6/3/21 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report

Fourteen people attended the meeting. Not much in the way of new releases this week. Last week's big story was Squadron. This week it's Kitty Hawk / Panda. Are they closing down? No one knows. Like we said about Squadron, let's see what happens. In progress and completed work : Ar-234, cold war era Phanton FGR-2, Buick Riviera, Chevy Suburban, DM 13 Katyusha, Metal Earth train, and two 1/8 scale automotive pieces, a Shelby Cobra 427 engine (weight - couple of pounds) and James Bonds Aston Martin (weight - 28 pounds). The Ar-234 and the FGR-2 builds led to an interesting discussion of the development history of both aircraft and the changes and unusual measures required to accommodate design modifications. Thanks, Vaughn and Frank. Acquisitions included: Machination Studio's armored walker, the mouse from The March of the Wooden Soldiers (aka Babes in Toyland), Bassist Katarina, Jack Palance as Dracula , Fritz Lang 'ish' Fem-Bot, RQ/MQ- 1 Predator, Russian pilot figures, German WW2 license plates (PE) and Sparmax airbrush. The featured tool was Gil's airbrush maintenance station, a heavy Plexiglas block, drilled to accept one end of a quick disconnect fitting. With the fitting's other end attached to the airbrush, it can be securely mounted to the base for disassembly, cleaning/repair and reassembly. Magnets countersunk into the block prevent metal parts from rolling away. Depressions cut into the block do the same for nonmetallic parts. Pretty neat. The discussion was about finishes. Apparently, we use a variety of products, Dullcote (even if it changes the color of what's being coated), Gunze Flat (even if it's hard to get), Rustall Flat (even if it's from MicroMart), Vallejo Gloss, Flat & Semigloss and a new one , to me at least, Polycrilic Varnish from Minwax. It cleans up with water and it's very thin. Golden Paint makes a matt finish BUT IT HAS TO BE CLEANED UP WITH AMMONIA. Many people recommended overthinning these products which led to questions about airbrush tip sizes and which work best for a specific task. Now that you know all about finishes, join us on 6/10/21 at 8 pm and learn about weathering with pencils. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.

~Russ

5/27/21 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report: Featured topic - Alignment

Twelve people attended the meeting. There would have been more if the link in the reminder email worked properly. Sorry for the inconvenience. 

The big news is the apparent return of Squadron. It's supposed to happen soon. Let's see what happens. Two new releases were mentioned, a 1/48 Tempest Mk 2 (radial engine) from Special Hobby and a new 1/35 Kettenkrad (mid production) from Tamiya. 

Completed and in progress work included: Kitty Hawk's 1/32 P-39 Q (a bear to build, according to Vaughn) and Atlantis Models' 1/46 P-39 (a stroll down memory lane, according to Bob), Hobbycraft's Bf-109 E, Hasegawa's MK 9 Continental Spitfire, Ertl's King Tiger, ICM's truck mounted Katyusa, Amusing Hobby's P-1003/1 Wasserflug, Modelcollect's P 1000 Land Battleship, Ar E-581, and a VW Van made into a dragster by some bodywork and the addition of a Allison 12 cylinder engine. ICM's MiG-25 trainer, ModelSvit's Mirage 3E and a set of decals for the V-22 Osprey were the only items acquired this week. 

We got a tip on flattening Dullcoat's finish. Pour off 1/3 of the factory thinner and replace it with lacquer thinner. A discussion of WW2 German flying saucers led to a recommendation to watch military historian Mark Felton's YouTube videos. This week's tool was a drill bit gauge, useful for sizing rods/dowels. Screw gauges are less useful for this. 

If you're looking for places to visit, Vaughn reports the Connecticut Air and Space Center at Bridgeport Airport in Stratford opens on May 29. Mark likes the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks CT and Frank just got back from the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum In Cape May NJ. We didn't hear much about armor, ship and car museums. Maybe next time? 

We discussed tools and methods to ensure alignment (that dang Kitty Hawk P-39 Q again). We heard about repurposed tools (foam blocks, square glue bottles, binder clips, rubber bands, tempered glass pane, marble slab), specialty tools (3rd hand, tweezers mounted to a base, 1-2-3 blocks, magnetic welding squares on a steel base plate, machinist bookends) and custom-made jigs (3/8 thick plexiglass with drilled holes to accept Berna Multi Clamps). We also heard tips on assembly (use small lengths of sprue to replace mis-aligned locator pins, glue multi piece fuselage sections together on a flat surface, THEN glue the fuselage halves together - poorly written but you get the idea). 

