April 29, 2025 - BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting Report

Fifteen people attended. We met Ryan, who heard about BPMS at Saturday's group build at Japan Village. Welcome, Ryan. Hope to see you again.

 

Lou reports AFV Club's 1/35 Wiesel TOW is available. 

 

Several club members were among the large number of people at Japan Village last Saturday. Bobby liked the way the event was run and the venue itself. Photos are on the BPMS Facebook page. Thanks again, Julio, for setting it up. 

 

Kosta shared photos from the NY Auto Show in Manhattan. 

 

In response to a question about Opti visor alternatives,  Bobby showed us two desk top magnifiers that work well for him.

 

Don't be upset if you can't be in Brooklyn for June's Long Live the King theme contest. Send in a photo of your King related model before June 15 and it will be displayed during the contest. 

 

We saw Vaughan's Mosquito and Ju-88, Simon's B-24 J, Ki-54 and Ambrosini SAI 107, Kevin's scratch-built Blue Meanie and Hammerhead Corvette, Chuck's refurbished stick and tissue SE 5A,  Frank G's Silver Knight, Gil's 3D Printed Female Samauri and Frank C's F4 B Phantom II. 

 

The only acquisition, a bust of Zorg (from the Fifth Element). 

 

This week's tool was the metal tea infuser Gil uses to suspend small parts in cleaning solutions. 

 

We talked about hobby paints. Sadly, many of our favorites are no longer available. Although acrylics have become more common, some prefer enamels and lacquer. Craft paints, like "Craft Smart multi surface paints", are another option. Or, make your own paints by mixing "Earth Pigment" pigment powders with clear coats as the binders. Paint markers have unique advantages and certain effects can only be achieved by using pastels. We try to avoid paints with strong odors but, hey, if we need that color, we can suffer for our art.

 

Next meeting is Tuesday, 5/6/25 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow.

 

~Russ

 

April 22, 2025 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report

Ten people attended. 

 
Turnout was light at last Saturday's Pier 57 group build, but modelers filled four tables, attracting passersby to come in and see what was going on. The next group build is this Saturday, the 26th, at Japan Village, 934 3rd Ave, in Brooklyn from 1pm to 5pm. Once again, thanks to Julio for setting up these events. 

 
The June theme contest, Long Live the King, is almost here. We're encouraging out-of- towners to send a photo of their King related model for display at the in-person meeting. 

 
Lou reports Tamiya's 1/35 H-39 tank and Atlantis' 1/48 VTO Pogo and J-35 Draken are available. Tamiya's 1/35 M-36 and 1/72 F35C are expected in July. 

 
We saw Vaughn's Mosquito (the aftermarket Printscale decals are difficult to work with) and Ju-88, Kevin's French and Indian War Iroquois vignette (the tree is an upside down root with two shades of aftermarket foliage affixed by hairspray), British Interplanetary Society Moonship, and a scratch-built Blue Meanie (from Yellow Submarine), Gil's 3 D printed Veronica (he altered the file to change the appearance of the original), Russ' M-109 and Bobby's TOLR- 800. 

 
Jimmy was impressed by the Reedoak Miniatures 3D printed 1/72 and 1/48 figures he acquired. 

 
When Vaughn said he wasn't happy with his Opti visor, Gil suggested he use his phone's camera. He would just need a rig to hold it in position. Any suggestions? 

 
We found more dollar store tools, handheld magnifying glass, sponge dauber (for applying paint/dry brushing), chunky paint brushes, sanding sticks and nail buffers. 

 
Many kits were recommended for new or returning modelers or to get old timers building outside their comfort zones: Hawk kits (available as re-pops), Hasegawa F-16 (1/48 &1/72) and F-86 (1/48), Monogram P-51 (1/48), Academy's Mig-21 and other 1/72 and 1/48 jets, Tamiya's Char 1 B bis and their old Panther G, Tiger 1, Panzer 3 (all 1/35), AMT and Snap-Tite car kits, MS-05 Zaku and John Dennet's garage kits. 

 
The next meeting is Tuesday, the 29th at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there and at Japan Village on the 26th.

