The Joe Martin Foundation for Exceptional Craftsmanship Presents

The Internet Craftsmanship Museum

What's New in the Museum?

This page is for those who like to check back often to see what has been added to the museum since their last visit. Listed below are the additions, dates and a link to the new or updated page. (E-mail addresses will be shown without the @ symbol in order to limit spammers searching the web for e-mail addresses. When addressing e-mail to us please type in the @ symbol in place of "at.")

bulletMay 5, 2008—Ten new photos of the Stearman aircraft model now in progress were added to the new page of model maker Ken Foran.
bulletMay 2, 2008—After seeing the work of Ken Foran on various internet sites devoted to models of WW1 aircraft, we gave him a call. He came to our show booth at the recent NAMES show in Toledo and displayed a couple of his models, and they are truly works of art. After seeing them in person there was no doubt we wanted to share them with other craftsmen. Take a look--you will see why.
bulletApril 30, 2008—A huge new exhibit was just added to the physical museum in Vista, CA. Paul and Paula Knapp were kind enough to put on loan for the coming year a large portion of their engine collection. Included are over 50 engines of various designs from singles to rotary engines to V-4, 4-8 and V-12 engines, diesels, horizontally opposed, outboards and hit-n-miss engines. Also added was a 1/3 scale 1854 Smith & Wesson "Volcanic" lever action pistol made by 2006 Craftsman of the Year, David Kucer. If you haven't been to the museum lately, now would be a good time.
bulletApril 10, 2008—The engine block on the Howell V4 project has has the fixture holes and extra metal removed so it now has the classic "V" shape. The original 6.32 pound block of 7075 aluminum has now been reduced in weight by 77% over the past almost seven months. It now weighs just 1.42 lb. See the latest progress photos at the bottom of the V4 engine page.
bulletApril 8, 2008—In addition to the clocks he is best known for, William R. Smith is also a HAM radio operator and a collector and maker of telegraph keys. He has recently completed some very tiny speed keys, the "Minikey" and the "Nanokey" that push the boundaries of miniaturization while still offering full functionality. See his page for details on several of his unusual telegraph keys.
bulletMarch 20, 2008—On the Howell V4 page, a video of Jerry Howell's prototype engine running has been added. The link is near the top of the page. At the bottom of the page are the latest additions to the project—an air cleaner by Dave Eggert and the front cover that Tom just completed.
bulletMarch 13, 2008—For a long time we have been hoping to add Gary Conley of "Conley V-8" fame to the web site. When you read his page you can see why it has taken a while. Making a living producing a small production gas engine in your home shop is not a job that leaves you a lot of spare time for writing and photos. Add a tragic foundry fire that destroys years of your hard work and you have to be pretty determined to stick with it. Luckily for those who love the sound of a 1/4 scale V-8 Gary has stuck with it, and this new page chronicles the development of his latest V-8, the Stinger 609.
bulletMarch 10, 2008—A few new parts have been completed for the V4 Engine project. Dave Eggert sent photos of himself and the air cleaner cover he built for the engine. Also, Tom Boyer and Fred Smittle have finished some of the timing gears.
bulletFebruary 26, 2008—For those of you following Lou Chenot's Duesenberg build, eight new photos of the progress on the bodywork and interior have just been added to his page. This amazing project is reaching the final stages and almost ready for paint.
bulletFebruary 20, 2008—Two new photos of the completed distributor have been added to the Howell V4 build page. In addition, the page for Clarence "Clarry" Dawson has been recreated in the Model Engineering (Steam Engines) section. After his death in 2005, his tools and his large collection of interesting engines was sold at auction. We feel the engines themselves are interesting, and the disposition of his life's work poses some interesting questions for other craftsmen to ponder.
bulletFebruary 15, 2008—Will Neely just sent photos of his latest hotrod model, and they have been added to his page. It's a stripped down, Offy powered dry lake racer from the early days of hotrodding.
bulletFebruary 13, 2008—Be prepared for a departure from the usual subject matter when you visit the page of Tatjana van Vark. Yes, you will see superb craftsmanship, but it is applied to objects that are not your usual machining projects. They include cipher machines, an improved version of the ancient Antikythera Mechanism with attached Hypothetical Planatarium and scientific instruments you will recognize (and some you won't). You will probably want to follow the link to her own site to learn even more. Tatja was a research problem-solver for industry and the military for many years and now builds and improves on the scientific instruments that interest and challenge her. While some of us might restore a vintage steam engine or automobile, she has reconstructed entire telephone/telex relay switching complexes and bomber computer navigational/radar systems in her own home. Her expertise extends to many areas, and you will be challenged to think as you enjoy the beautiful workmanship that went into each piece. The unique quality of this work has also created the need for a new section on Scientific Instruments and Models to be added to the museum.
bulletFebruary 12, 2008—It is with great pleasure that we announce that the winner of the Joe Martin Foundation's Metalworking Craftsman of the Year for 2008 is Ron Colonna of McKeesport, PA. Ron already has a page in the museum web site, so his work will already be familiar to those who have visited there. If you haven't, please click on the linked name to take a look at his work. In honor of his selection several new photos were just added to that page including those of his contest winning Whizzer motorbike, plus his V-twin motorcycle engine, his Hercules and his current project, the Novi V8. Ron will display his engines and be on hand to accept his gold medallion and $2000.00 cash award at the Foundation's booth at the North American Model Engineering Society Expo in Toledo, OH April 19-20, 2008.
bulletFebruary 7, 2008—A photo of the brass distributor spark advance arm has been added to the V4 engine page.
bulletJanuary 30, 2008—Who makes the "World's Smallest Steam Engine?" See Jerry Kieffer's page for photos of the latest addition to our museum in Vista, CA thanks to a donation from Jerry. Another donation by Denny Bevis of Oceanside, CA has added a Cox .020 "Pee Wee" engine to our model engine collection. Along with the engine were a spare glow plug, three props and an "Engine Starting Kit," all new in the box and unopened. Also just updated is the Howell V4 project page to include the photos of Tom's finished distributor housing cover.
