Carnival & Fair News

If you've ever wanted your very own hand-crafted miniature amusement park, or a particular carnival ride, Don and Shirley Cummons of Cummons Scale Amusements may be able to help you.

Just take note that you may be on a waiting list for two to three years.

In a world where architectural models are now built by computers, the couple crafts their scaled rides from the comfort of their home in Bay City, Michigan. Don had a fascination with carnivals during his childhood and even traveled with one during his teens. He later went on to work as an architectural model builder and also constructed replica railroads.



“I have always done work for other people,” he shares. “It (the business) all started when I began building a Ferris wheel and a friend said we should start a business together.” This was around 1971.

Another friend, a lawyer, soon joined in.  “I came up with the knowledge and my friends came up with the money,” he shares with a laugh.

Cummons later took the business over when one friend went back to law and the other went on to get a doctorate degree in physics.



Don and Shirley, now 90 and 89 years old respectively, have worked on many pieces over the years.

“My biggest project was a replica for the 1976 Centennial of St. Mary's Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan,” Cummons says. “I modeled the first building, though they've added on to it now.”

Other large projects included an entire amusement park for a Bay City customer who planned on opening the facility, but it fell through.

“I built the model for it, but all the big shots involved in the project didn't want to rezone, so it never passed,” he shares. “But the model traveled all over Michigan. It took two trucks to move it.”

In recent years, the dynamic duo have created a one-inch to the foot carousel measuring 45 inches in diameter. This piece was purchased by a buyer in France.



The ride molds are constructed by Cummons himself and he patterns the models to scale from ride manufacturers. The castings are made of metal alloy, mostly pewter. “I set up my bench in the shop and clean the castings and the solder together,” Cummons says. “We then prime everything and use an airbrush to do the base color, and then Shirley takes it back and puts the finer touches on it like florescent lights. The painting is not easy. It's very difficult to paint rides like the Seattle Wheel.”

The rides are fully motorized and operate just like their full scale prototypes. Inside the base of each piece is a transformer and drive system to get things moving, along with lighting components.  “All of our models do move, we try to make them look as real as possible,” Cummons says. “But some go too fast, or too slow; it's hard to get accurate speed. Sometimes people complain about this, but you can't please everyone.”

The couple began participating in the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) in 1975. Since that time, there has been a two-to-three-year backlog on orders due to customer demand.

He says that other people helped with the business in the past. “But not everyone did a good job,” he admits. “So, we do it all ourselves now.”

When Shirley is not painting carnival rides, she knits or pieces together quilts and hand paints them. Don has also tried his hand at dollhouse making and miniature furniture, but his focus now is solely on the crafting of mini amusement rides.

Having a good attitude is one aspect of what continues to make the couple's business successful.

Cummons says compliments don't hurt either.

“When we used to go to trade shows, lots of people would comment on our work and say how fantastic and beautiful it all was,” Cummons shares. “It's part of what keeps me going. That first time I went to a trade show, I was working orders so fast that people had to actually write down their own orders. When we'd do Gibtown, everyone that went to the show would come over to look what we had,” he continues. “We did that for 21 or 22 years. Our booth was the meeting place for everyone and it was very rewarding.”

Another big reward has been the people they've met along the way.

“I have a tremendous amount of friends in this business,” he says. “Including Matt Cook, founder of CarnivalWarehouse.com. He and I have been close since he was like 12 or 13 years old. Back then, he'd talk to me after school on AOL. He would even keep me up at night, talking and saying 'Just one more question.'”



As for the future, Cummons says there's no slowing down in sight.

Though Shirley would want to quit now, Don jokes, he's going to keep on building his models as long as he can drag himself into the shop.