Jake, Author at build.

Newbie learning: Resin

As I learn to work with resin parts, I thought I'd share a few of the tips I've picked up along the way. Resin You've probably read this a hundred times before, but I'll share it again: resin dust is nasty, stinky, and dangerous to your lungs. Use water when you sand to keep the dust to a minimum. I use beauty store washable sanding boards. I have an old plastic container with a lid that sits on my workbench that I can dip the sanding boards in from time to time, or even the part itself to rinse off the dust and/or mud that I'm creating by sanding. I also use a respirator. The easiest way to separate the casting sprues from the part is simply to score slowly and gently in the right place. Take a few passes with medium pressure and it'll snap right off with a little [...]

By Jake|2013-12-24T15:15:59-06:00December 24th, 2013|Uncategorized|1 Comment

Epic workbench post

I've been highly delinquent in my participation the Sprue Cutter's Union. But I'm trying to catch up on my entries, and I'm starting with #21: Where the magic happens. This installment asks about the space where you do your modeling. Without further ado, I'm proud to introduce you to one of my creations: my workspace. A great workspace is one of the most coveted things in modeling. You see "Share your workbench" posts (like this one) fill up with modelers showing off their benches/desks/corners/garages/etc. I've been working on building out my own space for a while now and it's coming along nicely. In fact, I'm pretty proud. I probably over invested, but damn does it make for a comfortable space to while away the hours. Hope you enjoy. My space In our house, we have a small extra bedroom that I was originally using as an office. I didn't want to give [...]

By Jake|2016-11-19T12:41:27-06:00December 16th, 2013|Sprue Cutters Union|2 Comments

Build log: Steyr Radio Car Engine painting

After a bit of a break, I'm back on the Steyr 1500 Radio car project. I had done some The main focus recently has been the engine. First it was the construction and detailing, now we're on to painting and weathering. Basic base paint Finding proper color charts for this engine proved tricky. The only color references or details I could find were restored vehicles, which aren't always the best references. Given that, I decided I'd just go with what seemed the most fun to paint! From this fantastic walk around, I used these great photos to lay down the basic paint. As you can tell, this was very, very flat. Almost cartoonish! It's time to get gunky... Weathering and Grime Everything I've read about German vehicles says that most were either maticiulously maintained and/or bombed from above before they had a chance to go very far. Engines, especially in this [...]

By Jake|2016-10-29T19:09:35-05:00December 13th, 2013|Build Logs|0 Comments

Review: Iwata Eclipse HP-CS

When I first got back into modeling, I knew I'd need an airbrush sooner than later. I started out with that old standby, the red handled, single-action Paasche H. But the more I read, the more I wanted a dual-action model. I searched quite a bit and landed on the Badger Krome. Overall, I was happy with it, but never excited about it. The trigger wasn't really that easy to use, and keeping it from gunking up while I sprayed acrylics was tough. Plus, I could never seem to get the paint thinning/air pressure ratios quite right. So when I decided that for safety's sake I'd invest in a second airbrush, one for acrylics and one for enamels, I started researching again. I posted on Armorama.com and got some great feedback. Namely, that the Iwata Eclipse HP-CS was a great tool. I'd read that in countless other articles too, so I [...]

By Jake|2013-12-07T02:24:17-06:00December 7th, 2013|Reviews|0 Comments

Painting my first figure!

I've been doing modeling for nearly 25 years... of course, with a 15 year gap in the middle there. But in all that time, I've never had the spine to attempt painting figures. Well, I'm happy to report that all changed this past weekend! That's right, I painted my first figure! I can't tell you how excited I am about this. I didn't realize how nervous I was about attempting this pretty difficult task until after I started, realized it wasn't so bad, and felt the nerves wash away. Clearly, my first attempt wasn't so great. There were more problems than successes, but I did it. And it's not horrible. Well, it may be horrible, but I'll always love it.

By Jake|2013-11-19T16:26:07-06:00November 19th, 2013|Random thoughts|0 Comments

One hell of a gallery!

Jim Starkweather, the energy and brains behind Armorama.com has posted a massive, and I do mean massive photo gallery from the recent 2013 IPMS Nationals event in Colorado. This gallery features hundreds of well shot photos. Trust me when I say you're going to need a cold drink and a block of time to click through all of them. On a related side note... I really, really wish there was an easier way to attach creator name and contact info, as well as model details to these kinds of show photos. I know the difficulty (and near impossibility), given I just did the same thing myself. But still, I can dream, right?

By Jake|2013-11-11T17:53:39-06:00November 11th, 2013|Inspiration|0 Comments

Armorama :: Q&A with Acrylicos Vallejo by James Bella

Interesting interview! Armorama :: Q&A with Acrylicos Vallejo by James Bella

By Jake|2013-10-25T15:41:32-05:00October 25th, 2013|Fun Finds|0 Comments

These Are Not Real Cars, Just a Mind-Bending Optical Illusion – TechEBlog

Professional model maker and photographer Michael Paul Smith spent the last 25 years making miniature vehicles and photographing them, set in a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park. His models are so detailed that when placed in miniature dioramas and photographed using forced perspective, you'll think that they are real vehicles. via These Are Not Real Cars, Just a Mind-Bending Optical Illusion - TechEBlog.

By Jake|2016-10-29T19:09:35-05:00October 23rd, 2013|Random thoughts|0 Comments

Sounds about right (part 2)

By Jake|2013-10-22T03:52:05-05:00October 22nd, 2013|Random thoughts|0 Comments

Build Log: Sd. Kfz. 251/20 UHU research

As I work on build of the Sd. Kfz. 251/20 UHU, I've collected a number of links, articles, and photos to help the process along. Perth Military Modeling review of the AFV Club Sd. Kfz. 251/20 kit (a must read before you start building) Build log from another Armorama member of this same vehicle (and sets) And another build log from Armorama Gary Boggs' build log Armorama member build log of the scratchbuilt generator Sd. Kfz. 251/9 restoration Blast Model's product page (small images, but somewhat helpful in relation to the poor black and white instruction images) - be sure to select shipping zone and site language, then revisit this link if you're taken to the home page) Nice shot of the IR gear As I started building the searchlight, I realized there was a lot of detailing to do. I found multiple resources for this process: Searchlight gallery Another gallery I've also [...]

By Jake|2016-10-29T19:09:35-05:00October 14th, 2013|Build Logs|0 Comments

sink

About Jake