BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: 9/23/21

Sixteen people attended the meeting. New release: Eduard's 1/48 P-51 K (with bazooka and 2.75" rockets). Watch for a 1/48 H-19 from Mikro Mir. Armor Con is next weekend (10/1-2/21) at a new location, the Wyndham Southbury (1284 Strongtown Rd, Southbury, CT). Not to be outdone, NJ has the Chiller Theater Expo on 10/29-31/21 at the Hilton Parsippany. We learned that Kotare isn't just an iconic bird from New Zealand. It's the new model company run by several Wingnut Wings alumni. Thanks, Mark and thanks for the photos from the Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport NY. In progress and completed work included: USS Frank Knox, Corsair XF-4U, Saab J-21, AB-41 armored car, Silly Surfer Hodad, Destroyer Z-38, 1972 Pontiac GTO, P47-D, USS Ingraham, Hind, F-86 A and Tiger 2. To some of us a 1/8 scale car is big, but not to Bobby P. He and his brother are restoring the family's 1937 Chrysler Royal. Good luck, guys. This week's tool was the CANARY spray can hole punch. Use it to release propellant from spray paint cans (this will take some time), remove the top of the top of the spray can with a suitable tool and you have thinned paint, ready for use. Thanks , Gil. A new tip, Tamiya's airbrush thinner and extra thin cement are almost chemically identical. Could they be interchangeable? Two old tips, Simple Green corrodes metal, WD40 gets gummy over time. The topic was metallic finishes and we spoke about our experiences with Alclad, AK Interactive, Mr. Color, Vallejo, Humbrol, Rub 'n Buff, aluminum decals and metal foil. Surface preparation, base coats and sealers were also discussed. Next meeting is 9/30/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.

~Russ

9/16/21 BPMS zoom mini meeting report

Twelve people attended the meeting which began with thoughts on the passing of early BPMS member (sponsor of the Box of Junk contest) and hobby industry legend, Andy Yanchus. Several people spoke about his skills as a model builder/designer and his friendly, helpful and encouraging manner. His efforts to get IPMS recognition of science fiction as a legitimate category are well known. Andy was the subject of a 2020 YouTube video. Here's the link https://youtu.be/luue2Xle4xQ. RIP. Andy.

Kosta reported on and shared photos of last week's Maritime Heritage Festival in New London. It wasn't too crowded and he got to see Coast Guard and merchant marine vessels, local fortifications and, of course, submarines.  Some new releases from Hobby Boss: Russian SAM 2 Missile with Launcher Cabin and BM-21 Grad Multiple Rocket Launcher (both 1/72) and Panther G early (1/35). Tamiya's new 1/35 M-18 should be available in about 2 months. In progress and completed work included: F-5 E, 1937 Ford Panel Truck, Do-335, Ju-86D, Tiger 1 (nice rust effects), Tiger 2, BM-13 Katyusha, P.180 Avanti, XF-4U, VW Transporter T-1 and 1956 Ferrari. This week's acquisitions included: Polar Bear (from Revell's Endangered Animal series), 1972 International Harvester Scout 2 and Ford F-100 Service Truck. Gil showed us how a magnetic drill bit holder from Harbor Freight can be used to hold hobby knives. Use a 21/64 reamer to make a nice fit, AND DON'T FORGET TO PUT COVERS ON THE BLADES! (If you saw it loaded up, you know what I mean). We talked about assembling Metal Earth Model kits and bending photoetch parts. Bending tools may be best for large pieces but a smooth surface (glass, metal, ceramic tile) and a pair of single edge razor blades or chisel blades also works well. Maybe we'll have a real time demonstration of bending and folding techniques in the future?  Next meeting is 9/23/21 at 8pm. Invites to follow. Hopefully the recent problems some of us have been having with Zoom will be resolved by then. Log in and see for yourself.

~Russ     

  

Atlas Obscura - The Caspian Sea Monster

The Caspian Sea Monster

Ekranoplan Lun, Derbent, Russia
An enormous Soviet aircraft, the only one of its kind, stands at the deserted shore of the Caspian Sea.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ekranoplan-lun

 

Some more fun stuff to see:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/

Andy Yanchus, longtime BPMS member and a legend in the hobby, passed away on 9/11/21

Sadly a name many will know, Andy Yanchus, died yesterday (ironically 9/11). Andy was Product Manager at Aurora for many years, then went as a colorized for Marvel Comics. He was an expect at many aspects of the hobby and, with Dennis Price, wrote the definitive book on Aurora Monster Scenes.

Unfortunately he had been ill for some time, and had moved from his long-time New York home to stay with his sister Pat in Florida.

RIP Andy, you will be missed by many.

~Matt Irvine

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luue2Xle4xQ 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/159696410@N03/albums/with/72157712637535592

 

I found these obituaries, each celebrates a field that Andy was a legend in.