 

~Russ

BPMS Meeting: April 18, 2025

ACTIVITIES DIRECTING

By Bobby Pokorny

Welcome to APRIL! This month for our BPMS activities we have:

Work In Progress: What's on your workbench? What are you working on? How far along are you with your Pledge model or your Long Live The King Theme? Feel free to bring in your WI{s and tell the group a couple words about what you are doing. 

Of course, everyone is welcome to bring any other new work that has been completed.

You also still have time to declare your model pledge. Speak with me about it. April is the cut off for declarations and October is the due date for finished models.

UPCOMING: 

• PIER 57 Group Build - 4/19/25
• Japan Village, Brooklyn Group Build - 4/26/25 
  

 

BPMS Bulletin by Kevin K in PDF format

  

Meeting date: 

April 18, 2025

Members start showing up by 5PM to set up.

Feel free to come early!

April 08, 2025 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report

Fourteen people attended. We met Simon, a New Jersey modeler who heard about us at last Saturday's Mosquitocon. Welcome, Simon. We hope to see you again. 

 
Michael, who we haven't seen for a while, told us he changed his IPMS membership to Family, making his son one of the Society's youngest members. 

 
No Tuesday Zoom next week, the in-person meeting is Friday, the 18th at the Community Center. It's Work in Progress night and also your last chance to declare a pledge model. 

 
Julio has arranged another Modelers meet up at Pier 57, 25 11th Ave in Manhattan, on Saturday, the 19th, from 1pm to 5pm in the Seahorse classroom. It's an opportunity to meet zoomers who can't get to the monthly in-person meetings. There's another group build at Japan Village in Brooklyn on Saturday, the 26th. Details to follow. 

 
Say goodbye to the IUJ logo on the IPMS Journal. Look for the new logo on the current edition, which is in the mail. 

 
Lou reports Takom's Sd. Kfz. 250/3 "Greif", Master Box's "Shootout" Vietnam War Series and ICM's Studebaker US 6 Gas Tanker and WW2 German Field Kitchen, with cooks, are available. They're all in 1/35. 

 
Frank C shared his observations and photos of Mosquitocon. Gordon posted his photos to the club's Facebook page. 

 
We saw Vaughan's Vulcan. Chuck's P-61 Black Widow and King Tiger, Kevin's Iroquois Warrior, scratch-built Elvis Presley and British Interplanetary Society Moonship, Gil's female Samurai, Erasmo's Yak-38, Simon's B-24, He-115 and Constellation, Russ' M-109 and King Tiger and Frank G's Silver Knight. Acquisitions included: F-104G, Doomsday Rocket (from Beneath the Planet of the Apes) and a book of paintings by Shigeo Koike, famous for his Hasegawa box art. 

 
Gil is preparing a demonstration of pinning models for a future zoom. Thanks in advance, Gil. 

 
This week's tool was actually a product, shimmering eye shadow (white, gold & rose gold) from the Dollar Store. Gil used it on the Samauri's armor. He thinks it would be useful for aircraft afterburners. 

 
The topic was what we listen to while we build. Some prefer silence or ambient household noise. Others prefer music, as long as it's not too good to distract us from our work. Choice of music can depend on the model, classical, soft jazz, heavy metal, etc. Some have movies or YouTube (Simon likes "Rex's Hanger") in the background while performing routine tasks. Pandora, Podcasts, ball games and talk radio also keep us company. 

 
The next meeting is Friday, the 18th at the Community Center in Brooklyn. No invites needed. Doors open around 5 pm, and the meeting starts around 7:30. Bring a work in progress and, maybe, a pledge model. While It may be the last time to declare your pledge, you can pay your 2025 BPMS dues anytime. Hope you can join us.

~Russ

April 1, 2025 BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting Report

Ten people attended. As we signed in, Vaughan and Frank chatted about helicopters, incidents and near accidents. Hearing conversations like this is a good reason to join the meeting early. 

Mosquitocon is this Saturday in Wayne NJ. If you're taking Route 80, watch out for sinkholes. 

