About Me - Passion for Scale Models
Milner Scale Models
My name is Darryl Milner, and I’ve now reached an age where I either buy a motorbike or pick up a hobby which takes over at least one full room of the house. To that end, I love building all sorts of model kits. I also have a relatively small house so I need to keep selling my models to ensure I have space for the next build!
The fun for me is in opening the box, reading the instructions, building and painting the kit, especially one I’ve never done before. I’ve also never been one for displaying or collecting the finish items. So to sustain my hobby, I need to either sell on my finished models, or, ideally, find a collector who wants me to build for them! I’ve been lucky enough to find 4-5 people who do just that and regularly send me kits to build and paint. I’ve also sold over 250 of my own models in the last 5 years.
Naturally, to sell something it has to be of a high standard, and I like to think I can achieve that. Have a look in my gallery and be the judge yourself. Don’t get me wrong, there are people out there who are full time model makers who craft to an incredible level of detail, but will charge you £300+ for a kit. I like to think I have a good balance between quality and affordability. I take immense pride in my work and won’t sell something if I’m not happy with it.
My love is WW2 airplanes, and I’ve built 50-60 different makes and versions from the wonderful Supermarine Spitfire & Messerschmitt BF109 to the Horton HO229 and the Heinkel HE111 Zwilling. I do however build all sorts of kits – Jets, Ships, Tanks, Vehicles – and even SCFI stuff (See my Starwars models!!). I use commercially available kits from many makers, but find the likes of Airfix, Revell, Italeri, Tamiya, Trumpeter, ICM and my favourite, Eduard, tend to have the better quality kits. Naturally the newer the kit typically the better the quality. I can search out any kit & model you like and add any after-market items you request.
Start Your Project Today!
Whether you have a specific idea in mind or need inspiration, I am ready to assist you in creating the perfect scale model. Reach out today to discuss your project.
1-100?
Collections
You may want 1 small model as a one off, or you may want to collect the full WW2 RAF range. I'm happy to accommodate all your needs.
Who am I?
Middle aged bloke with a geeky hobby.
Like many a small boy, I used to build Airfix models when I was a kid and use a way too big brush and small metal tins of enamel paint to finish them…they looked like exactly what they were, a cheap plastic kit roughly put together by a 12 year old with a pretty short attention span, full of finger prints and fogged up canopies.
As my kids grew up and wanted to spend less time with me, I accidently fell back into making kits and quickly put together 25 different WW2 planes. I watched many a tutorial on YouTube to try to practice the best techniques (what to paint first before assembly, how to add decals etc), find the best materials (paint/glue/varnish) and I started to research my models more, to get real examples of how they look after a few years of service, vs fresh off the production line.
Weathering the models to reflect the wear & tear is a marmite subject. The purists will say do nothing, not even a panel line or little chip, others (Like my mate Bary) want their models as rusty and weathered as you can make them! I try to reflect what the client wants, showing examples of clean, slightly and heavily weathered models I’ve made. Ultimately, I’ll paint it however you want it. It is a skill, getting the balance, less is often more and it’s something I practice and improve at with every model built.