7/22/21 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Info

Part 1 starts promptly at 8PM EST.
Part 2 starts at 8:42 if we need more time.

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

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

7/15/22 BPMS Zoom mini-meeting

Breaking News - Vinny reports the Community Center let him know that we should be able to get back on "around SEPTEMBER." (Those were their words!). Thank you, Vinny, and thank you Community Center management. Looks like we won't need a Plan B after all.
Eleven people attended the meeting. The pizza lunch is 8/14/21 at Denino's. Bob is looking forward the Cherry Point Air Show on 9/25-26/21. Will there be pictures? Closer to home, Mike is looking forward to Mosquito Con on 7/31/21. Due to technical difficulties, there was no new release information. For in progress and completed work we saw: Don's 1/144 Land Battleship (not to be confused with Don's 1/72 Land Battleship) and Haunebu, Bob's Spaceship Two and White Knight Two, B-24 (Soviet markings), Spirit of St Louis, Bf-109F and Bf-109E, Steve's T-34/85s, T-54/55, Vaughn's RA-5C Vigilante and Typhoon and Frank's Mitsubishi F-2. USS Des Moines was the only acquisition. The featured topic was Plan B. We had many suggestions for alternate meeting sites but Vinny's news, received after the meeting, made them unnecessary. Even so, thanks to everyone for your ideas and offers to follow up. Next meeting is 7/22/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.

~Russ

7/8/21 BPMS Zoom Mini-meeting report / featured topic - BPMS is how old??

Sixteen people attended the meeting, with a first-time appearance by Rob G. Always good to see a BPMS alumni. Several new releases were reported, three from Meng, 1/48 F-18 Super Hornet, 1/24 Fokker Dr-1, 1/35 Panther A-early and one from Rye Field, 1/35 Panzer 4 G/H. In person events are returning . The LIARS club will meet next week and Mosquito Con will be held on July 31. Armorcon has a new location, Southbury CT, and date, Oct 1-2.  BPMS has the pizza lunch at Denino's (524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island) on Aug 14. Thanks to Mark for sharing photos of a recent trip to the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT. They have a large collection on display and in storage. How large? It's so large they're selling surplus items on their website. So, if you need a drop tank for your F-86, you can get one for just $5,000. Hurry, supplies are limited. For in progress and completed work we saw: Terminator, Lisa (Wierd Science), Dr. Jekyll as Mr. Hyde,  Quad & 25 Pdr Gun,  M-21 Mortar Carrier,  SR-N1 hovercraft, BM-13 Katyusha, T-34/85 and Mitsubishi F-2A. Acquisitions:  Hobby Boss' Chinese Y-8 Transport,  Aurora Gladiator (partially built eBay find), and a new air compressor, to replace the old one making "funny noises". This week's tool was an agate burnisher. Designed to burnish gold and silver leaf, available in a variety of sizes and shapes, they can polish plastic as well as burnish Bare Metal and other foils. Thanks, Gil. We heard more about superglue. You can make your own applicator (lots of ideas on YouTube) or use commercially available tools. Touch and Flow applicators are not made for superglue.  If you don't use superglue often, by small tubes. Prolong the life of large tubes by keeping them in a jar with a tight lid and a packet of silica gel.  The featured topic was BPMS turning 50 in 2022. If we couldn't remember when we joined BPMS, we could remember where we went for our first meeting, The Clothes Horse, Marcy Photo Studios, Floyd Bennett Field, John Malone Community Center.  We could mark the anniversary with a special contest. Say, anything in 1/72 scale (we started in 72) or anything with a State name (50 states).  Feel free to make other suggestions.  We could also have a lunch with current and former members. We had one before and it was well attended.   The next meeting is 7/15/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope you can make it. 

~Russ

7/1/21 Zoom Meeting Report: Featured Discussion - Super Glues

Do you use CA glue? Plastic weld? Epoxy? Gorilla Glue? Let's discuss the finer points of alternative adhesives!

Fifteen people attended the meeting. BPMS's first in person event (lunch, not a regular meeting) since the start of the pandemic will be on Saturday, August 14 at Denino's Pizza, 524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island at 1 pm. Hope you can make it. Other clubs are also getting back out there. The Connecticut Yankees met last week and Hudson Valley is planning Air Museum visit in the near future. 

 

Just one new release reported, Das Werk's 1/35 French 155mm howitzer. We heard that items have been shipped but labor problems are delaying cargo off-loading and delivery. That may explain the lack of new releases. We were reminded to watch out for on line scams. If you buy from one site, get confirmation from a different site and the charge is supposed to paid to yet another site, something is fishy. You know what they say when an offer is too good to be true. 

 

In progress and completed work included: F-18 E, F-16, V-22 Osprey, Badger, Sd Kfz 222 vignette, Spirit of St Louis , Silbervogel antipodal bomber, RQ-MQ 1 Predator, DFS 230 Mistel conversion, PT-17, Do-335 and K-5Y Willow. Acquisitions included: two from Tamiya, 1/48 F-4B Phantom and 1/35 Pz Kw 4G, two from Atlantis in 1/40, AH-25 and Nike Hercules, Fine Molds 1/72 F-4E, and Trumpeter's 1/144 H6-K. This week's tool was unexpected, to say the least, the Premium Dental (aka denture) Bath. It makes sense. It's designed for soaking things for several hours and it has a built-in strainer. Another reason to visit the Dollar Store. 