Mark shared photos of last Sunday's Valleycon (the one in Chicopee MA, not the one in Fargo ND). Turnout was good, with a large "display only" table in addition to the competition tables. 

Jimmy found a set of 1/35 3D printed hands with realistic gestures that, with aftermarket resin heads, will greatly improve the appearance of any figure. Russ reported on a hobby shop he visited in California, Burbank's House of Hobbies. Lots of kits, supplies and accessories at reasonable prices. 

We saw Mark's Porsche 911 and Type Vll C U-Boat, Chuck's P-61 Black Widow, Kevin's Iroquois warrior and scratch-built Elvis Presley, Gil's 3D printed female Samauri and Frank's Phantom ll. How many of these kits will appear in the June theme contest? You'd be surprised. 

Acquisitions included: F-4 C Phantom ll Wild Weasel, FMC 36 light tank and Value Gear Desert Storm stowage set. 

Foil cardstock is Gil's latest Dollar Store find. Each pack contains a variety of sturdy foil faced cardstock sheets that could be used for screens on instrument panels, AFV optics and discotheque dioramas. And Bobby found tools that were new to him, finger drills, small bits permanently attached to small, knurled handles. 

The featured topic was filling seams and gaps. We heard about hobby specific products like Vallejo Plastic Putty, Deluxe Plastic Putty, Avies Epoxy Putty, AK Interactive White Modeling Putty, Tamiya White Putty and Mr. Surfacer (500) as well as items like Zap a Gap superglue and accelerator, automotive glazing putty, Starbond black superglue, old gooey black enamel paint and Wite-Out (in bottles with foam applicator or shake & squeeze pens). Careful clean up and dry fitting make it easier to eliminate seams. Vaughan, who uses tube glue, allows it to overflow slightly while clamping and scrapes away the excess after it dries, eliminating the seam. Resin kits may require a different type of filler. Gil uses Icing Polyester Finishing Putty. It's strong stuff. He uses a downdraft vacuum exhaust when he works with it. 

 
The next meeting is Tuesday, 4/8/25 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

~Russ

 

 

4/5/2025 BPMS at MosquitoCon

Dispite the rainy on and off weather. The BPMS group had another great outing at MosquitoCon 33 and the annual luncheon together at the local pub, Grasshopper II.

Those who were unable to attend and view the contest entries at MosquitioCon, I took as much entry photos to share. Please see the link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jb2jrg5j5Qi5jRwR7

(Photo album and link will expire in 1 year)

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: 03/25/2025

Ten people attended. We heard good things about last Saturday's Replicon. Many pictures were taken and posted on the BPMS Facebook page. 

 
No new releases reported. April will be busy. There's Mosquitocon on the 5th in Wayne NJ, a group build at Pier 57 in Manhattan on the 19th and another on the 26th at Japan Village in Brooklyn. And the IRS is doing something on the 15th, according to Bobby. 

 
We saw replacement guns for Vaughn's Mosquito, new guns for Gil's Jurassic Mercedes SUV, Frank G's Silver Knight, Frank C's KC-135 and F-104 and Russ' M-109. 

 
Don is looking for color references for the high-pressure suit worn by Horton 229 pilots. The Takom kit doesn't give any information. Contact him directly. 

 
Gil's latest Dollar Store find is packaged as an "electric nail set" but modelers would call it a battery powered rotary tool with a grinding wheel. Whatever you call it, it's $1.25. 

 
We talked about tools we've broken: drill bits, sanding sticks, paint stirrers, airbrush needles nozzles, nibs and regulators, burnt out motors on battery powered rotary tools, dropped Dremels, cracked microsaw blades, glass files and #11 blade tips. 

 
The meeting timed out as Kevin started to explain how he cast a 1/72 pilot figure for Jimmy. Kevin thoughtfully posted the full procedure to the group right after the meeting. Thanks, Kevin. 

 
The next meeting is Tuesday, 4/1/25, at 7:30 pm. Invites will be sent ON MONDAY. Hope to see you there. 

