Born in Sydney in 1948, Kevin Hudson spent his working life servicing medical equipment in NSW and overseas and says he is glad, in retirement, to call Port Macquarie home.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Not one to slow down upon retirement, Mr Hudson found perhaps the most complicated hobby he could when decided to take up scratch building.
“I make things that are too time consuming or intricate for other people to make.
“So far all of my models have taken over two years to complete, and though I don’t usually work on two projects at once, what to do for my next project is always bubbling away in my mind,” Mr Hudson said.
Scratch building, as it sounds, is the making from scratch models, and in the case of Mr Hudson range from ships to planes to steam trains.
“Lots of people make models using packs with all the pieces all ready designed but I take the raw materials and create the pieces I need.
There is no such thing as too complicated for me, I think it comes from servicing aircraft and medical equipment all my life, because I wanted a way to keep the mind active when I retired
- Kevin Hudson
“These days there are very few scratch builders around.
“Everything from making the individual the wood panels to the brass embossed sections to the silk string on the boats and cabinets which house the final products; everything I create is from scratch,” he said.
Not having a love of models before retiring Mr Hudson said that it is the challenge that keeps his wanting to continue.
“Port Macquarie, for my wife and I, is a very special place to retire, I play social bowls and golf and I have also been helping restore some of the models at the maritime museum
“There is no such thing as too complicated for me, I think it comes from servicing aircraft and medical equipment all my life, when I retired I wanted a way to keep the mind active,” he said.
Living an interesting life, his work took him to New Guinea and behind the Iron Curtain in Germany before his posting back in Australia and Mr Hudson says the stories he can tell would blow your mind.
“Certainly going to New Guinea in 1970 was an eye opening experience and working behind the Iron Curtain in Germany really showed me how oppressed the east Germans were,” he said.
Mr Hudson’s current project is coming to the end of year two of a three year build, and is a lot more free form than his other projects.
“My last few projects I have researched the model quite heavily to make sure they are historically accurate, even going back over original drawings of the ships or books from the era, but with my current project I decided to have some fun and make it up as I go along.
“There aren’t any rules with this model and I am just having a good time, adding things and changing things all the time.”
My success with models has been very heartening, with many first places in the Sydney Easter Show and other venues around the state
- Kevin Hudson
An interesting aspect of his model builds, Mr Hudson keeps meticulous notes about how he goes about making the model, documenting every time consuming, minuscule change.
“All my work is documented and I sometime draw sketches of what I need to make, but I make sure all of what I make is recorded.”
For his work creating models, Mr Hudson also has a number of awards to his name having entered pieces in the Sydney Easter Show.
“My success with models has been very heartening, with many first places in the Sydney Easter Show and other venues around the state.
“My models have twice been placed in the cabinet of excellence and I have gained the medal for the best from all the art and crafts on two occasions at the show.”