 

We had time to talk about superglue this week, but only enough to go over the basics. Thin superglue can get everywhere and different brand gels can have different setting times. Several people use Loctite because of its side squeeze bottles. We saw how to turn a tea candle into a pool for superglue. Remove the wick, then make a depression in the wax to hold the glue. It beats applying glue straight from the container. 

 

Next meeting is 7/8/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. 

 

Have a safe 4th of July. 

 

~Russ

6/24/21 meeting

Fifteen people attended the meeting. 

It looks like things are getting back to normal, albeit slowly. Gil's model car club had their first in person meeting since the lockdown began and Vaughan reports the Connecticut Yankee club will meet in person on 6/29/21. Mark's Hudson Valley club has met outdoors more than once. But for BPMS, the Community Center is still closed for indoor events. We talked about meeting outdoors at the Center but bugs, lack of outdoor lighting, the fact that we don't pay for the venue, rain/humidity and bugs argue against outdoor meetings. Locked doors and bugs, however, are not reasons to miss another pizza night. We're looking at Denino's, 524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island. Good pizza, reasonable parking and pretty close to Brownie's Hobbies, 124 Bennett St, Staten Island. Tell me what days and times are good for you and I'll see what's best for most people. How about a Saturday, July 10 or 17 at 1:30 pm.? Do you like August better? Let me know. 

In industry news, Takom and Border Models are accusing each other of unfair business practices and in the UK, Machination Studios cancelled a Kickstarter project because of burdensome tax collection rules. These rules are expected to impact many small overseas operations. In progress and completed work included: a less than perfect 1/16 resin casting of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, a much, much better Peter Cushing /Grand Moff Tarkin bust, Fairey Rotodyne, Bieber submarine, Neger human torpedo, Hafner Rotabuggy conversion, Bf-109Z conversion, Romanian Bf-109, P-38 Lightning night fighter, SAAF Texan, Sd Kfz 221 vignette and 1/144 F-18E with aftermarket digital camouflage decals. Acquisitions included: PST's 1/72 T-54/T-55, Kitty Hawk's SU-30 S/M, decals from Flying Leathernecks (various Marine AC) and Air Graphics (various Coalition AC from various nations), pilots and ejection seats, Hobby Boss' 1/48 Rafale B , Revell's 1/72 Tornado ECR Tigermeet, Hobbycraft Prowler with detail kits, a T-55 and a RR flatcar from Miniart and several military and semi-military figures from Masterbox. Gil introduced us to layout and marking tools from INCRA. Bob, whose open shelves are full of models, reminded us dust can be removed with a 50/50 mix of Murphy's Oil Soap and water. Spray it on the model, let it sit from a few minutes then rinse it off. We had so much to discuss, from Midwest road trips to the demise of the Fairey Rotodyne and the Avro Arrow, to the Santa Maria Greenport mix up that we never talked about the featured topic, superglue. Join us on 7/1/21 and see if we talk about it then. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. Or at Denino's. 

~Russ

All - Correction: the Connecticut Yankee Club will be meeting on Wednesday, June 30 (that's what I get for talking from memory) from 7:00 to 9:00 at HobbyTown in Fairfield.  Sorry.  

~Vaughan 

6/17/21 meeting report: featured topic - interior decorating

Ever try to estimate how much interior detail will be visible on your finished model?  How'd that work out for you? 

Sixteen people attended the meeting including several we haven't seen in a while due to work and family commitments. Guys, it was good to see you. And for those who can't attend the Thursday meetings, let us know how you're doing and what you're building in an email. New releases: Kinetic's 1/48 something (sorry Lou, you were too fast for me) and Trumpeter's 1/144 Badger. Tamiya's 1/48 F4-B Phantom is on the way. In progress and completed work included: B-25 ( fishing sinker fragments in the nose, no Liquid Gravity for Chuck), Typhoon, CH-37B (it's been In progress for several years which, we're told, is not unusual for the older Special Hobby kits), Type XXI U-boat, Lysander Beach Strafer conversion, Thor IRBM (Glencoe was very good about replacement decals), P 1000 Land Battleship and Jurassic Park Hummer tow truck conversion. Acquisitions went from old (Palmer's Revolutionary War Cannon, Monkeymobile, Bad Medicine dragster, Bandi 1/48 armor kits) to new (the aforementioned 1/144 Badger, paper Zimmerit, resin F-16 and F-35 cockpits, 3D printed HO scale buildings). No word on when the Community Center will reopen but Mosquito Con is still on for 7/31/21. The Santa Maria replica arrived in Greenport. Testors liquid plastic cement is back, with the Rust-Oleum name prominently displayed. Will paints be returning? Charlie recommended several model-building podcasts that make his commute more enjoyable: Model Geeks, Plastic Model Mojo and On The Bench. There must be more out there. Care to share? Gil found a new tool, the Sharpen Air (they're on YouTube). It can straighten damaged 2- and 3-mm airbrush needles. It's good for Iwata and Grex airbrushes. It won't work with a Paasche dual action airbrush. That led to a discussion about stencils and how many cheap ones there are on AliExpress and how to filter their search engine to minimize unrelated results. We had a lot to say about interiors. Limiting details to visible spaces saves time, money and reduces aggravation. Aftermarket instrument panels and seat belts are widely used but the jury's still out when it comes to cockpit sidewall 3D decals. Sometimes, a pilot figure is the only thing you can see in a cockpit. Interior detailing can cause assembly problems. Dry-fit parts, especially aftermarket ones, early and avoid unpleasant surprises later. Frank had a specific issue - detailed jet engines that can't be displayed separately without messing up the look of the plane. A possible solution is tiny magnets. Careful placement can make most sections removable. Don uses magnets to hold propellers in place. They can be removed for transport/storage. For kits that have interiors and clear plastic skins, leaving some of the skin unpainted creates a cutaway model without any cutting. Lastly, interiors for 1/350 aircraft are available in case you're interested. The next meeting is 6/24/21 at 8pm. Invites to follow. Hope you can make it. 

