Welcome!

TO PAUSE BULLETIN - PLACE MOUSE POINTER OVER THE SCROLLING MESSAGE BOX

Friday, December 20, 2024

BPMS ANNUAL AWARDS - 2024

AIR Category

HM: (2) Israel Alvarado, Russ Holcomb

3rd: Steven Nelson

2nd: Frank Colucci

1st: Charlie Nelson

 ARMOR Category

 HM: (3) Kevin App, Guy Ferrara, Charlie Nelson

3rd: Russ Holcomb

2nd: Ray Whitton

1st: Howell Serkin

FIGURE Category

 3rd: Kosta Lukyanov

2nd: Kevin App

1st: Kevin Kilkenny

SEA Category

HM: Russ Holcomb

3rd: Kosta Lukyanov

2nd: Guy Ferrara

1st: Mark Mullen

SCI-FI Category

HM: (2) Gordon Cheung, Bobby Pokorny

3rd: Mark Mullen

2nd: Tom Govia

1st: Julio Guadalupe

MISC Category

HM: (2) Tom Govia, Kosta Lukyanov

3rd: Steven Nelson

2nd: Mark Mullen

1st: Tony Mancuso

 

MOST POPULAR

1Q: Mark Mullen - Grogu

2Q: Julio Guadalupe – Cargo Drone

3Q: Frank Colucci – A-6E Intruder

4Q: Charlie Nelson – Grumman F3F-2

 

Top Gun will be announced in January....

Monday, December 16, 2024

BPMS Holiday Luncheon: December 14, 2024

Photo by Gordon C

The annual BPMS Holiday luncheon happened on Saturday, December 14, 2024. We had twenty-five members, friends, and family in attendance at Dinosaur BBQ in Brooklyn. 

Good friends!

Good food!

Good times!

 

BPMS December Meeting: 12/20/2024

Big Meeting this month!
 
On the agenda:
 
BUILD LIKE AN 11 YEAR OLD THEME CONTEST. Build one of those old models that you don't want to invest your current skill-set into. Slap that old Monogram kit together like you would've when you were 11. It's strangely therapeutic! 
 
ANNUAL AWARDS. The numbers are crunched. Let's see who YOU voted for!

HOLIDAY DESSERTS! We'll make the coffee, you bring the treats. A perfect way to finish up the year!

Meeting date: 
December 20, 2024

Members start showing up by 5PM to set up.
Feel free to come early!
 
 
Don't forget, the BPMS Holiday Luncheon will be on 12/14/24 at Dinosaur BBQ in Brooklyn at 1PM! 
 

Thursday, December 12, 2024

12/10/24: BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting

Fourteen people attended the last Zoom meeting of 2024. Missed it? Don't worry. Like the Terminator, we'll be back - 7:30 pm Tuesday, 1/7/25, to be precise. Invites to follow. 

The holiday lunch is 1 pm this Saturday, the 14th, at Dinosaur BBQ, 604 Union St. The December in-person meeting is Friday, the 20th - build like an 11-year-old theme contest, holiday desserts and Awards Night. Doors open around 5:30 pm. 
 
Lou reports Tamiya's 1/48 F-35C and Ryefield's 1/35 T80 UK and USA/MC JLTV and M1102-02 trailer are available. 
 
If you're reluctant to ask Santa for another model because you already have a lot, consider the guy who admitted to having 2100 unbuilt kits in the stash. 
 
In progress and completed work included: TA-152 (poor decals), Fiat G-55 (poor fit), Yak-38, Skyray prototype, Skyflash, Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition (who expected that?), Red Knight of Vienna, P-38, Satellite Explorer rocket and Ar-234B. Acquisitions included: 1/16 M-113, USS Bainbridge and Fireball dragster. 
 
This week's tool was an "LED Tracing Pad" from the 5 Below store. A light box, but thinner and powered by a USB plug. Could have applications as a work light, an illuminated base or lighting for a box diorama. See what you can come up with. 
 
Not many of us have built paper models but we still remember seeing great paper models made by Tomaz, Nestor and Charlie. Kevin had quite a few real space paper models, but they were ruined by exposure to humidity. A lesson learned. 
 
Kevin recommends Neil Paper Models on YouTube as a source of inspiration for beginners. Other tips- glue the parts pages to heavier paper for extra stiffness, Aleen's tacky glue works well on paper models, damaged parts can be reprinted, it's easy to change scales with a photocopier and a stash of unmade paper models doesn't take up that much space. 
 
Hope to see you at lunch on the14th and at the in-person meeting on the 20th. Season's Greetings to all. Stay safe and glue responsibly. 
  
