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 

  

 

  

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 

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

 

 

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Joe B - Fleshtones and Eyeballs.pdf
Spotlights [old] - Holcomb Alvarado Kasza[x2] Ferrara Gertner Reinert Keegan Rosati Maroney Batterman Pokorny Eng.pdf
Weathering Models by Eric Reinert.pdf
Spotlight - Rob Garitta.pdf
Spraying Gloss Finishes by Bobby Kasza.pdf
That 50s Display.pdf 

SPOTLIGHT - Rosati - Maroney - Batterman - Pokorny - Eng.pdf
BPMS By Laws V2.pdf  

BPMS By Laws.pdf

BPMS - Ware

  

 

 

  

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

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

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!

 

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

 

  

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 

 

 

  

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 14^th will be the first date for 2026. The meeting spot is once again Japan Village, 934 3^rd 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

BPMS Group Build at Japan Village! 3/21/26 1-5 PM

 

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: Feb 10, 2026

Featured Discussion: Dealing with dust! 

 

Twelve people attended. There's no Tuesday Zoom next week; the in-person meeting is Friday,  the 20th, at the Community Center in Brooklyn. It's the first Quarterly Contest and Show Us Your Tool night. 

Lou reported AFV Club's 1/35 M51A2 Gun Truck and Academy's 1/144 Boeing 737 E7 are available. 

We saw Erasmo's Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet and English Electric Lightning, Mr. K's 29 Ford Woody, Wildcat crop sprayer conversion,  P-51 air racer, B-25, and 3 Soviet submarines, Simon's HP 52 Hadley Page Hamden, Kevin's Ekranoplan and Yak-36 and Gil's 3D printed hubless 3-wheel motorcycle. 

 

The acquisitions keep coming: F-101C, Z-37A Cemelak crop duster, M 2128 Bradley, MS-06 Zaku 2 Thunderbolt, A4 E & A4 M Skyhawks, books and too many aftermarket sets to mention here (see the BPMS Facebook page) and Battledroid Valkyrie VF-1S (with more aftermarket stuff).

This week's tool was a wire bending jig. Gil uses the simple tool to bend coat hanger wire into pretty much any shape he needs. Doesn't take up much room in the toolbox, either. Michael C showed us some tools he uses for dust control, a blower/vacuum, and a dust collector designed for manicurists but useful for modelers. He sent links to these, and other, products to everyone on the group email. Thanks, Michael. Gil warned us that "Dust Off" is too highly pressurized to use on models. He has a refillable aluminum cannister that he can fill to a pressure suitable for delicate cleaning. I'll forward the link. Thanks, Gil.

Fortunate modelers have cabinets to keep dust away. Slightly less fortunate ones use any (preferably) transparent containers they can get. Joe likes the scrapbook boxes at Michael's. You can repurpose containers, too. Russ likes the ones Ferrero Rocher uses for the holidays; Kevin recommends the lidded, plastic containers restaurants use for leftovers. Purpose built (not cheap) dust covers are also available commercially. 

 

If your models are kept in the open, do like Mr. K and spray them with a 50/50 mix of water and Murphy's Oil Soap, let sit for a few minutes, and rinse with water. Jimmy does something similar, putting a model in sink, running water with a little dish soap through his hands and over the model and letting it dry.

 

Lou had the most interesting method of the night. He recalled a story in FSM where a guy said he used dust mites to clean his fully rigged USS Constitution. I don't know, maybe it was their April edition?

 

The next meeting is Friday, 2/20/26, in Brooklyn. Doors open around 5pm and the meeting starts around 7:30. 

 

Bring your tool, your contest entry, your pledge model, and, most importantly, your 2026 dues. Hope to see you there. 

 

~Russ

  

 

  

BPMS In-house Meeting: February 20, 2026

We have a fun night planned for February!

Show Us Your Tool: This activity may sound vulgar but has been a fun tradition for decades. Do you have a favorite tool that you like to use? Have you found a new tool the members might want to know about? Do you have a method to get things done that is really helpful? Bring it in and show the group!

 

Contest Night 1Q: The first quarterly contest is upon us. Feel free to bring in models that you haven’t previously brought in for a quarterly contest.  If you built something new for the December theme contest, you are invited to bring it back for competition.

 

Model Pledges: I am still making the list for this year’s Pledges. Speak with Bobby for details!

 

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

 

BPMS Bulletin in PDF format 2026 02  

BPMS ZOOM MINI MEETING REPORT: February 3rd, 2026

Fifteen people attended. We met Al L, a sci-fi and WW2 ship modeler from Brooklyn who found us on Facebook. Welcome Al, you have two weeks to figure out how to get to Bergen Beach for the February in-person meeting.

Bobby was part of an IPMS Region One meeting about June's Noreastcon in Rochester. They're looking for people to give clinics, also looking for sponsors. 

Lou reports Airfix's 1/35 Alvis FV 662, 1/72 Westland Wessex HC 2, 1/48 Supermarine Spitfire PR XIX, and 1/144 SLS Artemis are available. 

We saw Vaughn's F-105 G (he liked the Trumpeter kit but was disappointed with the generic color callouts), Michael C's AT AT (the MPC kit has major fit issues), Chuck's 1/48 Jeep (part of the P-47 kit - the best part, according to Chuck), Gil's 3D printed hubless bagger motorcycle with rider, Kevin's Salome figure, and Frank C's AH-64A Apache and F-104.

 

Acquisitions included: Serenair compressor with airbrush, Dora Railway Gun, Ki-64 Hein, and Victory 357 Hawk Ekranoplan.

Gil created this week's tool by using a W440 tap to thread a metal BBQ skewer to accept two nuts to secure an item for painting.

Fixing or not fixing mistakes was our topic. We heard about shattered decals, reversed decals, incorrect decals, incorrect colors, rushed paint jobs, blemished paint jobs, parts ruined while being "corrected", parts not installed before the canopy was glued in place,  and parts inadvertently thrown away.  Some mistakes are easily corrected if you have a spare kit to replace the broken/missing part. Some could have been avoided if you thought ahead or didn't work when you were rushed and/or tired. Having good lighting at the workbench and painting a prime coat will find mistakes when they're relatively easy to fix. Two former judges said judging made them better builders. And, sometimes, trying to fix a mistake only makes things worse. So, make the best of it, learn from your mistake, and get back to work. 

The next meeting is on Tuesday, 2/10/26 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Enjoy your Super Bowl Party leftovers as we talk about America's real favorite pastime, building models. 

 

~Russ