Reader Gallery
János Velics
Szombathely, Hungary
Because of the hard-to-find and unique subject, János scratchbuilt his 1/75 scale model of the first steam-propelled vehicle, the “Fardier á Vapeur” designed in 1769 by Nicolas Joseph Cugnot. János began the build trying to use the original materials, construction, and technologies, so the boiler is made of copper sheet. He painted the copper parts with a thin dark brown and lightly wiped the surface when it was partially dry to create the patina. He made the chassis from hardwood with tongue-and-groove joints. János fashioned the wheels from wood and the iron parts from metal and plastic.