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Friday, April 03, 2026

BPMS ZOOm Mini Meeting: April 7, 2026

Part 1 starts promptly at 7:30 PM EST.
Part 2 starts at 8:10 PM if we need more time.

Members and guests are cordially invited to join our group for our weekly online meeting! 

All are welcome! If you would like to join, DM us your email address and name so we can include you in the email list with Zoom Meeting details (meeting numbers and passwords)!

On the agenda:

BPMS Club News.
IPMS News.
Other clubs news.
Hobby News.
What's on your workbench?
Featured Discussion  
 
  
at 4/03/2026 01:37:00 PM 0 comments
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Thursday, April 02, 2026

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: March 31, 2026

Featured Discussion: Decals Dos and Don'ts

Fourteen people attended. We heard that seventeen BPMS members and two former members were at Replicon last Saturday, where Nestor's 727-100 was a winner. Congrats. Photos are on the BPMS Facebook page. Mosquitocon is next Saturday at the PAL Hall in Wayne, NJ. Pictures, please. Speaking of shows, Mark suggested people participate in judging whenever the opportunity arises, not so they can criticize others but to develop their powers of observation and improve their own work.

We saw Vaughn's F-106 A and F-101C (the Valom kit is a delightful mix of styrene, resin and photoetch parts) and Frank C's Harrier. There were acquisitions too, thanks to the vendors at Replicon: F-15, Phantom II Wild Weasel, Hornet, and A-4 M.

Gil found a new tool, a silicone stamper. It's designed to decorate fingernails but also works on models. Goblin Hobbies has a video on their website showing how to use their stamping set for miniature figures. Even if you're not into Warhammer (yes, Angelo, there are such people), the video shows how useful silicone stampers can be, even the cheap ones available online.

Decal dos and don'ts was the featured topic. We focused on waterslide decals. Dry transfers are hard to find, since Archer went out of business. Decaling can be stressful. Quality is unpredictable, particularly with aftermarket decals. Test the sheet with a decal you don't need for your build. Decal bonders are recommended for old or fragile decals. Frank C's favorite, Testor's Decal Bonder, is out of production, so he's trying Krylon Workable Fixative. Several people use Microscale Decal Film. Decals look best when applied to a layer of clear gloss paint, but must you gloss the entire model or just the parts that get decals? That depends on what you're building. Ships have few markings, armor has more, aircraft still more, and race cars can be completely covered in decals. Many companies make decal setting solutions. A lot of us use the two-part Micro Set - Micro Sol system. Walthers Solvaset is stronger so be careful using it. Tamiya's Mr. Mark is another product we've used. Dspiae recently came out with a setting solution, and Michael C will be trying it out. The amount (use a shallow tray) and temperature (warm is better than cold) of water makes it easier to manipulate the decal as it soaks and to remove the decal from its backing. Some slide the decal directly on the model; some remove it from the backing with a sponge or with tweezers. 
 
Helpful tips: Scan the kit decals. The scans can be used as spares. Also, scans allow faded or damaged decals to be restored. In the absence of a gloss undercoat, lay a warm sponge on top of the decal. For smaller decals, scrubbing the model surface with a clean coffee filter smooths the surface almost as well as a gloss coat. Cut long decals into manageable sizes. A LIGHT overspray with a mist coat of the base color blends the decals into the paint scheme. 
 
The next meeting is Tuesday, 4/7/26 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.

~Russ
 
at 4/02/2026 01:39:00 PM 0 comments
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Wednesday, April 01, 2026

2026 Ralph Forehand IPMS/USA Scholarship Fund Applications Close April 15th!

 

Dear IPMS Member, 

If you, your children or grandchildren are attending college, university or trade school or planning to attend in the fall, you need to know about the Ralph Forehand scholarship! Applications close April 15, so act now. Details are below.