 
~Russ

March In-house Meeting - "Green" Night + Decal swaps

 Another full house was in attendance for Green Night + the Decal swap. In addition the membership got the news that for a 2nd year in a row, the BPMS was named R1 Chapter of the Year! 

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: 3/11/25

Topic: A Thousand Words – What’s your favorite box-art? Has the box top picture made you buy the kit?

Reminder: There is NO BPMS Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, Mar 18.

The BPMS Live meeting is this Friday, March 21, at the Bergen Beach athletic center – It’s decal swap night and Green Model theme night in honor of St. Patrick’s Day!  Bring whatever you built that’s Green.

Last Tuesday, Mar. 11, Eleven people attended the BPMS Zoom and talked about their personal favorite box art.

New kit release news from Lu announced the arrival of the 1/35 M10 Booker from Magic Factory and the new 1/35 Jagdpanzer and Panzer IVH from Border Models. 

Lu’s own favorite box art memory was from the ancient Revell 1/72 scale F-111A and B. He recalled a tour of the Grumman facility in Calverton Long Island when he saw the Navy’s F-111B on the assembly line. Years later, during a California visit to Hughes Aircraft, he was treated to a surprise F-111B flyover.

Vaughan showed progress on his Tamiya 1/48 Mosquito and critiqued the uninspiring cover art on an otherwise nice kit.  He observed, “When I was younger, knocking off a model a weekend, I’d cut the box art off and had a huge folder of ‘em.  New box art is not very exciting.”

Kevin showed is hand sculpted Martian from Five Million Years to Earth and recalled, “I really got into the Aurora monsters and dinosaurs. You’d get into the box art and then get into the plastic.” One of his Aurora favorites remains the grisly Forgotten Prisoner.

Frank G. recalled the inspiring art of James Bama on old Aurora kits. He favorites was the  box top painting of the Hunchback of Notre Dame with a resemblance to actor Anthony Quinn. “The model looks like Lon Chaney, but it really transported you when you’re a kid.” Franks other Aurora favorites were the depictions of the Dick Tracy Moon Coupe, and the Seaview submarine and the associated Flying Sub from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.  

Mark recalled the impact of the dramatic rendering on Revell’s old B-7 Flying Fortress kit and admitted, “To a 14-year-old kid, this was pretty amazing.” He also acknowledged, “Tamiya had awesome box art when we were kids. Nowadays, I notice bad box art. The I Love Kit company has some of the worst box art. The AMK F-14D box art looks backwards.” He concluded that packaging is still important to what modelers buy, “Bad box art doesn’t sell. It can be greatest kit ever, but If you see good box art, that can really sometimes stoke your interest.”.

Angelo showed of his 1/72 Revell RF-4E in an attractive black commemorative scheme. His favorite box art today comes from Warhammer vehicles.

Bobby offered, “I like any of the Japanese anime boxes. The box art is just beautiful.”

Jimmy talked about his 1/35 Tiger in progress and the value of Tamiya panel liner To pick out fine wheel decals.

Gil recommended using the Looper glue applicator to apply panel liner and explained. “You have a lot more control than the brush that comes with the bottle.” Gil’s own favorite box art is that from an otherwise mediocre Revell kit of the Volkswagen beetle.” His most recent projects is a figure of the demon Lilith.

President Tom recalled, “The box-art I remember and love the most were on the Airfix airplane kits from the late 1960s. I used to take the box tops, flatten them out, cut them with a paper cutter just above the Airfix name have a perfect picture. I used to save those -- the Me110 was my favorite.”

Frank C still collects box art in digital form, either picking the best renderings off  the internet or occasionally scanning old boxes.  One of his favorites remains the early C-130A from the Revell kit – a series of paintings meant for young modelers to collect.

Remember – BPMS meeting this Friday – with some big news for the club!

 ~Frank C.

 

BPMS Meeting: March 21, 2025

ACTIVITIES DIRECTING

By Bobby Pokorny

Welcome to MARCH! To finish up the first quarter on BPMS activities we have:

Decal Swap Night: Bring decals you no longer need to swap or sell with other members. You might find that markings that have been looking for!

