The Little World

And so are a good many unattended rubbish piles as well…wherever a modeller casts an eye there are modelling materials in abundance. Unless you work exclusively in Argyle diamonds and platinum bars, you can find what you need frugally.

Note: This does not apply to modelling fairs or specialty shops. The price of the aftermarket parts and decals run way past what diamond merchants are prepared to pay.

I have been building storage boxes for the larger aircraft models that have come out of the Little Workshop – the 4-engine and 2-engine bombers and cargo planes. Of course there is some space on the layouts of RCAF WET DOG and Wet Dog Regional but even here the tarmac can be crowded out past any realism. And models out there collect dust.

So it was a case of turning to good old Jackson’s Drawing Supplies for foam-core board and Bunnings for MDF and strip wood. I’ve long learned to standardise on something that they always carry and to look for dimensions that suit what I can carry in the car. No good always having to cut something down or piece something together if you don’t have to. Dimensions of hangars and airfields are not set in stone, unless you’re building in a flinty country…

The hangars are oversize, and for a good reason. I do not know how big the largest airplane I will build is going to be – far better to err on the side of extra space than have a hangar roof too low. The shape is simplified, as I intend to make more as time goes by. They would also be a good item to sell to other modellers and some of them might work in 1:48 or 1:32 sizes and need a larger structure anyway.

The hangars are going to go to a modelling exhibition* to display a number of planes inside – so they need to be covered with a clear plastic roof. It’s hard to get stiff clear plastic in thin sheets – harder than you’d imagine. I may not know the right questions to ask of plastic retailers, but I know I am getting mostly wrong answers. So far the closest I have come to my idea is a flexible plastic table cover from Clark Rubber. It’s cheap enough to cover 900mm x 500mm. If the thing is a fizzogg, I’ll use it for workshop bench mats – no wastage.

Once the exhibition is finished they come home…to go on a shelving system in the studio that is sitting bare now. And if I find a cheaper source of materials that are easier to use, I’ll jump on them.

Note: Time from start of idea to 2 finished hangar/storage cases will be about a week, allowing for shopping time and practical engineering. If it works, 4 more could be knocked out in the same time. Best not to get more than a few started in case I get  better idea in the meantime.

* Written before Covid.