BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: October 3, 2023

Fourteen people attended the meeting. Lou reported Trumpeter's 1/32 F-35B(US Marines), 1/48 Mi-17 hip H, 1/35 MTLB and Pantsir anti-aircraft missile system and 1/700 USS Missouri are available. Tamiya's 1/48 F-35B is expected in late December. Also, watch for Micromir's 1/72 SAAB Draken.

Julio organized another Modelers Meet-up for Saturday, Oct 7 at Pier 57 in Manhattan. The venue is first rate and it's easy to get to. See the flyer on the club's Facebook page for details. Armorcon is Oct 13-14 in Southbury CT and the Hudson Valley show is Oct 28 in Poughkeepsie NY. The BPMS holiday lunch will be Dec 2 at Nora's ,3019 Quentin Road, in Brooklyn. Details to follow.
In progress and completed work included: Gundam RX-78(Gordon's custom-made decals include functional QR codes), B-58, Skyhawk, Tornado, a supplemental shelf (Frank found a simple way to create more display space), a pair of Necronomicons (for October's spooky theme meeting) and VW Type 87. Acquisitions included: Tiger 1, aftermarket Panther tracks and AH 1-G Cobra.
We heard more tips on decal application - blot the decal with the side of a flat brush or a thin sponge cloth, use a sponge soaked in hot water to set the decal. We also heard thoughts on the best gloss topcoat.
The main discussion was about sponsoring trophy packages. It seems fewer requests are being made and those that are are incomplete, not mentioning the cost or where to send the money. Why the cost of trophy packages varies from club to club is unclear. Is it due to materials or to help raise funds for the host club, which is OK, but would be nice to know. Bottom line, standardizing some of the information in the sponsorship requests will make it easier for potential sponsors to decide who to sponsor. After all, if you're asking people to give you money, you should lit them know what they're getting and make it easy for them to pay.
Next meeting is 10/10/23 at 7:30. Invites to follow. The Modeler's Meet-up is 10/7/23 at noon. No invite needed.
~Russ

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: September 26, 2023

Sixteen people attended the meeting. No new releases were announced.

Julio has arranged another Modelers Meet-up for 10/7/23 at Pier 57, Daffodil classroom, from noon until 5pm. Details are on the BPMS Facebook page. Armorcon is 10/13-14/23 in Southbury CT, and the Hudson Valley Show is 10/28/23 in Poughkeepsie NY. 

Kevin and Julio shared impressive photos of the entries and the vendors at Jerseyfest. Thanks, guys. We heard about a judging controversy at the IPMS Nationals, which led to a wide-ranging discussion on judges, Gundam v. Mecha, attracting new people to the hobby and so on. 

In progress and completed work included: 3D printed Val Kilmer bust (Doc Holliday, from Tombstone), Spitfire (Swedish recon version), Mr. Kim's Noodle Boat (from The Fifth Element), B-52 with X-15 and 3D printed Laura Croft figure. Acquisitions included: Patriot 105 airbrush, '23 Model T Depot Hack, and Wyatt Earp figure. The tool/product of the week was the Pulsarpro FX dry transfer system. You will, however, need a laser printer and a laminator. 

Decal application was the featured topic. We heard variations on the basic "gloss coat, setting solutions, flat coat" procedure. Mark N uses a coffee filter to prepare the surface for decals. He also sprays a very thinned mist of the model's main color over the decal to blend it in. Micro Set, Micro Sol, Mr. Mark Setter, Mr. Mark Softener and Tamiya Mark Fit Strong are commonly used decal solutions. Walthers Solvaset is reserved for only the most stubborn decals. Vallejo's gloss coat is a good substitute for Future (or whatever they call it now, if they even make it). If you use Dullcote, Mr. K recommends replacing 1/3 of it with thinner for a dead flat coat. 

The next meeting is Tuesday, 10/3/23 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: Sept 19, 2023

Twelve people attended the meeting. Lou reported the 1/32 Tie Fighter and 1972 Toyota Pick-up kits are available. He also reports MiniArt kits are hard to come by at the moment. Kosta shared his recent photo of the USCGC Eagle and the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry docked in New London. 

