Johns Model Madness-Visit my model world!

 

Pages on this site under reconstruction

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Share my models, Kerr Stuart locomotive, Allchin traction engine, boats, OO railway and some drawings

I want to share some of my work with you. I am 81 years young and have made models of all kinds for more than 60 years. Many of these have long gone to the great scrapyard in the sky.

I illustrate recent work, some of which quite please me........... I am still learning however !

On some versions of Windows the text size can be expanded, if required, by scrolling over the page whilst pressing the Control key.

Click on the images below to go to the relevant pages.

I hope that the models illustrated and in some cases the description of steps in construction will tempt the visitor to try his/her hand at building the model they have been thinking about and which perhaps prompted them to visit this site.

On these pages I show some of the construction techniques and will later describe some of the problems encountered in the course of construction, describing ways and means by which they were overcome.

I am not keen on construction kits but enjoy using materials recovered from sources such as scrap and recycled objects, buying only items that I cannot make such as electronic components. For engineering projects I employ castings where I cannot fabricate. This provides practice in pattern making !

For what they are worth, I have added a set of recommendations based on lessons learnt during my 60 years+ of modelmaking. I call these ' Nostrums ' ( Perhaps it should be ' Nostras ! ) If you can spare the time to look at them click here modelengineersnostrums.htm

 

Site contents November 2009:-

Model Engineering topics

Building the 1 1/2" scale Allchin ....Click here

3 1/2" Gauge Loco 'Tich's' pedigree.. Click here

5" Gauge Loco 'Pixie's' background, survey and contruction... Click here

Model Boat topics

Building the 1/32" scale Rhine pusher tug 'Egrete'.. Click here

Scratchbuilding building two simple R.C. sailing boats click here..Click here

1/24th scale scratchbuilt workboat 'Free Lancer '.. Click here

The Clyde Puffer and other earlier boats.. Click here

1/24th scale scratchbuilt workboat 'Free Lancer 2'.. Click here

Scratch building the trailer / sailer ' Silhouette '..buildingthesilhouette.htm

Ongoing build of a small pusher tug similar to the popular ' Springer ' class. buildingsmallpsher.htm

Workshop topics

Have a look at my workshop........workshops.htm

A model engineer's nostrums click here modelengineersnostrums.htm

Tools and things mainly from scrap workshoptoolsetc.htm

Model Railway topics

Looking back at OO Gauge Model railways click.. Click here

Looking back at OO Gauge Model railways click.. Click here

Why build Model Railways ? whymodelrailways.htm

Traction engines

	Allchin traction engine to 1 1/2" Scale
An earlier ( 1910 ) prototype

A major project carried on over a period of six years was construction of the Allchin traction engine ( Road locomotive ) to 1 1/2" scale. The six year term resulted from shortage of spare time due to a job which involved lots of travelling !

To see the construction of the Allchin from plans produced by the late great model engineer W. J. Hughes and a description of the many parts click here BuildingtheAllchin.htm

Following contact initially built up over the Internet with my now good friend Peter Beck, Click here! a German model engineer, pictures of my models now appear on his site. Peter is an accomplished model engineer and we share many interests, he has also built the Allchin and a number of locomotives, so appreciates the hours of application required. Peter has recently built a 1" to the foot scale traction engine ' Minnie ' to a design by L.C. Mason. And is now building a model of the ' Rocket ' The high quality of Peter's work is evident from these images :-

The hornplates and gear assembly for 'Minnie '. The gears were individually cut in Peter's home workshop.

Many hours of work result in the engine standing firm on it's intricate wheels. Next the ' Engine proper '..... the cylinder block, valve gear and transmission which sit on the boiler.

Resplendent in its unique livery Peters finished ' Minnie '

Peter is currently making an model of the famous ' Rocket ' which is being illustrated on his pages. Follow the link above to view his elegant work in producing an extremely complicated subject !