Green Model Night: The big holiday for March is St Patrick ’s Day and what better way to observe it than with GREEN MODELS. It’s not a contest simply a theme for models to bring. You are welcome to bring back something old to show the group, or if it ties into the theme in some way, it would be great. Be prepared to tell the group a few words on your models.

Of course, everyone is welcome to bring any other new work that has been completed.

You also still have time to declare your model pledge. Speak with me about it. April is the cut off for declarations and the October is the due date for finished models.

BPMS Bulletin by Kevin K in PDF format

  

Meeting date: 

March 21, 2025

Members start showing up by 5PM to set up.

Feel free to come early!

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: March 4th, 2025

Eleven people attended. 

 
Lou reports Border Models' 1/35 Japanese Zero, HK's 1/48 USMC PBJ Mitchell and DML's 1/35 Kubelwagon (command), SdKfz 251-6 (command) and Israeli M-60 (w/reactive armor) are available. 

 
Jimmy is looking for a Spitfire pilot in 1/72. Contact him directly if you have one to spare. 

 
We saw Vaughn's Fiat G-55 and Mosquito, Erasmo's Hurricane night fighter, Mr. K's Hurricane, SU-122, P-51, F-104, Me-328 A and B, Erik's Draken, Kevin's scratch-built Martian Insect (from Five Million Years to Earth), Minister of Silly Walks and Mothman figures and, a Reptile figure (from The Reptile), 

 
Frank C's KC-135 and Russ' French 75 and Katyusha. 

 
Acquisitions included: MB- 411, Widgeon, TP-63E, Vickers Viscount, Native American Big Chief figure and RAF ground crew. 

 
No tool this week, so there was time to talk about helicopter technology, history of the G-55, why a KH-AI-3 kit went from stash to trash, upcoming shows and events in Freeport, Wayne, Manhattan and Brooklyn, AK Interactive paint markers and making your own decals. Then, we got around to the featured topic, special markings. Many felt elaborate, special event markings made military aircraft look like clown cars and were more interested in mission markings than commemorative markings. The exceptions, a Katyusha in parade colors and Mr. K's F-104, which will carry Tiger Meet markings. Eventually. 

 
The next meeting will be Tuesday 3/11/25. Frank C will host and send the invites. Hope you'll be there. 

 
~Russ

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: Feb 25, 2025

Featured Discussion: What have you built after seeing one on TV or in the movies?  

 

Fourteen people attended. We're trying something new for the Long Live the King theme contest in June.  Everyone on the mailing list can enter by sending a photo of your king related model by 6/15/25. Photos will be displayed alongside the actual models at the June in-person meeting. If you still haven't figured out screen sharing, this is a good way to show off your work. 

Lou reports Trumpeter's 1/16 Tiger 1(late), 1/72 A6E TRAM, 1/350 HMS Argonaut and 1/35 German AA crew are available. Jimmy posted several new Rye Field kits on the BPMS Facebook page. 

In what became a "Let the Buyer Beware" discussion, Kevin told us about a scammer using Facebook to sell vendor's tables at shows and reminded us to only deal with the event's official representatives. Then, Frank C recalled ordering a "too good to be true" deal from Amazon that never arrived. Fortunately, Amazon refunded his money. And the high-priced Airfix Vulcan that Vaughan found on E-Bay was no better than the MPC Vulcan he planned to trash. The good news is that buyer took it back. The bad news is that the newer Airfix Vulcans are expensive.

Get ready for Replicon in Freeport, LI on 3/22, Mosquitocon in Wayne, NJ,  on 4/5, two group builds at Pier 57 on 4/19 and 8/2 and another at Japan Village, 934 3 Ave, in Brooklyn, date TBD. 

We saw Vaughn's S-38, Mosquito and Fiat G-55,  Mark's T-55 Enigma, T-62, Predator drone, Mercedes C9 and Porsche 911 G+3, Erasmo's Hawker Hurricane night fighter and Lockheed Electra, Kevin's Kh AI-3, Gil's 3D printed Oriental Queen bust and Frank C's F-84 E and KC 135. 