Jerseyfest is this weekend. Details are on the club's Facebook page. Several people are going, so we expect to see a lot of interesting acquisitions next Tuesday. Julio has arranged another Modelers' Meet Up at Pier 57 on 10/7/23 from noon to 5pm. Details are on the club's Facebook page. Thank you, Julio. Armorcon is 10/13-14/23 in Southbury, CT and the Hudson Valley show is 10/28/23 in Poughkeepsie, NY.
In progress and completed work included: Eurocopter Tiger, Ilyushin Il-2, Pz-4 J, Bearcat, Gundam F 90, 3D printed large scale Laura Croft figure, VW Type 87 and Necronomicon (an HP Lovecraft/Evil Dead thing). Acquisitions included: Tiger 1, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (75 mm figures) and B-17. 

Gil's latest tool was a magnetic tool holder. The magnetic strip keeps tools accessible and organized. Safety note: don't position sharp tools so that you accidentally stab yourself. 

The topic was washing kit parts prior to assembly. For current plastic kits, some do (it's a good way to check that all the parts are there, better safe than sorry), some wash them after assembly (dust, shavings and fingerprints will spoil any paint job) and some don't (why bother, it's an urban myth). But for older plastic kits, resin kits and 3D printed kits, everyone agrees that cleaning is essential. Gil went from soaking resin kits in whitewall cleaner to abrasive blasting his 3D figures, followed by an alcohol wash/scrub, followed by a dish soap wash. The blasting medium he uses is aluminum oxide 120, as used with the Paasche Air Eraser. Kevin uses Purple Power to clean resin. Bobby uses Scotch-Brite pads on resin. And, if the resin isn't completely cured, he puts it under UV light in a lightproof box. Gordon uses microfiber cloths when drying small parts. Gil uses a food dehydrator to dry large pieces and complete assemblies. 

The next meeting is Tuesday 9/26/23 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ

BPMS Model Clinic: Painting 1/35 Scale Figures

BPMS Meeting 9/15/2023

Plastic Model Building Community Meet Up October

Julio will be hosting another Plastic Model Building Community Meet Up. Please see the flyer for more info. Will be on Saturday, October 7, 2023 - same place and time as August Meet Up.

September 5th, 2023 - BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting

Twelve people attended the meeting. No Tuesday Zoom meeting next week as the in-person meeting is Friday, 9/15/23 at the Community Center. Kevin K will present a clinic on painting 1/35 scale figures. Details are in the flyer, which is in the mail. ]

Lou told us about a new kit from Tamiya, The Walking, Swimming Duck (not to be confused with the DUKW). Italeri's 1/72 AMX Ghibli is also available. 

Gordon showed us some of the sprue cutters he's been evaluating. Watch for his detailed write up in a future newsletter. Mark visited the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center in Horseheads, NY. He'll share photos at a future meeting. 

In progress and completed work included: Eurocopter Tiger (Vaughn fabricated the complex gun sight from laminated plastic on an improvised lathe), Jersey Devil, Pz 4G, Catwoman figure (Gil is getting into 3D printing), B-58 and VW Type 87. Acquisitions included: 5 gal. portable air tank (we remembered some old alternatives to compressors and why they went away) and plexiglass sheets etc. for creating extra display space. The tool of the week was a pop-it fidget toy. Acrylic paint doesn't stick to it making it an easy to clean paint pallet. 

Revisiting last week's topic, maximizing display space, Bobby, Vaughn and Gil gave Frank several options for building supplemental shelves and Don gave important advice on tools and procedures to cut Plexiglas safely. Moving to this week's topic, we talked about what influences our decisions on what to build/buy. For me, if a vehicle was ever on display at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, I'd buy the kit. For Gil, it's anything Volkswagen. Also, space ships, particularly from the old Irwin Allen shows. Kevin built Aurora's monsters when he was a kid and moved up to limited run monster kits and real space kits. A work assignment got Vaughn interested Soviet aircraft, so he built quite a few. Frank likes building F-4 Phantoms because with all the variants and all the national and operational markings/paint schemes used and payloads carried, he can make every model unique. 

