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Friday, August 14, 2026

BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting - August 11, 2026

Fifteen people attended, including Keith (IPMS/Race City Modelers, Troutman, NC) who we met at Ft . Wayne. Welcome, Keith. Hope you can stick around. 
 
No Tuesday Zoom next week; the in-person meeting is Friday 8/21/26 at the Community Center. It's Pizza Night and the 3rd quarterly contest. Doors open around 5; pizza arrives around 7:30. Come early, help set up, or work on a kit, or just hang out.

Julio arranged another group build at Pier 57 in Manhattan on 9/5/26. Details to follow. Thanks, Julio.

The lucky few who went to Ft . Wayne gave their opinions of the event and shared some photos. No doubt they'll do it again on the 21st. Kevin has already asked for write ups and photos for the Bulletin.

Lou reports Glencoe's 1/76 Vanguard rocket with gantry and the following 1/35 AK Interactive kits are available: FJ43 SUV W/hard top, FJ43 Pickup W/DShKM, FJ43 Pickup W/SPG-9 Recoilless, FJ43 SUV W/Soft Top, IDF &LAF 1, Infantry Support Weapon DShKM, IDF Accessories, Breuer IV Rail Shunter, Automotore FS206/207/208, Land Rover 88, Land Rover 88 Station Wagon, Land Rover 88 Crane Tow Truck, Photographers (Different Eras), Children Set #1, SD.KFZ.234/2 Puma, Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D Africa Korps (three versions), and '53 Studebaker (Mr. Speed) 
 
Gil found an inexpensive, slotted metal C Track online. Screwed to a firm base and using suitable clamps, it ensures the part stays flat.

We saw Vaughn's Skycrane and the weapons tray he's scratch building for his Vigilante modification. Hugh spent time correcting a decaling error, and Chuck is still polishing out the turpentine damaged glass nose on a B-25, using Flitz metal polish, followed by Mother's Magnesium and Aluminum polish. We also saw Frank C's F-102 and C-5.

Ft Wayne acquisitions included several Tamiya RSO/01s, at least one Squadron B-24 J, and bargains from the three vendor rooms. Aftermarket RSO decals from Star Decals and Gecko's early production Otter were also acquired.

The topic was tools. Keith recently started using glass files and he's pleased with the results. Vaughan's go-to is the toothpick. Good for applying paint or glue, holding parts in place or clean clogged orifices; they're versatile and expendable. Lou thinks the Flex Shaft attachment for his Dremel makes it a lot easier to use. 
 
Hugh recommends a clear plastic flexible ruler with distinct demarcations. Lee had two favorites, GodHand nippers and Tamiya's 3mm model scribing hard edge tape. Jimmy likes Tamiya's nippers and Dspiae's sanding sticks. 
 
Kevin says his Gaahleri Serenair airbrush compressor is small, quiet, and easy to use. The only downside is that it appears to be designed for acrylics. After the meeting Simon put together a list of his favorites: pocketknife, surgical scalpels # 10,11,15 (available online, Bard Parker is best), X-Acto #235 micro saw , Xuron small wire cutters, Barbasol cuticle cutters, #100 and 240 sanding sticks , wedge shape preferred, tweezers scissors and hemostats from disposable suture sets, 150 and 200 grit sandpaper, little plastic clamps, rubber bands, pin vise and drill bits. 
 
Gil relies on digital calipers. Extension sets make them even more useful. Frank is a fan of sanding sticks. And # 11 blades are essential, he learned, for separating 1/144 decals. 
 
Bobby gets inexpensive emery boards and nail files from different manufacturers to ensure he has the right grit for the job. Needle files and silicone scrapers are also good to have. Russ has a 6" offset tweezer that's equally good at reaching inaccessible areas on a model and retrieving items that fell under the bench.

The next meeting is Friday, 8/21/26 at the Community Center. It's time for Pizza and the 3rd quarterly contest. 
 
The next Zoom meeting will be Tuesday, 8/25/26 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you on Friday, or on Tuesday or both days .

