commercial model construction

[Gus]

Hi Folks - just a fascinated lurker nosing around in amazement.... (I take trips from here http://forum.scalemodelhorsedrawnvehicle.co.uk/index.php every once in a while ) and I have a question.  It's probably common knowledge here but I can't figure it out.

Here goes   I've seen some VERY small and highly detailed kit models here (HO etc) and SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE has had to build the original in order for it to be produced in scale to be sold.  Who in the world are these people and how do they do it?  For instance, on a brass locomotive in HO the detail is astounding but it's ....small... and how one would go about making the prototype is quite beyond anything I can imagine.

I have followed many of the beautiful scratch builds here.......is the process something like that?...and then onto molding/casting proceedures?

Any sites or links that might tend to explain the process?

Many thanks for any assistance in solving this.  I realize that this is probably a huge topic and might not be one that can be easily answered...

Cheers - Gus

[ron knepp]

Thanks for the link Gus. it looks like it has a lot of information.

Ron Knepp

[marc_reusser]

I guess I would have to say it all depends who the mfr is, how big they are, and what the item/product is that they are producing.

Sombody like Bmann and Preiser etc likely have in house  departments that do that, or the farm it out to a professional model-maker (I know a couple of "consultants" that do this for the large mfrs.

Some small and mid size mfrs. will hire modelers/master modelers and sculptors to create the casting masters for them. (there are people that do this for a living, or as a sideline to, or extension of their day day job)

Some small and mid size mfrs. will make their own masters and then manufacture them.

I know/know of, a fair number of guys that do this type of work, mostly in 1/35, but also in 1/48 and some 1/87.


Marc

[chester]

I'm quite friendly with a couple of master builders (that is builders of masters) for several of the 1/87 scale vehicle manufacturers. All I can say is that they are very talented folks that build to specific plans to produce masters for casting in both injected molded plastic and resin. We are starting to see a number of pieces done with CNC cutters that are producing near perfect renditions of the prototypes in 1/87 scale also.

[gin sot]

A lot of tool and die work used to get done with a 3-d pantograph with a cutting attachment at one end.  A large-scale wooden master can then be used to create a smaller-scale mold.

[JohnP]

I believe these days a lot of injection molds are cut from the CAD file into the mold metal with EDM machining, no hand-building is needed.

Silicone molds for resin casting are mostly made from hand-made parts. I make my own masters for my resin bridge parts.

I also used lithographic printing for one part master as a trial and will likely use it again for complex masters.

John

[clevermod01]

certainly in these times even small manufacturers go the cad rout. I'm digitally sculpting some western figures right now for another manufacturer.

Thom