Andy was 77 when he passed away. 

https://celebritiesdeaths.com/andy-yanchus-death-obituary-news-longtime-marvel-colorist-has-died/

https://www.scalemodelnews.com/2021/09/farewell-to-andy-yanchus-model-expert.html

I got the distinct pleasure of meeting Andy, and becoming friends with him through the BPMS. Of course, that was back in the Marcy Studios days. When I joined the club I wasn't even 18 yet, and was building mostly sci-fi which was right up Andy's alley. He was very encouraging and offered lots of suggestions and advice. At the time, I had no idea what Andy's accomplishments were, I knew him as the jovial guy with amazing skills and wasn't afraid to share his methods. He was HAPPY to inform anyone who wanted to know how he did things.

As BPMS members, we should always keep in mind that we are very lucky because we are such an inclusive group. Thanks to early members like Joe Turner, who invented the "miscellaneous category" and Andy Yanchus who redefined Science Fiction in the IPMS. Before Andy science fiction was considered Star Trek and Star Wars, and similar. Since Andy enjoyed the entire realm of modeling, he knew full well that building "fringe" items, like Asian mecha kits or even conversions of toys was a skill-set of its own, and not to be belittled. I maintain that when you see model shows TODAY with categories for Gundam / Mecha, that's one of Andy's greatest contributions to the hobby: ACCEPTANCE. We ARE all modelers here, afterall.

I can go on for pages and pages about his accomplishments, but I will leave this here. Andy was an amazing guy, and I bid him a fond farewell. He may be gone, but will NEVER be forgotten. Rest in Peace, Andy.

~Bobby

 

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: 09/09/2021

Thirteen people attended the meeting. Two new Airfix releases were reported, Blenheim 1 (1/48) and Cromwell Mk VI ( 1/35). The Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival is this weekend in New London Ct. Ships, helicopters and Revolutionary War re-enactors will be there. Check their website for details. Speaking of shows, Penn Con 21 (Gettysburg) is, according to their website, still on for tomorrow. Replicon (Freeport) will not be held this year. We reminisced about the 1981 IPMS National Convention, held in NYC. We saw the convention button (I guess that was before pins) and heard about the modelers that took a walk on the wild side. 

In progress and completed work included: XF-4U conversion (Vaughn gives a whole new meaning to plastic surgery), P.180 Avani, T-55 Enigma, Sherman, Bradley, T80, Panther, AMX-10, Tiger1, VW Mini Big Rig conversion, F-5 and , what Frank called a greenhouse but what Joe would call a dust cover for his half scale T800 Terminator. Just one acquisition, a circa 1990 vinyl Creature from the Black Lagoon (missing a hand, unfortunately). The featured tool was the flexible blade by Flash Master Hobby (flashmasterhobby.com). Gil was impressed by how flexible this blade is. It can go where a chisel can't. Our topic was photoetch, but we ran short and only had enough time to begin talking about cutting pieces off the fret. We'll start from there next week and talk about bending, painting, gluing etc. Next meeting is 9/16/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope you'll be there.

~Russ

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: Thursday, Sept 2, 2021

Twelve lucky people attended the meeting. October looks to be busy, with shows at Freeport on the 2nd, Southbury on the 1st & 2nd and Poughkeepsie on the 23rd. Bob K reports Round 2 is coming out with a Garbage Truck (will aftermarket garbage be available?). Check their website for pictures. In progress and completed work included: King Tiger, P.180 Avanti (here's where luck comes in - if you weren't at the meeting, you'll never see the well-appointed interior of this model), XF4-U conversion , Houndstooth, Tiger 1, Ki-79, VW Bug Coupe de Ville conversion, B-25, FW 127 turboprop, Horton 7, Tornado and F-5E. Acquisitions (full disclosure, some items were found in long forgotten storage areas) included: RF 8 Aerosan, Convair Manned Observation Satellite, M1-A1 Abrams, Bell X-1B, Mercedes, Kettenkraftrad and Italian armored car. Paint tip from Vaughn, Testors Gloss Black enamel paint can be used to eliminate "steps" at joints. Paint, let dry for 24 hours, sand, repeat as necessary. Only works for steps, not for gaps. This week's topic was - Why are you building what you're building now? Many reasons were given: wanted to build something different, wanted to use certain deals, inspired by the box art, easy assembly, latest acquisition, show technical development of an object over time. That led to a discussion on differences among Canadian, Danish and Norwegian F-104s, a brief history of conformal tanks and a comparison of the T-38 and the F-5. Next meeting is 9/9/21 at 8 pm. invites to follow. Hope to see you there. Do something relaxing for Labor day.

~Russ  

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: 08/26/2021

Fourteen people attended the meeting including a new guy. Welcome Mike, glad you decided to check us out. 

