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makers KiwiMill Model Maker Blog Search Primary Menu About Search for: Scale Model Projects , Types of Models Cool Veterinary Model April 6, 2018 pam Leave a comment This veterinary model of a blood separating device is a great example of going bigger in scale than the real thing. Not all scale models need to be small. In this instance the model is 6X bigger than the product it is replicating. By going bigger, the details of how the product works can be featured clearly. This separating device takes blood and breaks it down into plasma and platelets in order to harvest white blood cells. The challenge of this veterinary model was to show the process in a clear and user friendly way. Our model makers chose colors to represent the different processes. Yellow = plasma. Red = blood cells. A clear acrylic tube was used to represent the flask. A silicone vinyl hose was placed inside, which gave the correct diameter and coil for the extracting piece. Colors were added using theater jells. The resulting veterinary model looks cool and communicates the properties of the separator with accuracy. medical model separator model veterinary model Scale Model Projects , Shop News Aircraft Simulator Model Takes Flight January 5, 2018 pam Leave a comment I really enjoyed watching this aircraft simulator model come together in the shop. KiwiMill model makers milled the outer shell in pieces and then assembled it to create the curved shape of the model. The detailed parts were 3D printed and added on to the model. The design of the model was modular, with sections that come apart just like the real product. I was most curious to find out how the aircraft simulator works in real life. Turns out it is a huge 35 foot long machine that is placed over the nose and cockpit of an actual aircraft. Images are projected on the curved screen that mimic the movements of the pilot working the controls. This way a pilot experiences flight in a very realistic way without ever leaving the hanger. What an amazing, immersive training tool! It is useful to have an aircraft simulator model to take to trade shows or sales meetings because the real product is too large to transport. We anticipate our client getting many years of use out of this model. aircraft model aircraft simulator aircraft simulator model pilot simulator model sales model simulator model Model Making Process Naked Scale Models October 21, 2016 pam 1 Comment Sometimes I like to look at scale models before they are primed and painted. A naked scale model reveals the variety of materials and fabrication methods used in the model build. Some model parts are 3D printed. Others are hand built out of various types of plastic material, foam or molding compound. Still others are cut out of metal using CNC machines. (For more info on model making materials check out this previous blog post . ) The parts are fastened together to create the body of each custom model. Right before the scale model is sent to the paint booth for a coat of primer, I like to take a picture of it naked”. The raw beauty of a hand built item is powerful. Once it is covered in paint a person can easily forget the intricate work involved in creating a 3 dimensional object from scratch. Check out these projects in their uncovered form versus how they look after painting and finishing. See if you agree with me that naked scale models have beauty to them. model builder model maker model shop naked model scale model unfinished model Model Making Process , Scale Model Projects Hip Implant Device Makes for a Beautiful Scale Model September 16, 2016 pam Leave a comment Often times at KiwiMill a scale model turns out to be a work of art in itself. An excellent example of this is the Taper Fill Hip System . This product is an implant that is inserted into a person during hip replacement surgery. When made into a model at 3-4 times its original size, the beauty of the design and its functionality really come to life. The model was commissioned to show how the implant works inside a human body. The various parts of the device were created in a modular fashion, so they could be taken apart and put back together during a demonstration. Model Maker Mike chose magnets to connect the various pieces of the implant to each other. This makes it easy for a salesperson to connect and reconnect them over and over again. The various parts of the scale model were made from 3D printing and CNC milling and routing. The finishes were particularly important in this model build, as they illustrate how the product functions. For instance, the heavily textured areas that you see in the model are used in the real product to encourage human tissues to attach and grow after implantation. The high gloss on the pink socket you see in the model is a mirror-like finish, achieved by placing a clear coat over the painted surface. The shiny chrome surfaces you see in the model were created using vacuum metalization. All of these carefully rendered surfaces come together to create a an incredibly visually appealing scale model. The modular features of this particular model only add to its usefulness. hip implant model medical model modular model scale model Types of Models Cutaway Models Give You a Peek Inside August 19, 2016 pam Leave a comment Cutaway Models are a popular type of scale model, and for good reason. There are different types of cutaway designs, but each one seeks to reveal the inside workings of a particular product. Sometimes the technology inside an industrial product is its greatest asset and a cutaway model is designed to draw attention to this. Most cutaway models replicate the overall look of the outside of a product. Then with the use of cutaways, offer a view at the design inside the product. Some cutaways are split in half, others have a small portion of the outside cut out, making a peep-hole of sorts into the inside. Other cutaway models are modular – pieces are removable by way of magnets to reveal the inside components. Most companies would prefer to bring a real product to a sales meeting or trade show if it is practical. Of course that’s not always the case, as real products may be too heavy or large to ship and display. Scale model replicas of a product are not only more efficient to use in these circumstances but can even be more attention grabbing and informative than the real thing. By incorporating cutaway features, a model can communicate the inner design which would ordinarily be hidden. cutaway cutaway model Shop News , Types of Models Busy Summer at the Model Shop August 5, 2016 pam Leave a comment This has been a very busy time at KiwiMill model shop. Many exciting projects have been quoted, awarded, drawn up, fabricated, finished and shipped these past few months. All of our model makers love being busy. It’s what they are trained for – going from one project to the next without a break, crafting pieces that go right out the door as soon as they are complete. It’s easy to take for granted the depth and breadth of models that leave the shop when you work at this level of artistry, precision and speed. Sometimes it’s nice to step back for a moment and reflect on the projects that come through the model shop during any given time period. The past few months alone have seen military vehicles, warehouses, satellites, solar arrays, nuclear reactors, rockets, tank skids, servers, radiators, bioreactors an airport hanger and a nose cone. The creative energy of our model makers thrives on this variety. No two custom model projects are the same. Every day something new is learned by our master craftspeople. There is never enough time to revel in the accomplishments here at KiwiMill; always the next project is waiting for our attention. But I wanted to take a moment to share some casual model shop pictures of the models I have watched go out the door so far this summer. custom model custom replica kiwimill model builder model maker model shop Scale Model Projects...