bulletJanuary 29, 2008—New photos of the kick start mechanism for Jerry Kieffer's 1/8 scale Harley Davidson have been added to his page. Also, a new photo has been added to Michael Dunlap's page showing car owners Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick with Michael and Nextel Cup winner Jimmy Johnson as Jimmy poses with the award.
bulletJanuary 25, 2008—Another addition to the Vista museum arrived today from Michael Dunlap. He has sent us an electroformed Penske/Dallara body to display along with the NASCAR Dodge body. This unpolished body illustrates a middle step between the mold itself and the polished, semi-finished Dodge. A photo of the finished trophy which was presented to Helio Castroneves for winning the 2002 Indy 500 in this car is also included so you can see the final results of Michael's work.
bulletJanuary 23, 2008—A new was added today on Guillermo Rivera of San José, Costa Rica. Guillermo started building model cannons at age 14 and 50 years later is still adding to his collection. Visit the model making section to see his work.
bulletJanuary 22, 2008—Michael Dunlap, builder of the Gold Car Trophies presented each year by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company to the winner of the top NASCAR division has recently donated molds and a sample body in progress for display in the Vista museum. They are now on display, and a photo of the car and display have been added to his page. Also, at his suggestion we duplicated some of the "in progress" photos from his own site so you can better see what goes into the making of one of these masterpieces that become the possessions of only the world's best drivers.
bulletJanuary 15, 2008—Two photos of Larry Simon's Manitowoc crane have been added that include Larry himself scaled down to 1/32 scale to illustrate its size. The Links page was also updated to include a source for extremely tiny brass and stainless steel nuts and bolts for modelers.
bulletJanuary 11, 2008—The page featuring the 2006 opening of the museum has been recreated to cover all articles and press coverage of the museum and Foundation. It can now be found HERE. Links to scans of the articles are included. A list of other articles about the Foundation and its craftsmen is also included.
bulletJanuary 8, 2008—A new link was added to the LINKS page. I won't even try to explain this one. You just have to visit www.tatjavanvark.nl and judge for yourself. This one's way out there...
bulletJanuary 7, 2008—Over the weekend a nice article by Matt Rodriguez was printed in the San Diego Union Tribune about the museum. See http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080105/news_1mi5muse.html for a link to the on-line version. Also, Roger Ronnie's completed 1/2 scale 1910 Lefever 10-gage shotgun can now be seen on his gun page.
bulletJanuary 3, 2008—Two new photos of the latest progress on the Howell V-4 engine have been added showing the fins cut in the heads. Two photos were also added to Roger Ronnie's page on miniature guns showing the tiny gold inlaid lettering on the barrel after bluing.
bulletDecember 12, 2007—Thanks to contributions to Bill Brown historian Jack S. Conrad, I have been able to add a number of new images to Bill Brown Junior's engine page. Included also is an old Brown Junior company newsletter and plans of some early engines as well as some photos of Bill in his shop in the 1970's.
bulletDecember 7, 2007—If you get the Micro-Mark tool catalog you may already have seen the work of Will Neely. One of his race car models was featured on the cover of the Early Fall 2007 issue. Now you can learn a lot more about him and see some of the many cars this professional model maker has done over the years for his own pleasure. Will's page marks the 60th addition to the museum.
bulletDecember 7, 2007—Several new photos of CO2 Engines designed by Bill Brown IV have been added to his page.
bulletNovember 26, 2007—I had been waiting for a photo of the builder standing in front of his model, but rather than hold up the whole page just for that, we are introducing the work of Larry Simon, our Monday volunteer at the museum. Larry started on a 1/32 scale model of a giant Manitowoc Lift Crane many years ago. It took him many years to complete it, and he recently brought it out, reassembled it and donated it to the museum, where it is now on display. You can examine it on-line, though and learn how he built it by visiting his new page. As soon as we can get a photo of Larry next to his crane, we will add that too.
bulletNovember 20, 2007—Just in time for Thanksgiving, a historically significant page has just been added. Bill Brown IV is credited with being the first to build a practical gas IC engine that could power a flying model in the 1930's. Later on, motors from the Brown Junior Motors Company were among the first in the hobby. Thanks to a history from the site of the Academy of Model Aeronautics and engine photos from Tim Dannels of the Model Engine Collector's Journal, we have just added this new page to the section on early model engine innovators.
bulletNovember 16, 2007—Two videos have been added to Harold Manwaring's page showing the wooden steam locomotive in action. Thanks to Veronica Cooper for sending them to us. The links are hear the bottom of the page in the photo section.
bulletNovember 9, 2007—The museum has grown to the point we felt it would be a good idea to add a page with an alphabetical listing of all the members along with a brief description of what they do. It's another way for you to find somebody you are looking for.
bulletNovember 8, 2007—Jerry Kieffer's page had become so large we finally split it into 6 separate sections to highlight the various areas of his craftsmanship. His page now leads to a sub-menu that goes to the various sections. The pages have also been updated and a number of new photos added. If you haven't been there in a while, be sure and review the new layout.
bulletNovember 8, 2007—A PowerPoint slide show has been added with a link from the home page. It will cycle through some of the best projects in the museum to give you an idea of what you will find there. if you don't have the Microsoft PowerPoint program, you can still download a free viewer so you can view PowerPoint presentations. To do so, CLICK HERE or do a Google search for "free PowerPoint viewer." We will soon be adding additional slide shows to pages of some of the more prolific craftsmen as another way to view their work. If you wish to view the show full screen rather than in a web browser window, right click on the slide image and choose "save file as" to save the file to your desktop or wherever you choose. Then open it using PowerPoint or your free viewer program to see it full screen.
