Money Rides in Model Cars
For young people with imagination, here is an opportunity to design and build model autos. Awards wait for the best.
EACH year, $65,000 in cash and scholarships is awarded to youthful builders of model automobiles, by the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild.
The awards are made on the basis of two categories, design and craftsmanship. The contestant must design his own model, although he is supplied with instructions and worksheets in a kit supplied by the Guild to all interested persons.
If the contestant can’t draw, the design may be worked up. from clay. Since clay doesn’t stand up under shipping, however, the final model must be rendered in wood or plaster from the clay mock-up.
Models can be made from a variety of available woods such as balsa, cypress, white pine, basswood or soft mahogany, either in solid or laminated blocks. For those with experience in constructing model airplanes, automobiles can be built by making a framework and covering it with balsa sheets.
One of the most important aspects is that of finishing. The surface of the model must be perfectly prepared, as imperfections can’t be hidden by painting. First, wood and plaster models must have several coats of sealer, allowing a few days between applications. Final finish is applied, again sanding between coats. The last coat of finish is buffed, waxed and polished to a high gloss. All model cars are judged by an established point system based on a breakdown of craftsmanship and design. Designs are • evaluated on the basis of originality, artistic merit and practicability. Craftsmanship is judged on fidelity to scale, workmanship, painting and finishing. ?