The next meeting is Friday, 9/15/23. Doors open around 6PM, meeting starts around 7:30 pm. No invites needed. Hope to see you here. 

~Russ

 

BPMS Bulletin: September - By Kevin K

Minutes from the August Meeting

 

Attendance: Members – 26, Guests – 2, Models – 23
Meeting was gaveled to order at 7:40PM.

 
• Pizza Night and the 3Q Contest.
• A favorable report was giving by the members who attended the IPMS Nationals.
• Reported 2024’s Nats will be in Madison WI, and 2025 will be at Hampton Roads, VA.
• Julio Guadalupe and Bob Pokorny reported on Julio’s Scale Model get together. Another will be planned for the future. See below…
• The monthly raffle was held with 14 winners!
• There was an extended break for pizza and the contest voting.
• Meeting was adjourned at 9:35PM

Meeting date: 

September 15, 2023

Location: BBSC

Time: We usually have members setting up by 6 PM. Feel free to come by early!

Activity: Painting 1/35 Figures, hosted by Kevin K. 

 

 

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: 08/29/2023

Fifteen people attended. Lou reports Trumpeter's 1/16 Sd Kfz 251 D is available. Gordon has been busy collecting and comparing sprue cutters. He'll document his findings in a future newsletter. Anticipating the discussion on display space, Kevin told us about the virtual museum on the Fantastic Plastic Models website. 

 

If you're looking for outdoor events, Kosta has two, Ukrainian Day,  on 9/10/23, at 195 Glenbrook Rd, Stamford, CT and, on 9/17/23, a Ukrainian festival at 90 Fleet St, Jersey City, NJ. Contact Kosta directly for details.

 

In progress and completed work included: Eurocopter Tiger (an Italeri kit with problems, although not as many as the real helicopter, according to Vaughan), Jersey Devil,  USS Greeneville, Pz 3, Pz 38t, Stout Skycar, Annular Monoplane 3, Nike Hercules, Ferrari 512 M (Mark was impressed by this Lego offering), B-58 and Tornado.

 

Acquisitions included: Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, B-10B decals, Eurocopter (a different manufacturer, with aftermarket parts and Air- Graphics decals), '40 Ford, '59 Surf Shark Cadillac, F-22 Raptor and F-2B (by way of Plaza Japan, one of Frank's favorite sources).

 

The topic was improving/maximizing display space. Lou suggested mounting in-flight aircraft on pedestals of different heights. Several guys keep their models in bins and only take them out for shows. Stackable, purpose-built display cases from Trumpeter and others are handy, but expensive. Basketball display cases are good for large figures/Gundams. Not attaching bases to models allows each to be stored separately, saving space. Vaughn built his 7' high, 4' wide, 18" deep cabinets from scratch and Ikea sells bookcases with glass doors. Wall mounted shelves can hold a lot. Mr. K says the shelves in his workroom hold about 1000 models (next zoom meeting, look for yourself). It was noted that glass shelves, as opposed to wood or metal, make it easier to see what's inside a display case. The most obvious approach is to build only smaller scale kits. But who wants to do that? 

 

Next meeting is Tuesday, 9/5/23 at 7:30pm. Invites to follow.  In the meantime, have a Safe and Happy Labor Day.

 

~Russ

8/22/23 BPMS Zoom Mini meeting report

Eleven people attended the meeting. The 8/18/23 in person meeting, being pizza night and the 3rd quarterly contest, was well attended. Photos are on the BPMS Facebook page. No new releases were reported but we heard about the forthcoming 1/32 Tie Fighter from Round 2.

Mark is working on a list of upcoming shows. Details to follow. Mark received a non-modeler's request for someone to repair their Tu-95 Bear, an inherited model with much sentimental value. Chuck can pick it up if someone agrees to make the repairs. Contact Mark and Chuck directly for details. 

If you missed out getting a BPMS shirt last time around, Gordon may order more in future, provided there's sufficient interest. 