We haven't heard anything about the reopening of the Community Center. Not to worry, weekly Zoom meetings will continue. The Hudson Valley Club is meeting outdoors. They'll hold their annual show in Poughkeepsie in October. Other shows in October - Armorcon (Southbury Ct) and Replicon (Freeport NY). Any more we should know about? 

Lou reports older Kitty Hawk kits are available again. No new kits yet. Academy, however, does have a new one, a 1/35 Panzer 2F. In progress and completed work included: Tiger 1, 1990 vintage resin Robin (the Boy Wonder, not the bird), USS Susquehanna hull , Corsair XF4-U conversion (Dr. V is performing major surgery, backdating Tamiya's F4U-1), P.180 Avanti (with interior that can't be seen), Kamov (Ka-28?), 1956 Chrystler 300, French Submarine Cruiser Surcouf and Merkava 4 (aka Frank's Tank). 

This week's dollar store find, plastic domed display cases suitable for 1/24 figures. 

For the featured topic, recent model shows, Don talked about the National Convention in Las Vegas. There were 2980 models in the competition plus a large number of "display only" models. Seminars were good. Vendors were well represented. Their kits were mostly older and their prices were either low or high (questions? ask Don). I expect we'll see some of his Convention photos in future. Until then, he recommended the 5-part YouTube showing all the entries. Inspired perhaps by "My Cousin Vinny", Don served as a Judge in Las Vegas (be advised, Convention Judges can't fix parking tickets so don't even bother to ask). Discussing judging and categories, several people wondered why there are so many categories for aircraft (single engine, multi engine, WW1, WW2, Cold War, Airliner, Helicopter, etc. and in various scales, to boot) and so few for Sci Fi/Fantasy? Was that ever a problem for you? We also saw photos from the AMPS Regional in Indianna, 244 entries. Mr. K plans to attend the Cherry Point Air Show next month. If he takes pictures, our more technically gifted members will find a way to share them. Thanks in advance. 

Lastly, some painting tips. Vallejo bottles with black caps are for brush painting. Bottles with white caps are for airbrushing. A base coat of Tamiya, with a finish coat of Vallejo works well. 

The next meeting is 9/2/21 at 8 pm. Frank C will send the invites and host. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend. 

~Russ

 

Aug 19, 2021 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report

Fourteen people attended the meeting. Lou reports Kitty Hawk is back although he didn't have any details. If you hear anything, let the Club know. Several new releases from Trumpeter: 1/144 H6-K Bomber, 1/700 RN Type23 Frigate, 1/350 Tirpitz and 1/35 L 4500A with Flak 37. The pizza lunch was well attended and introduced some of us to clams as a pizza topping (a Staten Island thing?). A few people actually got away from their workbenches. Frank went to a Nostalgia Show and was pleasantly surprised by a collection of vintage spacecraft models. Don and Rommel are at the IPMS National Convention (more later). Mark shared photos from a ship model show on the USS New Jersey and from the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome: Sopwith Pup, Albatros D. Va, Curtiss Pushers (A and D) , Fokker D VIII, Hanriot, Ryan NYP (Spirit of St Louis), This led to an interesting discussion on early aviation: fuel systems, rotary engines, flight characteristics, engine lubrication, the real reason WW1 pilots wore long scarves and who got parachutes and who didn't. In progress and completed work included: USS Susquehanna hull (Steve is fixing another modeler's paint job), BM 13 Katyusha, S-56 (La commedia e finita!! ), 2 T-6 Texans (Spanish and South African markings), 72 Pontiac GTO (with nail polish over Model Car World lacquer paint), P-47, Airspeed Oxford and 2 Black Falcons (Bob's is finished, mine ain't). Acquisitions included: Houndstooth (from Empire Strikes Back), 76 Chevy Sport Stepside Pickup and 77 Ford Coca Cola Delivery Van. Don's first day impressions of the Convention were positive for the most part - it's a long walk from the hotel area of the venue to the event area. The display room is big, but not as big as Chattanooga. The vendors' room is large and prices are good. Manufacturers are there, showing off new kits and collecting wish lists. Don has promised to take lots of pictures and post them using the group mailing list. Consider this a reminder, Don. That goes for you too, Rommel (but seriously, have a good time at the Convention and have a safe trip home). The next meeting is 8/27/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.
~Russ

Update: Bob has pointed out that the Car World Model lacquer paint is on the South African T-6 (the florescent red/orange) not under the nail polish. The nail polish is over gray automotive lacquer primer. Thanks for keeping me honest, Bob.  

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Aug 12, 2021

Pizza lunch is TODAY, 8/14/21 at Denino's Pizzaria & Tavern, 524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island at 12:30 pm. Hope you can attend, especially if you haven't been able to make the zoom meetings.