~Russ

Bring Dad to Tanks, Wings, and Wheels at the American Heritage Museum on Father's Day Weekend

Tanks, Wings & Wheels – Featuring American Elegance

June 19 @ 9:00 am - June 20 @ 5:00 pm $15 – $25

https://www.americanheritagemuseum.org/event/tanks-wings-wheels-2/

6/10/21 meeting report: Weathering with Pencils

A surprisingly light turnout, nine people. No new releases reported. 

 

In industry news, Squadron is up and running. They're not backordering items, but they'll get back to you when the item is available and see if you're still interested. If you order something from them, let us know about your experience. 

 

After a few words about corporate swag and the ability of gun oil to remove corrosion and the tendency of WD-40 to degrade over time and damage plastic, Kosta shared his photos of tanks, aircraft and weapons from the recent show in Redding. He told us a full-size replica of the Santa Maria will be in Greenport, Long Island, June 17th -23rd and open to visitors from the 18th -22nd ($15.00,10am-8pm). Mark continued the nautical theme. Model Con 2021 will be held on the Battleship New Jersey on Aug 7, 2021. He also wants to cross the Delaware to see the USS Olympia and maybe the SS United States. Contact Kosta and Mark directly for details. For the landlubbers, in Hudson Massachusetts, The American Heritage Museum's Father's Day Weekend has tanks, aircraft and vintage cars on display. I sent a link earlier. 

 

In progress and completed work included: Hawker Typhoon (more on that later), Thor Missile (Glencoe's nice re-pop of the 1958 Adams kit), BM-13 Katyusha, Panzer 4-D, Stryker, Matilda and Moon Bus. Acquisitions included: Modelcollect's 1/72 Land Battleship detail kit, Academy's 1/144 B-52 H ( it's not the Pit Road kit) and Hobby Boss' 1/35 Land-Wasser-Schlepper. A few guys noticed Aliexpress is a good source for inexpensive stencils for airbrushing. They also noticed many of these stencils show up on eBay at significantly higher prices. Just saying. Bobby recalled a tip from early BPMS member Joe Turner, glue wet/dry sandpaper to a cafeteria type tray (with a rim), add water and sand without messing up your workbench. 

 

 For the Weathering with Pencils talk, Gil demonstrated several options: water color pencils from AK (wet the pencil, dab the model, spread with swab), soft pastel pencils from Koh-I- Nor Gioconda (not good over gloss coats), woodless color pencils from Koh-I-Nor Progresso, Prismacolor pencils and the good old #2 Ticonderoga (which works best on lighter colors). Markers, calligraphy pens and technical pens will be topics for another day. Remember the Hawker Typhoon? Good thing Vaughn took photos of the cockpit details, because no one can see them once the fuselage is assembled. We've all had similar experiences. Let's talk about it at the next meeting 6/17/21 at 8 pm. Hope you can make it.
 