In progress and completed work included: 63 Corvette (Paul started the Agora kit with the engine), Hawker Typhoon, FA-18 (Chuck used Mother's Magnesium and Aluminum polish to restore the canopy), Lego Ferrari, F-14, B-58 (Frank really likes the way Vallejo premium grade black label metallic paints look over a gloss black base coat), Tradewind and VW Type 87. Acquisitions included: Douglas 046 A (Kevin plans to recreate a moment in Staten Island history), Martin B-10 B, Mirage 2000 N and 53 Ford Coca-Cola pickup.

The featured topic was cleaning your models. There were stories of well-intentioned family members washing models in sinks or removing dust with a vacuum cleaner(ouch!). Most of us use soft brushes we've picked at craft stores, hardware stores, cosmetic counters or hobby stores/websites. Q-tips and Kleenex are also used. Gordon supplements his brushes with an electric Air Duster (kinda like a hairdryer). Air brushes aren't recommended for dust removal. Individual dust covers, either DIY or professionally built, are effective at keeping models clean. Or maybe you just want to put your model in a jar. Furniture type cabinets and barrister bookcases minimize dust accumulation but dust still gets in. Bobby recalled Mr. K covered his models with dry cleaners' plastic, replacing it when it got too dusty. Unusual, yes, but, Mr. K does have an awful lot of models to keep clean. 

The next meeting is Tuesday, 8/29/23 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

Russ

August Meeting Photos

Photos from August 2023 Meeting now up on BPMS Facebook Page

Photos Part 1

Photos Part 2

Transformers Arcee Model Kit

For the Robo/Mecha fans out there. Last week I received the Transformers Arcee kit that I had pre-order from last year. 

For those who are not familiar with this model kit, the kit is by Flame Toys - a China, Hong Kong based company. The kit was released in Asia around July 2023 and was released in the USA August 2023 by Bluefin/Bandai Namco Group who are the US distributor. 

For Transformer fans, they would know her from different reincarnation within the brand. The design for his kit is loosely based on Generation One where she's similar in looks but more feminine in body design. The design was created by Japanese artist going by the alias bansan.

The overall kit was beautifully molded with lots of detail. Of course, we have to remember it's a new kit with a fresh mold. The entire kit is snap-on and color molded. 

The first thing I notice compare to another kit from Flame Toys is that there are no poly cap (PC) parts. It seems with the advancement in mold and designs, many new mecha kits no longer needs the traditional poly caps for joints. The kit came standard with foil stickers as with other kits previously however, I notice there was no Autobot symbol. So closer look around the parts I notice the tiny Autobot symbol was prepainted on the part itself. Further examinations I see 2 more pair of parts were prepainted too. I can't say I'm surprised considering that the kit was designed to be put together straight out of the box and the most you need to paint are probably some panel lines and detailing.

With the above said. The kit is great for people who don't want or do not have the means to fully paint a model kit. The kit itself wasn't really design to be painted because on previous Flame Toys kit, I notice how tight joints/moveable areas are and just have no tolerance for paint. Paint would just scraped off around area of the elbows and knees. However, for modelers like myself, we tend to fully paint our kits and some planning is require to work around minor limitations.

Overall, the kit cost $65 and the engineering looks good. I'll have to put this one together to get an idea how well it comes together. Yet, I had build previous kits from Flame Toys and they do come together nicely. From what I found out, Arcee is hard to get at this time due to her popularity and was sold out from many retailers during the first pre-orders. However, Flame Toys announced it will be doing a second round so expect places that had it on pre-order the first time might be doing round two of pre-ordering.

~Gordon

Plastic Model Building Community Meet-up Interview

Interview with Julio, organizer of 8/12/2023 event: Plastic Model Building Community Meet-up.

Community Group Build at Pier 57, NYC: 08/12/2023

The Group Model Build organized by Julio occurred yesterday and was a huge success! The Daffodil Classroom at Pier 57 big, clean, well-lit and AIR CONDITIONED! It was relatively easy to get to, once you got through cross-town traffic. 

A huge THANK YOU to JULIO for organizing and getting this done!

