Hi All

For those whom don't know I used to be a professional modelmaker and that's how I ended up in Hong Kong as a student on work experience 33 years ago and then I helped run one of the world top model making companies here for 12 years.

I have just purchased and waiting for the delivery of a new Einscan hand held 3D scanner and I will be stripping my newly restored WM20 all the way back down to its nuts and bolts for a second time. Once stripped down I will be hand scanning and digitising the components of the bike and saving them as digital files. After this lengthy process I am then planning to go into production making a large scale model of the WM20 that I will sell, the purchaser will be able to spray the pieces in the same colour as their own bikes and even give it your own matching contract number on the tank. The pieces can then be assembled and displayed in your man cave or pride of place in the living room for those of you who are single.

This is that part where I would love some feedback from all on the forum.

Would this be an item that people are actually interested in?

I am thinking of a couple of options for scale and they are 1/4 scale, that would be 21 inches in length and stand about 8 inches tall. with a wheel dimeter of 5 inches.

Or 1/6 scale same size as the action man figures or Barbie for those whom like gender equality. that would be 14 inches long about 5 1/2 inches tall with a 3 inch diameter wheel.

I am personally aiming for the 1/4 scale as the detail for the spokes would look a lot more realistic and I can get real chain at about that scale as well.

I know everyone's first question will be cost to that I have no answer yet as it all depends on how I proceed with types of casting and or if I use stereolithography, two part polyurethane, white metal or a combination of all 3 materials. There are a whole host of other casting options out there so I have my work cut out for me over the next month or so.

Any comment are welcome I am also looking into the possibility of a 1/2 scale stand alone engine, but that's for a later date.

Regards

Stuart

email (option): deepsea@vol.net

Hi Stuart,

I think it's a great idea and I'd be interested in one. The model that has been available on Fleabay is just too small. Also, Barbie would look hot on the back of an M20 in her leathers!

James

email (option): jamescusteau@yahoo.com

this does sound interesting. Would be lovely to have one, but it would of course be all about the cost. please do keep me posted.
you can reach me at peter.beresford@brunel.ac.uk
all the best and good luck with this. peter ps i think the smaller size would be more feasible for me. have you seen that beautiful model of the TE Lawrence brough superior which was manufactured i'm not sure exactly what scale, but it is really prepossessing.

On a similar vein.
For decades we have been looking for models of the Long levered 3 banded Martini Henry , with or without baynoette .
We had a member who tried to do some 3" tall in dental wax which then got cast in brass and used for race trophies.
However models of that particular weapon seem very thin on the ground and we would be happy to pay for them in varing sizes from 6" to a foot.

Wrong weapon to sit along side a WM20 but would be very at home leaning on a model K

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Hi Trevor

Once I get the model of the bike nailed and if it is successful I will move onto other bikes and other objects, the hand scanners can digitise anything at incredible quality. If you have a rare bike parts that are damaged you can scan the parts then print them in metal, the technology is amazing now.

email (option): deepsea@vol.net

I could be interested (it helps the wife with finding my Xmas/birthday presents!).
But 1/4 would be much too big to find somewhere to display, although I appreciate your comment about scaling spokes.

I personally would prefer the 1/4 scale model, but surely this is only financially viable if you intend to sell hundreds of thousands of these kits?

Hi Keith

I don't think I will ever sell hundreds of thousands but I can dream. I don't need to go into mass production as I may end up with thousands of models I cannot sell. I have a friend in China with several large scale Stereolithography machines, they would be great to print the wheels with the fine spokes and the frames as well, in fact that could print everything but its not cost effective to do so. I have done a lot of casting myself over the years mainly with silicon moulds and using polypropylene, so that is still an option. I am meeting up with my friend tomorrow a gentleman called Gerard whom owns a company in Hong Kong called Frontline Figures, those whom collect the small metal cast military figures probably know the brand as he sells all over the world. All his casting is done in China and although he sells millions of figures each year he only gets the factories to make small batch runs or runs as and when the orders come in.

When my scanner arrives in a few weeks I will document the tear down of my bike and the scanning of all the parts together with the moulding process I end up using.

In the mean time if there is anyone on the forum that has ideas on other casting processes please do drop me a line as although I used to be a professional modelmaker that was 20 years ago, things have moved on since then.

Regards

Stuart

email (option): deepsea@vol.net

Dear All

This is a link to a very cool project where someone has used the latest technologies to make a model car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1zV8JMwrvs&fbclid=IwAR2Y4YtWULReffWWtqbM0mftL_a-Cm0mlaeJss7Irz_VcaWHH5DyDJa6tys

also check these videos out from Jay Lenos Garage he is now scanning and metal printing all the spares fro his cars and bikes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3SVTBrKyZk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZrJsrTT4EA

Regards

Stuart

email (option): deepsea@vol.net

In a different life I partnered a delvery business.
We had a customer who intorduced the very first full car scanner.
So they could scan your vehicle then add the signs.
The computer then distorted the images so they would appear correct on the vehicle.
The scanner was over $ 1,000,000 & I doubt it ever paid for itself but for 5 years they were run off their feet.

Last load of work I did for them was taking full car wraps down to Mitsibushi so they could try a dozen different changes last years model and see what it would look like without touching a piece of metal.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

They say great minds think alike, I've gotten tired of waiting some someone to make a kit of the BSA M20 and have begun to CAD some files to make one in 1/6th scale.

I've already done a first pass on the frame for the bike and now need to tie-down the dimensions of the Girder forks before I finalise the Frame. After that it's wheel's petrol tank, seat and Engine, etc.

I'm doing this for me, rather than to sell, because I want a couple for the bookcase!

Dear Pete

Very sorry for the delay I usually travel to 3 countries a week on business so checking in on the forum is a luxury normally allocated during a coffee in airport departure lounges.

Great to hear that you are on a similar venture but it sounds like you are a lot farther ahead that I am that's for sure. Great work on the CAD drawing with the frame are you using Auto CAD? I have purchased the Einscan 2x pro hand scanner about a month ago but sadly its still sitting in the box till time allows me to open the thing. I am planning a combination of hand scanning and then drawing some of the items up in Fusion 360 and some reverse engineering to top it off. I have a friend in China whom has an array of large stereolithography machines so hopefully he can help me print everything out and do the messy work.

I will keep you posted as and when I get the scanner up and running.

Regards

Stuart

email (option): deepsea@vol.net

Interested 😊