bulletOctober 28, 2007—Six new photos have been added to Roger Ronnie's gunsmithing page that show the progress of the engraving on his 1/2 size Lefever shotgun.
bulletOctober 24, 2007—Jerry Howell and his work have now been included in the Model Engineering section. Although he is included in the Internal Combustion Engines section, he has also built steam and Stirling engines as well. Visit his new page to learn a little about this prolific craftsman who not only builds engines but now provides kits and plans so you can too.
bulletOctober 9, 2007—Jerry Howell and his wife drove down from Colorado Springs to visit the museum. Jerry brought by the prototype of the V-4 engine we are building as a shop project. See the latest photos of Jerry's visit and Tom's progress on the Howell V-4 page.
bulletOctober 5, 2007—Two additions today: 1. Five new photos of Roger Ronnie's progress on engraving the 1/2 size 1910 Lefever shotgun were added to his Engraving Page as well as his Gunsmithing Page. 2. Six new photos of the progress of Howell V-4 shop project were added as Tom takes the block from a billet of 7075 aluminum to what is starting to look like a V-4 block with the first bank of cylinder holes bored to size.
bulletSeptember 11, 2007—A new craftsman has been added to the Wooden Projects section of the museum. Former railroad employee Harold Manwaring of NSW, Australia built a model steam locomotive from wood. It is not just a good looking model, however. It actually runs on compressed air, the pistons and valve gear duplicating the function of a real steam engine. Even the piston rings are made from wood. If you appreciate fine woodworking and also like steam engines, you will find this project satisfying on both levels.
bulletSeptember 4, 2007—A new page has been added to document the progress of our latest engine project. Joe and Tom have decided to build the Howell V-4 as the museum's next shop project. Plans have been ordered, but you can see what this good-looking engine will look like, as we have included photos from designer and builder Jerry Howell's web site. Like the recently completed Seal engine project, a number of the parts for this engine will be built by volunteer model engineers around the country (and world?). See the page for details on how you can become involved in this project. Even though you may not have the time or tools to build a complete internal combustion engine, you can contribute a part and be forever associated with the eventual success of the engine that will remain on display in the Foundation's museum.
bulletAugust 31, 2007—After looking further into the plans of the Hoglet Joe has decided we would continue to look for a more challenging project. Although we will definitely make some of the key parts in our own shop, other parts may be available for a group build again as was done on the Seal engine recently completed. Once we have made a final selection on the engine to be built we will post an announcement here, so STAY TUNED!
bulletAugust 31, 2007—New photos of Roger Ronnie's latest project were just added to his page in the miniature gun making section. Roger has modeled a 1910 Lefever 10 gauge shotgun at 1/2 size. After about 1200 hours of work the gun is now complete and the engraving has been started. It may take even longer than making the gun, but you can at least see the fine job he did on the wood and metal pieces.
bulletAugust 23, 2007—NEXT ENGINE PROJECT. Now that the Seal project is pretty much completed, we are ready to move on to another challenge for the museum shop. Joe has decided that the next engine will be the Hoglet V-twin featured in Model Engine Builder. This particular project will not be a group build like the Seal. The group participation concept worked great, but on a simpler engine like this Joe wanted to control all parts in our own shop both to speed up the project and so that we can better document each setup. We will be using tabletop machine tools on all parts possible as well to show what can be done with relatively small and inexpensive but accurate equipment. Watch for a new page to be started on the project as soon as we get material and get started. We still plan to build other projects in the future that will invite the participation of others.
bulletAugust 21, 2007—VOLUNTEER SOUGHT! The Foundation is looking for someone with skills with a 3D modeling program like SolidWorks or SolidEdge to help create 3D drawings for parts to be cast in our Z-Corp 3D printer. If you know of anyone who would like to be involved with the museum and can contribute time to document engines and other projects that will eventually be build by the Foundation craftsmen, please contact Craig Libuse at Craig@craftsmanshipmuseum.com or call (800) 541-0735 to discuss the position.
bulletAugust 17, 2007—The Seal engine is now fully operational. Minor tuning issues have been resolved and a video was just posted on the Seal Engine Page showing Tom firing it up with a twist of the flywheel and operating the idle adjustment and throttle. Now it's on to the next project--possibly the "Hoglet" V-twin, the plans for which are featured in the current issue of Model Engine Builder magazine.
bulletAugust 17, 2007—The LINKS page has been updated to include a listing of magazines available to model builders and model engineers.
bulletAugust 17, 2007—A very fine miniature lathe only 9" long has been added to the collection of machines from the past. Donated by pen restoration manufacturer, Peter Amis the tiny lathe is most likely a patent model submitted many years ago along with a patent application.
bulletJuly 23, 2007—The Seal "First Pop" on July 21st was a partial success. "Close, but no cigar" is what Joe had to say. To read about the event in more detail see the bottom of the Seal Engine Page. We have a few details to iron out and will make a second attempt soon. As soon as it is running better we will post more video.
bulletJuly 19, 2007—The newest addition to the museum was placed in the "Metalworking as Art" section today. John Gargano found a love for machining metal early in life but had to put off fulfilling his dreams for many years. After 20 years as an architect he finally bought a Bridgeport mill and started doing what he had dreamed of since architecture school—sculpt metal into precise forms. We recommend all craftsmen read his story from beginning to end as well. He has made some very significant observations that will probably strike a chord with many other craftsmen.
bulletJuly 18, 2007—The address for the webcast of the first running of the Seal engine has been updated. It is now http://sherline.web2cam.com. Time is still 10 AM (Pacific), July 18, 2007. (See message below.)
bulletJuly 18, 2007—A couple of updated photos of the Seal engine mounted to it's new wooden base were added to the Seal Engine Page.