The next meeting is 6/3/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ

5/20/21 meeting report

Thirteen people attended the meeting. Two model pledges were made. This was our first meeting with closed captioning. It was interesting to compare what was said to what appeared on the bottom of the screen. They caught everything and most of it was accurate. Not court stenographer accurate but good enough. 

 

Several new releases were announced: a 1/35 Jackal from Hobby Boss, a 1/144 B-52 H from Academy AND one from Great Wall. Great Wall also has a B-52 G and Me 323 Gigant (reboxed Pit Road kit?) both in 1/144. 

 

We saw a lot of in- progress and completed work: FGR2 Phantom in RAF markings, MiG-23 mounted on a stylish, space saving and, let's just say, inexpensive stand, King Tiger, Junkers G-23/24 conversion, DC-4 with aftermarket decals and Bandai's Millennium Falcon with photoetch (from Green Strawbery) and interior lighting (from Gil). Acquisitions included two items from Zvezda, a snap fit Ju-87 B2 and a Soviet MG team, Flying Leathernecks decals and Atlantic's PBY-5A Catalina. 

 

We saw pictures of Covid builds by Hudson Valley AMPS members at their first in person meeting since the lockdown began. As of now, the Hudson Valley show is on for October, Armorcon is on for September and Mosquitocon for July. 

 

The discussion topic was keeping dust off wet paint. Don recommended the Boot Box from the Container Store and Frank likes the plastic protectors that come with large cakes. Gil had a different approach, attach the piece to a dowel or chopstick or equivalent, paint it and hang it upside down. He's also used a food dehydrator on models painted with enamels. We closed with more paint related stuff: turning pipe plugs or sanding drums into adjustable holders (good for holding cylinders), inexpensive microbrush source (look for eyelash makeup applicators online), pigments (turning them into paint), pigment pots (another cosmetic item) and Micro Q Tips. 

 

Next meeting is 5/27/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ

 

BPMS Zoom Meeting Report: May 13, 2021

The May 13 BPMS Zoom meeting drew 16 people, including the welcome return of Peter K, studying at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, PA. We are still waiting for word about when our Bergen Beach meeting place might re-open, but plans call for Zoom meetings to continue even when live action resumes.

Beginning next month, the BPMS Zoom meeting will be closed-captioned to make sure our hearing- and otherwise-impaired friends can join in. Our virtual meeting organizer Russel H requested the service from Zoom, and a trial run showed the very readable screen text keeps up with English conversation but cannot spell the names of German vehicles.

Industry Informant Lou brought news of a 1/700 scale USS Missouri from Very Fire, a 1/32 scale early-model SPAD S.XIII from Roden, and two 1/72 scale Stryker fighting vehicles from Dragon armed with anti-tank missiles and 40 mm gun. Joe B showed a newly acquired 1/72 scale rail flatcar from T-Model, supplied with a pre-cut photo-etch detail fret. Keven K presented a ¼ scale resin-cast Liz from the Hellboy movies. Vaughan A had a 1/72 scale Piaggio Avanti from AModel.

Vaughan also showed off the attractive improvements he made in an otherwise primitive 1/48 scale Tempest V fighter bomber from ESCI/ERTL. Roger P had his impressively re-painted large-scale Mustang reclaimed from an unnamed toy. Gil presented his beautifully weathered and detailed 1/32 scale Moebius Raptor from the recent Battlestar Gallactica TV series. He also showed off a simple but universally useful tool – inexpensive glass stirring rods with round ends are handy to mix and transfer paint and easy to clean. Vaughan suggested wire twist ties bent into a loop can be precise applicators for one drop of touchy cyanoacrylate glue.

Work In Progress included a 1/48 Phantom FGR.2 being built by Frank C, a 1/72 scale Swordfish and Hurricane underway by Chuck C, and the Sonhorst 1/72 scale land battle cruiser being assembled by Don I. Howell S paused his carpet search for a missing diving plane jettisoned by his 1/350 scale Trafalgar nuclear submarine. Mark N showed off his yet-to-be-painted 1/35 scale Sd Kfz.222 from the Tamiya kit.