1803, Lewis and Clark Expedition. 1989, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. 2021, Don and Rommel at the IPMS National. Have a good trip, guys and remember- what's bought in Vegas shouldn't be left in Vegas.
Fifteen people attended the meeting. Two of them are going to Las Vegas for the National convention. Hopefully they'll be able to make a live report at next Thursday's meeting. New releases from Zvezda, TOR M2 SA15 Gauntlet (1/35), Soviet M-72 motorcycle with sidecar and crew (1/72) and WW2 British HQ figures (1/72). In progress and completed work included: Panzer 4, T-34/76, Hawker Hurricane, Swordfish, Zero, Discovery One (even in 1/350, over 40 inches long), Terminator T-800 (1/2 scale, with electronics. No body armor yet, but Joe's working on it.), F-4B Phantom ( with construction photos), MiG 25 ( look for it in Las Vegas), Saab J-21 (with a lot of weight in the nose), S-56, DUKW, Merkava 4, German Tugboat and Black Falcon. An interesting acquisition, 3D printed landing gear from a new start up. We saw a set for a Su-27. Each strut is a single piece including tire, hydraulic/electric lines. clamps, etc. Not widely available yet. The company is (maybe?) Detail Wonder. Kosta shared photos of Rhinebeck Aerodrome's replica Spirit of St Louis. He has plenty more, exterior and interior. Contact him directly if you're looking for references. Here's Gil's formula for acrylic paint thinner from last week (sorry for the delay): 1/2 cup Distilled water,1/4 cup of 91% alcohol,10 drops of Liquitex flow aid additive or Golden wetting agent,10 ml of retarder. You need to know that formula to use the tip of the evening, making liquid acrylic paint from tube acrylic paint. Use a meat injector syringe with a clear body and visible measurements to remove say, 10 ml of paint from the tube, transfer it to a small jar (back to the dollar store, 5 small screw top glass jars for $1.00) add thinner (start with a 2 to 1 ratio) and mix. Try mixing our own colors. The visible measurements make it easy to replicate results. One tube makes a lot of liquid paint. The featured topic was files. Store them separately and clean them with brass wire brushes or crepe rubber blocks (also good for cleaning sandpaper). Good files, including glass files, are available at nailcare centers and, because they don't have the word "hobby" in their name, they are reasonably priced. While you're there, look for a 7-step sanding stick, it costs $1.00. The next meeting is 8/19/27 at 8pm (5pm Las Vegas time). Invites to follow. Hope to see some of you tomorrow, more of you Thursday and all of you before long.

~Russ

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting 08/05/2021

Fifteen people attended the meeting. Several were at Mosquito Con. More on that later. Pizza lunch is 8/14/21 at Deninos, 524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island at 12:30 pm. History of Flight Air Show is 8/7/21 at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. Three new releases reported, Meng's 1/48 F-18 F, Takom's 1/35 Panther G and M-60 A3 bulldozer. Digital STL files for Machination Studios' Krabbe Walkers are available . All you need is access to a 3 D printer. In process and completed work included: 1/48 F-4 E Phantom ll, 1/144 Tornado (no IR sensor but lots of tiny pats), 1/72 M-109 A6 Paladin (with Preiser figures), 1/72 S-56 (with stabilator), 89 Ford Taurus SHO & 57 Chevy Cameo (both in 1/25, both painted with nail polish), 1/48 Ki-79 (with sponge applied camouflage) and 1/72 DUKW. Acquisitions, some from the vendors' room (remember them?) included: SMS Lutzow, HMS Victorious, and Shadow Stormtrooper. New this week, de-acquisitions. Bob K has several Ral Partha metal dragon kits and some Disney Cars & Planes he's willing to sell. Contact him directly for details. On behalf of a coworker, Mike T is looking for someone who paints metal train cars. Contact him directly for details. Gil gave us his recipe for acrylic thinner but it will have to wait until I can read my handwriting. 

Now, back to Mosquito Con. There were lots of people (about half wearing masks) in attendance and lots of models on display. Gundam, robots, spacecraft, armor, ships, figures, aircraft (just one in 1/32), an impressive scratch built 1/72 USS Shenandoah airship and mooring tower, EVA Pod with detailed, illuminated interior (2001 A Space Odyssey), USS Intrepid with detailed, illuminated hanger deck and steampunk lowrider stagecoach to name but a few. Thanks for the pictures, guys. The vendors' room was good. Older kits, mostly. Then again so are the modelers. Some, but not all, of the regular vendors were there and by the afternoon prices got very reasonable. It was "Hard to leave without buying a model" according to Gil but somehow, he managed to do it. All in all, everyone enjoyed the contest and appreciated the efforts of the organizers. Our next meeting is 8/12/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.

