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Sixteen people attended the meeting. New release: Eduard's 1/48 P-51 K (with bazooka and 2.75" rockets). Watch for a 1/48 H-19 from Mikro Mir. Armor Con is next weekend (10/1-2/21) at a new location, the Wyndham Southbury (1284 Strongtown Rd, Southbury, CT). Not to be outdone, NJ has the Chiller Theater Expo on 10/29-31/21 at the Hilton Parsippany. We learned that Kotare isn't just an iconic bird from New Zealand. It's the new model company run by several Wingnut Wings alumni. Thanks, Mark and thanks for the photos from the Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport NY. In progress and completed work included: USS Frank Knox, Corsair XF-4U, Saab J-21, AB-41 armored car, Silly Surfer Hodad, Destroyer Z-38, 1972 Pontiac GTO, P47-D, USS Ingraham, Hind, F-86 A and Tiger 2. To some of us a 1/8 scale car is big, but not to Bobby P. He and his brother are restoring the family's 1937 Chrysler Royal. Good luck, guys. This week's tool was the CANARY spray can hole punch. Use it to release propellant from spray paint cans (this will take some time), remove the top of the top of the spray can with a suitable tool and you have thinned paint, ready for use. Thanks , Gil. A new tip, Tamiya's airbrush thinner and extra thin cement are almost chemically identical. Could they be interchangeable? Two old tips, Simple Green corrodes metal, WD40 gets gummy over time. The topic was metallic finishes and we spoke about our experiences with Alclad, AK Interactive, Mr. Color, Vallejo, Humbrol, Rub 'n Buff, aluminum decals and metal foil. Surface preparation, base coats and sealers were also discussed. Next meeting is 9/30/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.
~RussSunday, September 26, 2021
Sunday, September 19, 2021
9/16/21 BPMS zoom mini meeting report
Twelve
people attended the meeting which began with thoughts on the passing of
early BPMS member (sponsor of the Box of Junk contest) and hobby
industry legend, Andy Yanchus. Several
people spoke about his skills as a model builder/designer and his
friendly, helpful and encouraging manner. His efforts to get IPMS
recognition of science fiction as a legitimate category are well known. Andy was the subject
of a 2020 YouTube video. Here's the link https://youtu.be/
Kosta
reported on and shared photos of last week's Maritime Heritage Festival
in New London. It wasn't too crowded and he got to see Coast Guard
and merchant marine vessels, local fortifications and, of course,
submarines. Some new releases from Hobby Boss: Russian SAM 2 Missile
with Launcher Cabin and BM-21 Grad Multiple Rocket Launcher (both 1/72)
and Panther G early (1/35). Tamiya's new 1/35 M-18
should be available in about 2 months. In progress and completed work
included: F-5 E, 1937 Ford Panel Truck, Do-335, Ju-86D, Tiger 1 (nice
rust effects), Tiger 2, BM-13 Katyusha, P.180 Avanti, XF-4U, VW
Transporter T-1 and 1956 Ferrari. This week's acquisitions
included: Polar Bear (from Revell's Endangered Animal series), 1972
International Harvester Scout 2 and Ford F-100 Service Truck. Gil showed
us how a magnetic drill bit holder from Harbor Freight can be used to
hold hobby knives. Use a 21/64
reamer to make a nice fit, AND DON'T FORGET TO PUT COVERS ON THE
BLADES! (If you saw it loaded up, you know what I mean). We talked about
assembling Metal Earth Model kits and bending photoetch parts. Bending
tools may be best for large pieces but a smooth
surface (glass, metal, ceramic tile) and a pair of single edge razor
blades or chisel blades also works well. Maybe we'll have a real time
demonstration of bending and folding techniques in the future? Next
meeting is 9/23/21 at 8pm. Invites to follow. Hopefully
the recent problems some of us have been having with Zoom will be
resolved by then. Log in and see for yourself.
~Russ
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Atlas Obscura - The Caspian Sea Monster
The Caspian Sea Monster
Ekranoplan Lun, Derbent, Russia
An enormous Soviet aircraft, the only one of its kind, stands at the deserted shore of the Caspian Sea.
An enormous Soviet aircraft, the only one of its kind, stands at the deserted shore of the Caspian Sea.
Some more fun stuff to see:
Sunday, September 12, 2021
Andy Yanchus, longtime BPMS member and a legend in the hobby, passed away on 9/11/21
Sadly a name many will know, Andy Yanchus, died yesterday (ironically 9/11). Andy was Product Manager at Aurora for many years, then went as a colorized for Marvel Comics. He was an expect at many aspects of the hobby and, with Dennis Price, wrote the definitive book on Aurora Monster Scenes.
