UPFEST 2026!!
Our Elaine @cuicasolo is back once again for this year’s @upfest , Europe’s largest live street art festival. This marks Elaine’s seventh year painting at the festival, and she will be creating her latest work at Willway Yard on the 23rd and 24th of May.
This year’s festival will run for 17 days, launching on Friday 15th May and concluding on Sunday 31st May. While centred around North Street and Bedminster, the festival also extends across other parts of Bristol, including @cabotcircus and Quakers Friars.
Good luck Elaine.....fingers crossed for some dry weather!!!!
#WeAreMakers #Bristol #Artists #Upfest #StreetArt
Amalgam Archive Addition!
Here is another traditional full-colour model created very early on, in 1985.
The concept design was produced through a collaboration between architects Alwyn Gwilym Sheppard Fidler and engineering company W.S. Atkins & Partners. The later now known as AtkinsRéalis.
At the time, the project was described as “the most important development site in Europe.” This reputation stemmed from several factors, including the site having remained vacant for thirteen years, its prominent location in the heart of Bath, and the city’s concurrent designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
As a result, the scheme attracted intense competition, with proposed designs subjected to rigorous public scrutiny by Bath City Council, English Heritage, the Royal Fine Art Commission, and a number of local conservation groups.
#WeAreMakers #ScaleModel #Planning #Development #PublicConsultation
Its Fusion Energy Week!!!! We have been involved in helping demonstrate, explain, educate and illustrate the world of Fusion energy for a few years now.
Over this time, the @ukaeaofficial has commissioned us to make pop-up stands with neon signs, 3D printed models of the reactor, interactive 'arcade' style games and also the design, build and installation of their new visitors centre in Culham Campus #WeAreMakers #FusionEnergy #tokamak #energy #FusionEnergyWeek @usfusionenergy
Following the Fore End Submarine model we made for Babcock International Group, being on display at UDT - Undersea Defence Technology, here is a more detailed look at the final model and the build process. #WeAreMakers #UDT2026
Why do we have a new website?
For those of you that don’t already know, we have set up a new website-
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Over the years Amalgam Modelmaking has grown. The range of skills and processes we have in house is already pretty varied and covers a range of industries, but we felt that the art, interiors projects and lighting pieces that we have been making over the last 10 years deserved it’s own space.
This doesn’t change how we work or who we are, but gives us a platform that focuses on these projects and hopefully gives these projects a bit more visibility.
If you have any questions about the work we do, or have an upcoming project you want to discuss, please do get in touch! #WeAreMakers
If you are planning a scale model for @eurosatory in June, now is the time to start the conversation.
With sufficient lead time, we can go beyond the basics, incorporating technical features, interactive elements, and integrated lighting that not only attract visitors to your stand but also help them fully understand and engage with what you are showcasing.
Starting the conversation now ensures your model is both accurate and impactful, helping your display stand out in a busy trade show environment.
If you are considering a model for Eurosatory, let's connect early! #WeAreMakers #Eurosatory #Defence #TradeShow
Why does prototyping still matter in a 3D printed world?
When Amalgam Modelmaking was founded in the mid 1980s, much of our work was architectural, and prototyping was a small but important part of what we did. Over time, demand for functional prototypes grew as clients saw the value of testing and refining designs before production. Today, with the rise of affordable 3D printing, the tools available to product designers have changed dramatically. But the need for meaningful, functional prototypes remains as strong as ever.
We’ve built our reputation on rapidly delivering high-quality prototypes and mock-ups that go beyond appearance. By replicating real manufacturing processes (particularly through vacuum casting) we help designers test how their products will perform, feel, and function in the intended materials. While 3D printing is fast and ideal for early stage iteration, it has limits. Large-scale builds, complex assemblies, refined finishes, and functional elastomer parts often require hands on fabrication. Vacuum casting, for example, can produce rubber like components with properties close to final production materials, whereas 3D printed rubber can delaminate and lack consistency.
For product designers, prototyping isn’t just about speed, it’s about confidence. Tooling for production is a significant investment, and mistakes can be costly. Functional prototypes reduce that risk, allowing designs to be tested, handled, and validated before committing to expensive tooling. By checking work early, prototypes increase the likelihood of a successful final product and give designers peace of mind.
We don’t just make prototypes, we help designers see, touch, and test their ideas before tooling, giving them confidence that their final product will succeed. #WeAreMakers
3250 meters above sea level, has got to be a record height some of our 'merch' has been to date!!! Here is our Elaine @cuicasolo sporting our latest Amalgam TShirt high up on the Hintertux Glacier in Austria!!! Where on the globe has your brand travelled to? #WeAreMakers
In celebrating yesterday's International Women's Day, we want to highlight that the historical trend of hard edged, engineering making being male dominated is changing.
The Modelmaking degree course at AUB Bournemouth now has a higher percentage of females (55%) to males on the degree course compared to the year 2000 when only around 5% of students on the course were female.
We have seen this filter through to industry with an increase in women interested in working in this specialist area of making.
In order to make young women at GCSE and A-Level age aware that careers and opportunities exists, here is just one story from one of the team here at Amalgam.
Abi, is one of our Creative teams Senior Makers but has a variety of skills across the board.
“I started out doing Graphics at A-Level but transferred over to Resistant Materials as I knew I wanted to be more hands on in creating works. This followed on to a year long Foundation course which led to a degree in Makeup, Hair and Prosthetics of which I specialize in the Prosthetics element of the degree.
On completing the degree I took a year out before securing a position as a Design & Technology Technician at a school in London. This allowed me the opportunity to develop my woodworking and machining skills as well as learning 3D printing processes.
I continued adding skills by attending the Miniatures Course at Pinewood Studios and also a Moulding and Casting course in London, before getting a job at Amalgam.”
In celebrating yesterday's International Women's Day, we want to highlight that the historically male-dominated world of engineering and technical making is changing.
The Modelmaking degree course at AUB Bournemouth now has a higher percentage of females (55%) to males on the degree course compared to the year 2000 when only around 5% of students on the course were female.
We have seen this filter through to industry with an increase in women interested in working in this specialist area of making.
In order to make young women at GCSE and A-Level age aware that careers and opportunities exists, here is a story from just one of our team here at Amalgam -
Jessica, is one of our Senior Makers and works predominantly in the Scale department, creating architectural models, interactive defence displays, luxury scale yachts, etc, etc…
“From early on, I knew that I wanted to work in the creative industry and initially looked at Theatre Design, but further research turned up the Modelmaking degree at Bournemouth. Attending the course open day allowed me to see the full breadth of what the course offered and the potential opportunities it could create.
Following my A-Levels I secured a place on the course and embarked on a three year journey learning how to manipulate all manner of materials in a multitude of different ways.
This gave me the skills I needed to be a maker, build a comprehensive portfolio of works and I secured a job at Amalgam where I knew I could put all of these skills to good use.”
#wearemakers #IWD2026