Our discussion of modelling trauma included tales of the Great Phantom Fog-Over when a clear finish turned opaque white in high humidity; paint pollution when dog hairs and fingerprints appeared in pristine paintjobs; and self-mutilation when the hobby knives really came out. Don shared his unique memory of a model airplane wing glued to a 50 lb cat. All the disasters were fixed by sandpaper, cutting boards, brush touchups, and fur clippers. BPMS members finally considered a profound question: Why are modelers not born with four hands?

Next Meeting Thursday, May 20. See ya then.

~Frank

5/6/21 meeting report

Eighteen people attended the meeting. Twelve of them named their pledge model. Now all they have to do is build it by October and they get 5 extra tickets for the Super Raffle. Pledges, either by email or at a meeting, will be accepted until the end of the month. One new release was reported, Broco's 1/48 MiG 15. In progress and completed work included: Bf-109 D2, Atlas ICBM, (Metal Earth) Locomotive, Dick Tracy (not to be confused with Fearless Fosdick), 62 Pontiac Catalina 421 SD (with nail polish paint job), P-1000 Land Battleship, WW1 cavalrymen, DUKW, and a F-8 Crusader (touching down on a carrier). Acquisitions- a shocking (well, shocking by BPMS standards) difference of opinion on the Minibase Su-33 kit that led to a discussion on parts count, part size, loosing parts, aligning parts and related joys of the hobby. Alpine Miniatures' German WW2 figures, Revell's GMC Big Game Country Pick Up, an inexpensive knockoff airbrush and compressor rounded out the acquisitions. We got a tip on thinning small batches of Mr. Surfacer 1200. In the tool segment, we saw that scratch brushes, with steel, brass or nylon bristles, can be used to remove paint layers for a weathered effect and we saw that some rotary tool wire brushes can do the same thing when mounted on an Xacto type handle. This led to an explanation of the "hairspray" and "salt" weathering techniques. 

Someone asked about hobby shops. A couple of names were mentioned- Rudy's in Astoria, Red Caboose in Manhattan, Brownies on Staten Island, Ridgefield in (where else?) Ridgefield NJ, Willis in Mineola. I'm sure there are a few more. Tell us what's near you, even if it's outside the NYC area. A road trip sounds pretty good about now. The meeting ended with a discussion on continuing zoom meetings once in-person meetings resume. Everyone agreed the virtual meetings are worthwhile and should continue. Presuming in-person meetings are the 3rd Friday of the month, virtual meetings would be the 1st Thursday of the month. We're also looking into ways to use zoom at the in-person meetings. The next meeting is 5/13/21 at 8 pm. FRANK C will send the invites. Hope you can make it. 

~Russ

Gee, that list makes it look like there are hobby shops all over! As the plague lifts, maybe a road trip is in order. AAA Hobbies in Magnolia NJ is well-stocked.
In response to Glenn's question: hobbylinc.com, spruebrothers.com, kitlinx.com are all well-stock and reputable sources, with reasonable shipping charges.

Stay away from Internet Hobbies and his spin-off sites.
~Frank

4/29/21 meeting report

Big news, maybe. The mayor announced NYC will be open by July. Does that include the Community Center? Is the Community Center able to give us back out old time slot? If there's light at the end of the tunnel, it's pretty dim at the moment. Anyhow, fifteen people attended the meeting. Some new releases were noted: HK Models' 1/48 scale B-17F and Bandai's 1/12 scale Mandalorian and a smaller scale Razor Crest. The Bandai kits are available in two different finishes. In progress and completed work included: XP-79 Flying Ram, Weserflug P-1003, B&V P-178 (with a camo scheme done in waterproof India ink), Sikorski H-34 (with rotor blade hangers scratch built from glue-soaked laminated paper strips), AMX RC-10, Atlas ICBM, a beat-up Mustang that started life as a $3.00 motorized toy car and the Spirit of Saint Louis. In the tool segment, we saw a homemade parabolic work light made by attaching LED strip lighting to a thin strip of metal, say 3 ' long, anchored in wood blocks, say 2' apart with a power source from MPJA.com. In the walkaround section, we saw two vehicles from the Aberdeen Proving Ground, a M-4 Sherman with coaxial flamethrower and the Elefant. We also saw aircraft displayed at the Dayton's USAF Museum, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, New Orleans' National WW2 Museum, the Udvar Hazy Center and several other locations. We are, excuse me, were, a well-travelled group of modelers. But don't travel at 8 pm on May 6. That's our next meeting. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.
~Russ