~Russ
at 8/14/2026 05:10:00 PM 0 comments
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Monday, August 10, 2026

BPMS Inhouse Meeting: 08/21/2026

August Activities

Hello everyone! August is upon us again. The year sure has been moving along way too quickly! This month’s activities are:

Pizza Night: Possibly the biggest member-favorite activity. Just be sure that your dues are paid up. Bring your appetite, but not your friends.

Contest Night 3Q: This is the third installment of the annual contest. That means you can bring in any work that hasn’t already appeared in a quarterly contest. You can, however, bring in anything you built for the VERTICAL TAKE OFF theme contest since it is new work. 

Meeting Date: AUGUST 21, 2026
Members start showing up by 5PM to set up.
Feel free to come early and hang-out!

BPMS BULLETIN IN PDF FORMAT 

 

at 8/10/2026 10:10:00 AM 0 comments
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Sunday, August 09, 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 8/09/2026 02:00:00 PM 0 comments
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Thursday, August 06, 2026

BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting - August 4, 2026

Eleven people attended the first BPMS Zoom meeting of August. The evening’s theme asked ‘How are you better? What skills have you learned that make you a better modeler than you were 10, 20, 50 years ago?’
 
Retired BPMS President Jimmy revealed Tamiya’s surprise kit release at this week’s IPMS Nationals is reportedly an RSO/11 German Tractor in 1/35 scale.

Our own ‘plastic pusher’ Lu had no new kit arrivals to report. In response to the theme question, he said, “I learned thinning out the paint for airbrushing was the most productive thing for enjoying the hobby.”
 
Vaughan recollected as a youngster, “I could bang a model together in a weekend to hang it from my ceiling.” He now uses a Gaahleri airbrush and acrylics and takes on more detailed projects like the 1/72 scale S-64 Skycrane from ICM. “I’m going to have to paint it before I assemble it because everything is on the outside.” Vaughan noted that each Skycrane engine has 27 parts, some half the size of a grain of rice. “This is a very, very complicated kit.” Vaughan’s other work-in-progress was Monogram’s primitive A-5A Vigilante in 1/79 scale undergoing Dremel surgery for the tailcone of a 1/72-scale Revell RA-5C. “I’m stubborn. That’s my only positive attribute.”


Gordon lifted ZOOM spirits with an insightful T–shirt that declared ‘Life is a repeated, endless kick to the nuts.” He announced new $25 BPMS golf shirts are in development for cash orders at the September meeting and delivery by October. Gordon’s own modeling remains a learning process incorporating new tricks such as UV-cure resin to give eyes to his Gundam warriors and oil-based enamels to highlight panel lines. “I’ve gotten better, more knowledgeable through the years. It doesn’t stop.”

Hugh continues filling and sanding his 1/32-scale Hasegawa George fighter, relieved by a less demanding 1/72-scale Tamiya George finished in Alclad natural metal. He offered, “I started by improving my construction. If it doesn’t fit, find out why and fix it.” Hugh has come to favor gravity freed airbrushes compatible with lower pressures and Gunze Mr. Color paints and leveling thinner for smoother finishes. Gunze Mr. Mark Setter has also improved his decaling. “I used to sweat stencils on an airplane. Mr. Mark, that’s great stuff. Once I find something that works, I tend to stay with it.”

Chuck bought his first airbrush when he joined the BPMS and still learns with each project. ‘Keeping your skills up regularly -- you’re learning as you go along and integrate lessons into the way you do things.” On successive models, Chuck learned to trim flash, fill seams, and use less glue. “Ove the years, I’ve paid more attention to basics -- ejector pin marks, seams. I’ll go up and mess up my final paint to fix that.” He is currently working on an Airfix B-25. “The silver finish always gives me a little bit of trouble.” Chuck has learned to clean up hand-painted canopy frames with a sharp pencil rather than a toothpick to get better definition.