~Russ
 
 

Friday, December 06, 2024

BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting Report: 12/3/24

Nine people attended. Lou reports Kitty Hawk's 1/48 F-35 C, Italeri's 1/32 Macchi 205 and Amusing Hobby's T-90 AK & Leopard 2A8, both 1/35, are available.  
 
The holiday lunch is Saturday, the 14th at Dinosaur BBQ at 1 pm. 
 
If you haven't finished your entry for December's "Build Like an 11-Year-Old " theme contest, don't worry,  there's plenty of time between now and the 20th, if you build like, well, you know.
 
Mark told us he became a Tunison Foundation volunteer, leading to a discussion of several issues concerning vintage aircraft.
 
In progress and completed work included: TA-152 (in addition to talking about the kit, Vaughn gave us a lot of information about the actual aircraft and its designer, Kurt Tank), XF5F Skyrocket, Ghost of Christmas Present and Hawker Hurricane. Acquisitions included: 1/16 Stug 3G, A-10, a book from Reid Air publications on the early F-16 and a $2.00, end of season bargain, a pumpkin cutter that works like a tiny Sawzall.
 
Gil's brush holder/brush washer sparked a discussion of paint brush types, shapes, names and uses, brush cleaners and conditioners. We recalled long-gone art supply stores and hobby stores. 
 
We found out everybody has their own "best time "to build and it can change as conditions change, middle of the night, early morning, afternoon, after dinner,  when no one else is home, when the family gathers to watch TV, after finishing a tiresome job around the house or office. Anytime, really. 
 
The next meeting is Tuesday, 12/10/24 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 
~Russ
 

For those attended, the plane I was talking about that my son worked on the the Piper (PA) museum is a Piper Skycycle. For anyone interested here's a little local story of it arriving at the museum -

https://therecord-online.com/site/archives/61086

 

~Kev K

 

Monday, December 02, 2024

November 26, 2024 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. The report will be brief, as it was delayed by post-holiday cleanup. 

Twelve people attended. December will be busy, Zoom meeting on Tuesday the 10th, holiday lunch on Saturday the 14th, at Dinosaur BBQ 604 Union St, Brooklyn and in person meeting ("Build like an 11-year-old" theme contest, holiday desserts and Awards Night) on Friday the 20th. 

Lou reports a re- release of Tamiya's 1/35 M-26 Dragon Wagon (cab only) with figures is now available. Online Black Friday sales have started on several 

Mark shared photos of last Saturday's tour of the Tunison Foundation's hanger and aircraft, including a C-47, Texan, PBY and PT-19. A very enjoyable day by all accounts. Will there be more in the future? 

In progress and completed work included: Ta-152, Fiat G-55, Tu-114, Skyray, Sam Elliot bust, Ghost of Christmas Present figure, 3D printed trike motorcycle and Russian Destroyer. A set of 1/16 Tiger 1 tracks was acquired. 

The featured tool was a magnetizer demagnetizer and the featured topic was 3 D printed parts. 

The next meeting is Tuesday, the 3rd at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. 

~Russ

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Bulletin Archive in PDF Format

 
 
 
 

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.pdf
Bulletin 2018 06.pdf
Bulletin 2018 05.pdf
Bulletin 2018 04.pdf
Bulletin 2018 03.pdf
Bulletin 2018 02.pdf
Bulletin 2018 01.pdf

Bulletin 2017 12.pdf
Bulletin 2017 11.pdf
Bulletin 2017 10.pdf 
Bulletin 2017 09.pdf
Bulletin 2017 08.pdf
Bulletin 2017 07.pdf
Bulletin 2017 06.pdf
Bulletin 2017 05.pdf  
Bulletin 2017 04.pdf
Bulletin 2017 03.pdf
Bulletin 2017 02.pdf
Bulletin 2017 01.pdf

Bulletin 2016 12.pdf
Bulletin 2016 11.pdf
Bulletin 2016 10.pdf
Bulletin 2016 09.pdf
Bulletin 2016 08.pdf
Bulletin 2016 07.pdf
Bulletin 2016 06.pdf
Bulletin 2016 05.pdf
Bulletin 2016 04.pdf
Bulletin 2016 03.pdf 
Bulletin 2016 02.pdf
Bulletin 2016 01.pdf

Bulletin 2015 12.pdf
Bulletin 2015 11.pdf
Bulletin 2015 10.pdf
Bulletin 2015 09.pdf
Bulletin 2015 08.pdf
Bulletin 2015 07.pdf
Bulletin 2015 06.pdf
Bulletin 2015 05.pdf
Bulletin 2015 04.pdf
Bulletin 2015 03.pdf
Bulletin 2015 02.pdf
Bulletin 2015 01.pdf

Bulletin 2014 12.pdf
Bulletin 2014 11.pdf  

Friday, November 22, 2024

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: 11/19/24

Twelve people attended. Bobby wasn't one of them, so the "Jimmy and Frank" tag team moderated the meeting. Nicely done, guys. Two people we haven't seen in a while, Alysia and Glen, joined us. Hopefully we'll see them more often. The holiday lunch is Saturday, 12/14/24. $40.00. If you haven't signed up yet, contact Chuck or Jeff to make arrangements.