~Russ

6/3/21 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report

Fourteen people attended the meeting. Not much in the way of new releases this week. Last week's big story was Squadron. This week it's Kitty Hawk / Panda. Are they closing down? No one knows. Like we said about Squadron, let's see what happens. In progress and completed work : Ar-234, cold war era Phanton FGR-2, Buick Riviera, Chevy Suburban, DM 13 Katyusha, Metal Earth train, and two 1/8 scale automotive pieces, a Shelby Cobra 427 engine (weight - couple of pounds) and James Bonds Aston Martin (weight - 28 pounds). The Ar-234 and the FGR-2 builds led to an interesting discussion of the development history of both aircraft and the changes and unusual measures required to accommodate design modifications. Thanks, Vaughn and Frank. Acquisitions included: Machination Studio's armored walker, the mouse from The March of the Wooden Soldiers (aka Babes in Toyland), Bassist Katarina, Jack Palance as Dracula , Fritz Lang 'ish' Fem-Bot, RQ/MQ- 1 Predator, Russian pilot figures, German WW2 license plates (PE) and Sparmax airbrush. The featured tool was Gil's airbrush maintenance station, a heavy Plexiglas block, drilled to accept one end of a quick disconnect fitting. With the fitting's other end attached to the airbrush, it can be securely mounted to the base for disassembly, cleaning/repair and reassembly. Magnets countersunk into the block prevent metal parts from rolling away. Depressions cut into the block do the same for nonmetallic parts. Pretty neat. The discussion was about finishes. Apparently, we use a variety of products, Dullcote (even if it changes the color of what's being coated), Gunze Flat (even if it's hard to get), Rustall Flat (even if it's from MicroMart), Vallejo Gloss, Flat & Semigloss and a new one , to me at least, Polycrilic Varnish from Minwax. It cleans up with water and it's very thin. Golden Paint makes a matt finish BUT IT HAS TO BE CLEANED UP WITH AMMONIA. Many people recommended overthinning these products which led to questions about airbrush tip sizes and which work best for a specific task. Now that you know all about finishes, join us on 6/10/21 at 8 pm and learn about weathering with pencils. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.

~Russ

5/27/21 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report: Featured topic - Alignment

Twelve people attended the meeting. There would have been more if the link in the reminder email worked properly. Sorry for the inconvenience. 

The big news is the apparent return of Squadron. It's supposed to happen soon. Let's see what happens. Two new releases were mentioned, a 1/48 Tempest Mk 2 (radial engine) from Special Hobby and a new 1/35 Kettenkrad (mid production) from Tamiya. 

Completed and in progress work included: Kitty Hawk's 1/32 P-39 Q (a bear to build, according to Vaughn) and Atlantis Models' 1/46 P-39 (a stroll down memory lane, according to Bob), Hobbycraft's Bf-109 E, Hasegawa's MK 9 Continental Spitfire, Ertl's King Tiger, ICM's truck mounted Katyusa, Amusing Hobby's P-1003/1 Wasserflug, Modelcollect's P 1000 Land Battleship, Ar E-581, and a VW Van made into a dragster by some bodywork and the addition of a Allison 12 cylinder engine. ICM's MiG-25 trainer, ModelSvit's Mirage 3E and a set of decals for the V-22 Osprey were the only items acquired this week. 

We got a tip on flattening Dullcoat's finish. Pour off 1/3 of the factory thinner and replace it with lacquer thinner. A discussion of WW2 German flying saucers led to a recommendation to watch military historian Mark Felton's YouTube videos. This week's tool was a drill bit gauge, useful for sizing rods/dowels. Screw gauges are less useful for this. 

If you're looking for places to visit, Vaughn reports the Connecticut Air and Space Center at Bridgeport Airport in Stratford opens on May 29. Mark likes the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks CT and Frank just got back from the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum In Cape May NJ. We didn't hear much about armor, ship and car museums. Maybe next time? 

We discussed tools and methods to ensure alignment (that dang Kitty Hawk P-39 Q again). We heard about repurposed tools (foam blocks, square glue bottles, binder clips, rubber bands, tempered glass pane, marble slab), specialty tools (3rd hand, tweezers mounted to a base, 1-2-3 blocks, magnetic welding squares on a steel base plate, machinist bookends) and custom-made jigs (3/8 thick plexiglass with drilled holes to accept Berna Multi Clamps). We also heard tips on assembly (use small lengths of sprue to replace mis-aligned locator pins, glue multi piece fuselage sections together on a flat surface, THEN glue the fuselage halves together - poorly written but you get the idea). 

The next meeting is 6/3/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ

5/20/21 meeting report

Thirteen people attended the meeting. Two model pledges were made. This was our first meeting with closed captioning. It was interesting to compare what was said to what appeared on the bottom of the screen. They caught everything and most of it was accurate. Not court stenographer accurate but good enough. 

 

Several new releases were announced: a 1/35 Jackal from Hobby Boss, a 1/144 B-52 H from Academy AND one from Great Wall. Great Wall also has a B-52 G and Me 323 Gigant (reboxed Pit Road kit?) both in 1/144. 

 

We saw a lot of in- progress and completed work: FGR2 Phantom in RAF markings, MiG-23 mounted on a stylish, space saving and, let's just say, inexpensive stand, King Tiger, Junkers G-23/24 conversion, DC-4 with aftermarket decals and Bandai's Millennium Falcon with photoetch (from Green Strawbery) and interior lighting (from Gil). Acquisitions included two items from Zvezda, a snap fit Ju-87 B2 and a Soviet MG team, Flying Leathernecks decals and Atlantic's PBY-5A Catalina. 

 

We saw pictures of Covid builds by Hudson Valley AMPS members at their first in person meeting since the lockdown began. As of now, the Hudson Valley show is on for October, Armorcon is on for September and Mosquitocon for July. 

 

The discussion topic was keeping dust off wet paint. Don recommended the Boot Box from the Container Store and Frank likes the plastic protectors that come with large cakes. Gil had a different approach, attach the piece to a dowel or chopstick or equivalent, paint it and hang it upside down. He's also used a food dehydrator on models painted with enamels. We closed with more paint related stuff: turning pipe plugs or sanding drums into adjustable holders (good for holding cylinders), inexpensive microbrush source (look for eyelash makeup applicators online), pigments (turning them into paint), pigment pots (another cosmetic item) and Micro Q Tips. 