04/22/2021 BPMS Zoom mini meeting - Featured topic: References

Even with a delayed start due to the host's technical problems, sixteen people attended the meeting including a guy who usually avoids virtual meetings. Who, you ask? Well, he may not be famous but he certainly is original. One new release was reported, Minibase's 1/48 Su-33. In progress and completed work included: Galileo 7 shuttle (with added interior), F-105G, Ar-234 (with extensive cockpit detailing), Northrup M-9M flying wing, Panzer 4 F1, Jekyll/Hyde figure, WW1 cavalrymen, AMX 10RC, Trawler, Tatra 97, (Metal Earth) Hopper Car, and Mirage ( with Greek markings). Acquisitions included: Modelcollect's 1/72 Land Battleship (it's big, with 1,068 individual track links), Machination Studio's MB-1 Armored Walker and Velocipede. The featured tool was the seam scraper. Not the blade type, which works well enough, but the specialized type, with multiple cutouts for smoothing joints and shaping precise angles and radii on plastic parts. A simple, useful tool manufactured by several companies. Thanks, Gil. 

 

The discussion topic was references. Books are still popular sources of inspiration but the good ones aren't cheap and they go out of print too soon, it seems. The internet, YouTube and Facebook Groups dedicated to both prototype and model kit provide a lot of information. Some out-of-print books wind up on the Internet where they can be downloaded. Museums and static displays combined with smartphone cameras give us all the photos we need. Until we get home and realize we missed that critical detail. Films, even black and white help to visualize the completed work. It seems there is no single, perfect reference source. I'm sure we'll revisit this topic in future. Before the meeting closed, it was suggested we have a group built in memory of BPMS member Tim Greenman. Tim was well known for his work with small scale armor so we're asking everyone to build a 1/72 scale tank by August 2021. Details will follow. 

 

The next meeting is 4/29/21 at 8 pm. invites to follow. Hope to see you there.

~Russ

4/15/21 BPMS Mini meeting, featured topic: blades

Thirteen people attended the meeting. No new releases were reported. In process and completed work included: LSSC boat, Ford GT 40, F-190, B-25B, SH-3, F-105F, Mi-24 Hind, Haunebu, He-279, Ar-386, F-4U Corsair, KV-1, F-4D1 Skyray and SRN-1 hovercraft, who's warped parts were fixed by sandwiching a sheet of aluminum between the upper and lower halves. We saw more acquisitions: AMX-10 RC, Paint masks for Panzer 3 and 4 wheels, KV-1 resin replacement detail pieces, decals for Vietnam era Sheridans and M113s and figures from Evolution and Stalingrad. The topic for discussion was blades, #11s mostly, but also #22s and scalpels. Gil demonstrated sharpening a #11 blade with a tool and oil from Diamond Ejer. Don described how he uses water and a 4 grade diamond stone from Harbor Freight to keep his edge. Vaughn uses a whetstone to keep his carving tools sharp. Of course, a good blade needs a good handle and we saw several examples from Fiskars. Their fingertip knife is great for cutting out decals as long as you don't scratch you nose while using it. Moving away from blades, we learned that tea candle holders are great at keeping paint bottles from toppling over and we saw a cheap, low tech (double sided tape and jelly jar lid) system to keep glue bottles from falling over. One guy claims he never knocked over a glue bottle because he never stopped using tube glue. And you should never stop attending our virtual meetings. The next one is 4/22/21 at 8 pm. Invite to follow. Hope to see you there. 

 

~Russ

 