Russell has tried oil paint washes to enhance detail and now uses Tamiya pre-mixed panel liners. Frank took Russell’s neat work on a 1/144-scale Otaki Vigilante to heart and finished his own F-111E from the same 1975-vintage series. He hand-painted the camouflage on the small-scale Aardvark but said his bigger-scale modeling has benefitted from airbrush trial-and-error. “I learned how to airbrush camouflage – either free-hand or with Silly Putty masking. I’m also more patient than I was in my youth to let things dry.”
 
Bobby noted a fundamental change in his approach to building. “Years ago, the answer to everything was putty. If I do proper preparation now, I need much less putty than I did 10 or 20 years ago. The goal is to use as little as possible.”

Simon showed his progress on the 1954-vintage Aurora B-26 Marauder. “The thing looks like a B-26 There’s something solid about it.” Simon added, I’m not a modeler. I’m a guy who likes to slap together models of airplanes. I’ve gotten better because the products we have these days are better.” Simon has standardized on Tamiya paints and has started a 3-D printed Lavochkin LA-7.

BPMS President Kevin showed his Star figure from The Lost Boys movie, and a censored image of his Salome on a simulated marble base with scale column and potted plant. “You can get almost anything on Etsy,” he observed. Kevin’s modeling skills improved with practice after he retired. “Almost every day I had an hour or two in the afternoon. I got better at airbrushing.” More modeling techniques are available today on-line. “YouTube can be a friend.” Kevin noted the positive impact of becoming an IPMS judge at national and regional conventions. “You really get to see what’s going on.”

There is no secret to better modeling, noted Kevin. “It’s just practice and repetition. Quantity is better than quality. Quality will come with repetition. You build one, it looks okay. You build 500 of them, and it’s amazing.”
 
The next BPMS ZOOM meeting will be Tuesday, August 11. Invites to follow. The LIVE meeting on August 21 at the Bergen Beach Sports Complex is our 3rd Quarter Contest, and the always-popular BPMS Pizza Night!

~Frank
  
at 8/06/2026 09:00:00 AM 0 comments
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Monday, July 27, 2026

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting 07/28/2026

Featured Discussion: What's the oldest kit you started but have yet to finish?

Twelve people attended. The next in-person meeting is Friday, 8/21/26. It's the 3rd quarterly contest and it's Pizza night.

To promote the club, Bobby and Gordon have designed a cutting mat with a BPMS QR code, for group build give aways or raffle donations. Thanks, guys.

Lou reports Italeri's 1/35 VTLM Lince and Tiger 1 E are available.

To the club members attending the IPMS Nationals next week - the Bulletin will appreciate your comments and pictures. Thanks in advance.

Asked about glazing mediums, Kevin explained they were somewhere between a paint (stays put) and a wash (runs to low spots). They're good for building up color. Several companies make them. And Kevin was pleased to learn Starbond superglue accelerator comes in a pump bottle. The elongated nozzle produces a mist, rather than a spray, allowing more control.

Vaughn's Eurocopter Tiger is finished, but his S-64 Skycrane has a long way to go, thanks in part to the need to paint the engines and the other externally mounted components separately, then attach them to the painted fuselage. But it's a labor of love, so...

We saw Lee's X-29 cockpit (3rd time's the charm), Kevin's Frederick Frankenstein bust (from Young Frankenstein) and Chinese food take out container (a paper card model for Star, from The Lost Boys), Gil's Munster Koach semi-trailer conversion and Frank C's vintage 1/144 Otaki F-111, which built up surprisingly well.

Jimmy was disappointed when his latest acquisition, Zimi's 1/35 ACV-P, arrived in a wet, beat-up box, but he was impressed to see metal gun barrels directly attached to the plastic on the sprue.

The featured tool was a reamer. Designed for aligning holes in metal parts, they also work on resin. They come in various sizes, in Metric or English units. Gil finds the 5mm, 1/4" and 5/16" sizes particularly useful. If you don't have a reamer, Bobby remembered his father's trick of chucking a needle file into a drill. 
 