We estimate that there must have been some 40 - 50 people in attendance during the course of the day. There appeared to be around a couple dozen models on the table covering many facets of the hobby. There were even a couple youngsters walking by the room and came in to inquire about the event. It's rewarding, potentially, to spark the interest of the next generation of model builders!  

Thanks to all the BPMS members who showed up to support this community event, Russ, Steven (& son), Tony, Kevin B, Jeff, Gordon, and Michael "Mido" from our BPMS Zooms. If I missed anyone, I am sorry, I didn't write any names down. 

 

~Bobby P 

 

Submitted by Julio: 

 

Hey everyone!

Sorry I’m getting to this late, I always forget to check my email for days on end.

Thank you everyone that came to hang out, it was a blast. I’d definitely say the attendance was around 55 people or so, there was a little bit of musical chairs going on. There was also 27 models on display at the front of the room, all ranging from miniatures, to tanks, robots, giant robots and stuff in between.

I will probably host another one of these in a month and a half’s time. I’m currently reaching out to Bandai Spirits (formerly known as Bluefin Brands) to see if they can send me a case or two of some simple, beginner friendly models they use at events like Comic Con to get people interested. If it works out and I am able to get the supplies, I’d love to make the next event focused towards new modelers or potential new modelers, since down the line, they’ll be the life blood of our hobby. And if not, well, we’ll have a good time anyway.

August 8, 2023 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting

Thirteen people attended the meeting. There's no Tuesday Zoom next week, as the in-person meeting is Friday 8/18. It's pizza night and the 3rd quarterly contest. 

 

Julio's Modelers Meet-up is this Saturday, the 12th, at Pier 57, near 11th Ave and W 15 St in Manhattan, 12pm to 5 pm, Daffodil classroom. See the flyer on the BPMS Facebook page for more information. The 2023 Jerseyfest will be Sept 22-23,  at the Newark Airport Marriott. 

 

Lou reported Revell Germany's 1/32 Hurricane Mk 2 and Trumpeter's 1/72 A-6A (Vietnam version) are available. 

 

Mark shared photos from the IPMS Nationals. He may not have taken pictures of every model there (3,100, according to the organizers) but we saw enough to get a good idea of the quality of the models. Thanks, Mark. If anyone else has photos or stories from San Marcos and wants to share them, please let us know.

 

In progress and completed work included: 3D printed Nurgle figure (Warhammer), 3 D printed Dr. Doom (on throne), Norris-spider thing and RJ MacReady figures (from The Thing), Soviet Sub Project 628, Phantom of the Opera figure, annular monoplane, Stout Skycar, 3D printed Eva figure and Tradewind. Acquisitions included: B-36 (old Monogram kit), eyeball decals and waffen ss camouflage book. 

 

We saw two tools, both designed for other uses but valuable for modelers. A keyboard wrist rest also helps at the modeling bench. Plastic pry bars made to remove trim, etc. on full size cars can be used to pry apart kit parts without damaging them. Both tools are inexpensive and widely available. 

 

Almost everyone remembers the model that beat them: ICM's 1/72 Mig-25 Foxbat (recon), Entex's 1/350 Titanic, Revell's E-A6, large scale vinyl Machine Kreuger kit, characters from Dante's Inferno, P-1000 Land Battleship, Master Box's US Civil War Cavalry kit and EA-7 Optica aircraft. One guy was beaten by filling seams with Zap a Gap instead of putty and waiting too long to sand it smooth. A few guys didn't recall being beaten by any model, but they admitted to having partially built kits laying around the workshop. On a shelf, not in the trash, at least not yet.

 

Hope to see you either at Pier 57 in Manhattan on Saturday, 8/12/23 or at the Community Center on Friday, 8/18/23. 