4/8/21 Zoom mini meeting report

Fifteen people attended the meeting. Several new releases this week, Kinetic's 1/48 Pucara, GR3 and AV-8 A, Italeri's 1/72 T-55 A, Academy's 1/144 B-52 H and Trumpeter's 1/700 USS Alaska. In progress and completed work included: Type VIIC, Type XXI and Gato Class submarines, FW-189, C47A, Ar-581, He -279, WW 1 cavalrymen, Ford 100 pick-up, X-15, Battlestar Galactica, SR N-1, F-105G, Sherman, Centaur with deep wading trunks, Porsche 956 and Mercedes Sauber C-9. The featured topic was 'what are you waiting for' but some guys couldn't wait. Here's what they got: Type VII C U boat, Ford Expedition, Chevy Cameo pick-up, Stout Skycar 2, MiG-25 and KC-10 Extender. Even so, there'll always be kits we want. One person observed that the phrases I need and I want are pretty much interchangeable when it comes to this hobby. Our collective wish list goes from general (anything weird) to specific (Curtis NC-4, USS Brooklyn, USS Oregon City, Alsace Class battleship, HSwMS Gotland, Ford Trimotor floatplane, Sherman Duplex Drive tank, S-67, S-92, Mi-7 and Mi-8 helicopters, Hammerhead Corvette [from the Star Wars franchise, not from the Bowling Green KY assembly plant], missiles in 1/48 and reissues of the 1/144 USS Fletcher, the 1/16 Schwimmwagen, the 1/16 Porsche Speedster and the 1/72 U-2-R. The tools/materials segment focused on lead wire. Designed for tying flies, and available in diameters from .030" to .025", it's soft enough to shape into realistic plumbing /hydraulic lines and takes paint well. We also discussed methods to straighten warped plastic parts and an old favorite, stretched sprue. The next meeting is 4/15/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.
~Russ

04/01/2021 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report

Fourteen people attended the meeting. We continue to wait for news of when we can return to the Community Center. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Convention is still on schedule. There's a rumor that some events will be held outdoors. Plastic + outdoors + Nevada + August = interesting. Thanks to the camouflage topic we saw lots of completed and in progress work: He-112, Mothman, Panther A,R-35, T-34, MiG-37B, Valentine, X -15, MiG-21 bis, MiG 23, F-5E, F-4E, F-100, F-104, Mirage 3, T-34/76, T-34/85. We saw examples of hand brushed, masked and free hand airbrushed camouflage patterns and we got a referral to DOCTOR MiG on You Tube. An old timer's camouflage tip, start with the darker colors first. Acquisitions included: Mr. Black Publications' WW2 Special Vol 5 on sculpting and painting figures, Dicfeos headband magnifiers, Takom's 1/16 Wiesel, Dioramag's latest book, metal T-34 and Panther track sets, Flakpanther with turret options, Discovery XD-1 and Master X's He-279. In the tool segment we learned "Nail Art Tips" designed manicurists, etc., are useful for creating a customized swatch book for your paint inventory. More convenient than using plastic spoons and much less likely to end up in your coffee cup. Other paint topics included craft paints (useful, may require priming, difficult to airbrush), multi surface paints, art markers, Inks (acrylic and traditional), acrylic extenders, Tamiya's enamel panel liners and Leroy and Rapidograph technical pens. The next meeting is 4/8/21 ay 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope you can make it.

~Russ

03/25/2021 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report

Fifteen people attended the meeting and they were surprisingly good at Name That Sprue. Any subject, any scale, it didn't matter. Every sprue except one (more later) was identified, Sea Lynx, Jet Ranger, Ekranoplan, Lear Jet, Kingfisher, Typhoon, Avenger, Typhoon, Neanderthal Man, Brumbar, Priest. You get the idea. Maybe we'll see this contest again. One new release reported, Takom's Panther G, early, with zimmerit. In progress and completed work included: MiG 21 bis, Type XXI U-boat, Viggen, Dune Buggy, Metal Earth's Box Car and Gondola, Ford 5 Window Coupe, Galaxie sedan (conversion from Police Interceptor), Fw-189, Junkers G-24, Zeppelin and K Type Blimp (the un-named sprue). Even with that supertanker parked in the Suez Canal, guys are still getting stuff: Border Models' early Tiger 1, Ryefield's Panzer 3 with interior, Legend Productions' Zombie heads, weapons and equipment, Airfix's Spitfire 5C, RS Models' Coudron C-445, Arma's Hurricane Mk 2 B/C and FM-2 Wildcat, ARBA's Ar-581-4, Antares' He-162, Me-262 and Fw-190 Mistel combinations and Academy's pair of T-6 Texans. We heard several helpful hints. Metal leafing glue, intended for gold leaf, can be used to salvage old Bare Metal Foil sheets and Kabuki tape is very good for canopies. And we saw how a jigsaw or a Sawzall can be used to agitate paint bottles and spray cans. You had to see it to understand it. That's why you should join us on 4/1/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. hope to see you there.
~Russ