Mark's group visit to see a C-47 that participated in D Day is Saturday, the 23rd. Thanks for making this happen, Mark. We expect to see photos at some future Zoom meeting(s)?

Lou reports Hobby Boss's 1/48 F4U-4, B-24D and Me 109 E3 are available.

Frank surprised everyone by asking about Forces of Valor tanks on sale at Squadron and Glen asked about where to get kits, now that there are fewer hobby stores. You can help him out by listing stores you know in the NYC area and hitting "reply all".

In progress and completed work included: Mirage, B-17, Sherman Jumbo, T-34/76 early, Ar-234 and F-16 I.

A Fiat G55 was the only acquisition.

Gil, a devoted fan of Mr. Color Leveling Thinner, found a similar product, Hobby Mio Lacquer Thinner. It comes in a bigger bottle, costs less and performs well.

"The one that got away" turned out to be a rich topic. Frank is still looking for the 1/144 F4-J Phantom 2 by Platz. Vaughan wants a Mirage F-1. Erasmo was looking for Plasticart's Tu- 114, and Russ has one he'll never build. Alyssa finally got the 1/48 vac form Vulcan she wanted only to find it's very, very big. Gil is happier not knowing what's out there. Well, that's what he says. 

Next meeting is Tuesday, the 26th, at 7:30 pm invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ

Friday, November 15, 2024

Important Notice About Manual Credit Card Transactions

 

Dear MEMBER,,

Due to privacy regulations on credit card data, IPMS/USA cannot accept credit card payments over the phone, by mail, or via email or text message. We want your data to remain private and safe, so we can only use payment processes that are encrypted and don’t share card data with us. 

You can make any payments to IPMS/USA in the following ways:

1. Pay online at http://myipmsusa.org when paying for memberships, convention registrations, or other items from the myipmsusa.org website.

2. Pay using your PayPal account at PayPal.com. Make your payment to Treasurer@ipmsusa.org and include what it is for in the comments section.

3. Pay by mailing a check to IPMS/USA, PO BOX 1411, Riverview FL 33568-1411 noting what the payment is for.

Please DO NOT send your credit card number or other credit card information via email. US mail, text or voice mail to IPMS/USA. We will have to delete or destroy the information immediately upon receipt, and we are not able to process the transaction.

Thank you for helping to protect your privacy!

Happy modeling,

Mike

Mike Oberholtzer
Treasurer, IPMS/USA

Friday, November 08, 2024

11/5/24 Zoom Meeting Report

 

Fifteen people attended. No Tuesday Zoom next week, the in-person meeting is Friday, the 15th, at the Community Center. Super Raffle and quarterly contest, who could ask for more? See the Bulletin for other BPMS news.
Lou reports Border Model's 1/35 M4 A1 mid production Sherman and Pz 3 (w schurzen), Magic Factory's 1/35 F4 U A1 (w folding wings), 1/700 USS Ford  (w clear deck) and Takom's 1/350 US Harbor Tug (modern) are available. 
 
The Freeport Recreation Center will host the LIARS (car) show on Nov 9 and the LIMCS (figure) show on Nov 16.
 
Mr. K praised decal company MicroScale's customer service. After ordering similar markings in different scales, they contacted him to confirm the order was correct. 
Mark shared photos from a recent trip to Idaho, including a Warbird fly-in and several of the aircraft on exhibit at the Warhawk Air Museum in Boise. Erasmo shared photos from the Udvar Hazy Center in Fairfax, VA,  the British Columbia Aviation Museum in Victoria, the US Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, WA and an actual Mirage F-1 that he worked on.
In progress and completed work included: Mirage, P-47, Subaru Impreza, Wildcat, Orbital Rocket, English Knight, Ki-43 Oscar, '66 Mercury, Piasecki air jeep (two, actually) and F-16 I. Acquisitions included: Piper Pa-25, Saturday Morning (diorama? vignette? from Escape Hatch Hobbies) and Flash Gordon's SkyFlash rocket. 
 