 

~Russ

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: August 1, 2023

Thirteen people attended the meeting. Several said they didn't get invites to recent meetings. It's not clear why it happened. If you don't get your invite by Tuesday morning, let Bobby, Frank C or me know and it will be re-sent.
Lou reports three Tamiya kits, 1/72 USAF F-35 A, 1/35 JGSDF 8 wheeled armored car and 1/24 GMA T-50 sports car are now available. Jimmy saw 3D printed masks for bomb tips in various sizes, which will be useful
Joe wanted us to know the Hudson Valley show will be Oct 28. Julio's "Modelers Meet-up" is Aug 12 at Pier 57, by the Hudson River, in Manhattan (see flyer on our Facebook page). Kosta is looking for a 1/43 3D printed Browning 50 cal mg. If you can help, contact him directly.
In progress and completed work included: Alien figure (Joe says the completed kit will be 4 feet tall), Kurt Russell and Norris figures (from The Thing), Gary Oldman figure (from Dracula), 3D printed APC (from Alien), F-14, B-58 (Frank will paint a natural metal finish) and Tradewind. Acquisitions included: Hawker Type 2, Il-2, Quick Boost tire stencils, Halcyon Drop Ship (from Alien), a pair of Super Mysetre (one kit, two planes) and a book on same.
This week's tool was a fountain pen ink syringe filler, a clean and efficient way to transfer and, maybe apply, inks. There were brief discussions on aircraft deicing boots, UFOs/UAPs and flying saucer kits, base coats for natural metal finishes, bulged tires for aircraft and what's the best time of day for building. The featured topic was tips for using yellow paint. Some use white as a base coat. Joe recommends a 1 to 2 mix of white and yellow as a base coat. Tan and certain flesh tones also work. Then there's the paint itself. Vallejo's yellow was said to be too transparent, while Citadel's was rich in pigment. Gil likes G-Paint (lacquer based) and Golden Paint (acrylic).
Next meeting is Tuesday, 8/8/23 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.
Russ

 

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: July 25, 2023

Twelve people attended the meeting. The 7/21/23 in person meeting was well attended. Photos of the night's Red, White and Blue Theme models are on the club's Facebook page. Lou reported ICM's 1/35 AH-1G Cobra and US Army WW1 ambulance and Takom's 1/48 AH-64D (British, Israeli and multiple nations versions) are available. Also, watch for Airfix's 1/48 Sea King, MikroMir's XP-51 and an (ex-Renwal) USS Sarasota. 

 

Mark is soliciting questions to ask IPMS President Dave Lockhart when he meets him at the Nationals next month. If you have any, send them to Mark directly. 

 

Julio has arranged a model builder's get-together at noon on 8/12/23, at Pier 57, near 11 Ave & W15 St in Manhattan (flyer on the Facebook page). It's free, it's Saturday afternoon and it's accessible by public transit. Thank you, Julio. Frank shared photos of the Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum in Buffalo NY and the MAPS Air Museum in North Canton OH. Looking for letter/number or stripe decals? Mr. K recommends K4 Decals.com. Railroad related but useful and the service is good. Don is looking forward to getting a 1/18 Mr. Kim's Noodle Boat (from The Fifth Element).

 

In progress and completed work included: F-18F, Wolfie (from Groovie Goolies), Bigfoot bust (Kevin's OSL paint job wasn't challenging enough, so he put a Bob Ross style scene on the back of the bust), Teenage Werewolf, Bell X-1, F-15, NASA F-18 (Angelo does not like this kit!), M151 A2 (this one, he likes), 32 Ford Street Rod, Be-200 (anti-sub version), B-50 conversion, F-14, MS-09 Dom and Tradewind. Acquisitions included: F-22 Raptor and Marshal Jessie figure. 

 

The topic was things we bought, but don't use, things like 3D printers, 3D pens, "third hand" tools, sculpting tools, mini pry bars, propeller blade alignment jig, your second (or third) airbrush, kits that are too big to display and a bone scraper (funny, this never showed up at "Show Us Your Tool" night). And why did we get these things in the first place? Because, as several people said, the time to buy it is when you see it. Who can disagree?

 

Next meeting is Tuesday, 8/1/23 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow.  Until then, stay safe and stay hydrated.