bulletJuly 16, 2007—FIRST POP" OF THE SEAL ENGINE will be webcast live at 10 AM (Pacific), Saturday, July 21, 2007. Tune to http://sherline.web2cam.com to see the streaming video webcast from our "SealCam." (Pacific time is GMT minus 7 hours.) This represents the culmination of a year's work by Tom Boyer and all the other builders who made parts for the engine.For more on the engine project, see the Seal Engine Page. In case you miss the event, photos will be posted on the Seal page on Monday, July 23rd. (Please note this address changed on July 18th. This is the current address. If you made the old address a favorite, please replace it with this one.)
bulletJuly 13, 2007—The Foundation has just presented a second "Lifetime Achievement Award" for 2007. This time the recipients are the publishing team of Robert and Frances Washburn, who published the popular and informative Strictly IC magazine through 84 issues. Strictly IC was an important force in bringing many builders of MICE (Miniature Internal Combustion Engines) together from around the world to share their hobby and exchange information. Robert and Frances have received a check for $500.00 and an award plaque which Robert says now hangs in the living room below his many military awards and decorations.
bulletJuly 10, 2007—The Seal engine now has spark. We're almost ready to fire it up for the first time. See the Seal Engine Page for the latest update and a tentative time for the webcast of the "First Pop" of the engine.
bulletJuly 10, 2007—Two new tools have been added to the Vintage Tool Collection: both by toolmaker Phil Gerrard. Phil donated a machine vise he made plus a special rotary indexer he designed and built to do special marking projects when he worked for Bell & Howell. (Listed alphabetically under "Gerrard.")
bulletJune 14, 2007—How about something a little different? We have opened a new section called "Unusual Projects and Skills" with the introduction of Daniel White, who is a maker of micro flint-knapped points or arrowheads. Daniel works under a microscope and chips the stone points as they have been done since pre-historic times--only MUCH smaller. We think you will find the projects in this section both interesting and different. Miniature craftsmanship comes in many forms, and we will be highlighting some of them in this section in the future.
bulletJune 8, 2007—The Model Engineering section gains another masterpiece with the addition of Louis Chenot's 1932 Duesenberg SJ—a project in progress. Rather than wait until it is done, we thought it would be interesting to catch up on the last six years Lou has devoted to this spectacular 1/6 scale miniature automobile and then follow along as we periodically update his page with progress toward final completion. The bodywork is now being pounded out and the struggle is on to get the tiny 32-valve, twin cam, 12-cylinder engine to run. Bookmark this page and keep checking back for updates!
bulletMay 31, 2007—Meet Ingvar Dahlberg of Sweden and see the 40% scale 1910 Mercer Raceabout he built totally from scratch. This project also ushers in a new section in the museum. The Model Engineering section is now divided into four parts, with "Model Engineering Masterpieces" being the fourth section. Ingvar's project joins those of Pierre Scerri and Jerry Kieffer, and there is another in progress that will be added soon.
bulletMay 24, 2007—Photos of the latest miniature carbine created by Antonio Rincon have been added to the beginning of the photo section of his page. This .18 caliber rifle features a wealth of gold high relief carving and ivory inlays.
bulletMay 17, 2007—Photos of Iqbal Ahmed's contest winning Sherline lathe and mill models have been added to his page, along with a photo of him presenting the lathe to Joe Martin for display in the Foundation's museum.
bulletMay 14, 2007—Prolific Steam Punk inventor I-Wei has added another incredible flight of fantasy to his growing army of steam powered robots. The Turbine Steam Tank uses a Jensen steam turbine and a clever set of gears to power it. A link to more photos and a video is also provided.
bulletMay 10, 2007—New photos have been added to the Seal Engine page showing the nearly completed engine in assembled form.
bulletMay 1, 2007—New photos, a video and more information about Pierre Scerri have been added to his page in the Model Engineering section. After spending the weekend with him at the NAMES show, we were able to add some interesting new items to his page.
bulletApril 26, 2007—On Sunday, April 23rd at the NAMES show in Toledo, the Foundation announced a $5000 scholarship program for young artisans wishing to pursue a career in metalworking trades. To read the rules for winning this scholarship CLICK HERE. The initial funds have been contributed by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, but the funds will be administered by the Foundation. Additional tax deductible contributions to this worthy fund are welcomed.
bulletApril 12, 2007—Thanks to the efforts of Jim Clark, a collection of Model Engineer magazines put together by Stirling Dourghtey of Sugarland, Texas has been added to the Foundation's library. The collection is complete from the first issue in 1898 through 2002. Many of the years are in hardbound form. We now have a subscription, but would like to fill in the collection from 2003 to present. Anyone wishing to donate issues of Model Engineer from that period please get in contact with Craig Libuse at craig@craftsmanshipmuseum.com. The current back issue price from the publisher is $5.00 each, so we could provide documentation for the IRS for that amount as a tax deduction due to our 501(c)(3) status under the US Tax Code. If you would like your issues to be preserved as part of our library and to get a tax deduction for them too, please keep the Foundation in mind. By the way, we also now have a complete collection of all 84 issues of Strictly IC magazines as well. Back issues of Strictly IC are still available from the publisher, Robert Washburn at www.strictlyic.com.
bulletApril 11, 2007—For those who enjoy the "Steam Punk" work of robot builder I-Wei, see his page for two new projects: R2S2, which is a twin steam engine powered version of the R2D2 robot from Star Wars and also a new Steam Beetle with moveable wings running on an R/C truck chassis.
bulletApril 11, 2007—Kozo Hiraoka has just published his latest book on building steam locomotives. It is entitled Building the New Shay and is available from Village Press. A photo of the cover of the book has been added to his page in the museum.
bulletMarch 28, 2007—Seal Engine Progress! Tom is doing final assembly on the short block. The pistons, rods, crank, valves and camshaft are installed. New photos have been added along with links to two short videos of the pistons and valves being run in using a Sherline lathe for power.