 

Next meeting is 5/27/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ

 

BPMS Zoom Meeting Report: May 13, 2021

The May 13 BPMS Zoom meeting drew 16 people, including the welcome return of Peter K, studying at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, PA. We are still waiting for word about when our Bergen Beach meeting place might re-open, but plans call for Zoom meetings to continue even when live action resumes.

Beginning next month, the BPMS Zoom meeting will be closed-captioned to make sure our hearing- and otherwise-impaired friends can join in. Our virtual meeting organizer Russel H requested the service from Zoom, and a trial run showed the very readable screen text keeps up with English conversation but cannot spell the names of German vehicles.

Industry Informant Lou brought news of a 1/700 scale USS Missouri from Very Fire, a 1/32 scale early-model SPAD S.XIII from Roden, and two 1/72 scale Stryker fighting vehicles from Dragon armed with anti-tank missiles and 40 mm gun. Joe B showed a newly acquired 1/72 scale rail flatcar from T-Model, supplied with a pre-cut photo-etch detail fret. Keven K presented a ¼ scale resin-cast Liz from the Hellboy movies. Vaughan A had a 1/72 scale Piaggio Avanti from AModel.

Vaughan also showed off the attractive improvements he made in an otherwise primitive 1/48 scale Tempest V fighter bomber from ESCI/ERTL. Roger P had his impressively re-painted large-scale Mustang reclaimed from an unnamed toy. Gil presented his beautifully weathered and detailed 1/32 scale Moebius Raptor from the recent Battlestar Gallactica TV series. He also showed off a simple but universally useful tool – inexpensive glass stirring rods with round ends are handy to mix and transfer paint and easy to clean. Vaughan suggested wire twist ties bent into a loop can be precise applicators for one drop of touchy cyanoacrylate glue.

Work In Progress included a 1/48 Phantom FGR.2 being built by Frank C, a 1/72 scale Swordfish and Hurricane underway by Chuck C, and the Sonhorst 1/72 scale land battle cruiser being assembled by Don I. Howell S paused his carpet search for a missing diving plane jettisoned by his 1/350 scale Trafalgar nuclear submarine. Mark N showed off his yet-to-be-painted 1/35 scale Sd Kfz.222 from the Tamiya kit.

Our discussion of modelling trauma included tales of the Great Phantom Fog-Over when a clear finish turned opaque white in high humidity; paint pollution when dog hairs and fingerprints appeared in pristine paintjobs; and self-mutilation when the hobby knives really came out. Don shared his unique memory of a model airplane wing glued to a 50 lb cat. All the disasters were fixed by sandpaper, cutting boards, brush touchups, and fur clippers. BPMS members finally considered a profound question: Why are modelers not born with four hands?

Next Meeting Thursday, May 20. See ya then.

~Frank

5/6/21 meeting report

Eighteen people attended the meeting. Twelve of them named their pledge model. Now all they have to do is build it by October and they get 5 extra tickets for the Super Raffle. Pledges, either by email or at a meeting, will be accepted until the end of the month. One new release was reported, Broco's 1/48 MiG 15. In progress and completed work included: Bf-109 D2, Atlas ICBM, (Metal Earth) Locomotive, Dick Tracy (not to be confused with Fearless Fosdick), 62 Pontiac Catalina 421 SD (with nail polish paint job), P-1000 Land Battleship, WW1 cavalrymen, DUKW, and a F-8 Crusader (touching down on a carrier). Acquisitions- a shocking (well, shocking by BPMS standards) difference of opinion on the Minibase Su-33 kit that led to a discussion on parts count, part size, loosing parts, aligning parts and related joys of the hobby. Alpine Miniatures' German WW2 figures, Revell's GMC Big Game Country Pick Up, an inexpensive knockoff airbrush and compressor rounded out the acquisitions. We got a tip on thinning small batches of Mr. Surfacer 1200. In the tool segment, we saw that scratch brushes, with steel, brass or nylon bristles, can be used to remove paint layers for a weathered effect and we saw that some rotary tool wire brushes can do the same thing when mounted on an Xacto type handle. This led to an explanation of the "hairspray" and "salt" weathering techniques. 

Someone asked about hobby shops. A couple of names were mentioned- Rudy's in Astoria, Red Caboose in Manhattan, Brownies on Staten Island, Ridgefield in (where else?) Ridgefield NJ, Willis in Mineola. I'm sure there are a few more. Tell us what's near you, even if it's outside the NYC area. A road trip sounds pretty good about now. The meeting ended with a discussion on continuing zoom meetings once in-person meetings resume. Everyone agreed the virtual meetings are worthwhile and should continue. Presuming in-person meetings are the 3rd Friday of the month, virtual meetings would be the 1st Thursday of the month. We're also looking into ways to use zoom at the in-person meetings. The next meeting is 5/13/21 at 8 pm. FRANK C will send the invites. Hope you can make it. 