 

~Russ

 

CORRECTION: The Mikro-Mir kit is the martin XB-51 Bomber in 1/72 scale Sorry for the mistake

News: Community Event

Hello everyone,

Our member and friend, Julio, is organizing a community event. If you're in or around the NYC area, please see the flier and share. Thanks to all for promoting scale hobby.

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: July 11, 2023

Eleven people attended the meeting. There's no Zoom meeting next Tuesday because the July in-person meeting is Friday, 7/21/23.  Doors open around 6, meeting begins around 7:30. Details are in the newsletter, which is in the mail. 

 

No new releases reported but watch for Squadron's Devastator book and Takom's M-29 Weasel. Michael told us about the Fold 3 website, a repository of military history records and documents, Vaughan told us that V, as in VMF or CV, signifies "heavier than air" and Frank told us Dollar Stores are a good source for inexpensive wood bases.  

 

In progress and completed work included: E A-6A, Teenage Werewolf, Bigfoot (Kevin's exercise in OSL, Object Source Lighting ), B-25, Zero, Wildcat, Roman Warship (no action/adventure movie spoilers, please), Patlabor Griffon, Baby Yoda, A-6 Intruder, F-14 and Tradewind. Acquisitions included: F-16 D, Moon Maiden, Cleopatra's Last Dance, Marilyn Monroe, Norris-thing/head (from 1982's The Thing), brass toothpicks (from Mig Ammo) and toothpick dispenser (from the Museum of Modern Art's gift shop).

 

Gil's tool was the app, TRYCOLORS. It works on iPhones, Androids and laptops. It's inexpensive and helpful for mixing colors, determining a color from a photo and identifying manufacturers.

The topic was toothpicks. It was such a rich topic we ran out of time before everyone had a chance to speak (that's why you saw all those post meeting emails). We have used them to mix and apply epoxy glues, to hold small parts for painting (drill a hole, jam the toothpick in), put pupils in eyeballs, detail dials on instrument panels, apply putty, wedge parts for a better fit, remove excess paint from canopy frames, ream/enlarge holes, remove excess liquid cement form plastic, polish plastic, remove excess plastic putty, even after its dry (wet the toothpick first). Some prefer round toothpicks, some prefer square. They both have their uses. Toothpicks can be put into hobby knife holders. Orange sticks, used for manicures, are an alternative to toothpicks, as are bamboo skewers. And don't forget, you can get them in brass now, too. 

 

Hope to see you at the July meeting. 

 

Russ

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: June 27, 2023

Nine people attended the meeting. Next Tuesday is July 4, so the zoom meeting is canceled (it's hard to compete with fireworks). Lou reports MiniArt's Modern British and WW2 German (France) tank crews are available in 1/35 as are their Allied Jerry cans in 1/48. 

In progress and completed work included: Chupacabra (Kevin used static grass to represent hairs along the spinal ridge), Michael Landon/Teenage Werewolf bust, A 6-E Intruder, MS 09 Dom (Jeff convinced Bobby to "take the robot", a phrase familiar to anyone who has attended an in-person meeting) and R3-Y Tradewind. Acquisitions included: Wolfie (3D printed Groovie Goolies character) and USAF aggressor decals. 

This week's tool was a wire bending jig. Good for right angles, curves and complex bends, it's inexpensive and widely available. 

Random tips: Have you seen those packages of 3 garlic cloves in the grocery stores? Well, the sleeves holding them have modeling potential and, they can be glued, according to Bobby - vinyl caulking can be used to create seascapes, according to Don. 

The featured topic was organizing your paint supply. Most felt the best way is to organize by color, rather than paint type or brand, although one guy maintained that "organization is for losers". Storage systems included cigar boxes, pencil boxes, plastic cases, office supply carts/Ikea furniture and repurposed nail polish display racks. Paint intended for future needs should be stored separately. Spreadsheets only work if you keep them updated. 

We had time for a spontaneous discussion about modeling in general, kit reviews, what we do/don't enjoy, personality types we've encountered, why manufacturers are increasing parts counts, experiences with judges and what can happen "when a hobby becomes a religion".
Next meeting is Tuesday 7/11/23 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. 

Have a safe and happy Independence Day. 

~Russ