Acquisitions included: Silver Knight and Nightmare figure (based on the painting from 1871). Kudos to Frank G for identifying the artist, Henry Fuseli. 

This week's tool was a pipe cleaner. Gil has used them to clean air brushes clamp parts and streak paint and he challenged us to find more uses.

We discussed the movies, shows and comics that influenced our model building habits. Here's a partial list: 633 Squadron, Battle of Britan, Sahara, When Worlds Collide, Destination Moon, Star Wars franchise, Space 1999, Battlestar Galactica, MASH, Dukes of Hazard, car race films, Batman, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Land of the Giants, Walt Disney's Man in Space TV shows from the 1950s, Macross, Anime and comic books. 

 

The next meeting is Tuesday,  3/4/25, at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. 

 

~Russ

 

 

 

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: February 11, 2025

Fifteen people attended. Nestor was one of them. Welcome back! 

 

No Tuesday Zoom next week, the in-person meeting is Friday, the 21st, at the Community Center. It's the ever-popular Show Us Your Tool Night (for all you Gil wannabes) and the first Quarterly Contest. Also, we're still collecting dues.

 

Lou said three Hobby Boss kits are available, 1/35 T-54, 1/48 F-18E Super Hornet and 1/72 TBM Avenger with folding wings. He believes this is the first 1/72 kit with folding wings and he should know.

 

We saw Nestor's 727-200 conversion to 727-100, Vaughan's S-38, Jimmy's Panther G, Frank C's F-84 E, Gil's Thunderbird 3 (3D printed in 3 colors), Frank G's Pan Am Space Clipper and Erasmo's Lockheed Electra and Hurricane. Seeing the Electra and the 727 got several people talking about aircraft designs and personal histories, which happens, from time to time, at the Zoom meetings. 

 

Acquisitions included: Airfix Vulcan (the MPC kit isn't working out), Little T hot rod (a nostalgic purchase from eBay), Sasquatch figure and the book, Wings Over Water.

 

Sometimes a modeling tool is right under your nose and you don't realize it. Case in point, the toothbrush. Gil uses old ones for clean-up and weathering/splatter effects. Don uses them to strip paint. Has anyone ever used one to hold parts?

 

A few weeks ago, we asked Kevin to talk about his scratch-built Bumble from 1964's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer TV show. The result was a PowerPoint presentation on sculpting with in progress photos of the Bumble, a discussion on materials and techniques used and a list of YouTube channels and books with information on sculpting miniatures. Don't worry if you missed the meeting. Kevin agreed to repeat the presentation at a future in person meeting. Thanks, Kevin.

 

The next meeting will be Friday, the 21st, at the Community Center in Brooklyn. No invites needed. Doors open around 5pm. Wondering how many Valentine tanks will be entered in the Quarterly Contest? Come to the meeting and see for yourself. 

 

~Russ

 

 

BPMS Meeting: February 21, 2025

On the agenda:

 

Contest Night: The first installment of the BPMS Annual Contest. This is your first opportunity to gather votes across our various categories. If you brought something to the December theme contest that you would like to bring back, that would be fine, although I am not sure if your Build Like An Eleven Year-Old entry will fare well in this contest...

 

Show Us You Tool! One of our more vulgar sounding yet hugely fun activities. We invite everyone to bring in some tool, product, or process to let the group know about as it might help others. 

 

 

Meeting date: 

February 21, 2025

Members start showing up by 5PM to set up.

Feel free to come early!

 

 

February 4, 2025, BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting

Twelve people attended. Bobby wasn't among them, and Frank C agreed to be our Moderator for the evening. Thanks, Frank.

 

Lou reports Border Models 1/35 FW 190 A6 and Stug 3 G, late (with interior) are available.

 

Returning moder Eric asked about 1/35 Tigers, and was surprised to learn how many kits and manufacturers there are. Good points and bad points of various kits were noted. Any Tiger geeks who missed the meeting are encouraged to share their recommendations here.