IPMS/USA is proud to partner again in 2026 with the family of the late Ralph Forehand to offer a scholarship program to IPMS/USA members, their children and grandchildren. For those who didn't know Ralph there are some details of his longstanding service to IPMS/USA and his life in the image below, as well as information about how to apply for the scholarship. This year there will be up to two $500 scholarships available, thanks to the generosity of the Forehand family. Applications must be submitted by April 15, 2026, and the winner(s) will be selected on May 15, 2026 for the 2026-2027 academic year. Use this link or the QR code below for more information.

Please join the Executive Board in thanking the Forehand Family for their generosity and thoughtfulness.

Happy modeling, 

John Noack

President, IPMS/USA


at 4/01/2026 09:52:00 AM 0 comments
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Thursday, March 26, 2026

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: 03/24/26

Discussion Topic: Scribing, and dealing with mistakes
 
The sixteen people in attendance heard Mark confirm that BPMS was the IPMS Region 1 Chapter of the Year for the third year in a row, something no other chapter has done, to the best of his knowledge. More good news, our own Julio L was named Region 1 Member of the Year. Congratulations all around.
Several BPMS members were among the 60 or so modelers at last Saturday's Japan Village group build. Photos are on the BPMS Facebook page. 
Replicon is Saturday, March 28 at the Freeport Recreation Center in Long Island and ValleyCon is Sunday, March 29 in Chicopee, MA. Whichever one you attend, take photos for the people stuck at home. 
Lou reports Border Models' 1/35 He-111 and Dragon's 1/48 Bf-109 E4 are available. Not surprisingly, Jimmy has already acquired the 109 and he gave us an impromptu in box review - 3D printed engine (with piping and wiring), single piece rear fuselage, different colored sprue. It comes in a plastic box with a cardboard sleeve, in case you're interested. 
We saw Vaughn's F-105, Kevin's Gamora and Medusa busts (Medusa is mounted on a wedding cake pillar), Mark's Goliath (he tried AK quick gen paint for the figures) and Porsche 935 (he stripped the wrinkled paint from the body by soaking it in isopropyl alcohol), Angelo's World War Toons Panther and Egg Plane Osprey, Russ' Huey Cobra and Vigilante and Gil's 3D printed RDA Helicopter (from Avatar). An Ornithopter (from Dune) and VMFA 232 decals were also acquired. 
This week's tool was from Amazon, not the Dollar Store. It's a set of flexible metal scribing templates from Hasegawa. Very useful for scribing geometric shapes.
We use various tools for scribing: the back of a hobby blade (#11or #12 or #22), a model company's scriber (like Tamiya's), a model tool company's scriber (too many to name), an awl, a wood chisel (for larger scale models), carbide scriber, old dental tools, and micro saws.  "Official" scribing guide tape is available but label maker tape, flexible rulers, and masking tape work too. Kevin has used a coat of UV curing resin to fix scribing mistakes, and Michael C used a thin layer of Nara air hardening clay (available at Hobby Lobby), to fix mistakes. Just remember to sand it before painting. Simon has used Mr. Surfacer 1000 and Tamiya's Surface Primer. Even though we use different tools and different techniques everyone agrees the key to successful scribing is to work slowly and carefully.
The next meeting is Tuesday, 3/31/26 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. Or in Freeport. Or in Chicopee. 
 
~Russ 
 
 
at 3/26/2026 02:32:00 PM 0 comments
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Sunday, March 22, 2026

Japan Village Group Build: Another Successful Outing

 Japan Village in Brooklyn on Saturday (3/21/26), was the site of the latest successful outing for the Brooklyn Plastic Modelers Society. Early numbers indicate that 50-60 peoples showed up to build their Gundam and other models or to talk about the hobby.

More info as it comes in. Make sure to visit us on our Facebook Page!