Unfortunately he had been ill for some time, and had moved from his long-time New York home to stay with his sister Pat in Florida.RIP Andy, you will be missed by many.~Matt Irvine
I found these obituaries, each celebrates a field that Andy was a legend in.
Andy was 77 when he passed away.
I
got the distinct pleasure of meeting Andy, and becoming friends with
him through the BPMS. Of course, that was back in the Marcy Studios
days. When I joined the club I wasn't even 18 yet, and was building
mostly sci-fi which was right up Andy's alley. He was very encouraging
and offered lots of suggestions and advice. At the time, I had no idea
what Andy's accomplishments were, I knew him as the jovial guy with
amazing skills and wasn't afraid to share his methods. He was HAPPY to
inform anyone who wanted to know how he did things.
As
BPMS members, we should always keep in mind that we are very lucky
because we are such an inclusive group. Thanks to early members like Joe
Turner, who invented the "miscellaneous category" and Andy Yanchus who
redefined Science Fiction in the IPMS. Before Andy science fiction was
considered Star Trek and Star Wars, and similar. Since Andy enjoyed the
entire realm of modeling, he knew full well that building "fringe"
items, like Asian mecha kits or even conversions of toys was a skill-set
of its own, and not to be belittled. I maintain that when you see model
shows TODAY with categories for Gundam / Mecha, that's one of Andy's
greatest contributions to the hobby: ACCEPTANCE. We ARE all modelers
here, afterall.
I can go on for pages and
pages about his accomplishments, but I will leave this here. Andy was an
amazing guy, and I bid him a fond farewell. He may be gone, but will
NEVER be forgotten. Rest in Peace, Andy.
~Bobby
BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: 09/09/2021
Thirteen people attended the meeting. Two new Airfix releases were reported, Blenheim 1 (1/48) and Cromwell Mk VI ( 1/35). The Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival is this weekend in New London Ct. Ships, helicopters and Revolutionary War re-enactors will be there. Check their website for details. Speaking of shows, Penn Con 21 (Gettysburg) is, according to their website, still on for tomorrow. Replicon (Freeport) will not be held this year. We reminisced about the 1981 IPMS National Convention, held in NYC. We saw the convention button (I guess that was before pins) and heard about the modelers that took a walk on the wild side.
In progress and completed work included: XF-4U conversion (Vaughn gives a whole new meaning to plastic surgery), P.180 Avani, T-55 Enigma, Sherman, Bradley, T80, Panther, AMX-10, Tiger1, VW Mini Big Rig conversion, F-5 and , what Frank called a greenhouse but what Joe would call a dust cover for his half scale T800 Terminator. Just one acquisition, a circa 1990 vinyl Creature from the Black Lagoon (missing a hand, unfortunately). The featured tool was the flexible blade by Flash Master Hobby (flashmasterhobby.com). Gil was impressed by how flexible this blade is. It can go where a chisel can't. Our topic was photoetch, but we ran short and only had enough time to begin talking about cutting pieces off the fret. We'll start from there next week and talk about bending, painting, gluing etc. Next meeting is 9/16/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope you'll be there.
Saturday, September 04, 2021
BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: Thursday, Sept 2, 2021
Twelve lucky people attended the meeting. October looks to be busy, with shows at Freeport on the 2nd, Southbury on the 1st & 2nd and Poughkeepsie on the 23rd. Bob K reports Round 2 is coming out with a Garbage Truck (will aftermarket garbage be available?). Check their website for pictures. In progress and completed work included: King Tiger, P.180 Avanti (here's where luck comes in - if you weren't at the meeting, you'll never see the well-appointed interior of this model), XF4-U conversion , Houndstooth, Tiger 1, Ki-79, VW Bug Coupe de Ville conversion, B-25, FW 127 turboprop, Horton 7, Tornado and F-5E. Acquisitions (full disclosure, some items were found in long forgotten storage areas) included: RF 8 Aerosan, Convair Manned Observation Satellite, M1-A1 Abrams, Bell X-1B, Mercedes, Kettenkraftrad and Italian armored car. Paint tip from Vaughn, Testors Gloss Black enamel paint can be used to eliminate "steps" at joints. Paint, let dry for 24 hours, sand, repeat as necessary. Only works for steps, not for gaps. This week's topic was - Why are you building what you're building now? Many reasons were given: wanted to build something different, wanted to use certain deals, inspired by the box art, easy assembly, latest acquisition, show technical development of an object over time. That led to a discussion on differences among Canadian, Danish and Norwegian F-104s, a brief history of conformal tanks and a comparison of the T-38 and the F-5. Next meeting is 9/9/21 at 8 pm. invites to follow. Hope to see you there. Do something relaxing for Labor day.
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