 

We saw Vaughan's Vulcan and S-38 (poor fits, missing pieces, old decals - nothing deters this guy), Kevin's Mangalore,  Mark's Porsche 934, Chuck's Albatross, Gil's 3D printed Mysteries (?) figure,  Frank's F-84 E and Russ' French 75 (some say artillery is the KING of the battlefield . Get the hint?). Acquisitions included:  The Reptile (from the Hammer film of the same name), Kh-AI-3 aircraft,  B-26, Schwerer kliner  Panzerkampfwagen and an inexpensive LED work light from American Science and Surplus, suitable for a small workbench. 

 

A Bauer cordless screwdriver from Harbour Freight was the featured tool. Fitted with a glass/tile drill bit and working at low speed, it's good for drilling 3D printed and resin parts. 

 

Most of us have built the same kit more than once. Sometimes it's intentional, like building the same aircraft with different squadron markings, camouflage patterns or ordnance loads. Sometimes it's not, like when you build a kit that you built when you were a kid but forgot about. Or, being nostalgic, you build that old kit again, hoping for a better result. Some people anticipate building a second kit to correct mistakes they made the first time. Most of us have built the same object in different scales. Then there's "comfort plastic", like Tamiya's M-113 or Italeri's F-5E. Can't have too much comfort. 

 

The next meeting is Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there and hope you're lucky with your Super Bowl box pool picks.

 

~Russ

 

June 2025: Long Live the King!

 

 

Long Live the King

Theme Contest

The theme for the June 20, 2025 contest is "Long Live the King". The rules are simple, any scale, any genre, fictional or real. Some examples: King Tiger, Sea King, aircraft of VF - 92 (Silver Kings), Kingfisher, Cobra King (first US tank to enter Bastogne), King Kong, HMS King George V, a King from Lord of the Rings, a King from Shakespeare, Sky King, Elvis (aka the King), Richard Petty (aka the King). Anything with a King association. 

And we're encouraging the guys and gals who only know BPMS through Zoom to build something for the contest and share the photos at the June 24th Zoom meeting.

Frank C, Kosta L and Russ H. are the sponsors.  

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: 01/28/2025

Featured Discussion: Looking for Decals 

 

Fifteen people attended. Mark reminded us the Nationals will be 8/6-9/25 in Hampton, Va. See the IPMS website for details on hotels, etc. Mark also thanked Bobby and Julio for their suggestions on Gundam categories for future IPMS contests. 

 

Julio's next Pier 57 group build will be 4/19/25. Save the date. 

 

Jimmy posted several new 1/16 AFV kits on the BPMS Facebook page, which led to a discussion on the appeal (they're cool) and practically (who has room?) of large-scale kits. 

 

Vaughan's attempt to bleach a yellowed vac form canopy by prolonged exposure to sunlight was successful, much to his surprise. 

 

In progress and completed work included: P-51 Mustang, Porsche 934 (Mark's article on painting it will appear in the Club's Bulletin), Kingfisher, Abominable Snowman & Rudolf (both sculpted by Kevin), 3D printed paratrooper pinup figure (a Lieutenant, according to Gil), USS Jimmy Carter (Michael found that brush painting a 1/700 submarine can be challenging) and F-84 E. 

 

Acquisitions included: Kubelwagon, Mangalore (from The 5th Element) and Inspector Kemp (from Young Frankenstein).

 

A set of drill bits for tile was the featured tool, highly recommended for drilling resin or 3D printed parts. 

 

In our "Go Fish" game of decals, Eric is looking for 1/48 Israeli A-4 markings and Russ is looking for 1/48 Sea Harrier markings. Everyone else is standing pat.

 

The next meeting is Tuesday, 2/4/25 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Whether or not the Groundhog sees its shadow on Sunday, we'd like to see you on Tuesday. 

 

~Russ

 

January 21, 2025 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting

Featured Discussion: Mistakes - Your mistake is someone else's learning moment. What did you do wrong and how did you correct it?  

Eric sent some photos from a large hobby shop near Edinburgh, Scotland (Hmm, I wonder what fits better in a carry-on, a 1/24 Spitfire or a 21-year-old single malt?) 

