Fourteen people attended. No Zoom next Tuesday. The in-person meeting is Friday, 5/15/26, at the Community Center, in Brooklyn. Be there for Parts Box Night and the second Quarterly Contest, not to mention cake and coffee.
There's a group build at Japan Village, 934 3rd Ave, in Brooklyn, from 1-6 pm on Saturday, 5/23/26. Thanks to Julio and the co-organizers for setting it up.
Lou reports Heller's new 1/72 E 2C Hawkeye, with folding wings, is available.
We saw Vaughn's F-101 C and Sikorsky S-38, Nestor's DC-3 to LC-47H conversion, Mr. K's Challenger (the British tank, not the American car), IL 28 (marked as a Finnish target tug), Bristol Beaufighter (another target tug paint scheme), '56 Chevy Bel Air and '32 Ford Street Rod (both painted with nail polish), Simon's Ju-52 (the old Airfix kit), Saab B16, Kawasaki P1, Westland Wyvern, and Mitsubishi A5M, Kevin's 3D printed Alce in Wonderland figure, Frank C's AV-8B Harrier, Bobby's 'Buddy Cuthulhu' and Russ' Vigilante RA 5C. Acquisitions included: T34-85 (the 1/16 kit was free, provided it gets built), 3D printed Kubelwagon crew in winter gear, marbling masking tape, US Civil War Zouave, two 3D printed female figures copied from 19th century paintings, Preiser German and Soviet Infantry figures (see, not everything is 3D printed), and a headband magnifier.
The tool of the week was the Peasug deburring tool. Designed for heavy duty work on metal, it's also good at cleaning up softer material, like 3D printed parts, or wood, or plastic. Gil got it from Amazon. Similar tools are available elsewhere.
3D printing was the featured topic. No one disagreed when Simon said 3D printing was the future of scale modeling, yet half the people at the meeting had little to no experience with 3D printed parts or kits. Joe commented on the detail of the 3D printed N scale railroad equipment he found. Jimmy, a convert from photo etch to 3DP, is very familiar with manufacturers and suppliers from around the world. He's impressed with all the aftermarket he's seen - AFV tool clamps, brush guards, and woven mesh engine vent covers, jet exhaust nozzles, and ordnance, pilots, and military figures, in any scale you need. And if you can't find what you want, you'll probably find a STL file you can have printed. Just Google the item name with the letters STL added or visit the Cults 3D website. Other observations: Prints from resin printers are more detailed than prints from filament printers. High resolution printers were mentioned but not really discussed. t's a good idea to wash the printed piece before handling it, especially if it's tacky or has a strong odor. Bobby says exposure to full spectrum light can eliminate the odor. Play it safe and wear gloves until the piece is thoroughly cleaned (ask Julio). Removing large items from their supports is usually easy, not so for small scale items. Frank C found this out after getting a 1/144 aircraft ground support crew and equipment print. Gil thinks an oscillating knife would work, but it's not cheap. A soak in hot water, a hair dryer, a razor saw and patience may be the way to go. Surface imperfections caused by removing supports can be filled with UV curing resin. Finally, be aware that hollow or partially hollow printed pieces must breathe. They need a functioning vent hole, or else the piece will self-destruct.
The next meeting is Friday, 5/15/26 at the Community Center, 2303 Bergen Ave, in Brooklyn. Doors open around 5pm. Parts Box Night and the second Quartey Contest. Hope to see you there.
~Russ
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