Simon thanked Gil for introducing him to the Ultrasonic Cutter (not to be confused with the Ultrasonic Chef's Knife). Bobby had another useful item, albeit at the other end of the budget spectrum, a silicone parts tray. Available at Hobby Lobby or Harbor Freight or online.

Why do some models take so long to finish? We get bored. We get frustrated. We get distracted. We sell the model to someone else, try to buy it back, find out they sold it, and we track it down (no guarantee we'll build it, though). We relocate temporarily and when we get back, it's not there. 
 
Getting more specific, Lou recalled the 1/48 Matchbox Skyraider AD 5 he started and hasn't finished yet. Simon hasn't finished the XFY-1 Pogo he started 20 years ago, and he showed it to us at the meeting. Gil has a similar story for a Battlestar Galactica/Star Wars kit bash project begun in 1982. Russ doesn't remember when he put his reissued Lindberg Space Base on the shelf of doom. Frank C remembered the Italeri SR-71 and the Eduard Mig-21 that never made it off the bench. Michael C never started his VEB Plasticart Tu-144 from 1976 but now that he has ICM's Tu-144, he may build it for comparison purposes.

The next meeting is Tuesday, 8/4/26, at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.

~Russ
   
at 7/27/2026 11:11:00 AM 0 comments
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BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting: July 21, 2026

Featured Discussion: Hot Weather Work-arounds. Share your tips for building when the weather is hot or humid.

Twelve people attended. Vacations, family duties, and medical issues reduced attendance recently. It was good to see everyone again.


Bobby went over the highlights of July's in-person meeting: the Red, White, and Blue themed display, and the surprise Hot Dog Feast (thank you, Vinny). The August in person meeting will feature the third quarterly contest and Pizza Night.

A good news/bad news report from Lou. The good news, many kits from Hong Kong Models, four Do-335s (two fighters, a trainer, and a night fighter), two Mosquitos (Mk 4 and Mk 16), two B-25s (J and H) and one A-20 Havoc, all 1/32, plus a 1/48 A-20 Havoc, are available. The bad news, they ain't cheap.

If you're looking for someplace to go? Mark recommends visiting the USS Norh Carolina, in Wilmington NC.

We saw Vaughn's Eurocopter Tiger, S-64 Skycrane and S-48 (a very challenging resin kit), Chuck's Do-17, Kenin' s Childs (from 1982's The Thing ), Mark's vintage Porsche 911- 78, Gil's 3 D printed Lock 'n Load figure and Frank C's Red White and Blue Phantom, vintage 1/144 F-111 and 1/144 Russian tracked SAM launcher, a $3 purchase he made to meet shipping.
Lee acquired an X-15 A 2 " White Ablative Coating"; Kevin got a Virgil Earp /Sam Elliot figure (from Tombstone).

Not surprisingly, air conditioned and dehumidified workspaces were the most common hot weather workarounds. Those without access to ac limited their modeling to subassemblies and, maybe, brush panting details. Know your work area. Is it cooler in the morning or evening? How long does it stay comfortable? The only foolproof workaround is don't work. Read, watch TV, enjoy a cold beverage (or two) as you tidy up the workbench. Just don't use your airbrush. No one thought it was a good idea to airbrush in humid weather. And problems can occur even if you don't think it's humid. Ask Kevin, he had to repaint Childs three times. Ouch!

The next meeting is Tuesday, 7/28/26, at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.
 
~Russ 
  
at 7/27/2026 09:30:00 AM 0 comments
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Tuesday, July 14, 2026

 

 

Please be aware that there is a spam attack underway reporting to offer readers a participants list for the upcoming IPMS / USA - International Plastic Modelers' Society / USA nationals...
DO NOT OPEN this email!
It is not genuine and could possibly damage your device that you read it on!
I have it from the IPMS USA President John Noack that this obviously is nothing to do with them, and they appologise for the inconvenience caused by this unknown party - so please be warned!
Brownie
Beyond The Box Art Podcast
Models. Modellers. Meaning.