03/18/2021 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report

Sixteen people attended the meeting. Two of them were brothers. If you didn't attend, you'll have to guess who they are. One new release was reported, (Ryefield's) Initial Production Tiger 1, with interior. Too many Tigers? Nah, there's always room for more. In progress and completed work included: WW1 cavalrymen, MiG 21 bis, Challenger 2 with enhanced armor and plow, three submarines (Type VII C, Type XXI and Gato Class), Fokker DR-1, Hawker Hurricane, multiple Pz Kw IVs and T 34s (this will be one heck of a wargame table), (Metal Earth) Caboose, Mad Max Interceptor, Ho 229 and two Me 262 variants. Acquisitions include : (Meng) Super Hornet, (Pj Production) pilots with jhmc helmets, (Master Box) zombie hunter and (Academy) PBY 5A. We heard how tail-heavy solid body aircraft can be balanced by drilling out the body and filling the cavities with Liquid Gravity. We saw the new Revell acrylic paint. Actually, we saw the 18 ml container which looks like a tinlet in a box. Expect a review of the paint in a few weeks. However, we did get a detailed review of PanPastel, soft pastels that can be applied like paint or even in place of paint, Gil's Mad Max Interceptor being a case in point. More durable (and more expensive) than chalk pastels, they work well on flat and gloss finishes and come in a number of colors, including metallics. Thanks, Gil. Our next meeting of is 3/25/21 and it marks ONE YEAR of weekly virtual meetings. The first one was 4/2/20. We'll celebrate the anniversary with "Name That Sprue," a memory contest for modelers. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

 
~Russ

A Visual Guide to the Fake Fleets and Inflatable Armies of World War II

 https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/wwii-ghost-army

A Salute to Model Making - The Tank Museum

 https://tankmuseum.org/tank-nuts/news-and-articles/a-salute-to-model-making/

03/11/2021 BPMS Zoom Meeting Report

First, many thanks to Frank C. for preparing this report. 

Twelve people attended the March 11 Zoom meeting of the Brooklyn Plastic Modelers Society and showed the Club’s usual variety of pandemic work-in-progress (WIP), plus some interesting tools and insightful techniques. 

 

Mark N. revealed his varied WIP with a 1/35 scale Tamiya R35 French tank, Trumpeter T62 Soviet-era tank with reactive armor, Meng 1/35 Bradley armored personnel carrier, Dragon Hetzer anti-aircraft vehicle, Tamiya Panzer D tank and Meng Rolls Royce armored Car from early WWII North Africa. To add a little variety, Mark is also building a Revell 1/32 Spitfire. Mark showed the group how steel 1-2-3 blocks work like a vise to help align wheels and other vehicle parts.  

 

Frank C. finished his Dragon 1/72 MiG-17 Fresco in Angolan markings with a helpful Cuban conscript figure glued in place to keep the tail-sitting jet fighter on its nose wheel. 

 

From his Connecticut workshop, Gil showed a 1/24 scale Mad Max/Road Warrior interceptor made from the Aoshima kit.  Gil also recommended using plastic parts the Tamiya 400-Grit diamond file made to clean up photoetch.  His tip of the week was that he scans decals sheets from any model over 10 years old to keep a ready-to-print replacement in his decal library.

 

From the not-so-deep South, the always-productive Bob K. showed off an Amiot 351 pre-war French bomber nicely built from the “unbuildable” Mach 2 kit and an Italeri C-47 Dakota finished in olive drab.  Bob also told the club the best way to ensure a totally flat finish with Testors DullCote is to pour off the standing thinner from the bottle and replace it with fresh lacquer.

 

Vaughan continued to make progress on his 1/48 Hasegawa SH-3 helicopter and showed his almost-finished wood model of the America racing schooner with cloth sails rigged by hand. He confided, “I learned how to sew. I now have a sewing machine.” Vaughan also showed how ParaFilm stretch plastic can be used to mask models for painting. 

 

Steve continues his work building 1/72 wargaming tanks to represent the Battle of Kursk in mid-summer 1943. He showed how simple Pegasus T34s can be spruced up with generic sandbags, tools, and stowage items from Value Gear. 

 

Jimmy reviewed some recent mail order acquisitions including the Meng 1/48 Super Hornet, AFV Club 1/35 Dragoon, and numerous tank accessories. His tool of the evening was a Tankraft aluminum base to keep spill-prone glue bottles upright on modeling benches. 

 

Bobby continued to show off the improving quality of 3-D printed figures, this time with a rookie Judge Anderson from the movie Dredd smoothly printed in one piece and a heavily armed Joe Pineapples from the UK comic book series 2000 AD. 