~Russ

7/29/21 BPMS Zoom Mini-meeting Report

Fourteen people attended the meeting. If you're going to Mosquito Con tomorrow, PAL is also hosting a basketball game. Parking may be tight. Don't forget to take pictures for the guys who can't make the trip to New Jersey. Thanks in advance. We saw photos of the recent transfer of New England Air Museum's F-4D Skyray to the Intrepid and photos of Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome where, on Aug 7, there will be airshow featuring a replica Ryan NYP Spirit of St Louis. The BPMS pizza lunch is the following week, Aug 14, at 12:30 pm at Denino's, 525 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island. Let me know who's going so we can give them a head count. Again, thanks in advance. 

 

There were two new releases: Kinetic's 1/48 AV-8A Harrier and ICM's 1/48 Q-2C Firebee drone. Kinetic may have another Intruder in the pipeline. In progress and completed work included: 1/72 Panzer 4 (with aftermarket resin tracks from OKB), 1/35 M3-A1 Scout Car (Tamiya, perfect fit, a pleasure to build), 1/72 S-56 /CH-37 ( Special Hobby, the less said, the better), 1/72 BM-13 Katyusha (major last-minute fit problem) and 1/144 Tornado (so far, so good). There were more acquisitions: Rye Field's T/34/122, AZmodels's Bell X-2, Platz's F-8 U2 Crusader and Ammo by Mig Jiminez's T 54 B. We saw how the AK Glass Fiber pencil can eliminate ejector pin marks and perform other abrasive work. Just be careful not to touch the fibers to your skin. 

Gil gave us his formula for airbrush cleaner - 3/4 cup distilled water, 1/2 cup 91% isopropyl alcohol, 10 drops glycerin, 3/4 cup Windex (without ammonia). He stores it in a dollar store condiment squeeze bottle. Mark has a similar formula and he writes it directly on the bottle so he doesn't misplace it. While you're in the dollar store, pick up a pill case/organizer to hold small parts once they're off the sprue. 

The topic was stripping paint and correcting problems as you paint. For stripping old paint people have used: Oven cleaners like Easy Off or Mr Muscle (spray the piece, leave it in a trash bag for around two hours, rinse and scrub with an old toothbrush), Poly S (or equal) paint remover (it's messy and may not be available anymore), Simple Green works on enamels, Oxy Clean works on acrylics, Super Clean will take off paint (and skin so wear gloves). Actually, you should wear gloves with all these products and work in well ventilated areas as well. Never use Purple Power (it can eat through plastic) or auto transmission degreasers (they can eat through the plastic as well as the container holding the plastic - ask Mark). Bad paint jobs have been fixed with spot applications of thinner, 1000 grit sandpaper or sanding sticks or polishing pads, vigorously used. If none of the above works, several people said that's the time to trash the kit and build a replacement. 

 

The next meeting is 8/5/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. When have more information on the reopening of the Community Center the BPMS newsletter will be mailed to the membership. Until then, keep reading your email. Hope to see you Thursday.

~Russ

July 29, International Plastic Modelers Day!

  

In honor of Shep Paine

7/22/21 BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Info

Fifteen people attended the meeting. Several new releases were reported, AFV's 1/35 M-59 Long Tom and Churchill VII, Roden's 1/32 Spad XIII and a limited line of Tamiya lacquer paints (basic colors). We saw recent in progress and completed work including: 427 Shelby Cobra, Type XI B U-boat (with electric motor, which was pretty cool when it first came out in 1995), Land-Wasser-Schlepper, Wild Catfish conversion, Bf-109 E ski equipped conversion, Mosquito, Typhoon, Tempest, F-18 E (which came with very good decals) and King Tiger. There were two acquisitions, Greatwall's 1/144/B-52 G and a glass file set from INFINI. Don told us about 3d printed instrument panels from in various scales from Red Fox . You can choose between illuminated or darkened screens. Rommel was impressed with the new Tamiya Phanton. Will he finish it in time for Mosquito Con next week? We discussed resuming in person meetings at the Community Center. Since we don't have a definite date and we don't know how the space will be laid out, there won't be any formal contests or events right away. Instead, bring in your lockdown builds, especially if you never quite worked out screen sharing on Zoom. If you won something in the Random Number Raffle (remember those?) remind Bob so he can coordinate the distribution. And if you have stuff to sell or swap, bring it. The discussion topic was how long it takes to build your model. While nobody said they kept an hourly log, everybody had ideas on how to use time efficiently - paint subassemblies after they've assembled and don't paint what won't be seen - build more than one thing at a time so you have something to do as the paint dries - don't go overboard on interiors that won't be seen - don't catch the Goldfish Syndrome and get distracted by every little thing - don't superglue PE parts to your fingers - small scale kits take less time to build (in theory). More than one person said some kits are just bad and require a lot time to be made presentable. Azur's Arsenal's VG 36 had the unfortunate honor of being singled out as a bad kit. Care to name another? 