Locomotives in 3/4" and 1 1/2"scales

	3/4" scale ' Tich ' for 3 1/2 gauge track (to LBSC drawings ) Click here for Tich's pedigree
2 1/2" scale 'Pixie ' for 5"gauge track (from site survey and drawings which I produced courtesy of the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway ) Click here ! for Pixie's background, survey and contruction.

Having reached this far you will be wondering what facilities I have for model making in the variety of materials shown. To see my present workshop and and read about some of the past locations click here John's workshops

All railway lovers and modelmakers would do well to visit Geoff's pages, a source of images (and wonder ) for all enthusiasts! http://http://www.geoffspages.co.uk/

Radio controlled model boats, power and sail

Currently activities are focussed on building model boats........so a page on the site describes construction of the Rhine Pusher ' Egrete ' from drawings published in Model Boats magazine, a fountain of knowledge for all who enjoy Boats, and in particular model boats.

	' Egrete ' A Rhine ' Pusher tug ' in 1/2" scale from free drawings published in Model Boats Magazine . To view construction.click here Building the Rhine pusher
The wheelhouse is raised and lowered to clear the bridges along the river

Martin Davis a great model boat enthusiast has a superb site at www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk where amongst a wealth of topics, show reports, construction features and so on, he kindly exhibits illustrations of other modellers work.

Back to my activities......................

A recent model boat building project was construction of a freelance model of workboat, aptly named ' Free Lancer ' constructed in wood as you might say,.' All out of my head '. The step- by- step build is illustrated here

Building RC model workboats

This boat has been followed by a larger version ' Free Lancer 2 ' also illustrated on another page Clickhere

	Test of the workboat under way in the bath ...where else? Whilst it is a scratchbuilt freelance model the details are all based on images on the web
' Free Lancer ' a 1/24" scale, scratchbuilt workboat ' .....own design based on details of boats taken from the 'web' to .To see the construction Click here

This is ' Freelancer 2 ' based upon lessons learned from the earlier build. To see the construction Clickhere

Building RC model sailing boats

A Recently added page which describes describing two successful radio controlled model sailing boats

A Trailer / sailer

This page describes construction of a small trailer sailer / cruiser which I used to sailwith my sons and my father. To view the construction click here. buildingthesilhouette.htm

OO Gauge model railways

 

Small cameos from 16'x 10' fun model railway which in it's time was enjoyed by 3 generations of my family and countless visitors !

To look back at my OO Gauge Model railways Click here

Artwork

	' The beach '
' L'Isolabelle, Maggiori
	' Safe Harbour ' Salcombe

' Cornish fantasy '

When time permits I will be adding a gallery of items from my sketchbooks.

Cartoons .

Each month for more than 25 years I produced a monthly ' quasi/technical ' cartoon page based upon my own 45 years in and about concrete construction which included detail, design and supervision through to management and consulting work for a number of well known firms and institutes .

Over the years I produced some 2000 unique sketches of construction activies featuring the activities of a mythical construction worker. He is my creation, devised more than 25 years ago and any similarity between him and any other character real or mystical is entirely coincidental.

On the left my main character ' Cubco man ' He found himself in many demanding situations ...............................................as on the right !!

The illlustrations showed him working in a variety of construction work, learning the possibilities (and sometimes the problems) of a range of construction tasks, methods, materials and emerging techniques.

His was a very extended learning curve,........................................................... just as mine has been !

Tiring of me always drawing Him..........................	.....................He .took his revenge on me !

We welcome your comments :-

To comment on this site, add to or discuss any of the content please click the link to mail John:-

I thank the thousands who have taken an interest in the site, particularly those from all parts of the world who have mailed. These mails have in a number of cases lead to ongoing ' Email friendships' and a useful exchange of ideas and methods.

It is great when you mail and tell me what you are doing, whether in Model Engineering , Model Boats and any modelling activities.

I will always acknowledge your mail and offer help if needed..... and if I have sufficient knowledge and experience to help !

Our mail address is :- jaygee@johnsmodelmadness.co.uk

Last updated1st October 2009

Copyright John Richardson.

Viking Office

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