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April 2016

‘HONDA. GREAT JOURNEY.’ | MODEL MAKERS

‘HONDA. GREAT JOURNEY.’ | MODEL MAKERS

In delivering the vision of autonomous vehicles that can traverse the globe, each of the seven models were required to move, adjust, or adapt to each environment. It’s at this stage that Ogle’s model makers were really set to task.

We’ve spoken to a few members of the model making team to understand how their skills and knowledge helped to make the ‘Honda. Great Journey.’ possible.

Paul Duggan Model Maker

Having previously worked for one of the UK’s leading industrial design consultancies, and after spending eight years working at Ogle – Paul was one of the key model makers who brought Honda’s multiple designs to life.

The challenges of the project

“Once the models had been ‘exploded’ into smaller parts, this gave us a bit more creative license to deliver precise finishing. I think the biggest challenge on this project was working with so many parts for each model, but also preparing so many parts for paint. Everything had to be precise, taking into account allowances for paint, but also spending time to assemble and re-assemble the parts to make sure everything fitted properly. Also, we needed to make sure that any moving parts on the vehicles worked properly. To create some of the finishes, we needed to spend a lot of time on the parts, polishing the windows to create an almost transparent finish. Where the model had been scaled down, we needed to replace certain parts that were too small to be created using SLA, with steel wire, again allowing for tolerances and movement.”

Your Ogle Factor

“I think coming from a design background and having worked at Ogle for so long, I could really visualise the final concept for the models. This, combined with being a bit of a perfectionist, was the skill I brought to this project.”

The best bit?

“Working on such interest concepts, really. They are so unusual, with so many intricate details that anything other than perfection wouldn’t have been good enough. I really enjoy the projects that have such defined concepts and requirements.”

 

Kirsty McLaren & Tash Kellett
Model Maker and Apprentice

Kirsty and Tash worked together on the Jungle Jumper model. Having spent over 16 years working at Ogle, Kirsty was the perfect person to guide one of our latest creative minds when delivering this outstanding model.

 

The challenges of the project

“The Jungle Jumper was relatively straight-forward in design, but it had a large extending habitation unit. One of the biggest challenges for myself and Tash was to keep the model centred and balanced when the unit was lowered and also at full extension with the careful placement and construction of the internal tube.  We also had to allow enough tolerance for the paint team. In the final assemblies and finishing, everything has to be exact to allow for movement within the model.”

Your Ogle Factor

“Because of the complexities within the model, and also the client requirements for significant movement, the skill that both myself and Tash brought to the project was a keen eye-for-detail. Knowing that the models would be moved, adjusted and filmed meant that we had to pay close attention to the post paint fitting and finishing.”

The best bit?

“Working so closely together on this particular model gave both of us such a sense of achievement when we saw not only our model, but the entire collection. It’s great to know that we’re part of a team and a company that can deliver such quality and precision.”

 

Steve Lawrence Model Maker

Steve was one of the key model makers in this project. His work helped to bring one of the more complex models, the Desert Train, to life.

The challenges of the project

“Making this particular model needed quite a bit of patience and hand skills. Once I’d applied a guide coat of paint to rub down accurately, the model then needed to be sandblasted to even all the surfaces and soften any layering from the SLA process. There were multiple small frames that surrounded the Desert Train model, all of these were very thin SLAs, so the cleaning and preparation had to be really precise but also needed to be handled very carefully to avoid any breaking or cracking.”

Your Ogle Factor

“It’s probably being careful, and keeping a steady hand. Every stage of the build and finishing had to be so precise. So, I think my Ogle Factor for this project would be precision.”

The best bit?

“I don’t think there’s just one best bit to this project, really. For me, I think being able to see so clearly through all the windows was a really proud moment for all the model makers, it was one of the really fun projects to work on. It involved nearly everyone in the workshop and showed so many different skills. When we got to see the final video that Map had put together, it gave me a lot of pride for all our work, especially the brilliant Desert Train.”

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