 

at 3/22/2026 10:23:00 AM 0 comments
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Thursday, March 12, 2026

BPMS Zoom mini Meeting: 03/10/2026

Featured Discussion: Airbrushes Part 2
 
Fourteen people attended. No Tuesday Zoom next week; the in-person meeting is Friday the 20th at the Community Center. It's decal swap night and Green Model night. If that's not enough, you can declare your pledge model and pay your 2026 dues, too. The next day, Saturday, the 21st, there's a group build at Japan Village (934 3 Ave, in Brooklyn) from 1-5pm. Stop by if you can. Thanks, Julio, for setting it up. 
Replicon is Saturday, the 28th at the Freeport Recreation Center in Long Island and Mosquitocon is Saturday April 4 in Wayne NJ.
Lou reports Tamiya's 1/35 Schwimmwagen Type 166 is available. 
We saw Vaughn's F-105, F-106 and F-101C (cockpit), Lee's P-47 (cockpit floor), Kevin's Medusa bust (expect it on Green Model night), Frank G's Mummy's Chariot, Simon's Westland Whirlwind and Frank C's Harrier (ask him about the decals from Spain). 
A F-18D was acquired, and Jimmy plans to acquire an Israeli F-15C with conformal tanks, as soon as someone makes a kit of it.
The tool was a 3D printed workstation Gil designed for holding an airbrush for cleaning/disassembling.  He'll be offering them for sale (at discount for group members). Contact him directly for details. 
We continued last week's airbrush discussion. Erasmo thanked Michael C for his airbrush advice. Gordon's workbench camera was very effective at showing us the features of different airbrushes and their components. Gil showed an easy way to clean a Paasche H nozzle with a wash bottle. The dos and don'ts of using products like Purple Power, Simple Green, OxiClean, Bleche-Wite and Windex for cleaning airbrushes were discussed. Just because they're good at cleaning mold release agents doesn't mean they can't corrode metal. There was a lot of talk about cleaning double action airbrush needles. We wondered about airbrush lubricants, like NeedleJuice. Are they for the needle or the gaskets, or both? Special thanks go to Michael C, for his informative after-meeting email on corrosion and to Steve N for his email about Badger's airbrush refurbishing service. 
Our next meeting is Friday, the 20th at the Community Center in Brooklyn. Doors open around 5pm; meeting starts around 7:30. No invites needed. Don't let the Leprechauns keep you away. 
 
~Russ 
  
 
  
at 3/12/2026 04:16:00 PM 0 comments
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Wednesday, March 11, 2026

BPMS Inhouse Meeting: March 20, 2026

Welcome to MARCH! To finish up the first quarter of BPMS activities we have:

Decal Swap Night: Bring decals you no longer need to swap or sell with other members. You might find those markings that you have been looking for!

Green Model Night: The big holiday for March is St Patrick ’s Day and what better way to observe it than with GREEN MODELS. It’s not a contest, simply a theme for models to bring. You are welcome to bring back something old to show the group, or if it ties into the theme in some way, it would be great. Be prepared to tell the group a few words on your models.

Of course, everyone is welcome to bring any other new work that has been completed.

You also still have time to declare your model pledge. Speak with me about it. April is the cut off for declarations and October is the due date for finished models.

June’s Theme Contest: The Vertical Take Off Theme Contest is off and running! Build something that can have a CONTROLLED vertical take-off AND landing. Think helicopters and harriers, but not V2 rockets.

Meeting Date: MARCH 20, 2026
Members start showing up by 5PM to set up.
Feel free to come early and hang-out!


BPMS Bulletin is attached in PDF format 

at 3/11/2026 09:31:00 PM 0 comments
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Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Bulletin Archive in PDF Format

All links should be updated to MEGA at this time.
Please comment and let me  know if you find bad links! ~Editor
 
 
 
 
 
 

Bulletin 2019 06
Bulletin 2019 05
Bulletin 2019 04
Bulletin 2019 03
Bulletin 2019 02
Bulletin 2019 01

Bulletin 2018 12
Bulletin 2018 11
Bulletin 2018 10
Bulletin 2018 09
Bulletin 2018 08
Bulletin 2018 07
Bulletin 2018 06
at 3/10/2026 09:00:00 PM 0 comments
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Monday, March 09, 2026

BPMS - Ware

  Open photo
 Open photo
 
  
We should be discussing this during a meeting very soon. A local business that I am familiar with pitched an assortment of shirts with BPMS logos on them. Prices will be as follows: 
  • $35 t-shirt
  • $45 polo
  • $45 crew-neck sweatshirt 
  • $65 hoodies
at 3/09/2026 08:33:00 PM 0 comments
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Schedule Of Events: 2025