 

at 7/14/2026 10:02:00 PM 0 comments
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Sunday, July 12, 2026

BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting: 7/7/26

The Live meeting of the Brooklyn Plastic Modelers Society will be next Friday, July 1, at the Bergen Beach Sports Complex. It will showcase a Red, White, and Blue theme, so bring in your patriotic models for display in honor of America’s 250th Birthday.

NO BPMS ZOOM next week – 7/14/26

The 7/7/26 BPMS ZOOM drew nine participants.

Lou reported the Tamiya 1/35 scale M24 Chaffee and Tamiya 1/48 scale Me109G6 Late kits are now available.

The virtual meeting addressed Smelly Stuff -- workspace ventilation and safe materials -- and Contest Judging.

Hugh summarized, “To my mind, the best way to get rid of stinky stuff is never let it in -- be selective who you let in.” His purpose-built modeling room has a bathroom-style exhaust fan to expel airbrush overspray and other pollutants. A quick check with local building inspectors confirmed spark-less, explosion-proof fan motors are unnecessary for hobby spaces. Toxicity aside, Hugh finds lacquer-based Mr. Color gloss white airbrushes especially well using the company’s leveling thinner. He is currently applying lacquer-based Alclad to his 1/32 scale Japanese fighter.

Recalling his own house-hunting considerations, Frank long ago positioned his basement airbrushing station beneath an existing window exhaust fan. A respirator mask from Harbor Freight also helps protect from spray particles. A small desk fan provides workbench ventilation at the other end of the basement. Frank generally paints with odor-free acrylics – Vallejo, Tamiya, and Gunze. He uses rattle cans of lethal Tamiya white primer only outdoors.

Michael has a spray booth and uses a rechargeable desk fan on his workbench to disperse the heady vapors of plastic cement. “I just put this fan next to the glue to blow the fumes away. Don’t aim it at the model; it dries the glue too fast.” Michael finds professional respirator masks are heavy and hot, so he buys Pandemic-style fabric masks with built-in filters on Temu and Ali-Express.

Chuck conceded, “I’ve been banned from using turpentine to clean my brushes in the house.” He showed how he had repaired, re-sanded, and re-decaled his Do17 in progress and observed, “If you’re using something more lacquer-based, it’s a bigger issue. Acrylics not so much.”

BPMS President Kevin noted fancy waterfall fume hoods can cost more than $450. The retired New York firefighter observed, “I’ve inhaled more crap, so a couple of sprits or airbrush acrylics aren’t going to do anything more to me.” He added, “You’d have to spray all day, every day for months to do harm to yourself.” Kevin generally works with Vallejo water-based acrylics. His preferred Krylon matt varnish provides a good finish with a bad smell, so Badger Stynylres primer is an excellent alternative for styrene, vinyl, and resin kits. New Gaahleri Kaleido water-based primers are also very good. Benign Vallejo primers work but requires lengthy curing. “You need to leave it sit for a whole day. I’m not that kind of builder. I keep moving along.”


Simon agreed acrylic fumes are a non-issue but his modeling putty remains a mystery. “I can’t read Japanese -- I wonder what the level of toxicity is in those.” Simon advised modeling in a well-ventilated space. “I open a window over my desk and another across the hall.” After a career in healthcare, he concluded, “The need to make everything safe has made all of us a little bit crazy. Just use common sense.”

Back from Noreastcon in Rochester, New York, IPMS Region 1 Coordinator Mark admitted he does not have an exhaust fan in his windowless basement. “I do try to wear a respirator if I have a long paint session. Obviously, lacquers are the most toxic.” Even Tamiya acrylics go on better with their own lacquer thinner. A cheap hobbyist spray booth can keep air moving, but the filter soon builds up the lacquer smell unless cleaned frequently. Mark advised to spray water mist before painting to protect the finish from airborne particulates.