~Russ

Gee, that list makes it look like there are hobby shops all over! As the plague lifts, maybe a road trip is in order. AAA Hobbies in Magnolia NJ is well-stocked.
In response to Glenn's question: hobbylinc.com, spruebrothers.com, kitlinx.com are all well-stock and reputable sources, with reasonable shipping charges.

Stay away from Internet Hobbies and his spin-off sites.
~Frank

4/29/21 meeting report

Big news, maybe. The mayor announced NYC will be open by July. Does that include the Community Center? Is the Community Center able to give us back out old time slot? If there's light at the end of the tunnel, it's pretty dim at the moment. Anyhow, fifteen people attended the meeting. Some new releases were noted: HK Models' 1/48 scale B-17F and Bandai's 1/12 scale Mandalorian and a smaller scale Razor Crest. The Bandai kits are available in two different finishes. In progress and completed work included: XP-79 Flying Ram, Weserflug P-1003, B&V P-178 (with a camo scheme done in waterproof India ink), Sikorski H-34 (with rotor blade hangers scratch built from glue-soaked laminated paper strips), AMX RC-10, Atlas ICBM, a beat-up Mustang that started life as a $3.00 motorized toy car and the Spirit of Saint Louis. In the tool segment, we saw a homemade parabolic work light made by attaching LED strip lighting to a thin strip of metal, say 3 ' long, anchored in wood blocks, say 2' apart with a power source from MPJA.com. In the walkaround section, we saw two vehicles from the Aberdeen Proving Ground, a M-4 Sherman with coaxial flamethrower and the Elefant. We also saw aircraft displayed at the Dayton's USAF Museum, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, New Orleans' National WW2 Museum, the Udvar Hazy Center and several other locations. We are, excuse me, were, a well-travelled group of modelers. But don't travel at 8 pm on May 6. That's our next meeting. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.
~Russ

Schedule of Events 2020

Schedule of Events

• January - Kit Sale / Declare Pledges
• February - Show Us Your Tool / Contest Night 1Q2021
• March - Decal Swap Night / Fav Model
• April - Work In Progress Night
• May - Parts Box Night / Contest Night 2Q2021
• June - Theme Contest / BBQ Night
• July - TBA Clinic
• August - Pizza Night / Contest Night 3Q2021
• September - TBA clinic
• October - Nominations / Pledge Model Night
• November - Contest Night 4Q2021 / Super Raffle
• December - Theme Contest / Holiday Desserts

THE GOLDEN AGE OF AURORA THEME CONTEST: DECEMBER 202

December  2021!!!

THE GOLDEN AGE
 
OF AURORA
 

THEME CONTEST
 

Celebrating 70 Years

of Models!

Who among us in this hobby doesn’t have some sort of memory of a fond AURORA memory? To celebrate the 70^th Anniversary of AURORA MODELS we bring to you THE GOLDEN AGE OF AURORA theme contest for June. The criteria are simple: build any model produced by Aurora, Polar Lights (re-pop), Monogram (who acquired the remaining Aurora molds from the train wreck), Moebius (did a minor re-pop), Atlantis (re-pop), Doll and Hobby (newest re-pop company). Revell USA acquired a few molds, and a short-lived spin off company called Addar would all be acceptable. Since AURORA produced models in every niche, there’s something for everyone, and with all the re-issues over the years, they aren’t cost restrictive any longer. 

Here is a video on YouTube on the history of Aurora:

https://youtu.be/KBgCRQ2wIvw

Feel free to contact the sponsors with and questions or comments!

Sponsors:

·       Joe Bergman

·       Kevin Kilkenny

A list of the BPMS Theme Contests over the years

1997 – Science Fiction
1998 – The 50s
1998 – To the Rescue
1999 – Israel
1999 – Conceptual
2000 – On Patrol
2000 – The Marines
2001 – Humor
2001 – Diorama
2002 – Space
2002 – “Old Model”
2003 – Things With Teeth
2003 - A Moment in Time
2004 – Adversaries
2004 – US Military
2005 - In the Movies
2005 - Cats
2006 – Worn, Weathered, and Working
2006 – Star Wars / Star Trek Anniversaries
2007 – Vintage 1965
2007 – We Mean Business
2008 – Warsaw Pact
2008 – NASA
2009 – A Mad, Mad, Mad Theme Contest
2009 – Size Matters
2010 – Naval Aviation
2010 – Things That Sting
2011 – Classic Monogram
2011 – The Twilight Zone
2012 – That 70s Theme
2012 – End of the World
2013 - Television
2013 - Sloppy Seconds 
2014 - Asian Invasion 
2014 - Western European Tour 1944 - 1945 
2015 - Modeling With the Stars 
2015 - New Kids on the Block 
2016 - Basic Black
2016 - Island Hopping 
2017 - Star Wars 40th Anniversary 
2017 - Peaceful Plastic 
2018 - WWII - 1946 
2018 - Rivets!
2019 - NASA: 50th Anniversary of the Moon-landing 
2019 - D-Day to The Battle of the Bulge - 75th Anniversary
2020  (no themes due to COVID-19)
2021 - 70 Years of Aurora Models (delayed one year)

