Martin de Wit lives in a little town called Goor in the Netherlands. He first saw George Pal’s movie adaptation of The Time Machine when he was a little boy in the early seventies.

As a youngster, Martin built model kits and his interest for models and miniature things persisted throughout adulthood. In fact, this also led him to a passion for bonsai trees and he dedicates his free time in spring and summer to that hobby.

His fascination with the Pal movie also remained over the years and, about four years ago, Martin set out to build his first model of the Time Machine. All Martin had to go on at the time was a videotape of the movie. He nearly broke his recorder with all the winding back and forth to look over the details. Halfway through the building, Martin was so unhappy with the results of his first attempt that he decided to throw the model away.

In September 2003, he worked up enough courage to start all over again. This was motivated partly by the fact that he discovered this website and the many tips by other model builders as well as drawings, plans, pictures and information that would make it less difficult to work out the dimensions and proportions of his new model. Martin didn’t feel up to the challenge of making a perfect reproduction, but believed he could make a nice interpretation - pleasing to the eye - while also allowing himself to take some liberties with the design.

The model is half done by now and shall be completed over the coming winter. Many of Martin’s building techniques are a combination of some of the tips he found on the enthusiasts pages and on Heinz Westerweller’s website. But Martin also has some unique approaches to building his model…

The dish support is a brass rod over which plaster was applied into an approximate shape.

Then, the rod with plaster was turned on a lathe

Then brass bracings and rivets were added.

Brass paint was applied to the dish support with careful attention to matching the shade of the dish

The top of the motor housing is made from a short brass pipe and the rest is sculpted out of plaster. The tumblers on either side are machined out of wood and then painted white.

Metal rings are added.

The rear lamp and cage as well as mini-dish and wires were added and some color was applied to the details.

The base was cut out of press wood and painted.

The result, so far. The framework is brass.
The model stands eleven inches high and is eleven inches long.
Next step: the chair…