Jake, Author at build.

DIY project: Brush holder

I've been less than impressed with my cheap paint brush carousel lately. Plus, it creates a ton of visual clutter and moves the brushes out of (easy) reach. Add to that the fact that I'm spending more time switching between various brush types (oils, acrylics, enamels, putty, drybrush, pigments, etc.), and I needed a better way to organize. So I headed to Lowes and spent some time on the PVC pipe aisle. I've been surprised how many times I think "I need to do something" and the solution reveals itself in the combination of various shapes and configurations of PVC pipe fittings. After a few minutes, the solution revealed itself. This holder is made up of the following parts: 1.5" Y fittings (x2) - these are the main "holders" 1" pipe caps (x2) - these are stuck in the bottom to close up the Y fittings L-bracket (x2) - these are [...]

By Jake|2016-10-29T19:09:35-05:00December 24th, 2013|Modeling thoughts|1 Comment

My mobile paint studio

I travel quite a bit for work, and spend far too much time in a hotel room. A few months ago, I stepped into the figure painting world. It dawned on me that if I could somehow transport a relatively small footprint of equipment along with me on my trips, I could set up a mobile painting station in the hotel room. So I headed to the sporting goods store to pick up a storage container that would pack easily, filled it up, and tested it out. Here's how it's worked out... TSA My first concern was the paints (and distilled water). They're liquids, and y'know ... TSA liquid restrictions. I've carried my kit through security at least six times now. Knock on wood, but nothing's been flagged. Now, one potential caveat: I've got Pre-Check, and these security occasions have been through Pre-Check lines. But the airports have been a wide variety of size [...]

By Jake|2016-10-29T19:09:35-05:00December 24th, 2013|Modeling thoughts|3 Comments

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

sink

About Jake