04/22/2021 BPMS Zoom mini meeting - Featured topic: References

Even with a delayed start due to the host's technical problems, sixteen people attended the meeting including a guy who usually avoids virtual meetings. Who, you ask? Well, he may not be famous but he certainly is original. One new release was reported, Minibase's 1/48 Su-33. In progress and completed work included: Galileo 7 shuttle (with added interior), F-105G, Ar-234 (with extensive cockpit detailing), Northrup M-9M flying wing, Panzer 4 F1, Jekyll/Hyde figure, WW1 cavalrymen, AMX 10RC, Trawler, Tatra 97, (Metal Earth) Hopper Car, and Mirage ( with Greek markings). Acquisitions included: Modelcollect's 1/72 Land Battleship (it's big, with 1,068 individual track links), Machination Studio's MB-1 Armored Walker and Velocipede. The featured tool was the seam scraper. Not the blade type, which works well enough, but the specialized type, with multiple cutouts for smoothing joints and shaping precise angles and radii on plastic parts. A simple, useful tool manufactured by several companies. Thanks, Gil. 

 

The discussion topic was references. Books are still popular sources of inspiration but the good ones aren't cheap and they go out of print too soon, it seems. The internet, YouTube and Facebook Groups dedicated to both prototype and model kit provide a lot of information. Some out-of-print books wind up on the Internet where they can be downloaded. Museums and static displays combined with smartphone cameras give us all the photos we need. Until we get home and realize we missed that critical detail. Films, even black and white help to visualize the completed work. It seems there is no single, perfect reference source. I'm sure we'll revisit this topic in future. Before the meeting closed, it was suggested we have a group built in memory of BPMS member Tim Greenman. Tim was well known for his work with small scale armor so we're asking everyone to build a 1/72 scale tank by August 2021. Details will follow. 

 

The next meeting is 4/29/21 at 8 pm. invites to follow. Hope to see you there.

~Russ

4/15/21 BPMS Mini meeting, featured topic: blades

Thirteen people attended the meeting. No new releases were reported. In process and completed work included: LSSC boat, Ford GT 40, F-190, B-25B, SH-3, F-105F, Mi-24 Hind, Haunebu, He-279, Ar-386, F-4U Corsair, KV-1, F-4D1 Skyray and SRN-1 hovercraft, who's warped parts were fixed by sandwiching a sheet of aluminum between the upper and lower halves. We saw more acquisitions: AMX-10 RC, Paint masks for Panzer 3 and 4 wheels, KV-1 resin replacement detail pieces, decals for Vietnam era Sheridans and M113s and figures from Evolution and Stalingrad. The topic for discussion was blades, #11s mostly, but also #22s and scalpels. Gil demonstrated sharpening a #11 blade with a tool and oil from Diamond Ejer. Don described how he uses water and a 4 grade diamond stone from Harbor Freight to keep his edge. Vaughn uses a whetstone to keep his carving tools sharp. Of course, a good blade needs a good handle and we saw several examples from Fiskars. Their fingertip knife is great for cutting out decals as long as you don't scratch you nose while using it. Moving away from blades, we learned that tea candle holders are great at keeping paint bottles from toppling over and we saw a cheap, low tech (double sided tape and jelly jar lid) system to keep glue bottles from falling over. One guy claims he never knocked over a glue bottle because he never stopped using tube glue. And you should never stop attending our virtual meetings. The next one is 4/22/21 at 8 pm. Invite to follow. Hope to see you there. 

 

~Russ

 

4/8/21 Zoom mini meeting report

Fifteen people attended the meeting. Several new releases this week, Kinetic's 1/48 Pucara, GR3 and AV-8 A, Italeri's 1/72 T-55 A, Academy's 1/144 B-52 H and Trumpeter's 1/700 USS Alaska. In progress and completed work included: Type VIIC, Type XXI and Gato Class submarines, FW-189, C47A, Ar-581, He -279, WW 1 cavalrymen, Ford 100 pick-up, X-15, Battlestar Galactica, SR N-1, F-105G, Sherman, Centaur with deep wading trunks, Porsche 956 and Mercedes Sauber C-9. The featured topic was 'what are you waiting for' but some guys couldn't wait. Here's what they got: Type VII C U boat, Ford Expedition, Chevy Cameo pick-up, Stout Skycar 2, MiG-25 and KC-10 Extender. Even so, there'll always be kits we want. One person observed that the phrases I need and I want are pretty much interchangeable when it comes to this hobby. Our collective wish list goes from general (anything weird) to specific (Curtis NC-4, USS Brooklyn, USS Oregon City, Alsace Class battleship, HSwMS Gotland, Ford Trimotor floatplane, Sherman Duplex Drive tank, S-67, S-92, Mi-7 and Mi-8 helicopters, Hammerhead Corvette [from the Star Wars franchise, not from the Bowling Green KY assembly plant], missiles in 1/48 and reissues of the 1/144 USS Fletcher, the 1/16 Schwimmwagen, the 1/16 Porsche Speedster and the 1/72 U-2-R. The tools/materials segment focused on lead wire. Designed for tying flies, and available in diameters from .030" to .025", it's soft enough to shape into realistic plumbing /hydraulic lines and takes paint well. We also discussed methods to straighten warped plastic parts and an old favorite, stretched sprue. The next meeting is 4/15/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.
~Russ

