) is a modified poseable action figure (was quite hard to find one of a) the appropriate size, b) shaped like a realistic human, and not like a monster, anime character and so on how they often look like) from which I already cut away parts I don't want (figure was a soldier/fighter character, thus had weapons on a belt, a bandanna around the head and both arms were normal - so I cut and sanded that off, made one arm slimmer to later on attach metal parts), but haven't added anything yet (will make new realistic clothes, will add cyber devices to the head, will cover joints at the side that is not the bionic arm, will add metal parts to the arm that should look bionic).

Wow that's pretty cool.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Wow that's pretty cool.

Most parts are repurposed. E.g.: I don't have a 3D printer (which otherwise might be used), but repurpose plastic parts found on the beach or otherwise as trash (all parts of the antenna were found as trash), electronics (there will be e.g. computer parts, like a "vault" door made out of the cover of a HDD, three-prong power outlets as "traffic lights"), leftover parts (thin metal sheet that once was the back of a whiteboard I took apart for another project), and a few less (pipes are thick bamboo drinking straws) or more rare parts that I bought over the last years (more rare: older electronics which are flea market finds mostly).
What already looks like a curb around the house is a MDF profile intended for a cabinet, found next to the garbage bin. Black plastic parts on the wall are also trash found on the beach.
Most of the "trick" is indeed having a collection of parts and picking the ones that fit best. Metal parts for the chair are for example from jewelry making and an a bit unusual screw that was just a practicing part for a mechanic at my former workplace (the rest of the chair is oven-hardening modeling clay molded over a cut-up wooden fork). This helps a lot as I don't have the equipment to 3D print or machine parts. I have normal hand tools and the obvious smaller modelmaking tools.

 

[NickAVD]

Most parts are repurposed. E.g.: I don't have a 3D printer (which otherwise might be used), but repurpose plastic parts found on the beach or otherwise as trash (all parts of the antenna were found as trash), electronics (there will be e.g. computer parts, like a "vault" door made out of the cover of a HDD, three-prong power outlets as "traffic lights"), leftover parts (thin metal sheet that once was the back of a whiteboard I took apart for another project), and a few less (pipes are thick bamboo drinking straws) or more rare parts that I bought over the last years (more rare: older electronics which are flea market finds mostly).
What already looks like a curb around the house is a MDF profile intended for a cabinet, found next to the garbage bin. Black plastic parts on the wall are also trash found on the beach.
Most of the "trick" is indeed having a collection of parts and picking the ones that fit best. Metal parts for the chair are for example from jewelry making and an a bit unusual screw that was just a practicing part for a mechanic at my former workplace (the rest of the chair is oven-hardening modeling clay molded over a cut-up wooden fork). This helps a lot as I don't have the equipment to 3D print or machine parts. I have normal hand tools and the obvious smaller modelmaking tools.

Reading your message reminded me of my childhood hobby of building model ships. It was not easy to find the necessary parts and, as an example, I used blister packs from pills as portholes on my model ships.

 

[ChileanTaco]

@NickAVD
I love it very much when I dig though my box(es) of parts and find something that is an exact match, especially for parts that must fit... or not, and cannot be modified much. Like those antenna parts.

 

[xp29]

You guys have a much better imagination than me. I'm kindda envious

 

[ChileanTaco]

You guys have a much better imagination than me. I'm kindda envious

Maybe, but also could be that I'm around antenna, technical infrastructure, computer parts and such that often (job) that I "see them everywhere", also in random plastic parts

 

[xp29]

Maybe, but also could be that I'm around antenna, technical infrastructure, computer parts and such that often (job) that I "see them everywhere", also in random plastic parts

Lol could be..... I'm a mechanic by trade, I promise ya I don't see cars in everything, after nearly 40 years doing this, the last thing I want to think about when I leave work is another car lmao
I think that's why wood working has become appealing to me

 

[NickAVD]

You guys have a much better imagination than me. I'm kindda envious

I think that's why wood working has become appealing to me

Working with wood requires imagination - you plan how the thing will look, what joinery joints can be used to make something. I think everyone has imagination, it just manifests itself in different ways.

 

[xp29]

Working with wood requires imagination - you plan how the thing will look, what joinery joints can be used to make something. I think everyone has imagination, it just manifests itself in different ways.

I agree to some extent. I find that being mechanical minded usually overrides imagination for me though. I can understand how things work with little effort. If someone else can build it, I can disassemble, rework, improve, repair, and explain the whys, but if I have to start from scratch without having seen a model or working example I struggle more.