Background information
Hamster 2.0 has its say
by David Lee
"Sometimes I let my planes compete with a buzzard or an eagle".
29.9.2018
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Christian Walker
The smaller the better. Thomas loves tinkering in his workshop. He makes small model planes as well as larger replicas of older models.
"I particularly like technical and filigree models". He is less keen on working on large wooden pieces. Thomas has turned an upstairs bedroom in his house in eastern Switzerland into a model-maker's workshop. The room is filled with miniature models, the walls covered with plans drawn by Thomas himself, and the drawers are full to bursting with wood, because when he has an idea, he likes to get to work straight away and not have to buy the materials. [[image:15907637]]
Inspiration is everywhere
"What fascinates me most is the calculations and the design of the model, but I also love the construction. It's when I put the pieces together that I see if everything works as I imagined it would." In the workshop, you can see aircraft models of all sizes, or parts such as wings or fuselages. He makes them from balsa wood or very thin plywood, which he then saws or bends and glues. He finds his inspiration everywhere: on the Internet, in magazines or museums. "I'll see a photo and immediately want to reproduce the model," he says. "Sometimes I get lost in the middle of a project, I don't have the right materials or the ideas don't come. I then leave that project aside and tackle another one, waiting for the flash of genius. [[image:15907638]] [[productlist:6211275]]
Ausgleich zur Arbeit
It quickly becomes apparent that Thomas has the patience of a saint and particularly well-developed fine motor skills. He can spend hours locked away in his studio working on his models, "I'm completely in my element, I can decompress". So he goes there at least once a day. "During the week, I work in Berne and evaluate the efficiency of the operational processes of companies and organisations". So his hobby is mainly limited to the weekend. "Of course, I don't forget my family. For meals and parties, I'm obviously along for the ride and my workshop remains closed." [[image:15907636]]
His daughters' help
His two daughters no longer live at home, but often come to see him. "We're very close". They have both inherited his passion to some extent: "They would come and help me with certain projects or sit next to me to draw". But it's his second passion that brings them together the most - cars. "One of her daughters regularly services her car and does all the repairs herself."
Petrol runs through his veins
25 years ago, Thomas got it into his head to restore an old car, or more precisely to put it back together with its original parts. He spent five years working on it in his garage in his spare time, including almost two years just reading what he could find on the subject. "A lot of my friends thought I'd never finish the car". And yet, today he's out and about with it, sometimes even longer than planned: "I just wanted to do a little test drive up to Altstätten to check something out. But the mountains were so beautiful that day that I kept putting off the return trip. In the end I rode 500km across the Alps to South Tyrol before turning back. During the five years it took him to restore his car, he did almost nothing else, abandoning his other projects. "I punched the sheet metal on the doors myself, redid parts of the interior and restored everything. I only entrusted the paintwork and soft top to professionals. [[image:15907640]]
It runs in the family
Thomas has always been a handyman. "My grandfathers were both gifted with their hands". They also passed on to him his fascination with cars. But he didn't learn from them: "I'm self-taught. I had to build three model aeroplanes with my father, then I continued tinkering on my own with the help of books and the internet."
A solitary hobby
Until now, he has always lived his hobby alone. "No one has the patience and fascination that I have."
Even for tests, he usually goes off on his own: "I leave my model planes in the mountains and take the opportunity to go for a walk". These times are also good for relaxing, "I sometimes let my planes compete with a buzzard or an eagle". However, you have to be careful not to let the plane get too close to the birds, as this can lead to them becoming aggressive, which has already happened. Unlike the birds, Thomas escapes such collisions unscathed. "Sometimes things break, that's normal, there are no regrets". Thomas is very pragmatic: "when something breaks, it makes room for a new project."
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
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