January
Kit Sale Night
Declare Model Pledge

February
Show Us Your Tool
Contest Night 1Q26

March
Decal Swap Night
Green Model Night

April
Work In Progress Night

May
Parts Box Night
Contest Night 2Q26

June
Vertical Take Off Theme Contest
Summer Picnic Night

July
Theme night

August
Pizza Night
Contest Night 3Q26

September
Swap Night
Theme Night / Clinic
TBA

October
Model Pledge Night
Nominations

November
Contest Night: 4Q26
Super Raffle

December
TBA Theme Contest
Holiday Dinner / Desserts
at 3/09/2026 01:26:00 PM 0 comments
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Reminder of the March 21st 2026 Group Build!

The first Group Build of the year will happen the day after our in-house meeting- March 21st, at Japan Village on 3rd ave. in Brooklyn.

The theme is mostly Gundam, but in typical BPMS fashion, you can bring and build anything you want. 

Mark your calendars!


 

at 3/09/2026 11:44:00 AM 0 comments
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Saturday, March 07, 2026

BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting Report - 03/03/2026

A big crowd, sixteen people attended.

March will be busy. The Japan Village group build is the 21st at 934 3 Ave in Brooklyn (1-5pm) and Replicon is the 28th at the Freeport Recreation Center on Long Island (9 - 4pm).

We saw Frank C's Harrier and large-scale Sparrow missile (an impulse buy on Temu), Mark's Pikachu (test build for an upcoming Hudson Valley Make & Take) and vintage, pre-owned, partially built Moby Dick Porsche 935, and Kevin's Ekranoplan (he covered the Micro Crystal Clear cabin windows with UV curing resin to improve their appearance), Medusa bust and Star figure (if you don't remember this actress from "The Lost Boys", she was also the woman who "couldn't spare a square" on Seinfeld).

Acquisitions included: 3D printed Navy/Marine Phantom drop tanks, Gigantor and Inga (from Young Frankenstein).

This week's tool was a product, Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. Gil puts it on the threads of his airbrush nozzle to ensure good paint flow. Rather than wax the threads, Michael C used Loctite's Fun Tak to make a gasket. Just be sure the Fun Tak hasn't dried out. Gil showed us the DIY airbrush stand he built to hold the airbrush in place while cleaning / changing parts.

Airbrushes turned out to be a great topic. So great that we'll continue the discussion at next Tuesday's meeting. Here's some of what was heard last night. Many attendees like the Paasche H 1 for its simplicity and reliability. Gaahleri airbrushes are popular because of their cost, performance, and hand feel. Angelo appreciates that Gaahleri makes one with a trigger. We also use airbrushes from Iwata, Autolock, Sparmax, Harder & Steenbeck. We remembered Aztec and Badger airbrushes. Simon coined the phrase "paint personally" to describe how paints from the same manufacturer can differ from each other. So, experiment with thinner ratios, spray pressures, and paint volumes, then use an old model or scrap household plastic as a paint mule. Once you're satisfied, spray your model. We heard that operating pressures differ on gravity feed and siphon feed airbrushes. Gil mentioned ink is the right consistency for double action airbrushes with smaller diameter needles. Michael C and Gil have each modified at least one of their airbrushes to suit their specific needs. We were warned that using lacquers and lacquer thinner in cheap airbrushes will corrode the metal components. Airbrush tips come in different shapes. Some attract more paint than others, and they all should be cleaned frequently as we paint. And even though it's possible to paint over different types of paint provided they're fully cured and appropriately top coated, it's risky. Ask Mark. 