Mark noted that, for Region 1 modelers, the IPMS National Convention in Fort Wayne, Indiana promises to be “the last drivable Nationals for the foreseeable future.” Future conventions look to be in Huntsville, Alabama; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Shreveport, Louisiana. Efforts to find a northeast National Convention chapter continue.

Mark also said a column by IPMS Journal editor Bob Lomassaro has sparked outrage with the writer’s comments on “expert” judges who sometimes impose arbitrary criteria on contest models. Frank agreed with the writer and said, “No-one likes a nasty know-it-all.” Kevin observed that competitive judging simply makes modelers model better. Hugh suggested, “I think the best things local clubs can do is popular vote.”

The next BPMS Zoom meeting will be on Tuesday, July 21. Invitations to follow.

~Frank

at 7/12/2026 05:30:00 PM 0 comments
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Wednesday, July 08, 2026

BPMS Inhouse Meeting: 07/17/2026

Welcome to JULY! I hope everyone had a happy and safe Fourth of July!

RED, WHITE, & BLUE NIGHT! Happy Birthday USA! Let’s celebrate 250 years of the United States with a display of anything that has some red, white, and blue on it! 

 

Meeting Date: JULY 17, 2026
Members start showing up by 5PM to set up.
Feel free to come early and hang-out!


BPMS BULLETIN IN PDF FORMAT

at 7/08/2026 10:00:00 PM 0 comments
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It's All in The Face...

You have that nice piece of armor sitting on it's vignette, but something wrong. Are those figures along side it a little lacking? It's all in the face. Check this out -

 https://youtu.be/2dsWcMN5NR4?si=dRbdXfGy1XSkM82I

 

at 7/08/2026 10:03:00 AM 0 comments
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Thursday, July 02, 2026

NYC Fleet Week Update!

Guys....

The active-duty Navy littoral combat ship USS Marinette (LCS-25) is traveling up the Hudson River on Friday, July 3, 2026, en route to the Port of Albany for the nation's 250th birthday celebrations. [1, 2]
Hudson River Transit Schedule (Friday, July 3, 2026) 

You can track or view the ship from shore as it moves north. The estimated schedule provided by local authorities and the Navy includes the following approximate times: [1, 2, 3] 

5:30 a.m. – Ambrose Channel
7:00 a.m. – Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
7:30 a.m. – Battery Park
8:24 a.m. – George Washington Bridge
11:00 a.m. – Mario Cuomo Bridge
1:30 p.m. – West Point
2:45 p.m. – Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Ulster County area
4:45 p.m. – Kingston Area
6:00 p.m. – Catskill / Dutchman's Landing / Rip Van Winkle Bridge
6:30 p.m. – City of Hudson (passing Columbia County between 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)
7:59 p.m. – Port of Albany arrival [1, 2, 3, 4] 

Note: All times are approximate  

~Mark Norman

at 7/02/2026 11:45:00 PM 0 comments
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June 30, 2026 BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting Report

Featured Discussion: STENCILS

Fourteen people attended.  July's red, white, and blue theme display is just around the corner. 
Lou reports Tamiya's 1/35 M-24 Chaffee and 1/48 Bf-109 G6 (late) are available.
Frank C asked if anyone could identify the unfamiliar jet he saw in flight and assumed it was part of the July 4th Jones Beach airshow. Turns out it's a L-15 Falcon of the UAE and, yes, they'll be at Jones Beach. 
Hugh is passing the time applying, removing, and reapplying Alclad coatings. 
 
Chuck told us about a good experience he had getting decals for his vintage Do 17 from WingsAndRails,  a vendor he found on Etsy. 
 
Veering a little from the upcoming US sci-fi theme contest discussion, Kevin recalled meeting Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov,  the first man to walk in space, at an autograph event, where he signed the base of a Voskhod 2 spacewalk model Kevin was working on. Then we saw the finished model. 
We also Jimmy's F-18 C cockpit and Ornithopter (his first time using AK gen 3 paint), Chuck's P-40 (two, actually) and Do- 17, Erasmo's F-101 Voodoo and Macci C-200, Lee's Grumman X-29, Kevin's busts of Childs (from The Thing) and Frederick Frankenstein (a Jeff Yager sculpt from, well, you know), and Russ' Huey Cobra.
 
