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About Jake

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So far Jake has created 158 blog entries.

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 |2013-12-07T02:24:17-06:00December 7th, 2013|Reviews|0 Comments
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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 |2013-11-19T16:26:07-06:00November 19th, 2013|Random thoughts|0 Comments
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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 |2013-11-11T17:53:39-06:00November 11th, 2013|Inspiration|0 Comments
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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 |2016-10-29T19:09:35-05:00October 23rd, 2013|Random thoughts|0 Comments
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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 |2016-10-29T19:09:35-05:00October 14th, 2013|Build Logs|0 Comments
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Austin Scale Modeler’s Society 2013 Show

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the Austin Scale Modeler's Society annual scale model show here in Austin. It was a fun show for both me and my 6 year old daughter. In addition to the girl, I brought along my new Nikon D600 to shoot some of the models. Since interior light at shows like this is notoriously bad, I thought I'd just grab a few shots to use as future build inspiration. Turns out, the claims from Nikon about the low light performance was no joke! Check out the images, and keep in mind these were all shot on the go, without a tripod, flash, or any other modifier. The show was great, and we had a lot of fun. Even walked home with a few raffle winnings...although I'm sure how to work in either 1/24 scale or 1/100 scale! Anyway, check out the photos below. Sorry I didn't [...]

By |2016-10-29T19:09:35-05:00October 6th, 2013|Events|1 Comment
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World War II’s Strangest Battle: When Americans and Germans Fought Together – The Daily Beast

This sounds like the setup for a very interesting new book, "The Last Battle". The battle for the fairytale, 13th century Castle Itter was the only time in WWII that American and German troops joined forces in combat, and it was also the only time in American history that U.S. troops defended a medieval castle against sustained attack by enemy forces. via World War II’s Strangest Battle: When Americans and Germans Fought Together - The Daily Beast.

By |2013-09-22T16:12:42-05:00September 22nd, 2013|Fun Finds|0 Comments
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