Custom Model Building and Restoration Services

We specialize in building and restoring traditional balsa, plywood, fabric-and-dope model airplanes.

Bob can build that Dream Model for you.

More than a few years ago, when I first created Master’s Workshop, my intent was to share the joy I experienced building and flying scale RC model airplanes using the old time traditional balsa wood, silk-and-dope model building techniques. As it turns out these skills are not so common as they once were. I discovered that a lot of model airplane folks still want to know more about them, so I chose to accept some of the responsibility for helping preserve and promote them for those of you who are interested, but may not have the time, place or perhaps the skills to create your own balsa dust.

For years, Master’s Workshop readers have been asking whether Bob does custom model airplane building. Until now there was no practical way we could offer that service. Now, we can. As you might expect, all the custom model building we do meets the same high standards you can see in all the project files included in the Model Airplane Building Archives. Bob does not do quickie work. We will quote a specific price for any building or restoration project that we feel confident Bob will accept responsibility for. All prices are calculated on a base rate of $50.00 per hour for model building work. Any and all materials expenses are accounted for and billed separately. Shipping charges…to and from…are the customers responsibility. It should be noted that packing and shipping for the high quality of service that is appropriate for what we are doing can be expensive. For projects located within a reasonable one-day drive from Seattle, WA we can discuss pickup and/or delivery of completed models for the cost of expenses.

What do you mean, restore a model airplane?

We do not get involved in crash repair. Most ARF’s are cheaper to replace than fix, and if you built a kit job yourself you can probably fix it as well as we could. It happens, though, that there are a lot of folks who don’t do model airplanes themselves, but have an old model left by Grandpa, Dad or that favorite uncle. Maybe it suffered a bad crash; in any event it is falling apart and needs a lot of expert TLC to be turned into a family heirloom. That’s one of the things we do.

You are invited to be a part of Master’s Workshop!

So that aeromodelers everywhere get to share, every custom model building or restoration project gets to be documented just like the projects you see over in the Archives. You may choose to remain anonymous OR to have us include your name as part of the online presentation.

Please feel free to discuss any project ideas with us at any time. Asking is free. Email at: bob@rcmodel.com and let us know what you have in mind.

These two Golden-Age raceplanes…the Gee Bee Z (above left) and the Laird-Turner Miss Champion (above right) ... were custom built at 1/12 scale for a well-known Hollywood screen writer.