Awesome Miniatures

Quantum Tech HD introduces us to the work of Vang Hà, a hobbyist who creates functional scale models of trucks and construction equipment from PVC pipes that he heats and bends into flat sheets. This video condenses his months-long quest to build a remote-controlled CAT 390F excavator down to about 20 minutes.

It’s a battle for the ages – Lady Liberty vs. the king of the dinosaurs. Ok, maybe not, but we still enjoyed watching how Boylei Hobby Time took two off-the-shelf models that have nothing to do with each other and came up with a creative idea for a diorama – that the statue’s real purpose is to defend our country from monsters.

After fabricating a miniature suspension bridge, Tiny World built a scale model of a railroad bridge based on the design of the CSX A-Line Bridge that spans the James River in Richmond, Virginia. To create the structure, they poured concrete into foam-core molds with wire supports inside.

After seeing Top Gun: Maverick, model maker Boylei Hobby Time wanted to make a diorama inspired by one of the movie’s big action sequences. While he found a 1:144-scale model of the soviet gunship helicopter, he couldn’t find one of an F-18 fighter jet a the same time, so he decided to swap in an X-Wing from Star Wars.

Most people who make remote-controlled cars start with an off-the-shelf chassis, then attach a plastic body shell. But Liu Mutou is an overachiever. With the exception of the tires and motor, he built virtually every part of this R/C Ferrari 250 GTO replica from scratch, including a welded metal frame and bent metal body.

The original Hot Wheels Red Baron is one of the most iconic and collectible toy cars ever made. This video from Paul Restorer takes us through the long and painstaking process of disassembling, cleaning, and repairing the classic toy, which needed bodywork, a paint job, new wheels and axles, and fresh packaging.

Artist Luke Towan specializes in building models and dioramas. He recently finished making a 1:87th scale escalator that actually works. It took him almost a year to finish, but the completed piece is a marvel of miniature engineering. The 3D printing and laser cutting templates are available for download on Tinkercad.

Dr. Willard Wigan MBE has an attention to detail most of us only dream of. He’s known for his infinitesimally small sculptures, which he carves using tiny tools under the lens of a microscope. WIRED’s Obsessed sat down with Willard to learn about his technique and the challenges of working at such a small scale.

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to shrink down and drive inside of a slot car, this video is for you. Project Air teamed up with DIY Perks to create a 200 foot-long slot car track, then rigged the cars with tiny cameras and wireless transmitter, and wore video goggles for a first-person view while driving.

We’ve seen lots of beautiful and unusual items turned on a lathe, but we’ve not seen a woodworker use the method to create a model of a jet airplane engine until now. Gao Wood Lab used walnut, magnolia grandiflora, and red cedar wood to create this wonderful miniature engine, complete with a spinning turbine fan.

Modelmaker 3JWings made this miniature replica of MD 530F helicopter using popsicle sticks. He cut and layered the sticks together, then sanded them smoothly to form the chopper’s body. After cutting and attaching details like its skids and rotors, he applied a yellow and black paint job to bring it to life.

After watching the trailer for the Super Mario Bros. movie, Boylei Hobby Time was inspired to recreate the fire-breathing Bowser scene as a diorama. He started by making the buildings out of wood and foam, added a 3D-printed Bowser, painted everything, and created the fire effect using LED filament lights and cotton.

If you’re looking for tips and techniques for shooting great photos, look no further than COOPH. Their YouTube channel is packed with great tutorials like this one which shows how to shoot a photo of a miniature Ford Mustang launched off a ramp. This shot required multiple exposures to layer in the sparks, smoke, and dust.

We’ve seen lots of things made out of popsicle sticks, but they’re typically larger structures. In this video from 3JWings, they show us how they made a 1:300-scale replica of a Gulfstream G560 jet airplane by stacking, gluing, and carving the wooden sticks.

What’s worse than the claustrophobic feeling of walking down an old mine shaft? How about adding a human-sized spider lurking beneath a trap door? Boylei Hobby Time created this imaginative diorama of a couple of miners who don’t know what dangers await them. This wasn’t the first time he went mining for giant arachnids.

Devon of MechanicalFiend is an expert at making detailed models and dioramas. She builds them from paperboard, cardstock, foam board, and popsicle sticks. To get us in the mood for her amazing miniature of Jack Skellington’s house from The Nightmare Before Christmas, she kicks things off with a little musical number.

YouTube channel Handmade features models of cars that were individually hand-built out of Plasticine clay. The artist behind the camera uses a plastic model as his form, then painstakingly traces and cuts out each piece of its body to create impressively accurate miniatures. And then he crash-tests them.

The guys over at COOPH are always sharing interesting photography tips and tricks. This time, they’ve posted a series of playful ideas you can replicate using just your smartphone, miniature figures, and everyday objects to create tiny worlds of whimsy that play with our expectations of scale.

One of the most iconic locations on The Simpsons is the Kwik-E-Mart. The talented builders of Ouroboros ARQ and made a detailed miniature of Springfield’s convenience store from masonite and spray foam. Though after rebranding, this location sells something other than Squishees and stale hot dogs.

During a 2020 trip to New Zealand’s famed Wētā Workshop, Adam Savage learned a lot about how they create practical visual effects. Among his experiences was this lesson from Project Supervisor Mona Peters on how to create convincing miniature landscapes by spraying on layers of green flocking with an electrostatic gun.

Clemens Wirth is a talented filmmaker who specializes in building miniatures and shooting macro footage of them. He recently compiled this awe-inspiring showreel of some of his most impressive 1:87 scale builds, including scenes set in the wild west, the big city, the country, the Arctic, and a galaxy far, far away.

New Wave Toys’ 1/6th-scale Coca-Cola Classic and New Coke vending machines are accurate down to the last detail, including working coin slots that trigger the release of tiny soda cans with the push of a light-up button. Inside you’ll find a working mini-fridge that chills two 12oz. cans or one 355ml bottle of Coke.

Artist Mugen Woong created this beautiful crescent moon-shaped diorama using natural materials including dragon stone, moss, and tree roots. The display incorporates a self-watering system that uses microfiber cloth as a wick to keep the soil moist and the moss alive.