Metal Machine Models

October 13, 2011 10:13 AM

Young C. Park builds aluminum models of aircraft.

via Make. Previously, Pierre Scerri’s model Ferrari.

posted by exogenous (12 comments total)

Wow. Talent and determination go a long way. I wish Mr. Park had been my dentist!
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:55 AM on October 13, 2011

Oh my god, this is awesome.

"Using a tweezers, the controls can be moved. All cables and linkages are in place to work the wing control surfaces as well. Young Park has since carved a pilot's face and hands from solid aluminum and built an articulated pilot to sit in the cockpit."
posted by zippy at 11:00 AM on October 13, 2011

This is amazing. The last time I milled something (much simpler, mind), the shop manager looked at it and said "is the mill still in one piece?" Inspiration to get it right, for sure.
posted by Alterscape at 11:06 AM on October 13, 2011

If you haven't checked out the Internet Craftsmanship Museum, you probably should.
posted by aramaic at 11:23 AM on October 13, 2011

I should send this and the Ferrari thing to my wife to scare the crap out of her.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:24 AM on October 13, 2011

I wish Mr. Park had been my dentist!

Yeah, if that's his hobby I want to see what he did professionally.

This might be a dentist thing. I did have a dentist like that, he made microscopically detailed jewelry, and he had a gazillion patents on miniaturized orthodontics appliances with tiny pulleys and cables.
posted by charlie don't surf at 4:00 PM on October 13, 2011

I think it's amazing, and then I remember that many of the controls on the real planes were powered, and I doublewow.
posted by sensate at 6:34 PM on October 13, 2011

So so so so cool. And the Internet Craftsmanship Museum just made my top ten websites ever list.
posted by pallen123 at 7:28 PM on October 13, 2011

The Internet Craftsmanship Museum is great. If I was rich I'd fill my study with models like that, just amazing.
posted by joannemullen at 9:13 PM on October 13, 2011

These are really amazing. I love the detail, like the tiny little individual 50 cal rounds in the wing.
posted by 6550 at 2:25 AM on October 14, 2011

This is amazing.

A classmate at school had to make a detailed model as part of his application for a dentistry course at university, to demonstrate his ability to work with his hands. He built a plastic aeroplane from a kit over a weekend and came in on the Monday morning with his hands covered in plasters from all the cuts he'd given himself.
posted by dowcrag at 3:44 AM on October 14, 2011

OK, I was going to resist, but failed.

So, observe this fully-functional 1/6 scale Duesenberg by Louis Chenot.

Yes, functional. The engine actually runs. Scroll down for shots of the tiny tiny gears in the functional gearbox, tiny handmade spark plugs, and more. Dear god.
posted by aramaic at 7:33 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]