 
Anyhow, twelve people attended the meeting. We heard about spam emails, supposedly from IPMS, asking people to buy gift cards. Details are on the IPMS website. 

 
Lou reported Academy's 1/144 USN P-8A Poseidon, I Love Kits' 1/16 M4-A1 76mm Sherman (late) and 1/35 cargo trailer and 2 1/2-ton truck & howitzer are available now. Trumpeter's 1/700 Midway, (with straight or angled deck option) is on the way. 

 
Julio set up another Pier 57 meet-up up for April 19. Details to follow. Julio also gave us a word of warning. He recently got several injection molded kits from AliExpress. After working on them, he developed a severe rash on his hands. He suspects it was a reaction to a mold release agent or, possibly, the plastic used to make the parts. After lots of soap, water and skin lotion, he's getting better. Thanks, Julio, for the heads up. 

 
In progress and completed work included: Fiat G-55, Vulcan B-2, The Mouse (from The March of the Wooden Soldiers), Abominable Snowman (sculpted by Kevin), '53 Ford pickup, Space Marine figure, F15 C, F-104, U-2 , Cat Saber figure and large-scale 3D printed female figure. An S-38 was the only acquisition. 

 
This week's tool is something many of us have but never used for models, a hot glue gun. Gil uses it for tacking large scale resin or 3D printed figures. He reminded us to point the tip up when applying the glue because hot glue is runny. Speaking of glue, Don likes RUglue for gluing wood.
It seems many of us have made the same mistakes, not paying attention to instructions, rushing, not bothering to dry fit, and, the big one, cutting in the wrong direction (towards your body instead of away from body). Some other helpful tips, don't open several boxes at the same time, check your fingers often for glue and paint during construction and don't throw away the box until the model is complete - you'll need it to store that shelf queen 

 
The next meeting is Tuesday the 28th at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.
 

~Russ

 

2024 BPMS AWARDS CONTINUED....

 

FRANK TRIPOLI - TOP GUN AWARD

MARK MULLEN

 

BERT BERG AWARD

JULIO GUADALUPE

Return of the BPMS Zoom! January 7, 2025

Featured Discussion: New Year, New Build -OR- Finishing Up Old Projects?

 

Twelve people attended. No Tuesday Zoom next week. The in-person meeting is Friday, the 17th, at the Community Center in Brooklyn. Bring your money for the kit sale and bring your unbuilt pledge model for Bobby to register. While you're at it, pay your Club dues for 2025.

Nothing to report at the moment, but Lou expects that to change next week. 

 

The June theme contest, sponsored by Frank C, Kosta L and Russ H, is "Long Live the King". Details to follow. 

 

Following up on an old discussion topic, Frank G shared photos of the supplemental shelves he made for his Ikea display cabinet. These particular ones are good for 1/72 aircraft but, the basic design has many applications. 

 

Mark rekindled his interest in cars, particularly in painting them. We can expect to see an article from him in a future Bulletin. 

 

Jimmy wonders if anyone else is interested in a BIG MODEL group build - 1/16 vehicles, 1/32 B-17s, 1/72 submarines - anything that takes up a lot of space on the display table. 

 

In-progress and completed work included: Ta-152, Fiat G-55 (Vaughn is trying sunlight to bleach its yellowed vac form canopy), Vulcan, PKZ-2 (Erasmo is building the WW1 era helicopter as a teaching aid in a presentation), Ju-87, B-17 G,  F-25 C and '53 Ford pick-up. Acquisitions included: Panther G (blitz kit), F-35 C and 1/16 Tiger 1 aftermarket main gun.

 

This week's tool is a 9.5"x5" plastic pegboard and hooks from the Dollar Store. Sections can be joined together to create as large a surface as needed.

 

Except for Erasmo and his PKZ-2, it seems everyone else is starting the new year by completing their partially built kits. Well, at least that's what they said. 

 

The next meeting is Friday, the 17th, at the Community Center. Doors open around 6pm. It's time to pay your dues, declare your pledge model and hunt for bargains. Hope to see you there. 

 

~Russ