The next meeting is 7/29/21 at 8pm. Invites to follow. Hope you can make it.

~Russ

7/15/22 BPMS Zoom mini-meeting

Breaking News - Vinny reports the Community Center let him know that we should be able to get back on "around SEPTEMBER." (Those were their words!). Thank you, Vinny, and thank you Community Center management. Looks like we won't need a Plan B after all.
Eleven people attended the meeting. The pizza lunch is 8/14/21 at Denino's. Bob is looking forward the Cherry Point Air Show on 9/25-26/21. Will there be pictures? Closer to home, Mike is looking forward to Mosquito Con on 7/31/21. Due to technical difficulties, there was no new release information. For in progress and completed work we saw: Don's 1/144 Land Battleship (not to be confused with Don's 1/72 Land Battleship) and Haunebu, Bob's Spaceship Two and White Knight Two, B-24 (Soviet markings), Spirit of St Louis, Bf-109F and Bf-109E, Steve's T-34/85s, T-54/55, Vaughn's RA-5C Vigilante and Typhoon and Frank's Mitsubishi F-2. USS Des Moines was the only acquisition. The featured topic was Plan B. We had many suggestions for alternate meeting sites but Vinny's news, received after the meeting, made them unnecessary. Even so, thanks to everyone for your ideas and offers to follow up. Next meeting is 7/22/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.

~Russ

7/8/21 BPMS Zoom Mini-meeting report / featured topic - BPMS is how old??

Sixteen people attended the meeting, with a first-time appearance by Rob G. Always good to see a BPMS alumni. Several new releases were reported, three from Meng, 1/48 F-18 Super Hornet, 1/24 Fokker Dr-1, 1/35 Panther A-early and one from Rye Field, 1/35 Panzer 4 G/H. In person events are returning . The LIARS club will meet next week and Mosquito Con will be held on July 31. Armorcon has a new location, Southbury CT, and date, Oct 1-2.  BPMS has the pizza lunch at Denino's (524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island) on Aug 14. Thanks to Mark for sharing photos of a recent trip to the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT. They have a large collection on display and in storage. How large? It's so large they're selling surplus items on their website. So, if you need a drop tank for your F-86, you can get one for just $5,000. Hurry, supplies are limited. For in progress and completed work we saw: Terminator, Lisa (Wierd Science), Dr. Jekyll as Mr. Hyde,  Quad & 25 Pdr Gun,  M-21 Mortar Carrier,  SR-N1 hovercraft, BM-13 Katyusha, T-34/85 and Mitsubishi F-2A. Acquisitions:  Hobby Boss' Chinese Y-8 Transport,  Aurora Gladiator (partially built eBay find), and a new air compressor, to replace the old one making "funny noises". This week's tool was an agate burnisher. Designed to burnish gold and silver leaf, available in a variety of sizes and shapes, they can polish plastic as well as burnish Bare Metal and other foils. Thanks, Gil. We heard more about superglue. You can make your own applicator (lots of ideas on YouTube) or use commercially available tools. Touch and Flow applicators are not made for superglue.  If you don't use superglue often, by small tubes. Prolong the life of large tubes by keeping them in a jar with a tight lid and a packet of silica gel.  The featured topic was BPMS turning 50 in 2022. If we couldn't remember when we joined BPMS, we could remember where we went for our first meeting, The Clothes Horse, Marcy Photo Studios, Floyd Bennett Field, John Malone Community Center.  We could mark the anniversary with a special contest. Say, anything in 1/72 scale (we started in 72) or anything with a State name (50 states).  Feel free to make other suggestions.  We could also have a lunch with current and former members. We had one before and it was well attended.   The next meeting is 7/15/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. Hope you can make it. 

~Russ

7/1/21 Zoom Meeting Report: Featured Discussion - Super Glues

Do you use CA glue? Plastic weld? Epoxy? Gorilla Glue? Let's discuss the finer points of alternative adhesives!

Fifteen people attended the meeting. BPMS's first in person event (lunch, not a regular meeting) since the start of the pandemic will be on Saturday, August 14 at Denino's Pizza, 524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island at 1 pm. Hope you can make it. Other clubs are also getting back out there. The Connecticut Yankees met last week and Hudson Valley is planning Air Museum visit in the near future. 

 

Just one new release reported, Das Werk's 1/35 French 155mm howitzer. We heard that items have been shipped but labor problems are delaying cargo off-loading and delivery. That may explain the lack of new releases. We were reminded to watch out for on line scams. If you buy from one site, get confirmation from a different site and the charge is supposed to paid to yet another site, something is fishy. You know what they say when an offer is too good to be true. 