bulletMarch 26, 2007—We've received many compliments on the fine miniature truck models built by Joe Enriquez. Over the winter he completed a Kenworth C-500B that has just been added to his page. It is worth taking a look at.
bulletMarch 26, 2007—Roger Ronnie sent final photos of the two Bergmann pistols—the full size restored original and the 1/2 size model. New grips have been carved from ironwood and hand checkered to match the original pattern, completing the project. See Roger's gunsmithing page for the latest photos.
bulletMarch 6, 2007—Ron Chernich has been added to the AWARDS page as a winner of the Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2007. Ron has devoted a great amount of time and energy to create an outstanding web site for model engine builders at www.modelenginenews.org. Take a look at the awards page for more on this energetic Australian's accomplishments.
bulletMarch 6, 2007—Engraver and gunsmith Roger Ronnie has been working on a new project: a 1/2 scale model of a rare Lefever shotgun. To see the first photos of this work in progress see his page in the gunsmithing section.
bulletFebruary 21, 2007—Just added to the Model Making section is a page on William Gould of Fallbrook, CA. Bill came to our attention as the builder of a wonderful model of a famous telescope from 1823, but it turned out his talents extended far beyond that. His background was as a professional modeler in the aerospace and model railroad industries but his interests extend from unusual musical instruments to engines and clocks. Most recently he took up 3D CAD drawing and has been bringing back to life in virtual form some of the great inventions from the past. He calls it "Industrial Archiology," and he has taken his talent in working with the program SolidWorks® from student to award winner in a fairly short time. Check out his shop, his models, his CAD artwork accomplishments as well as a really thoughtful essay on craftsmanship on his new page.
bulletFebruary 16, 2007—Here's a new page with a real "WOW" factor. Don't miss viewing the work of Pierre Scerri of Avignon, France if you like cars in general and Ferrari's in particular. Pierre's 1/3 scale Ferrari 312 PB is functional in every way and took 15 years to construct. It has recently become famous on the Internet as many bloggers forwarded copies of photos and videos of the car around the web. In addition to adding Pierre to the musuem, Joe Martin has selected him as the Foundations 2007 Metalworking Craftsman of the Year. Pierre will attend the North American Model Engineering Society Expo in Toledo, Ohio in April to receive his $2000 award and will be bringing the Ferrari model with him. Make plans to attend the show and meet Pierre in person and share this rare chance to see this one-of-a-kind car in America.
bulletFebruary 7, 2007—The Seal Engine page has been updated to reorganize the builders and their projects to make it easier to see who built what.
bulletJanuary 10, 2007—We are proud to introduce a new craftsman to the museum, and one not easily classified at that. His work actually fits into two categories: woodcarving and gunsmithing. Robert A. Talbot of Encounter Bay, South Australia has created quite a collection of historically significant revolvers carved entirely in wood. These full size replicas have functioning parts and even springs made from wood. The models are detailed down the smallest screw and are displayed with carved bullets and full presentation cases. They are notable for the choice of woods, quality of carving and also for their accuracy historical significance. Because of this the page is linked from both the woodcaving opening page and the gunsmithing opening page.
bulletDecember 13, 2006—13 more photos of the work of miniature gunsmith Antonio Rincón have been added to his section. These include his models of various cannons and siege weapons from history.
bulletDecember 8, 2006—Thanks to many more photos and related descriptions sent in by Mr. Jim Hamer Sanchez, a friend of Antonio Rincón we have added more photos of Mr. Rincón's miniature gunsmithing work.
bulletDecember 5, 2006—A new craftsman has been added to the Gunsmith section of the museum. Antonio Rincón has produced quite an extensive collection of miniature weaponry in his studio in Bogota, Columbia. We hope to be adding more photos and descriptions to his page soon.
bulletDecember 5, 2006—Seal Engine progress photos of the gear lapping process and latest shots of the block with the camshaft installed were added.
bulletNovember 20, 2006—Bill Gould was kind enough to dig though his back issues of The Model Engineer magazine from England and come up with three of the articles that covered the building of the Seal Engine. See The Seal Engine page for copies of the articles.
bulletNovember 9, 2006—The Seal Engine group building project is coming along nicely. Check out the 3D CAD drawings and photos of the parts that have been made so far. The eventual intent is to try to do a live webcast of the initial firing of the engine. Watch this page for updates.
bulletOctober 27, 2006—Joe Enriquez sent in some photos of his latest model, a Talbert tag trailer, and they have been added to his miniature truck model page.
bulletOctober 26, 2006—A number of new photos documenting the progress of the team build of the Seal Engine have been added. Also, a video of the cam being ground using Joe Martin's specially developed CNC cam grinder has been added.
bulletOctober 26, 2006—A photo from 1957 of Jaures Garofali has been added to the Super Tigre page along with comments from the person who visited the factory and met him at that time, Dave Harding.
bulletOctober 3, 2006—Roger Ronnie has completed both the restoration and engraving of the full size 1896 Bergmann pistol and the 1/2 size model. Photos of the finished pair have been added to his page on gunsmithing.
bulletOctober 3, 2006—In an effort to make the model engineering section a little easier to navigate we have divided it into three sections. You can see what they are and get to each section from the opening page of the Model Engineering Section.
bulletSeptember 29, 2006—Chuck Hoggarth of Michigan has been added to the section on Wooden Mechanical Projects (formerly wooden toymakers). Chuck's large wooden construction vehicles impress with both size and quality.
bulletSeptember 27, 2006—The Links page has been updated to include other museums that craftsmen might find interesting in the area near Vista, CA.
bulletSeptember 14, 2006—Completed just in time to be shown at the Black Hills Model Engineering show in South Dakota, Roger Ronnie has sent final photos of the 1/2 scale Bergmann pistol.
bulletSeptember 11, 2006—Joe Enriquez makes truck models...very small and detailed ones. See his new page in the Model Making section to view some of the models with scratch-built trailers. Included are some shots of parts under construction too.
