04/21/2022 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report!

Final Thursday night BPMS Zoom before we switch over to TUESDAYS! 

Ten people attended the final Thursday Zoom meeting. I expect more people will attend tonight's in person meeting at the Community Center (2303 Bergen Ave). Bring a mask, just in case. In progress and completed work included: SAAB J-21 jet conversion, T-72 B3, T-90, M-113 MRV (Australian) and F-104 G (with camera pod). Acquisitions included: Curtis Jenny (or Wright Flyer, maybe - I got distracted), Viking Ship and Mummy's Chariot. We saw two tools this week, the Badger Hobby Pal suction pick up tool which is good for picking up, holding and positioning smooth parts like windows. The other tool, which Gil is building, is a waterfall spray booth (my name, not his). Sprayed paint is captured by water cascading down a vertical sheet of glass. A pump collects the filtered water and recirculates it. The booth also has an exhaust fan and lights behind the glass panel. Very impressive. The discussion topic was protecting models for moving or storage, a timely topic because shows are coming back and several people are relocating in the near future. Vaughn uses dense cardboard to make 4" tall boxes with custom cutouts to position the piece so the landing gear, antennae and tail are protected. A large number of the small boxes can be stacked in a 3'X3' cardboard box. Mark likes lidded plastic containers sold for under-bed storage. Place bubble wrap on the bottom to keep the model from shifting. Don likes banker's boxes; they have built in handles. Put foam blocks in the corners and place models (separated by airbags or bags of styrofoam peanuts(avoids direct contact with plastic). Then, put a cardboard sheet over the corner blocks and repeat. Voila! Two level storage! Gil has built custom sized boxes from foam. He also uses thick cardboard tubes with commercially available end caps. Magnets on the bases of 28 mm figures keep them in place in a metal box. Will it work on larger scales? Old-timer Andy used a hat box to transport figures and robots. When Frank moved, each model went in a plastic bag and then into a shopping bag. Me, I use thin, crumpled up plastic bags in a shoe box. Of course, I don't get out much. But I'm getting out tonight. Hope you can, too. If not, see you at he Tuesday zoom 7:30 pm. Invites to follow.
~Russ