The model is made in the H0/00 scale popular with model railroads and the wheel scales up to 5.5.Mtrs diameter X
6 Mtrs wide
If you look carefully you can see a large mirror in the corner indicated by the green arrows, this gives the impression that the river runs on into the distance as you can see on the picture on the right
You can see more about Boat mills
If you would like to ask any questions about how the model was made you can email me
The bridge has now been added across the front of the mirror, the bridge is made with just one side only and the reflection
shows the other half and hence all the foliage beyond the bridge is a reflection as is my finger in the picture below.
BOAT MILL - a floating watermill.
model made by Vic Newey, Worcestershire England
The model is based on a typical small boat mill such as would have been found in Romania and Hungary on minor tributaries of the river Mures such as the Aries.
The size of the model does not permit a wide expanse of water as a more likely location for a boat mill
The river is on a flat MDF base covered with a thin layer of uneven brown builders plaster which is then painted with emulsion in various brown/green colors to simulate a shallow fast flowing river, the resin was poured in thin coats over several days to avoid the risk of cracking and is probably less than 5mm thick in some areas except in depressions in the plaster where it might be 10mm or more, the dimples to the left of the boat unexpectedly occured with the last resin pouring and luckily add to the appearance of moving water.
To make a river look really deep on a flat board just make the centre very dark down the middle and lighter towards the bank, this gives the impression of a deep channel for ships etc. The effect of moving water turbulence in front of the boats and strings of bubbles are done by sprinkling white sugar into the freshly poured clear fibreglass resin which then completely envelops it and sets hard and it works really well
The model now has the completed background with trees and distant hills, a few houses can be seen also.
