Hollywood creative heads for Letchworth model makers as they take deep dive into museum exhibit 

A leading Letchworth model making company is celebrating after its latest design was displayed in a museum in Qatar.

The team at Ogle Models and Prototypes was approached by the talented sculptor responsible for the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs while he was working on a series of animal models for the National Museum of Qatar.

Jeremy Hunt, who started his career at the Natural History Museum, before creating the fabulous Hollywood pig Babe, turned to Ogle when he needed to produce a head for a dugong.

It was the first time Jeremy had worked with Ogle, but he was full of praise for the quality of the work. He said: "They 3D print at very high quality, which is what I need – I really need a good finish for things like skin texture.  

"The materials they use are really interesting to me, like the translucent white material. When I'm doing marine things, you need some translucency which is ideal for adding artwork to. 

"They're a brilliant company to work with. They always deliver solutions if you've got specific requirements and try new techniques and are happy to be experimental. The colour room with all the finishes is incredible, but it's not just the materials, it's their pioneering techniques."

The team at Ogle had to do a deep dive into the world of marine mammals before taking on the task.

Matt White, senior sales engineer at Ogle, said: "I have to confess we weren't sure what a dugong was when Jeremy first got in touch. But every day is a school day at Ogle.

"It was great seeing the whole sculpture come to life and be fully finished. From a clear 3D print and machined part to a fully finished, life-like model…it was quite a transformation.  

"For us, it was amazing to see our processes used in a different way."

Over the past few years, Ogle has invested more than £2m in equipment, enabling the company to achieve the fine details required on projects like the dugong. 

Jeremy added the final hand-finishing touches and painted the complete model before the 2m dugong was shipped to Qatar where it is now on display in the natural environment gallery.