 

In progress and completed work included: F-18 E, F-16, V-22 Osprey, Badger, Sd Kfz 222 vignette, Spirit of St Louis , Silbervogel antipodal bomber, RQ-MQ 1 Predator, DFS 230 Mistel conversion, PT-17, Do-335 and K-5Y Willow. Acquisitions included: two from Tamiya, 1/48 F-4B Phantom and 1/35 Pz Kw 4G, two from Atlantis in 1/40, AH-25 and Nike Hercules, Fine Molds 1/72 F-4E, and Trumpeter's 1/144 H6-K. This week's tool was unexpected, to say the least, the Premium Dental (aka denture) Bath. It makes sense. It's designed for soaking things for several hours and it has a built-in strainer. Another reason to visit the Dollar Store. 

 

We had time to talk about superglue this week, but only enough to go over the basics. Thin superglue can get everywhere and different brand gels can have different setting times. Several people use Loctite because of its side squeeze bottles. We saw how to turn a tea candle into a pool for superglue. Remove the wick, then make a depression in the wax to hold the glue. It beats applying glue straight from the container. 

 

Next meeting is 7/8/21 at 8 pm. Invites to follow. 

 

Have a safe 4th of July. 

 

~Russ

6/24/21 meeting

Fifteen people attended the meeting. 

It looks like things are getting back to normal, albeit slowly. Gil's model car club had their first in person meeting since the lockdown began and Vaughan reports the Connecticut Yankee club will meet in person on 6/29/21. Mark's Hudson Valley club has met outdoors more than once. But for BPMS, the Community Center is still closed for indoor events. We talked about meeting outdoors at the Center but bugs, lack of outdoor lighting, the fact that we don't pay for the venue, rain/humidity and bugs argue against outdoor meetings. Locked doors and bugs, however, are not reasons to miss another pizza night. We're looking at Denino's, 524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island. Good pizza, reasonable parking and pretty close to Brownie's Hobbies, 124 Bennett St, Staten Island. Tell me what days and times are good for you and I'll see what's best for most people. How about a Saturday, July 10 or 17 at 1:30 pm.? Do you like August better? Let me know. 

In industry news, Takom and Border Models are accusing each other of unfair business practices and in the UK, Machination Studios cancelled a Kickstarter project because of burdensome tax collection rules. These rules are expected to impact many small overseas operations. In progress and completed work included: a less than perfect 1/16 resin casting of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, a much, much better Peter Cushing /Grand Moff Tarkin bust, Fairey Rotodyne, Bieber submarine, Neger human torpedo, Hafner Rotabuggy conversion, Bf-109Z conversion, Romanian Bf-109, P-38 Lightning night fighter, SAAF Texan, Sd Kfz 221 vignette and 1/144 F-18E with aftermarket digital camouflage decals. Acquisitions included: PST's 1/72 T-54/T-55, Kitty Hawk's SU-30 S/M, decals from Flying Leathernecks (various Marine AC) and Air Graphics (various Coalition AC from various nations), pilots and ejection seats, Hobby Boss' 1/48 Rafale B , Revell's 1/72 Tornado ECR Tigermeet, Hobbycraft Prowler with detail kits, a T-55 and a RR flatcar from Miniart and several military and semi-military figures from Masterbox. Gil introduced us to layout and marking tools from INCRA. Bob, whose open shelves are full of models, reminded us dust can be removed with a 50/50 mix of Murphy's Oil Soap and water. Spray it on the model, let it sit from a few minutes then rinse it off. We had so much to discuss, from Midwest road trips to the demise of the Fairey Rotodyne and the Avro Arrow, to the Santa Maria Greenport mix up that we never talked about the featured topic, superglue. Join us on 7/1/21 and see if we talk about it then. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there. Or at Denino's. 

~Russ

All - Correction: the Connecticut Yankee Club will be meeting on Wednesday, June 30 (that's what I get for talking from memory) from 7:00 to 9:00 at HobbyTown in Fairfield.  Sorry.  

~Vaughan 

6/17/21 meeting report: featured topic - interior decorating

Ever try to estimate how much interior detail will be visible on your finished model?  How'd that work out for you? 

