Awesome Models

The amount of detail and craft that goes into some R/C aircraft is a thing of beauty. Ramy RC and a team of talented builders created one of the most incredible scale airplanes ever. With a 32-foot wingspan, this replica of a Boeing 777X looks just like the real deal from its turbofan engines to its folding winglets. Watch the build video series here.

Boylei Hobby Time is an expert at making dynamic dioramas. To celebrate Star Wars Day earlier this month, he created a fantastic miniature battle scene. The display features detailed Rebel and Imperial ships locked in combat, with colorful LED filaments simulating blaster fire. It’s a creative and cinematic tribute to the galaxy far, far away.

Modelmaking has always fascinated us. Cath from The Square to Spare shows us the steps to make a miniature fridge that looks just like those fancy French door models. Its cabinet can be 3D printed or cut from balsa wood, with acrylic or resin shelves, wrapped in stainless steel contact paper, and lit with LED fairy lights.

The Glue Looper is a precision micro-applicator for low-viscosity glues like CA and model cement. Designed to fit hobby knife handles, it uses capillary action to deliver tiny amounts of adhesive exactly where needed with no mess or drips. Ideal for model-makers, prop builders, jewelers, and more. Each set includes 10 reusable stainless steel loops in three sizes.

Martina and Hansi from Nerdforge have filled their space with fantastic, custom-made geek art. Since they needed a new coffee table, they couldn’t just run out to IKEA and buy one. Instead, they created this amazing work of art – a wood table with an incredibly detailed scene of a library underneath its glass top and CNC-carved wooden books on its sides.

Few objects from the Star Trek universe are more iconic than the Borg cube. Maker Grieg Johnson shows us how he made a lamp based on the imposing 6-sided starship. He made it using mesh, an old birdcage, and a bunch of sprues – the plastic frames that hold model parts. We love how much depth he achieved with all of the layers.

This fan-made video pays homage to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Like the Mutara Nebula scene that ILM brought to life in 1982, these spaceships were created without the benefit of CGI. NJM Photo used AMT model kits and a low-budget motion control rig to capture the Starship Enterprise and the hijacked USS Reliant. Check out the BTS video here.

The Battle of Geonosis is one of the most pivotal moments in The Clone Wars. This incredible LEGO build pays tribute to the setting of this epic confrontation. Solid Brix Studios shared this time-lapse video of his 250,000+ piece diorama during its 2-year build. The 15-foot-long model is packed with details, and the textures of the landscape are incredible.

This complex stainless steel model from Piececool lets you build a detailed miniature fire truck, complete with a rotating ladder. The 354-piece kit takes time and patience, and you’ll want a good set of precision tools to snap and bend its flat-packed parts. The finished model measures about 7″ long and just under 5″ tall.

Whether you know the place for its food or eclectic clientele, there’s no mistaking a Waffle House for any other restaurant. Smol World Workshop created the smallest Waffle House we’ve ever seen. The attention to detail in the 1/24-scale model is incredible, from the asphalt parking lot to the fully equipped dining room, complete with condiments on the tables.

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.

As we’ve seen before, HMS2 is an expert and building realistic miniature versions of everyday objects. As part of their detailed mom-and-pop candy shop, they made a tiny space heater with light-up components that mimic infrared heating elements. They built it from plastic sheets and rods, painstakingly cut and assembled to form its fan grid and louvers.

agepbiz makes all kinds of fun stuff. After creating a giant LEGO knight helmet and the best wedding ring box, he’s back with another of his overly-complex business card designs. This “card” is a snap-together model kit that lets its recipient make a miniature army Jeep. The 3D-printable model is available on Maker World.

To launch the LEGO Technic McLaren P1, expert builders and engineers assembled the most impressive life-size LEGO car model yet. The car has 342,817 pieces, including some custom bricks, and took more than 8000 hours to design and build. It’s powered by 768 LEGO motors and an electric car battery and is the first full-scale LEGO car to lap a racetrack.

YouTuber DIY Garage has built several miniature houses using scaled-down bricks and cinder blocks. For this project, they used Mini Materials to construct a place that any bird would be proud to call home. The base of the birdhouse is made from brick and mortar, while the second floor is wood. The roof even has teensy shingles.

This flat-pack wooden model from Robotime lets you build a tiny, working printing press. Inspired by classic movable type presses, the miniature imagines a print shop run by bears. After assembling the 303-piece kit, you can make prints with a pull of its handle. It’s basically a fancy rubber stamp kit, but we still dig it.