A 1/35 Kubelwagon and Schwimmwagen from Hero - Hobby the acquisitions. At $10 each, why not?
 
Bobby presented this week's tool, a 3D printed miniature painting vise with jaws. At $3, why not?
The topic was stencils, all kinds of stencils - decals, masks, and templates. Many agreed with Erasmo, that 1/72 aircraft stencil decals are more trouble than they're worth. Like Simon said, "decals can be stressful." Lou remembered photoetch stencils for numbers and national markings were popular 10 years ago. Bobby showed us an assortment of flexible plastic stencils he got online suitable for sci-fi and military subjects, and he remembered Don used a lot of stencils for his hypothetical Luftwaffe aircraft. Jimmy posted a link to stencils available from Amazon on the group chat. Temu and AliExpress have them, too. Michael C showed us several metal templates (from Hobby Mio and Easycutting) for use with adhesive backed paper to make camouflage pattern shapes. I expect we'll learn more about these items in future.
The next meeting is Tuesday, 7/7/26 at 7:30 pm. Frank C will send the invites.  Thanks, Frank.
Stay cool and have a safe 4th of July. 
 
~Russ

 

at 7/02/2026 01:00:00 PM 0 comments
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Wednesday, July 01, 2026

DECEMBER 2026: Golden Age of American Science Fiction Theme Contest

  Coming December 18, 2026...
 
 
  Captain Kirk.

Golden Age of American Science Fiction Theme Contest

 This September marks the 60th anniversary of the premier of Star Trek. Next May marks the 50th anniversary of Star Wars. December 2026 would be a perfect time to celebrate both iconic American science fiction franchises. With those two juggernauts around, we tend to forget about other great American properties, BUT NOT THIS TIME! The sponsors would like to celebrate what we consider to be the Golden Age of American Science Fiction. Other properties that will be included, but not limited to, will be: Battlestar Galactica, ALIEN, Buck Rogers, Blade Runner, X-Files, Babylon 5, Space: Above & Beyond, Battle Beyond the Stars, The Thing, The Terminator, Star Crash, Outland, Logan’s Run, The Omega Man, Planet of the Apes, Shock Waves, Flash Gordon, Weird Science, War of the Worlds, Fantastic Voyage, Seaquest, Lost In Space, Forbidden Planet, etc.

Any questions? Feel free to speak with the sponsors.   

Sponsors:

  • Jeff Eng
  • Vinny Rosati
  • Bobby POkorny 
 
at 7/01/2026 09:49:00 PM 0 comments
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Saturday, June 27, 2026

2026 IPMS Nats Update from the RC1

Attention IPMS Northeast Region,
 
Pre-registration for the IPMS USA 2026 Nationals (August 5–8) closes on June 30. After this date, registration will be available only in person at the convention.
 
This year’s Nationals in Fort Wayne, Indiana will be the last held within close proximity to the Northeast for several years. The 2027 Nationals are scheduled for Huntsville, Alabama (July 14–17), with additional southern locations expected before 2030.
 
If you have never attended an IPMS USA Nationals, this is a great opportunity. You’ll experience an unmatched level of craftsmanship, with thousands of outstanding and creative models on display—something you won’t find anywhere else.
 
Feedback from over 100 attendees from last year’s Virginia Nationals showed that participants returned home energized and inspired in their modeling.
 
For more information, visit: IPMS USA 2026 Nationals
 
Mark Norman
IPMS Northeast Region Coordinator
at 6/27/2026 12:19:00 AM 0 comments
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Friday, June 26, 2026

June 2026 Theme Contest: BPMS STRAIGHT UP!

BPMS Theme Contest June 2026

 Historic Aircraft - The Tail-sitters, Part II—Convair | Naval History Magazine - August 2013 Volume 27, Number 4

BPMS STRAIGHT UP!