Sixteen people attended the meeting including several we haven't seen in a while due to work and family commitments. Guys, it was good to see you. And for those who can't attend the Thursday meetings, let us know how you're doing and what you're building in an email. New releases: Kinetic's 1/48 something (sorry Lou, you were too fast for me) and Trumpeter's 1/144 Badger. Tamiya's 1/48 F4-B Phantom is on the way. In progress and completed work included: B-25 ( fishing sinker fragments in the nose, no Liquid Gravity for Chuck), Typhoon, CH-37B (it's been In progress for several years which, we're told, is not unusual for the older Special Hobby kits), Type XXI U-boat, Lysander Beach Strafer conversion, Thor IRBM (Glencoe was very good about replacement decals), P 1000 Land Battleship and Jurassic Park Hummer tow truck conversion. Acquisitions went from old (Palmer's Revolutionary War Cannon, Monkeymobile, Bad Medicine dragster, Bandi 1/48 armor kits) to new (the aforementioned 1/144 Badger, paper Zimmerit, resin F-16 and F-35 cockpits, 3D printed HO scale buildings). No word on when the Community Center will reopen but Mosquito Con is still on for 7/31/21. The Santa Maria replica arrived in Greenport. Testors liquid plastic cement is back, with the Rust-Oleum name prominently displayed. Will paints be returning? Charlie recommended several model-building podcasts that make his commute more enjoyable: Model Geeks, Plastic Model Mojo and On The Bench. There must be more out there. Care to share? Gil found a new tool, the Sharpen Air (they're on YouTube). It can straighten damaged 2- and 3-mm airbrush needles. It's good for Iwata and Grex airbrushes. It won't work with a Paasche dual action airbrush. That led to a discussion about stencils and how many cheap ones there are on AliExpress and how to filter their search engine to minimize unrelated results. We had a lot to say about interiors. Limiting details to visible spaces saves time, money and reduces aggravation. Aftermarket instrument panels and seat belts are widely used but the jury's still out when it comes to cockpit sidewall 3D decals. Sometimes, a pilot figure is the only thing you can see in a cockpit. Interior detailing can cause assembly problems. Dry-fit parts, especially aftermarket ones, early and avoid unpleasant surprises later. Frank had a specific issue - detailed jet engines that can't be displayed separately without messing up the look of the plane. A possible solution is tiny magnets. Careful placement can make most sections removable. Don uses magnets to hold propellers in place. They can be removed for transport/storage. For kits that have interiors and clear plastic skins, leaving some of the skin unpainted creates a cutaway model without any cutting. Lastly, interiors for 1/350 aircraft are available in case you're interested. The next meeting is 6/24/21 at 8pm. Invites to follow. Hope you can make it. 

~Russ

Bring Dad to Tanks, Wings, and Wheels at the American Heritage Museum on Father's Day Weekend

Tanks, Wings & Wheels – Featuring American Elegance

June 19 @ 9:00 am - June 20 @ 5:00 pm $15 – $25

https://www.americanheritagemuseum.org/event/tanks-wings-wheels-2/

6/10/21 meeting report: Weathering with Pencils

A surprisingly light turnout, nine people. No new releases reported. 

 

In industry news, Squadron is up and running. They're not backordering items, but they'll get back to you when the item is available and see if you're still interested. If you order something from them, let us know about your experience. 

 

After a few words about corporate swag and the ability of gun oil to remove corrosion and the tendency of WD-40 to degrade over time and damage plastic, Kosta shared his photos of tanks, aircraft and weapons from the recent show in Redding. He told us a full-size replica of the Santa Maria will be in Greenport, Long Island, June 17th -23rd and open to visitors from the 18th -22nd ($15.00,10am-8pm). Mark continued the nautical theme. Model Con 2021 will be held on the Battleship New Jersey on Aug 7, 2021. He also wants to cross the Delaware to see the USS Olympia and maybe the SS United States. Contact Kosta and Mark directly for details. For the landlubbers, in Hudson Massachusetts, The American Heritage Museum's Father's Day Weekend has tanks, aircraft and vintage cars on display. I sent a link earlier. 

 

In progress and completed work included: Hawker Typhoon (more on that later), Thor Missile (Glencoe's nice re-pop of the 1958 Adams kit), BM-13 Katyusha, Panzer 4-D, Stryker, Matilda and Moon Bus. Acquisitions included: Modelcollect's 1/72 Land Battleship detail kit, Academy's 1/144 B-52 H ( it's not the Pit Road kit) and Hobby Boss' 1/35 Land-Wasser-Schlepper. A few guys noticed Aliexpress is a good source for inexpensive stencils for airbrushing. They also noticed many of these stencils show up on eBay at significantly higher prices. Just saying. Bobby recalled a tip from early BPMS member Joe Turner, glue wet/dry sandpaper to a cafeteria type tray (with a rim), add water and sand without messing up your workbench. 

 

 For the Weathering with Pencils talk, Gil demonstrated several options: water color pencils from AK (wet the pencil, dab the model, spread with swab), soft pastel pencils from Koh-I- Nor Gioconda (not good over gloss coats), woodless color pencils from Koh-I-Nor Progresso, Prismacolor pencils and the good old #2 Ticonderoga (which works best on lighter colors). Markers, calligraphy pens and technical pens will be topics for another day. Remember the Hawker Typhoon? Good thing Vaughn took photos of the cockpit details, because no one can see them once the fuselage is assembled. We've all had similar experiences. Let's talk about it at the next meeting 6/17/21 at 8 pm. Hope you can make it.
 

~Russ