 

Angelo meanwhile showed of a less-than smoothly molded 1/48 P-24B from MisterCraft and an enigmatic Scithian Warrior from Black Dog.

 

The night’s discussion focused on kit instructions, and why even the most seasoned modelers should still look at ‘em.  The quality of assembly instructions varies with the kit manufacturer.  Frank C said the instructions in the otherwise excellent Kinetic Mirage III/5 kit left some small parts out altogether. Nearly everyone has found ways to make assembly easier and cleaner by changing the assembly order in kit instructions. Mark reminded the group of those unfortunate instances when aircraft need holes drilled out before wings are assembled, and Vaughan confessed that he masked and painted areas on his Sea King only later to find the markings were on the kit decal sheet.  More embarrassments are likely at the next BPMS Zoom meeting on March 18. Invites to follow. 

 

~Russ

BPMS 03/04/2021 Zoom Mini meeting report

Eighteen people attended the meeting, including a few we haven't seen in a while. Glad to know you guys are holding up. No new kits announced but we did get a glowing recommendation for "USAAF Aircraft weapons of WW2" from Canfora Publishing. Sticking with books, we heard the FSM magazine, "Building and Detailing Aircraft" has an extensive aircraft paint color guide covering various eras and countries. Thanks, Charlie. We saw a lot of in progress and completed work: Fairey Swordfish, He 122, WW1 Cavalrymen, I-16, P-51, OH-6, SH-3, Bf-110 G4, MiG-17 (with a clever way to correct a tail sitter), Fishing Trawler, Me-262 conversion, Hover Truck and a scratch-built Hover Tank that started life as a telephone housing. In the tool session, we the handle from a JLC Combo Saw used to hold photoetch sawblades. Much better than holding the blades with your fingers. We also saw that baseball card sleeves are good for holding photoetch and other delicate items, like the blades of the aforementioned JLC Combo Saw. Thanks, Gil. The featured topic was broken models and DNR (Do Not Repair) Orders. We heard about damage done by overzealous cleaners, pets wanting to get comfortable and glue breaking down. Models with special significance will be completely rebuilt. Maybe not right away but one day. Some will be replaced by the duplicate kit in the stash and wind up as spare parts. The general feeling seems to be, if it broke after others saw it on display, full reconstruction isn't worth the time. Changing topics, we started a discussion thread that went from wargame tables to markings for T-34s to T-34s in the 2012 film "White Tiger" (From Russia, not to be confused with the 2021 movie "White Tiger" from India) and ended with a video on the T-34 (Tank Chats #68 - T34) from the Tank Museum at Bovington. All in all, a fairly typical meeting. The next meeting is 3/11/21 at 8pm. Frank C sent the invites yesterday. He'll will be hosting. Thanks, Frank. 

 

~Russ

BPMS 02/25/21 Zoom mini meeting

Fourteen people attended the meeting. Two new 1/48 ac releases were mentioned,  Marine Osprey from Hobby Boss and OV 10 Bronco A/D from ICM. In progress and completed work included: WW1 Cavalry, F9F Panther, 3D printed Robocop droid and Kraken (large piece but not large scale), SH 3, P 61 Black Widow (more later), MiG 3, Bf 109, Tractor (Metal Earth), LCVP diorama, Me 262 conversion, Viper Mk 1, I 16 (Finnish Markings).  No acquisitions were shown which gave us more time to talk about:  shows and other in person events - when will they resume?, what's been cancelled?, air brushes - keep that air cap clean,  wing weathering - stipple/drybrush technique with cotton balls,  vacuum forming - benefits of using a negative mold. and how to make a negative mold, reinforcing large, thin, display bases -  glue insulation board to the underside , but use a compatible glue,  Durham's Water Putty -  can be bushed on in thin layers, can be cast in complex shapes, can be colored with ink, can be shaped before it completely sets, can be carved/sanded after it completely sets, cutoffs make good rock debris, has a long shelf life, and it's very, very, cheap, mounting delicate parts - tiny magnets.  Back to the Black Widow. Vaughn told us about one that crashed in New Guinea in 1945, was recovered in 1991 and has been undergoing restoration ever since.  The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum's website has extensive photo documentation of the project so far. Thanks, Vaughn.  Next meeting is 3/4/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ

PS: The Tank Museum at Bovington ( https://tankmuseum.org/) has a video on lockdown model building.  Apologies in advance to aircraft modelers.

 .

