Honey, I shrunk the cars!

Aashish Chaudhary with one of his scale models

When it comes to automotive enthusiasts, life revolves around all things cars and bikes, from splurging to buying the perfect riding gear and spending hours online watching content that fuels their fire. This is a bunch that takes their passion rather seriously. Delhi-based automotive designer, Aashish Chaudhary, too, turned his love for all things wheels into a business idea that caters to enthusiasts who would like to turn their favourite machines into scale models.

"My love for wheels started with a pedal-powered jeep model that I drove endlessly. It then graduated into Hot Wheels cars that came in every once in a while as a birthday present or a gift for doing well in exams and other similar occasions," says Chaudhary. He would even sketch cars and other things with wheels at the back of his school books and as a result would often get thrown out of class. After his schooling, he pursued a course in design from the automotive design capital of the world, Turin, in Italy. Today he has worked with brands such as Honda, Maruti and Hero, designing models that made it to the market. At his design firm, Studio 34, he works with brands to bring out their new lines of products, accessories and other related merchandise.

Having collected scale models for years, Chaudhary got seriously invested in it after he started working. As his collection grew, his friends suggested that he should do something more with it. This is when he started My Scaled World with the idea of photographing the models and writing about them from a design point of view. "Slowly, as my photography improved, I wanted to make them feel more real and I started creating miniature setups with the material around me to get more realistic shots. One thing led to another and soon, I was 3D printing stuff at home, custom-made for my photoshoots and models," he says.

The process that goes into making a miniature car is very similar to the one used in making an actual car, involving designing, 3D modelling, prototyping, die-making, casting, painting and the final assembly. It takes a good amount of time for a miniature to go from the initial idea to production. "I create miniature riders/drivers for my scale model photoshoots using 3D modelling and 3D printing. Of late, 3D printing technology has opened up avenues of a very new kind where you can have customised stuff at a fraction of the cost. It is an interesting technology that is fast catching up even for limited-run productions," informs Chaudhary.

In the middle of the lockdown last year, Chaudhary's friend asked him to create a miniature of himself and his jeep in 18 scale (18 times smaller than the actual). The entire process took about two months. The cost of the printed part depends on its weight and also the time it takes to print. It is usually in the range of R25 per gram. He also charges a fee for his modelling work.

"There have been times when collectors have approached me saying a certain part of their beloved scaled model is broken and have asked if I would be able to help. Sometimes, they want me to create a lithophane lamp or something personalised that is usually a gift for loved ones. To 3D print anything, the pre-requisite is the model data. If that is not available, I try to do as much as I can with my limited modelling skills," says Chaudhary.

What: Scale models
For: Rs 150 onwards
Where: https://www.myscaledworld.com/