04/01/2021 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report

Fourteen people attended the meeting. We continue to wait for news of when we can return to the Community Center. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Convention is still on schedule. There's a rumor that some events will be held outdoors. Plastic + outdoors + Nevada + August = interesting. Thanks to the camouflage topic we saw lots of completed and in progress work: He-112, Mothman, Panther A,R-35, T-34, MiG-37B, Valentine, X -15, MiG-21 bis, MiG 23, F-5E, F-4E, F-100, F-104, Mirage 3, T-34/76, T-34/85. We saw examples of hand brushed, masked and free hand airbrushed camouflage patterns and we got a referral to DOCTOR MiG on You Tube. An old timer's camouflage tip, start with the darker colors first. Acquisitions included: Mr. Black Publications' WW2 Special Vol 5 on sculpting and painting figures, Dicfeos headband magnifiers, Takom's 1/16 Wiesel, Dioramag's latest book, metal T-34 and Panther track sets, Flakpanther with turret options, Discovery XD-1 and Master X's He-279. In the tool segment we learned "Nail Art Tips" designed manicurists, etc., are useful for creating a customized swatch book for your paint inventory. More convenient than using plastic spoons and much less likely to end up in your coffee cup. Other paint topics included craft paints (useful, may require priming, difficult to airbrush), multi surface paints, art markers, Inks (acrylic and traditional), acrylic extenders, Tamiya's enamel panel liners and Leroy and Rapidograph technical pens. The next meeting is 4/8/21 ay 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope you can make it.

~Russ

03/25/2021 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report

Fifteen people attended the meeting and they were surprisingly good at Name That Sprue. Any subject, any scale, it didn't matter. Every sprue except one (more later) was identified, Sea Lynx, Jet Ranger, Ekranoplan, Lear Jet, Kingfisher, Typhoon, Avenger, Typhoon, Neanderthal Man, Brumbar, Priest. You get the idea. Maybe we'll see this contest again. One new release reported, Takom's Panther G, early, with zimmerit. In progress and completed work included: MiG 21 bis, Type XXI U-boat, Viggen, Dune Buggy, Metal Earth's Box Car and Gondola, Ford 5 Window Coupe, Galaxie sedan (conversion from Police Interceptor), Fw-189, Junkers G-24, Zeppelin and K Type Blimp (the un-named sprue). Even with that supertanker parked in the Suez Canal, guys are still getting stuff: Border Models' early Tiger 1, Ryefield's Panzer 3 with interior, Legend Productions' Zombie heads, weapons and equipment, Airfix's Spitfire 5C, RS Models' Coudron C-445, Arma's Hurricane Mk 2 B/C and FM-2 Wildcat, ARBA's Ar-581-4, Antares' He-162, Me-262 and Fw-190 Mistel combinations and Academy's pair of T-6 Texans. We heard several helpful hints. Metal leafing glue, intended for gold leaf, can be used to salvage old Bare Metal Foil sheets and Kabuki tape is very good for canopies. And we saw how a jigsaw or a Sawzall can be used to agitate paint bottles and spray cans. You had to see it to understand it. That's why you should join us on 4/1/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. hope to see you there.
~Russ

03/18/2021 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report

Sixteen people attended the meeting. Two of them were brothers. If you didn't attend, you'll have to guess who they are. One new release was reported, (Ryefield's) Initial Production Tiger 1, with interior. Too many Tigers? Nah, there's always room for more. In progress and completed work included: WW1 cavalrymen, MiG 21 bis, Challenger 2 with enhanced armor and plow, three submarines (Type VII C, Type XXI and Gato Class), Fokker DR-1, Hawker Hurricane, multiple Pz Kw IVs and T 34s (this will be one heck of a wargame table), (Metal Earth) Caboose, Mad Max Interceptor, Ho 229 and two Me 262 variants. Acquisitions include : (Meng) Super Hornet, (Pj Production) pilots with jhmc helmets, (Master Box) zombie hunter and (Academy) PBY 5A. We heard how tail-heavy solid body aircraft can be balanced by drilling out the body and filling the cavities with Liquid Gravity. We saw the new Revell acrylic paint. Actually, we saw the 18 ml container which looks like a tinlet in a box. Expect a review of the paint in a few weeks. However, we did get a detailed review of PanPastel, soft pastels that can be applied like paint or even in place of paint, Gil's Mad Max Interceptor being a case in point. More durable (and more expensive) than chalk pastels, they work well on flat and gloss finishes and come in a number of colors, including metallics. Thanks, Gil. Our next meeting of is 3/25/21 and it marks ONE YEAR of weekly virtual meetings. The first one was 4/2/20. We'll celebrate the anniversary with "Name That Sprue," a memory contest for modelers. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

 
~Russ

A Visual Guide to the Fake Fleets and Inflatable Armies of World War II

 https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/wwii-ghost-army