• Part 1 starts promptly at 8PM EST.
• Part 2 starts at 8:42 if we need more time.

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

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?

02/18/2021 BPMS Zoom mini meeting

Sixteen people attended the meeting. The IPMS Las Vegas Convention is a "go" according to their website. Closer to home, the NJ Toy Soldier show will be held from 9am to 3pm on 3/7/21 at the Hilton Hotel, 650 Terrace Ave, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ. Masks and distancing required for NJ, nothing mentioned for NV. Two releases were noted, a 1/72 WW1 German U-boat and a 1/8 sale Huey B-1. In progress and completed work included: SH-3, He 219, Challenger 2, P51 (South Korean markings), Woodpecker, Perseus (Master Box version), Cthulhu (buddy version), Panzer 3 (DAK markings), F9F Panther and Landmaster 1. Acquisitions included: 1953 Ford Victoria, several Metal Earth kits - farm tractor, freight train and Imperial Shuttle (Star Wars). Do you need decals for your 1/72 Golden Knights C 47? Well, if you do, it's your lucky day because Mr. K has a set for you. Contact him directly. For tools, we saw scribers from the dollar store and punch and die sets from MMM-USA and Waldron, by way of Kitlinx. Here's a tip, wine bottle foil can make convincing bolt heads with the help of an MMM-USA hex shaped micro punch. Here's another tip, a drop of CA glue sitting on wax (if you were there, you saw how to prepare a tea candle) won't set as fast as a drop sitting on most surfaces. An old timer said it also happens on film negatives but he didn't say where to find any negatives. You, however, can find us at 8pm on 2/25/21. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ

.

• Part 1 starts promptly at 8PM EST.
• Part 2 starts at 8:42 if we need more time.

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

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?

02/11/21 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report

Twelve people attended the meeting. Speaking of meetings, our first virtual meeting was 4/2/20 and we've met every Thursday since, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. That's 44 meetings, including last night. Attendance has ranged from 8 at the first meeting to 20 on 4 occasions. Overall, the average is 16 people. The single release announced last night was a 1/72 scale A20 A/B/C. In progress and completed work included​: Panther A (no longer a work in progress. IT'S DONE!), I-16, Mirage 5, Viggen, V Wing, VW Pickup truck, Catalina, Yacht America, Mosquito night fighter, 3D printed "buddy Cthulhu", Spitfire 9E, Sd Kfz 232, He 277 conversion and Me 262 conversion. Acquisitions included: Samson (from Avatar), Prometheus (from Prometheus), Ford F100 and Ekranoplan. We saw some interesting tools, ceramic cutter and hobby blades from Slice, Mico chisel set (several producers), idiot proof inexpensive multimeter (Mustool MT 111). But the most interesting thing we saw was a trailer taking a SBD Dauntless fuselage that spent 50+ years in Lake Michigan and several more years in a museum, to a restoration facility. Nice diorama, eh? The next meeting is 2/18/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ 

 

Part 1 starts promptly at 8PM EST.

Part 2 starts at 8:42 if we need more time.

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

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.
• Mail call / new acquisitions
• What's on your workbench?

02/04/2021 BPMS Zoom mini meeting report

Twenty people were at the meeting. It was reported that Round 2 Models has a new partner. What does it mean? We'll have to wait and see. New releases, an F4B from Tamiya and an MB1 Armored Walker from Machination Studios. In progress and completed work included: Blenheim, Beaufighter, Me 262, F15, Yak 55M, Yacht America, Edsel, Mirage 5, VW Baja Bug, VW Pick-up truck, Korean War P51, Zero, Swordfish, Fokker DR 1 and Star Wars Stormtrooper (soft plastic) figure. New acquisitions ranged from small (F16 decals) to medium (figures from Alpine and Evolution, Eurocopter Tigre HAP, 55E Tiger 2 and Sd Kfz 251) to big (1/8 scale Ferrari F250 - a 100 package subscription kit). President Tom told us about the YouTube model contest where he represented BPMS with his Panther. Haven't seen it yet? Check our Facebook page. Thanks, Tom. Thanks as well to Gil for showing us the Kasi mat, a silicone platform made for repairing cell phones but with many features modelers will appreciate. About that soft plastic Stormtrooper. He was primed with Krylon spray and it worked well. Some guys use Red Devil Varnish or Minwax poly acrylics. What did you use on that Imex Civil War Cavalry set you won at the Super Raffle? Next meeting is 2/11/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