A scaled down tool box from Harbour Freight was this week's tool. A good way to protect and organize your tools. Of course, your tools have to be the right size for the box, or vice versa. 
We heard about various ways to achieve a gunmetal finish. Some use Vallejo gunmetal grey, or Vallejo duraluminium with dark washes, or gunmetal from True Color, True North,  Model Master and Apple Barrel. Some drybrush medium grey over a flat or semi-gloss black base or rub graphite over a NATO black base coat. Alclad has a good gunmetal, but it must be airbrushed. Pastels over a semi-gloss black base is another option. Feel free to add any gunmetal tips we may have missed.
 
Russ H. 

Sunday, November 03, 2024

BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting - 11/05/2024

Part 1 starts promptly at 7:30 PM EST.
Part 2 starts at 8:10 PM if we need more time.

Members and guests are cordially invited to join our group for our weekly online meeting!

All are welcome! If you would like to join, DM us your email address and name so we can include you in the email list with Zoom Meeting details (meeting numbers and passwords)!

On the agenda:

BPMS Club News.
IPMS News.
Other clubs news.
Hobby News.
What's on your workbench?
Featured Discussion 
 
 

October 29, 2024 - BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting

Featured Discussion: Your most ambitious project... Did you celebrate it or regret it?
 
Eleven people attended. 
 
Lou reports Trumpeter's Pz 3 J, Stug 3G (both 1/16), MTLB ZU 23, BTR 70 (both 1/35), Mig 29 PM, F8F2 Bearcat, Eurofighter Typhoon (all 1/32), Me 509, EA 3B Sky Warrior (both 1/48) are available. Watch for Tamiya's 1/35 Pz 1 B and F 35 C. 
 
Gil told us about the Hudson Valley show last Saturday. Being a vendor, he didn't have a lot of time in the model room but he liked what he saw, especially the 1/35 Sky Crane with folded rotors. Several BPMS members went to Poughkeepsie where they met Gil, Mark and Vaughan in person, rather than virtually. Pictures of the event are on the BPMS Facebook page.
 
Bobby recapped the last IPMS Region 1 virtual meeting. They asked how can IPMS attract people to shows and attract younger people to the hobby? That led to a discussion on Gundams, their history and the very large number of different Gundams theoretically available. We closed it out with our thoughts on judging and award types, 1st, 2nd, 3rd place or gold, silver, bronze ratings. 
 
Completed and in progress work included: Ta-152, Mirage, Werewolf (American, London), Norris Spider head (from The Thing), Hover Tank (scratch-built), Willy Ley orbital rocket, F -16 I and SR -71.
 
The tool tip was using magnets to attach models to bases, secure removable panels, attach subassemblies, even stabilize tail heavy aircraft. Small, powerful magnets are widely available and inexpensive. Just remember,  opposites attract, so test fit, then glue.
 
We all had ambitious plans. Some projects, like Vaughan's Saab Draken, Kevin's Circle of Life tableau, Gil's Hover Tank and Frank's F-16, came out well. The Airfix B-17 Chuck is building is, in turns, frustrating and rewarding. One of Kevin's Medusas (he's done several) had a lot more parts than the expected, which took away some of the fun and building the Kitty Hawk P-39Q set a new profanity per part count record, according to Vaughan. Several guys admitted to losing interest in projects that sat around too long. A good observation - less ambitious plans usually have better outcomes. 
 
Today is Halloween. There's still time to trick or treat, just be home by 7:30 pm on Tuesday, 11/5/24, for our next meeting. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. The 5th is also Election Day. 

Russ
 

Friday, October 18, 2024

10/15/2024 BPMS ZOOM MINI MEETING!

Eleven people attended. No Tuesday Zoom next week, the in-person meeting was moved to Friday, the 25th. Bring in your pledge model and/or your spooky model. We'll also finalize plans for the holiday lunch at Dinosaur BBQ - headcount, advance payment, menu extras, white elephant swap, etc. 
 
Lou is looking forward to the release of Academy's 1/48 F4-F Wildcat, with folding wings and open canopy. 
 
The BrookLAN group build was last Saturday. More than two dozen people participated, less than before but still a good turnout. Several BPMS members were there. Julio told us about the class he gave for new builders and Bobby shared photos of the event. 
 
Kosta shared photos from the Mystic Seaport Museum, where the Jamestown and the Aimistad are in drydock. 
 
The Hudson Valley show is Saturday, the 26th, at the Elks Club Hall, at 29. Overrocker Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY and the "Chiller" show is the 25th to the 27th in Parsippany, NJ. 
 