As you can see, a lot of useful things were said, and not everyone had a chance to speak! They'll have their chance next Tuesday at 7:30 pm. So will you. Invites to follow.
PS - Links to items discussed can be found on the Zoom Chat page.
~Russ
 
  
at 3/07/2026 07:13:00 PM 0 comments
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Friday, February 27, 2026

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: 02/24/2026

Featured Discussion: PAINT CONVERSIONS - What do you do when all your paint is from Tamiya and the instructions call for Humbrol's Beige Green? What charts, apps, etc. do you use? Or do you just eyeball it? 
 
Fourteen people attended, including Lee, who attended his first in person meeting last Friday. Welcome aboard, Lee.
Lou reported Trumpeter's 1/700 HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and Border's 1/35 75mm PAK  40 are available. 
We talked about the difference between Vallejo Model Color and Model Air paints. Basically, Model Air is for airbrushing, Model color is for brush painting. 
 
Frank C commented on the availability and cost of Mr. Surfacer 500, a product he finds useful for filling seams. Can anyone suggest a source or equivalent product? Vaughn asked about stripping paint from a resin kit, and Gil suggested soaking it in a tub of Simple Green.  Frank G asked about rigging for his Wright Flyer. Chuck suggested thread run thru beeswax, Russ suggested fly fishing line, and Simon suggested 5-0 or 6-0 surgical sutures. 
 
We saw Vaughn's repainted F-105, Michael C's SR-71 Blackbird and a cutaway, motorized, RD-33 engine for a Mig-29, Kevin's Ekranoplan (the Micro-Mir/AMT kit has been a headache, to put it mildly), Gil's 3D printed pin up inspired Paratrooper (painted with airbrushed inks), Frank C's  AH 64A Apache and Harrier and Russ' Bell Huey Cobra.  Acquisitions included: M4A1 (76) W VVSS and M51 Degem Alef (Takom's latest Big Box offering) and Sd. Kfz. 250/3 "Greif".
The tool of the week was the Mix Paint app Gil has on his iPhone.  It can match colors from an uploaded photo and provide exact mixing ratios. A similar app for android phones was said to be available. 
It turns out we each approach paint conversions differently. Some guys are comfortable mixing their own colors, some buy the colors/brands specified on the instructions, and some use any paints that match Federal Standard colors, color profiles or color photos.  Companies, such as Mech9.com, have paint conversion tables online. Urban's Color Reference, Parts 1 and 2 can be found on the IPMS Stockholm website. Model Shade.com is very helpful for matching Federal Standard colors. Scalemates. com has a color search feature. At the larger shows, vendors often hand out hard copies of conversion tables. And if you get confused, just remember, if it looks right, it is right. 
 
The next meeting is Tuesday, 3/3/26 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow.  Hope to see you there. 
 
~Russ 
 
 
  
at 2/27/2026 01:38:00 PM 0 comments
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Monday, February 23, 2026

February Meeting Minutes

 

February Meeting Minutes

 

Date: February 20

Attendance: 34 Members (!), 2 Guests

Models on Tables: 26

Meeting called to order at 7:45PM

 

Tonight’s Agenda –Show and Tell of your favorite hobby tool. It’s also the first contest of the new year.

Outreach Group Build Resumes – March 14th will be the first date for 2026. The meeting spot is once again Japan Village, 934 3rd Ave., Brooklyn 11232.

Prize for MosquitoCon – Motion was made and adopted for the club to sponsor MosquitoCon with a prize package. The following members donated toward the prize – Kevin K., Frank C., Bobby P. Tony M., Jeff I., Mark M., Angelo T. Thanks guys!

 BPMS was pleased to welcome a new guest, Lee, to the meeting. He builds mostly WW2 aircraft. Hope you enjoyed the get together!

 Next Month – will be Green Night. And also Decal Swap Night. See Bobby P’s article in this issue.  

 BPMS Apparel – The club is happy to be able to offer BPMS T-shirts. The shirt will have the club logo embroidered on the left chest, and is being offered in a number of colors. The prices are as follows: T-shirts - $35, Polo shirts - $45, Crew Neck Sweatshirts - $45, and Hoodies - $65. Contact Bobby P.  His email is on the back page.

 

Meeting adjourned at 9:15 PM

at 2/23/2026 12:16:00 PM 0 comments
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