For the June 2026 BPMS Theme Contest, build anything that takes off and lands vertically – helicopters, jump-jets, superheroes, spaceships, balloons, or birds. Entries can be anything as long as it flies Straight Up and lands Straight Down.  Frank, Angelo, and Joe are looking for controlled vertical flight, so no ballistic missiles or artillery rockets. Get your propeller beanies workin’ and think what goes Straight Up!

We had a HUGE turn out of entries. More than 30 models on the tables.  

First Place: Superman, Man of Steel by Floyd B

Second Place: Ornithopter by Jimmy T

Third Place: Space-X Starship by Vinny R

Fourth Place: AVRO 611 by Charlie N

HM: Convair XFY-1 by Mark M

HM: X-19 by Kevin K

HM: UH-60 Blackhawk by Eric E

HM: CH53E by Ralph R

HM: UFO by Julio G

HM: Hughes 500D by Israel A

BEST HELICOPTER: SH-3 SEA KING BY STEVE N

HOVER HUMOR AWARD: UFO BY JOE B  

We would like to thank all of the participants and everyone who took the time to work on a model for this fun theme. And a special THANK YOU to the sponsors for challenging us with another fun theme to build for! 

Sponsors: Frank C, Joe H, Angelo T 

 

at 6/26/2026 10:13:00 PM 0 comments
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Thursday, June 25, 2026

June 23, 2026 BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting Report

Featured Discussion: Glue, paint, thinner, pigments, Liquid Gravity, whatever - tell us what you do to prevent spills, protect your work bench from spills and contain/clean up spills.  

Ten people attended. Turnout was good for last Friday's Vertical Flight theme contest. Of the 37 models on the tables, 30 were for the contest. Photos are on the BPMS Facebook page. Winners' names will appear in the next Bulletin. 
Lou reports Airfix's 1/24 Bf 109 G5/G6 and 1/48 Sepicat Jaguar GR.1/GR.1A (new kit) are available. 
Even though the official opening date is 7/10/26, a group went to Wiseguys Hobbies at their new location in Plainview, LI, where Bobby found that trash bags full of cheap kits in busted-up boxes constitute an offer that can't be refused. 
Frank C shared photos of the IPMS Region 1 Noreastcon 53, held in Henretta, NY on 6/13/26. There were around 700 entries, lots of Gundam, Spacecraft and Cars. Julio was there, too. And he placed. Congrats, Julio. A link to his show photos is on the BPMS Facebook page. 
Michael C's problems painting polyethylene got us to talk about options to prepare soft plastic for painting.  
We saw Simon's 3D printed 1/18 scale LA-7, Gil's 3D printed 1/10 scale Alita Battle Angel and motorcycle, and Frank C's Phantom II. 
 
Hugh was pleased to acquire a 3D printed Wright R2600 engine and Frank C was glad to find reasonably priced Gunzie Aqueous Paints. 
This week's tool was a hollow punch set. Gil uses them on wine bottle foil to make reflectors for headlights, which he fills with UV curing resin. A 3/16" disk approximates a 1/25 scale auto headlight. With the demise of MV Lenses a few years ago, punches may be the best way to make lights for vehicles.
Tips on spill prevention and control - Use a Forstner bit to drill shallow holes in a 2x4 to hold bottles in an upright position. Don't have tools? Find a centerpiece tealight holder at a home decor store. Citadel, among others, have anti-spill paint pods. Look online. Or, if you're the DIY type, tape the bottle to an old jar lid with double faced tape. Many people use kraft paper, newspaper, or a silicone mat to protect their work surface. Spills are easily removed from tempered glass or metal work surfaces. Using pipettes or a syringe to load an airbrush is safer than pouring directly from a bottle. 
The next meeting is Tuesday, 6/30/26, at 7:30. Invites to follow. Hope you can join us. 
 
~Russ 


at 6/25/2026 10:37:00 PM 0 comments
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