In progress and completed work included: Mirage F-1C, F-8 Crusader, Mig -23, '65 Ford Mustang (Metal Earth kit), 3D printed large scale Warhammer Space Marine and Dragon figures, Mark 1 Tank with modifications for Gaza, LEM, Snow Speeder and Grimoire robot. Many of these pieces were mounted on bases, which was good since the topic was attaching models to bases. Vaughan likes to display his aircraft in flight so he can show off any special features not clearly visible on the ground. He once bent a single piece of wire in such a way as to serve as both the post and the base, but many of his pieces are attached to bases with coat hanger wire or acrylic rods inserted into exhausts. Lou recalled Canal Plastics, on Canal St in Manhattan was (and still is) good source for bases in many shapes and sizes. Armor or large figures can be bolted, screwed or wired onto their bases. Be aware of bolt orientation so you can remove the model if you want to. Whatever connectors you use, don't overtighten them. Lighter, smaller models can be glued directly to the base. Bobby recommends Gorilla Glue, but not the one that expands. Kevin attaches his works to wood blocks with brass or acrylic rods. 
 
Next meeting is Friday, the 25th, at the Community Center. No invites needed. Door open around 6pm. Hope to see you there.

Hey, almost forgot. Don says wood handrail fittings, designed to attach a handrail to a wall, can be used for bases. Inexpensive and widely available.
See you next week.
 
~Russ

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

October Meeting Rescheduled!

HELLO EVERYONE! 

THIS JUST IN: BBSC IS HAVING AN EVENT FOR AN EMPLOYEE WHO JUST PASSED AWAY ON THE NIGHT OF OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING. THE MEETING HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO 10/25/2024, SAME TIME SAME PLACE.
 
AGAIN, THE MEETING ON 10/18/2024 HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO 10/25/2024

PLEASE LET YOUR FRIENDS IN THE CLUB KNOW! 

~BOBBY

Saturday, October 12, 2024

BrookLAN Group Build Event

 Couple of photos from BrookLAN Group Build Event 10/12/2024, courtesy of Russ H.








Sunday, October 06, 2024

October 8, 2024 BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting!

Thirteen people attended. There's no Tuesday Zoom next week, the in-person meeting is Friday the 18th at the Community Center. It's pledge model night and, since it's October, spooky model night. Doors open around 6pm, meeting starts around 7:30. See the Bulletin for more Club information. 

The Gundam (and other) build is Saturday, the 12th, at BrookLAN, 339 Troutman St, in Brooklyn, 2 - 6pm, $10.00 venue fee. 

Mark hopes to arrange a private tour at the Dutchess County Airport, probably in early to mid-November. 

Jimmy and Russ shared photos of last week's Armorcon. Several other BPMS members were there, too. 

In progress and completed work included: Mirage F-1C (Vaughn appreciates the kit's low parts count), Subaru Impreza (Mark was pleased by how well the decal setting solution worked), B- 17, Batpod (from The Dark Knight), Cadillac Escalade, Type 7C U-boat, Crusader P-36, F-8 Crusader, and a robot. Bobby acquired a 3D printed Jack O' Lantern figure. Will it be ready for spooky model night? 

The featured tool was a leather punch, an alternate to modelers' punch and die sets. Not as many sizes, but not as much money. 

The topic was primers. Lou's big sellers are Tamiya White, Light Grey and Metal, Mr. Surfacer and Badger's Stynylrez. Then there's Krylon spray cans and Dupli-Color automotive primer. Everyone agreed that Tamiya's primer had a strong, unpleasant odor. Model paint manufacturers have introduced colored primers that could be used as finish colors, but they're not cheap and some say their quality isn't always consistent. Most feel priming plastic is an unnecessary step but several feel it's a project milestone, the first time your aircraft really looks like an aircraft. Everyone agreed materials like resin, metal and vinyl had to be primed to avoid problems at a later date.
 
There will be a weekly ZOOM on 10/15/2024. Details to come. 
 
UPDATE: Next inhouse meeting is Friday, 10/25/24 at the Community Center . No invites needed. Bring your pledge model, spooky model and donations for the November Super Raffle. 
 
Hope to see you there. 
 
~Russ (edits by Bobby)

Wednesday, October 02, 2024

10/01/2024 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report

Thirteen people attended. Armorcon is this Friday and Saturday, the 4th and 5th at the Wyndham Southbury, 1284 Strongtown Rd, Southbury, CT. The Gundam themed group build is Saturday, the 12th, at BrookLAN, 339 Troutman St in Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley Show is Saturday, the 26th, at the Elks Club Hall, 29 Overocker Rd, in Poughkeepsie. 

The holiday lunch will be Saturday, 12/14/24 at Dinosaur BBQ, 640 Union St in Brooklyn. Price, $40.00 per person. Cash bar available. Menu will be posted shortly. If you plan to attend, let Jeff or Chuck know in advance. You can pay in advance, too. 

Kevin reminded us articles for the Bulletin are always welcome. 

Russ asked for advice on attaching a new regulator to an old airbrush compressor. 