bulletAugust 28, 2006—Multi-talented Roger Ronnie, winner of the Foundation's 2004 Craftsman of the Year award has moved into new territory with the construction of a miniature gun. Although the project is being covered in addition to his other work on his engraving page we also felt it merited a page in the gunsmithing section, as people interested in miniature guns might not otherwise find it in the museum. Visit either or both pages to see Roger's 1/2 size 1896 Bergmann pistol as it moves near to completion.
bulletJuly 25, 2006—The Seal Engine Project has begun! We are inviting model engineers from around the world to participate in the building of this 4-cylinder internal combustion engine. Each person who builds a component that becomes part of the running engine will be credited in the display when the engine is completed and run in the Craftsmanship Museum. Click on the page link above to learn how you can be a part of the build group.
bulletJuly 14, 2006—The FACILITY page has been updated to announce the addition of craftsman and tool maker Tom Boyer to our staff. He will be working on projects in the museum shop and hosting tours for visitors.
bulletJune 21, 2006—Links to two video clips from the 2006 RoboGames showing I-Wei's award winning "Steam Walker" robot in action have just been added to his page.
bulletJune 20, 2006—A third gunsmith has been added to the museum, Xu Yan of mainland China. His miniature replicas of significant historic firearms have a difference—they actually fire accurate projectiles, but without the use of gunpowder in order to meet Chinas strict regulations regarding how much power a miniature gun can produce. His models have won several awards at shows in China.
bulletJune 8, 2006—A page on the Grand Opening Celebration of our new on-site museum has just been added.
bulletJune 8, 2006—A C.S. Carlstrom watchmaker's bow lathe has been added to the machine tool collection.
bulletMay 4, 2006—Young C. Park recently donated his just-completed 1/16 all aluminum P-51 Mustang model to the museum. Ninteen new photos have just been posted on his page. Don't miss this one! This is the jewel of the Foundation's collection.
bulletMay 1, 2006—A new project by Barry Jordan has been added to his page, and it's not at all what you would expect.
bulletApril 11, 2006—For a little something different, see the new section on the steam powered robots by inventor and animator I-Wei Huang. Visit the links to his own site to see some of these imaginative creations in action.
bulletApril 3, 2006—A new room has just been opened on automotive model maker Michael Dunlap. Mike has the honor of making the gold plated scale model of the NASCAR winner's car each year that is presented by GoodYear at the NASCAR awards banquet. He also makes IndyCar trophy models and other unique gold-plated vehicles. His works grace the trophy shelves of the top names in auto racing.
bulletMarch 27, 2006—The Foundation is pleased to announce that we have just received the generous donation of the second aluminum Corsair model built by Young C. Park. The model will soon join the first as part of the display in our new museum in Vista, CA. Photos of the model are already available on Mr. Park's page in this on-line museum.
bulletMarch 27, 2006—Clock maker William R. Smith has just created his own web site. After you have visited our page on him, you can learn more at www.wrsmithtelegraphkeys.com or www.wrsmithclocks.com.
bulletMarch 21, 2006—More photos of the work of wooden toy maker Jim Balestreri have been added to his section.
bulletMarch 21, 2006—The Foundation offices now have a unique phone number separate from Sherline. It is (760) 727-9492. Please note this number should you need to call us in the future.
bulletMarch 2, 2006—A new gunsmith from Paris, France has been added to the Gunsmith section. Michel Lefaivre is an award-winning craftsman who is an amateur only in the sense that he builds his projects for pleasure rather than to make money.
bulletMarch 1, 2006—Press releases have been sent out and notices should appear in some of the model engineering magazines before the event, but we hereby announce that the first day our new on-site museum will be opened to the public will be Saturday, May 20, 2006. A dedication ceremony and conference attended by previous winners of the Foundation's Craftsman of the Year award will be held May 19th. After the 20th, regular weekday hours will be established. Until that time, tours are available by appointment. The featured exhibit at the opening will be the Rudy Kouhoupt engine collection.
bulletDecember 9, 2005—Help us build a database of information on model sales. If you have sold a custom made model gas or steam engine or other valuable handmade model or know of someone who has, please send us the details. We are starting a reference database of auction and other sales results in order to help establish values for custom built projects. Send a photo of the item along with details on its construction, the builder's name and when it was made (if known) and what it sold for and when. If you are putting an item up for an on-line auction, send us the link to the page. One of the goals of the Foundation is to help show that custom machined items are valuable in the same way as other works of art like paintings or sculpture and to help establish a system of evaluation. We are mainly interested in custom made items rather than assembled kits. E-mail photos and information to craig at craftsmanshipmuseum.com or craig at sherline.com.
bulletNovember 28, 2005—The latest video of Jerry Kieffer's John Deere tractor has been added to his page. This 13 Mb Quicktime Movie file may be slow to load, but it will be worth the wait once you see how nicely it runs. Jerry fires it up and then runs it both forward and reverse. He then throttles it back so you can hear it idle. What a masterpiece!
bulletNovember 22, 2005—The smallest lathe in our collection has been added to the Machine Tool Collection page. The SEL lathe from England is only 4.5" long.
bulletNovember 17, 2005—A new page detailing the new physical facility in Vista, California was posted along with photos of the machine tool collection, new shop facility and an exterior photo of the building.
bulletNovember 16, 2005—The official announcement has been made on this web site that David Kucer has been selected as the 2006 Joe Martin Foundation Metalworking Craftsman of the Year. Press releases have been sent to major model engineering and miniature gun making magazines and journals. See the Awards page for more on the award.
bulletOctober 17, 2005—Several new photos were added to Livio De Marchi's section. These were sent as an exclusive to our web site and offer a view of the artist at work in his shop..
bulletOctober 5, 2005—Added to the wood carving section is Italian artist Livio De Marchi. His craftsmanship is impeccable, but his choice of subject matter might surprise you.
