Maybe I already bored you with some of my tales, but on the off chance I didn't -- and the urging of a friend and longtime member here -- may I introduce myself. I'm Charles Fox, of Santa Monica, California, formerly Tokyo, New York, Frankfurt/Main, Guatemala City, Mt. Kisco and Chicago. A couple decades in advertising, I've spent the rest of my life trying to make amends. <g>
I've been a semi-fanatic plastic (and recently resin and white metal) model car builder for many years, but am leaving that behind me and moving into metal. Eventually some of that metal should move and make noises. I'll be 70 later this year, and for 50 years I've held in awe some of the scratch-builders of cars of yore, from Michele Conti, and Henri Baigent to Gerald Wingrove, even to a friend of mine in Britain, Martin Field. That is a goal, but still distant. However, another friend will probably carve a wooden body buck in 1/12 scale of a Lotus XI we were lucky enough to have opened up for us so we could photograph and measure it. Still another friend seems to have the famous Lotus wobbly web wheels under control in CAD/CAM. So I might be beating metal before long, and having to quickly learn a bunch about soldering -- especially of aluminum. Ouch.
If you're still with me, I was recently at the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum also here in Southern California, and fell in lust with steam traction engines. They are awe-inspiring. So maybe the Lotus can wait a while, while I dig out first a static kit, then try to scratch build a more interesting version . . . but on a Sherline lathe and mill. Wish me luck!
Charlie Fox
I've been a semi-fanatic plastic (and recently resin and white metal) model car builder for many years, but am leaving that behind me and moving into metal. Eventually some of that metal should move and make noises. I'll be 70 later this year, and for 50 years I've held in awe some of the scratch-builders of cars of yore, from Michele Conti, and Henri Baigent to Gerald Wingrove, even to a friend of mine in Britain, Martin Field. That is a goal, but still distant. However, another friend will probably carve a wooden body buck in 1/12 scale of a Lotus XI we were lucky enough to have opened up for us so we could photograph and measure it. Still another friend seems to have the famous Lotus wobbly web wheels under control in CAD/CAM. So I might be beating metal before long, and having to quickly learn a bunch about soldering -- especially of aluminum. Ouch.
If you're still with me, I was recently at the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum also here in Southern California, and fell in lust with steam traction engines. They are awe-inspiring. So maybe the Lotus can wait a while, while I dig out first a static kit, then try to scratch build a more interesting version . . . but on a Sherline lathe and mill. Wish me luck!
Charlie Fox
welcome. 