IPMS Canada member Mark told us Tamiya spray paint will be banned in Canada. What have you heard? Mark also told us he's trying to arrange a visit to the Dutchess County Airport to see the D-Day C47 residing there. 

In-progress and completed work included: Wildcat (Mark is weathering it with a marbelizing technique), Subaru Impreza, Stinson Reliant (Vaughn was impressed by the old AMT kit), F-22, Warhammer Ork truck, Toon Ship Titanic, RF-4 Phantom, P-47 (Erasmo's first airbrushed natural metal finish), B-17, Willy Ley Orbital Rocket (Kevin is finding it hard to "build like an 11-year-old"), F-8 Crusader, SR-71 Blackbird (Frank is building the old kit, even though he has the new one, too) and Ho-Ri2. Acquisitions included: British Interplanetary Society Lunar Lander and SMB2 Super Mystere Sa'ar. 

The topic was opening sealed paint jars. We heard about tools like nutcrackers, pliers, commercially available adjustable openers like the Gilhoolie and we heard about techniques, like wrapping the cap and jar with rubber bands to improve grip, running bottles under hot tap water, inverting bottles and putting thinner in the space between the bottle and the cap. We heard about best practices, like keeping your hands low, rather than high, while trying to unscrew a cap, opening and closing bottles from time to time, cleaning the necks and wrapping them with Teflon tape before storing them upside down. We also heard about bad practices, like gripping the cap AND the bottle with pliers and not being careful when using acetone. Several people said that the caps on plastic dripper bottles don't seem to get stuck, unlike caps on glass jars. Did we miss your favorite tip? Just write it down and hit reply all. 

The next meeting is Tuesday, 10/8/24 at 7:30pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there, or at Armorcon, or both. 

~Russ
 
 

Friday, September 27, 2024

September 24, 2024 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting

Featured Discussion: What paints last longest in the jar/bottle? What dried out quickly? Can old paint be recovered? 
 
The good news is that sixteen people attended. The bad news is that not everyone got to talk. Apologies to those we missed. 
 
Lou reported Italeri's 1/72 F-35C and Takom's "big box" (two 1/35 Tiger1 variants and a 1/16 Wittman figure) are available. And watch for Tamiya's 1/48 F-35 C. 
 
October will be busy, Armorcon is on the 4th and 5th in Southbury CT, there's a Gundam themed build (although you can build whatever you bring) at BrookLAN in Brooklyn on the 12th and the Hudson Valley show is on the 26th in Poughkeepsie. Details for each event are (or will be) on the BPMS Facebook page and blog. 
 
Plans for the holiday lunch at Dinosaur BBQ on Union St in Brooklyn are moving along thanks to Chuck. Probable dates are Saturday, 12/14/24 (side room available) or Sunday, 12/15/24. Details to follow.
 
Don told us about attractions and accommodations near the 2025 IPMS Nationals venue.
 
Mark, back from his travels, shared photos of the shows hosted by the IPMS ROC City and IPMS Patriot Chapters plus photos of an Airshow in Nampa, ID, where he saw a pair of water bombers that came up from Australia. Erasmo shared a photo of himself and the other members of the F-35's "first flight" team standing in front of the very same F-35. 
 
Frank G was glad to hear that Airfix/Minicraft had a kit of the Boeing Clipper, even if it's pretty old.
 
In progress and completed items included: Subaru Impreza, Wildcat, Sam Elliot bust (Kevin likes Vallejo's new formulation and numbering system), Moon Rocket (from the 1936 film, Cosmic Voyage), German experimental sub, military and civilian Cessna helicopters and 1966 Mercury (painted with nail polish by you know who).  
 
After a brief discussion on the proper way to make a Martini, we talked about paint. Your experience may differ, but this is what we heard. While you should expect a one-year shelf life,  Humbrol tins last forever.  Mission Models paint also lasts a long time. Gunze Aqueous paints dry out quickly. Lighter colors dry out faster than darker colors. Put a stainless-steel ball in the jar to aid in mixing. Restorer, from Mr. Color, works well on acrylics. Adding thinner to "not so full" Tamiya paint jars prolongs their life. Spraying a 60/40 thinner to paint mix of Vallejo Air at 15psi (max) gives good results. Black enamel paint lasts a long time, grey enamel doesn't. Lacquers last forever. Enamels are easier to restore than acrylics. Keep the mouth and neck of the paint bottle clean. Wrap the neck with Teflon tape before putting on the cap. Store the bottles upside down (Gil cut holes in a piece of foam to store dropper bottles upside down). 
 