bulletOctober 5, 2005—Two of the latest photos of Roger Ronnie's V12 engine-in-progress have been added to his page.
bulletSeptember 12, 2005—Added to the Metalworking as an Artform section is an interesting new artist and craftsman from Amsterdam named Mark Ho. We think you will find this newcomer's work an interesting departure from the usual things machined in metal.
bulletAugust 29, 2005—An entirely new section on Miniature Firearms Makers was opened today with the introduction of master miniature arms maker David Kucer. See many examples of his miniature guns and also learn how he goes about making them.
bulletJuly 28, 2005—Four photos of a V-12 engine Roger Ronnie is building have been added to his section. Though not yet complete, it is taking shape nicely and will be a "proof of concept" for a model of a Rolls Royce Merlin V-12 he plans to build next.
bulletJuly 9, 2005—William R. Smith is not only a noted clockmaker, he has also been a ham radio operator for over 73 years. He has recently designed a unique speed key for sending code, and photos of it have been added to his page. In addition, a new clock, the Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock, the construction of which has been documented in book form has been added.
bulletJune 10, 2005—The Dremel 701 and Craftsman 80 lathes have been added to the small machine tool Collection page.
bulletJune 9, 2005—A tiny "Super Adept" lathe from the 1930's has just been added to the small machine tool collection. The list was also put in alphabetical order to make searching easier. A formerly unidentified lathe has been identified as a Wolf Jahn from Germany, and two slightly different versions have been added. There is also a new unidentified lathe that we could use some help on. It looks great, but what is it?
bulletMay 3, 2005—Several new machine tools have been added to the museum's historical small machine tool collection. They are the ManSon, Master, Mattel, Unimat 1 and a watchmakers's lathe of unknown manufacturer.
bulletApril 28, 2005—Two new photos of model airplane engine designer Clarence Lee were added to his page.
bulletApril 26, 2005—We regret to announce that master modeler Augie Hiscano passed away April 21, 2005. Some new photos have been added to his page and it has been updated to include his passing. His obituary can be found online at http://www.legacy.com/Herald/LegacySubPage2.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=3459020.
bulletMarch 15, 2005—A new tool has been added to the Historical Miniature Machine Tool Collection. This small Cincinnati brand benchtop lathe has the interesting distinction of being make entirely from sheet metal.
bulletMarch 3, 2005—A special "Lifetime Achievement Award" for 2005 has been presented to Kozo Hiraoka of Japan. Read more about this and other awards presented by the foundation on the AWARDS page.
bulletMarch 2, 2005—After a visit from Gerald and Phyllis Wingrove to the home offices of the Joe Martin Foundation, some additional photos of Gerald, Phyllis and an Alfa engine have been added to the Wingrove section.
bulletFebruary 16, 2005—Francisco Pulido of Spain builds 1/10 scale automobile models from scratch to a level of detail not often seen. This young newcomer to the field shows great promise and already has some fabulous cars to his credit. See his Blower Bentley in all stages of production.
bulletFebruary 16, 2005—A video of the first firing of Jerry Kieffer's John Deere tractor model has been added to his page. Click on Jerry's name to go to his section. There you can watch a 45-second video of the tractor engine being started from the flywheel just like the real one and running with no external electrical connections. Congratulations Jerry!
bulletJanuary 26, 2005—A number of new photos of his model cars were added to the section on Gerald Wingrove. It was also announced that Mr. Wingrove has been selected to receive the 2005 "Metalworking Craftsman of the Year" award presented each year by the Joe Martin Foundation. Mr. Wingrove is the 9th winner of the award.
bulletJanuary 11, 2005—A new page has been added to the Model Engineering section on Kozo Hiraoka. Mr. Hiraoka builds live steam model locomotives and has published three books on their construction.
bulletJanuary 5, 2005—Five new photos of Augie Hiscano's latest project have been added to his page. Check out his 1/15 scale Browning M2 machine gun on a tripod.
bulletDecember 10, 2004—Many new photos of Alan Ingersol's Curtiss biplane and V-12 engine have been added to his page. Dr. Bob Kradjian of the Bay Area Engine Modelers was kind enough to loan us the binder of photos collected by Alan during the construction of the museum quality model. Additional details of the finished engine were shot at the Men, Metal and Machines Show in Visalia in October, 2004 where the engine was displayed.
bulletAugust 26, 2004—NEW PAGE! Steve Lindsay has been added to the Engraving section. His outstanding work has been applied to the work of some of the best knifemakers around. He has also engraved guns, jewelry, watches and other objects like flutes and even golf clubs. See his engraving and his drawing skills on this new page. A link to his own site will lead to even more images of his work.
bulletAugust 23, 2004—Two photos of a 1/3 scale Rentz spark plug have been added to the page of Roger Ronnie in the engraving section. Though the plugs are not engraved, they do demonstrate the flexibility of Roger's interests and talents in metalworking.
bulletJuly 23, 2004—We apologize for the photos that are not showing up in the historical too exhibit. They are stored in a separate folder on our server and permission to that folder has been denied. We are working on the problem through our co-location facility and hope to have it solved soon. Some photos of Jerry Kieffer's miniature spark plugs have been added to his page along with an explanation of their use.
bulletJuly 20, 2004—A link to a page on the construction of a giant 1/10 scale C-17 flying jet model has been added for the R/C flyers. See the Model Making section.
bulletJuly 12, 2004—A miniature Lunkenheimer oiler project has been added to Roger Ronnie's page.
bulletJune 21, 2004—Mel Anderson is one of the early pioneers of model engine building. See the new page on his work. Anyone knowing more about Mel Anderson or having photos of him or his engines is invited to contact us so that we can add to the page.
bulletJune 2, 2004—Four new photos have been added to Roger Ronnie's engraving page. These were taken at the NAMES show in April.
