Future Weapons

Challenge: In July 2006, Nick Proach Models contracted Masterpiece Models to make three 1/45 scale models of a prototype railgun being pitched to the US Navy by General Atomics. Railguns are used to fire long-range projectiles at over 5,000 miles per hour that will explode on impact due to the velocity. However, this ammunition does not present an explosive danger when stored on ships.

Solution: Without any of the technical workings, railgun designs are fairly simple. And of course, due to the military nature of the project, we were only given basic cosmetic guidelines. We cast the various parts in resin, painted them and mounted the models on stained wood bases.

Result: Because this was a military job, we don’t really know if the design was accepted. As long as the guys in black suits don’t show up at our door, we’re happy. Many thanks to Nick Proach Models for the job.

Putting the Pieces Together for Architect Magazine

Challenge: In September 2006, Francis Cooley Communications contracted Masterpiece Models for a job to celebrate the launch of Hanley Wood’s new magazine, Architect. Francis’ agency had designed a promotional item with six puzzle pieces representing desirable traits for a magazine to embody. Each piece was colored and labeled and when put together, displayed the cover of the premier edition of Architect on the back. As such, the puzzle was designed to stand upright.


Solution: The six puzzle pieces were sculpted and cast in resin to design specifications. They were then painted and labeled before being assembled to apply a decal of the Architect cover to the back and be hand cut out.

Result: 10 sets of the puzzle were made and sent on to Hanley Wood. Architecture magazine currently has a circulation of 60,000 and has readers in 23,000 of the top firms. Many thanks to Francis Cooley Communication for the job.

Domo Arigato Masterpiece Models

Challenge: In 2005, Masterpiece Models was referred to Jon Fant of Future Robotics Design by Jones Plastic Technology to possibly work him on his project: the Solo robot. Jon had build a hardware prototype of his fully-functioning humanoid robot. Though it worked, it looked like the guy from "Short Circuit" – mechanical and unfinished. Masterpiece Models was hired to design and create the outer skin to make this creation a character.

Solution: Mostly because we thought the project was so cool, we negotiated with Jon to work within his budget as an independent entrepreneur. The fact that he's a fellow Washington native helped too. The robot stands 3 and 1/2 feet tall, and is about 2'x 2' at the base. Jon gave us complete creative control over the design of the skin and we decided to make a soft and smooth design to make the robot as personable as possible. "You have to know when someone else knows more than you do and just let them do their thing," Jon said. "Even though I designed the structure, there was no way I could have made this shell."

The intended use of the Solo was in homes and businesses to perform menial and repetitive tasks, so it needed to look non-threatening as it goes about its work among crowds. The skin at all the various points of articulation needed to allow for full mobility but cover as much of the surface as possible. One of the unique features of the Solo is its ability to bend at the "waist," which is why the we made the upward-sloping design on the lower section. All the pieces were hand sculpted and then vacuformed to the finished look.

Result: The Solo was ready in time for the 2006 Consumer Electronics Fair in Las Vegas. "Masterpiece Models did an amazing amount of work on the Solo and I'm extremely pleased with their performance."

One Small Step for Masterpiece Models. One Giant Leap for Gateway Computers

Challenge: In the modeling business, it’s convenient to have a world-class animation studio practically in your backyard. Over the years, we’ve worked on a number of projects with Laika Studios, formerly Will Vinton Studios. Our first project with Laika was in 2002 on a commercial for Gateway Computers. The Gateway ad was for the release of their new Profile 4 series, a direct competitor to the iMac. This ad required movable motion control scale models of both computers. Even the ad for the product was designed to pit against the iMac ads, which highlighted the movable screen stand in a series of commercials. The Gateway commercial would have the Profile 4 literally jumping over the grounded iMac.

Solution: We built the models at 1/2 scale to give enough detail and still make the models a workable size for the animators. The commercial was shot using stop-motion, a specialty of Laika studios, so the models had to incorporate wire frames used to pose them for each shot. This, of course, influenced the materials we used, especially for the base of the Profile 4, which in actual production was not flexible.

Result: The ad aired in August of 2002. Love it or hate it, much was said about Gateway’s aggressive confrontation of Apple’s iMac. For what it’s worth, the iMac of today look much more like the Profile 4, than the iMac of 2002. In any case, the commercial got people talking, which is always a success.