Next meeting is Tuesday, October 1 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 
 
~Russ
 
 
 
 

Monday, September 23, 2024

Next event happening at BrookLAN 10/12/2024

Here are the details for the next model event happening in October, so they're down on paper. Sorry if the formatting is weird. The event is set up by SiegNuYork.

Date and Time:
October 12th, 2024
From 2pm until 6pm.

Location:
BrookLAN
339 Troutman Street
Brooklyn, NY 11237

Admission:
$10 Ticket Fee (only if you want to participate in the class or sit in the back and build models with everyone) You can get tickets at the door or get them online by clicking this link. Event details are also on there.

Public Transportation:
The absolute closest train is the L train to Jefferson Street. From there, it’s about a block and a half walk to get to the location. Alternatively, you can take the M train to Central Ave, however, you will have yourself about a 20 minute walk.

Details:

At this event, if you have someone that’s never built a Gundam mode before and is interested in learning how to, we’ll be holding a beginners class on this. The class should be about an hour long using a simple model that you can take home with you. If you're not participating in the class and just want to chill out in the back and build some models with every one, you can do that as well. Please let me know if you're interested in participating in the class. Also, if you have a model you'd like to show off and display for the event, feel free to bring something to share with everyone!

We’ll have a vendor there on-site (PopCurator) selling some stuff from Gundam models to figures with flash sales and deals happening all throughout the day and we’ll also be doing $1 raffles every hour until the end of the event.

For those that don’t know, BrookLAN could be classified as an eSports Bar on first glance but it’s a bit more than that. They have plenty of PCs and video game set ups available for rent by the hour, a full bar with some really good food and drinks available. The location itself is highly focused on gaming of different varietys, whether it tabletop, trading card games, video games and anything else you could think of, so that’s majority of what you will be seeing on the screens there are from different live streams to even tournaments if they’re taking place. They're also recognized for hosting major gaming tournament, either for popular video games, card games and even tabletops when they do happen.

If there’s any questions about things, feel free to ask, more than happy to answer any and all questions!
 
~Julio
 
 
 

Thursday, September 12, 2024

September 10, 2024 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting

Featured Discussion: Are you really gonna use all that aftermarket stuff? How much photoetch and resin have you used successfully?  
 

With some usual suspects on travel and otherwise engaged, ten people attended the September 10 BPMS Zoom meeting. There is no Zoom meeting this Tuesday, but the real, live BPMS meeting will be Friday, Sept. 20 at the Bergen Beach Sports Complex.  The Friday meeting will include a workshop on weathering aircraft and, as a special draw, hot dogs aged from barbecue night!

Lou reported few new kit arrivals – the 1/48 scale US Marine Corps F/A-18D and Australian Air Force F/A-18A Hornets from Kinetic and a 1/ Renault S Turbo motorcycle from Tamiya. He also shared an observation on the apparent value of resin, photoetch, and 3D-printed aftermarket accessories to his customers: “One out of 10 buys resin. Photoetch, forget about it.” Aftermarket bombs and missiles for aircraft find more buyers.

Vaughan updated his progress on his 1/48 Stinson painted in an attractive white-and-gold scheme. Still to be mastered is the neat green piping running from nose to tail. “This thing is turning into experiment.” Suggested approaches include fine-bristle nail-finishing brushes and fine-point paint markers.  

Jimmy showed two packs of new AK Real Color paint markers. The line includes specialty colors for wheels, tracks, and other tactical vehicle details. Jimmy remains a regular user of aftermarket accessories including metal gun barrels for armor kits. He revealed a 3D-printed F-35B gun pod from Galaxy Models and a 3D-printed set of 1/12 scale motorcycle wheels. “I can’t build anything out of the box. I have to add something to it.”

President Tom noted the value of aftermarket parts to replace missing kit details. Erasmo showed off his handsome de Havilland DH.88 Comet built without aftermarket from the ancient Airfix kit and a Polish RWD-6 monoplane racer. He acknowledged, “I love aftermarket. The only problem is I don’t know how to use it very well.” Don suggested using a belt sander to trim resin parts for plastic kits.

Kevin finds little call for aftermarket parts when building fantasy figures and other specialty resin kits. His work-in-progress was Fred Flintstone’s neat roadster with a troublesome droopy resin sunshade. Moderator Frank showed his Monogram F-8E with a replacement seat more representative of early Crusaders but noted resin cockpits seem like more trouble than they’re worth when compared to typical Monogram and Hasegawa cockpits.

Chuck talked about the challenges building the new Airfix B-17 with all its out-of-the-box interior details and said he was not confident using photoetch parts to punch-up aircraft details. With an accountant’s eye, IPMS Region 1 Member of the Year Bobby concluded “I have no interest buying parts that triple or quadruple the cost of the kit. . . If I buy something, it’s because I want to build what’s in the box.”

