Sunday, September 2, 2012

Wright composites help “fire up” candle craft production

THE PAVESTONE Centre in Coleraine will be able to enhance training for its apprentice craft workers, thanks to moulds supplied by Wright Composites.

The Pavestone Centre is a Northern Trust Health care facility which provides vocational and recreational rehabilitation to people with mental or physical health conditions and offers training in creative crafts, employment and performance skills.

The Centre produce the popular F MacCool candle range which features a product design which is inspired by shapes and shades of the Causeway Coast.

Wright Composites have been able to manufacture x 5 candle “moulds” for the centre, which will allow craft workers to create candles in the Giants Causeway hexagonal stone design whilst gaining knowledge and understanding of manufacturing principles as they train.

Commenting on the opportunity to supply these moulds, Jeff McMullan Business Improvement Manager of Wright Composites said: “Rhoda and her team do really special and amazing work in this Coleraine facility. We are happy to be able to support the Pavestone Centre, we know that the new moulding equipment will help boost candle making productivity for the centre and we hope the enjoyment in learning for the craft workers will be enhanced”.

Pavestone Centre Manager Rhoda Baxter said: ‘It has been very good to make contact with Wright Composites Ltd. I literally turned up on their doorstep with an unusual request and they were able to manufacture custom made equipment for our needs and deliver to our doorstep. They took a great interest in our work.’

Labelled up for having 'Fully Upgraded Moulds' this new one from Italeri looks like an early Dragon model, done in their characteristic grey plastic, along with etched parts for the ends of the trackguards, air intake covers etc and a turned aluminium gun barrel included.  It is essentially a very nice model of the Stug IV and the marking options allow for 4 different finishes, 2 of which are from service in Italy.   For those of you who have seen the new Panzerwrecks book (no 13) there are some excellent photos of the Stug IV in Italy, so that might be a good theatre to set your model in.

Etch parts give parts for the covers on the ends of the trackguards, and the covers for the air intakes so you have a choice of position for those, rather than just having them moulded 'open' on the plastic parts.  There is a plastic gun barrel on the sprues, but I like the inclusion of an turned alumium alternative which is provided.  Side armour is made up from plastic panels rather than etch so is a little over thick, and you might want to use them as patterns to build thinner replacements.  However, the kit overall is cheaper than some alternatives so generally I'd say a good value for money model.

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