bulletMay 20, 2004—Some new photos of Clif Roemmich's latest project, an 1890 American La France fire wagon, have been added to his page in the model engineering section.
bulletMay 19, 2004—With regrets we announce that engine designer Bob Shores, 2004 winner of the Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award passed away on May 18th.
bulletMay 14, 2004—A big part of what the Foundation does relates to Awards for craftsmanship. A new page has been added highlighting the awards and their past winners.
bulletMay 13, 2004—New photos have been added to the section on Iqbal Ahmed from India. After taking a very respectable third place finish in this year's Sherline Machinist's Challenge in Detroit in April, he traveled to California to visit with Joe Martin and brought some projects and photos with him.
bulletMay 12, 2004—A new section has been added on Bill Brown in the model making section. This former body shop man scratch builds some of the finest steel pedal cars you will ever see. Some have been featured in the Peterson Automotive Museum.
bulletApril 29, 2004—Photos of Roger Ronnie receiving his check and award for being selected as the Foundation's 2004 winner of the Metalworking Craftsman of the Year have been added to his page. It was presented at the North American Model Engineering Society Expo in Southgate, MI on April 25th. You can also see more photos from the show on Sherline's web page.
bulletMarch 26, 2004—The Bay Area Engine Modelers Club has been included to introduce the "clubs" section of the museum. This section will feature not the work of individuals but rather groups who gather to share an interest in craftsmanship.
bulletFebruary 27, 2004—Seven new photos of the work in progress on the John Deere tractor model were added to Jerry Kieffer's page.
bulletJanuary 23, 2004—Photos of four new miniature antique woodworking tools were added to Paul Hamler's section.
bulletJanuary 2, 2004—The Joe Martin Foundation announces the selection of the 2004 Metalworking Craftsman of the Year Award. The 8th person to be selected for this award is Roger Ronnie. You can see his work in the "Engraving" section.
bulletNovember 18, 2003—A Drummond Type A lathe has been added to our TOOL COLLECTION page.
bulletNovember 12, 2003—A new section for Engravers has just been opened, and the first person to be featured there is the multi-talented Roger Ronnie. His skills go beyond engraving to include clock tools and model engines as well.
bulletNovember 4, 2003—Two new photos of Jaures Garofali were added to the section on SuperTigre model engines.
bulletOctober 31, 2003—To see a wonderfully complicated 18-cylinder (36 piston) model engine with three crankshafts, visit the new site featuring Clen Tomlinson of England. This CAD-designed, CNC machined model is a preview of the future of model engineering.
bulletOctober 29, 2003—Clif Roemmich was displaying his engines at the 2003 PRIME show in Oregon when they caught Joe Martin's eye. Now you can see them for yourself and learn how he came to be able to build them. He is the latest addition to the Model Engineering section.
bulletOctober 22, 2003—A new section on Craftsmanship Around the World was opened with the work of Iqbal Ahmed of India. With no opportunity for formal training and little or no support system of fellow craftsmen, people in far-flung areas of the world use the tools at hand and come up with their own solutions to fabricate their creations.
bulletSeptember 4, 2003—Six new photos have been added to Augie Hiscano's section featuring his finished and painted 1/25 scale motorcycle chopper model.
bulletJune 11, 2003—Three more photos have been added to the models of Augie Hiscano. Shown are some shots of his HO scale EMD 567 Prime Mover engine to super-detail a model train.
bulletMay 27, 2003—More photos have been added to the section on Jerry Kieffer. Included are shots of his 1/6 Harley Davidson Knucklehead engine, a new photo of the magneto side of his Stover hit 'n miss engine, first shots of his John Deere "D" tractor project and his cam grinder.
bulletMay 22, 2003—Gerhard Spielmann has been added to both the miniature machine tool section and the model makers section because his talents extend into both areas. A lifelong machinist who has some of the parts he made now sitting on the moon as part of the lunar lander, Gerhard now applies his skills to smaller but no less precise projects.
bulletMay 20, 2003—Two new tools have been added to the TOOL COLLECTION. A Hardinge "Cataract" lathe and an old Sears AA109. Check them out along with the other miniature machine tools from the past in our collection.
bulletApril 30, 2003—Another item was added to the LINKS page. It is a large aluminum sculpture of a flying horse. While this site is normally dedicated to items at the small end of the size scale, this one is interesting because of the problems presented by its large size.
bulletFebruary 26, 2003—Many additional photos and a more complete life story have been added to the page on Mooney Warther, known as "the world's master carver."
bulletFebruary 24, 2003—Just posted is a new page for metal artist Abrasha. He makes a unique kind of precision machined jewelry in his San Francisco, CA studio. A link from his page to his own web site offers a video and a photo step-by-step demonstration on how he creates his pieces from 3D drawing to finished work.
bulletFebruary 24, 2003—Ship modeler Andrew Green has sent several new photos including some of himself at work in his shop, a detail of St. Ninian and a shot of the Centaur under way. He also sent an autobiography and some details on how he makes his ship models, so the page has been completely updated.
bulletFebruary 20, 2003—A Links page has just been added with direct links to some other pages that will be of interest to craftsmen.
bulletFebruary 20, 2003—A new section on woodworkers and carvers was opened with the first craftsman being Mooney Warther, a cutlery maker whose hobby was carving wood and ivory into highly detailed steam engine models. More photos of Mr. Warther's work are on their way to us right now and we will soon be adding to this room.
bulletJanuary 28, 2003—Paul Hamler is the latest addition to the section on makers of miniature tools. Paul specializes in limited production runs of ornate miniature vintage woodworking tools.
bulletJanuary 23, 2003—Fifteen new photos of Wm. Dubin's latest mechanamorphic sculpture, "Jenny" were added.
bulletJanuary 15, 2003—Augie Hiscano is working on a new 1/25 scale V-twin chopper. Three new photos of the "work in progress" were added to Augie's page.

© 2003, The Joe Martin Foundation