The next Zoom meeting will be Sept. 24.   See ya for real on Friday!

~Frank

 

Thursday, September 05, 2024

MInutes from the 9/3/24 ZOOM Meeting

 

Eleven people attended, and Mark was there in spirit, having sent photos of the mystery cowling we tried to identify back in January. After the meeting, the photos were forwarded to all. Thanks for following up, Mark. 
 
Kosta also had photos. His were from the Gloucester Schooner Festival. 
When Bobby was out of town, he found an ad for Hobby Outlet in Cresco, PA. Chuck knows the place, big inventory, with old and new kits. He recommends you call before you go, as hours are limited. 
 
No updates for future Pier 57 or BrookLAN events. 
Lou reports Meng's 1/35 Merkava 4 with roof armor, ICM's 1/48 WW 2 Japanese pilot and ground crew figures, Ju 88 P, Beaufort Mk 1 and Magic Factory's 1/48 F4U-1A/2 Corsair (2 kit set) were available. 
 
In progress and completed work included: F-22, Stinson Reliant (Vaughn says it's not a bad kit considering its age) Lowbrow Flintstones (definitely not a candidate for The Build Like an 11-Year-Old theme contest, says Kevin), Edmond Fitzgerald,  F-8 Crusader and 3D printed female figure (using open-source software, Gil can scratch build on his computer rather than on his workbench). 
 
Stepping away from his computer, Gil explained how to make a Bare Metal Foil alternative from household aluminum foil, parchment paper and Mona Lisa metal leaf adhesive (from Speedball).
 
A tip from Don, SeamFil, made for filling seams in Formica, works on models, too.
Who rebuilds their old models? Few of us, it seems. Many prefer building the kit again, especially if they have multiple kits in the stash. Some keep the old build as a learning tool, some keep it for spare parts. Erasmo was an exception, refinishing a English Electric Lightning that was built by someone else. Chuck plans to resurrect a partially built SS United States as soon as can figure out the best way to do it.
We had enough time at the end to discuss sponsorship request etiquette and give feedback on the IPMS $60.00 renewal offer. 
 
The next meeting is Tuesday, 9/10/24 at 7:30 pm. Bobby will host. Watch for his invite.
 
Russ

Sunday, September 01, 2024

09/03/2024 BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting

Part 1 starts promptly at 7:30 PM EST.
Part 2 starts at 8:10 PM if we need more time.

Members and guests are cordially invited to join our group for our weekly online meeting!

All are welcome! If you would like to join, DM us your email address and name so we can include you in the email list with Zoom Meeting details (meeting numbers and passwords)!

On the agenda:

BPMS Club News.
IPMS News.
Other clubs news.
Hobby News.
What's on your workbench?
Featured Discussion
 

August 27, 2024 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting

Twelve people attended. Several of them commented on the latest issue of the latest IPMS Journal (Yeah, yeah, it's IUJ but I'm sticking with the old name). Don thought the grey text was used to discourage copying. Jimmy thought the grey looked fine.  Let's see what the next issue looks like. 
 
We talked some more about having the Holiday Lunch at Dinosaur BBQ in Brooklyn, possibly December 8th or 15th. Other BBQ places were mentioned but Dinosaur is the best value. 
 
There was enough talk about airbrushes to justify making it a discussion topic for a future meeting. 
 
Lou reports Hasegawa's 1/72 F-18 A Super Hornet with Blue Angels markings is available. 
 
In progress and completed work included: M-4 A3 Sherman with Infantry, Medusa, Lucy (Kevin found the way to realistically paint lace), Type VII U-Boat Upper Deck, Chariot (from Lost in Space), F-8 Crusader (Frank rediscovered his appreciation of the old Monogram kits) and Ho-Ri 2 tank. 
 
Gil had two tools this time, a magnetizer/demagnetizer that comes in handy for handling small metal fasteners and a pipe plug he's using as a handle to hold the Chariot's upper section as he applies Bare Metal Foil to the framework.
 
The topic was problems we had while using fluids. Some could have been avoided if we just read the label. It also helps to take your time and double check what's in your hand. Similar-looking bottles with foreign language labels can be differentiated by colored tape or labels you make yourself. Decal setting solutions can react differently to different paints. Try new combinations on your paint mule first. Spills can be a problem, so remember to tighten those lids, caps, corks and seals. The adventitious among us who formulate their own thinners and glues remembered the times they mixed up the ingredients.  It didn't end well.
 
The next meeting is Tuesday, 9/3/24 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Have a happy Labor Day weekend and use your non modeling fluids responsibly.
 
~Russ
 
 

Monday, August 26, 2024