Hi, … My name is Bill, Just turned 50 and have enjoyed modeling since I was a young kid. It’s been so long, … it is hard to remember exactly when I started, but it was around 8-10 years of age. Funny thing is when I was layed off from a job at 30, … I was looking at the unemployment section in the newspaper and saw a job as a model maker. I thought to myself as I looked at a couple of shelves full of models that I had built or scratched, … and said, … No Sweat! Although when I went for the interview, I soon realized, um, … wrong kind of models, These were prototype models of any and all industries prototyping. Well after B.Sing my way into the job, … I took to it like I had been doing it for years.
Well to this day, I am still working in that field. Currently, I run the prototype lab inside an industrial design firm in California and LOVE IT! Best of all, … I’m getting paid for basically enjoying our hobby!
I do enjoy building the plastic models, I have taken it one step further, … "INSANELY HUG " scale models, 1/5 scale models to be exact. The plastic models are GREAT reference to details and I take full advantage of that and I also use all the same techniques as used in the plastic models with only a few exceptions.
I just signed up to the forum and subscribed to the magazine in order to learn the more advanced techniques used in the smaller scales. Some of the models you guys produce are flat out amazing to say the least.
I’ll see you in the forums and hope to contribute in a meaningful way and if I can help others doing so, … all the better.
Welcome aboard, i am sure you will love the place. I don’t think anyone here builds models that size. We like lots of pics around here, i am sure we are all looking forward to seeing some of yours.
Welcome to the forums. I think given what you do we may be able to learn as much from you as you learn from us. Post some pictures of your work, sounds interesting.
Thanks guys for the warm welcome. As far as pictures of some of my work. Here are a few that can be shown. I have to many to post, …but you get the idea.
Hope you like them
Bill
Paul Frank iPod Player
Red Bull Coolers
36" Disco Ball Cooler
Soup Machines
Double Barrel Chain Saw Squirt Gun
Scratch Built Hovercraft (31"long) toy trade show display
And My Current personal project, scratch built 1’5 scale 100" wing span glider SBD-3 Dauntless
Welcome to the forums Bill! You sound a lot like my brother in law who does the same thing for a living.[;)] Always good to see another modeler from So Cal on here![H] I really like that SBD! My demented children would love that chain saw squirt gun…[6]
The squirt gun is pretty cool, it was 27" long. I made it so when you move the top handle forward and backwards, it would alternate between the barrels. Their were small openings in the tip of the blade. Also when you pumped it, it made a chain saw up noise. It was a pretty dangerous toy actually and never saw the market. The teeth were to sharp and buy the time it was priced out, … they killed all the cool stuff about it and it would have looked lame.
