7/29/21 BPMS Zoom Mini-meeting Report

Fourteen people attended the meeting. If you're going to Mosquito Con tomorrow, PAL is also hosting a basketball game. Parking may be tight. Don't forget to take pictures for the guys who can't make the trip to New Jersey. Thanks in advance. We saw photos of the recent transfer of New England Air Museum's F-4D Skyray to the Intrepid and photos of Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome where, on Aug 7, there will be airshow featuring a replica Ryan NYP Spirit of St Louis. The BPMS pizza lunch is the following week, Aug 14, at 12:30 pm at Denino's, 525 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island. Let me know who's going so we can give them a head count. Again, thanks in advance. 

 

There were two new releases: Kinetic's 1/48 AV-8A Harrier and ICM's 1/48 Q-2C Firebee drone. Kinetic may have another Intruder in the pipeline. In progress and completed work included: 1/72 Panzer 4 (with aftermarket resin tracks from OKB), 1/35 M3-A1 Scout Car (Tamiya, perfect fit, a pleasure to build), 1/72 S-56 /CH-37 ( Special Hobby, the less said, the better), 1/72 BM-13 Katyusha (major last-minute fit problem) and 1/144 Tornado (so far, so good). There were more acquisitions: Rye Field's T/34/122, AZmodels's Bell X-2, Platz's F-8 U2 Crusader and Ammo by Mig Jiminez's T 54 B. We saw how the AK Glass Fiber pencil can eliminate ejector pin marks and perform other abrasive work. Just be careful not to touch the fibers to your skin. 

Gil gave us his formula for airbrush cleaner - 3/4 cup distilled water, 1/2 cup 91% isopropyl alcohol, 10 drops glycerin, 3/4 cup Windex (without ammonia). He stores it in a dollar store condiment squeeze bottle. Mark has a similar formula and he writes it directly on the bottle so he doesn't misplace it. While you're in the dollar store, pick up a pill case/organizer to hold small parts once they're off the sprue. 

The topic was stripping paint and correcting problems as you paint. For stripping old paint people have used: Oven cleaners like Easy Off or Mr Muscle (spray the piece, leave it in a trash bag for around two hours, rinse and scrub with an old toothbrush), Poly S (or equal) paint remover (it's messy and may not be available anymore), Simple Green works on enamels, Oxy Clean works on acrylics, Super Clean will take off paint (and skin so wear gloves). Actually, you should wear gloves with all these products and work in well ventilated areas as well. Never use Purple Power (it can eat through plastic) or auto transmission degreasers (they can eat through the plastic as well as the container holding the plastic - ask Mark). Bad paint jobs have been fixed with spot applications of thinner, 1000 grit sandpaper or sanding sticks or polishing pads, vigorously used. If none of the above works, several people said that's the time to trash the kit and build a replacement. 

 

The next meeting is 8/5/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. When have more information on the reopening of the Community Center the BPMS newsletter will be mailed to the membership. Until then, keep reading your email. Hope to see you Thursday.

~Russ