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Effectively making photoetched pressed louvres

You know that incredible feeling when you finally figure out a technique that has eaten up too many expensive parts? No matter how many forum posts you read, no matter how many YouTube videos you ready, you simply can't get the hang of the technique. Then you do. Blessed day, you do it. Yesterday was one of those day. I love superdetailing with photoetch add-on sets. I'm getting better about not losing every third PE part to the carpet void. But one thing I could never, ever figure out is those damn pressed louvres. You know the ones... the vertical sides of many softskin engine compartments. They are molded shut on plastic parts, but are open (and thin) in real life. A perfect PE replacement option. The problem, however, is that getting the pressed louvres to realistically pop out of the flat PE, all while ensuring the full panel stays flat [...]

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00June 24th, 2014|How to|0 Comments
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Friday Finds: June 20, 2014

Happy Friday! Is there anything better than a bunch of inspirational dioramas?? Amazing diorama - this is a GREAT representation of a slice of time and action One of my new all-time favorite dioramas... anyone know who created this?? Another amazing diorama from the ever impressive Bob Letterman Cool diorama of a FAMO trailer collapsing a bridge that couldn't support the weight Super cool post-apocalypse diorama Rusty old truck LIFE at the Liberation of Paris: A Photographer’s Story The Harsh Poetry of World War II Battlefield Signs World War II in Color: The Italian Campaign and the Road to Rome Tunsia in colors Is there anything more fun to share online than pictures of your workbench? Here's one of many, many forum threads around the web on Armorama.  And of course, here's my own post about my workbench! (Which reminds me... I need to update this post with the newest additions.

By |2014-06-16T13:23:43-05:00June 20th, 2014|Random thoughts|0 Comments
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Friday Finds: June 13, 2014

Wonderfully layered German U-Boat dock diorama A trip to the Tamiya Plamodel Factory in Shimbashi, Tokyo (video) Very cool diorama (build log) Dan Tisoncik's amazing 1/35 scale dioramas - where figures do the driving In-progress gallery of 1939 German civilians and cars Interesting technique to model kicked up dust on a vehicle Easy tutorial for making bamboo An interesting thread that talks about sources for info about life in Nazi Germany D-Day then and now - interactive photos And a special link ... I've been waiting to build one of these Opel Blitz buses for a while. I finally ordered one and it should be here soon! To tide me over, here's a gallery from another great model.

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00June 13th, 2014|Fun Finds|0 Comments
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Friday Finds: May 30, 2014

The routine repeats.... Friday Finds! The heroic WWII mission to capture a deadly Tiger Tank from the Germans, is revealed for the first time Vallejo paint mixing keys for uniform painting Great diorama! And another great diorama World War II’s Strangest Battle: When Americans and Germans Fought Together How to paint the SS autumn camo pattern in 1/35 And for a bonus... Chad Smith and Will Ferrell Drum Off  

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00May 30th, 2014|Fun Finds|0 Comments
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I’m going to IPMS Nationals!

That's right, I just registered for the IPMS Nationals event/contest in Virginia this August! I better get busy finishing up some work ... and figuring out how to transport it! Any ideas on that second front? If you're going to be there, please let me know. I'd love to meet in person!

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00May 27th, 2014|Random thoughts|0 Comments
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The Amazing Moson Model Show

While reading Armorama recently, I came across an amazing photo gallery of the Moson Model Show. The problem was, the images were just too small to pour over every detail. So I reached out to Mario Matijasic who had posted the original images and asked if he'd be willing to post the larger versions. I offered up this space (and my server space and bandwidth) to post them. Check them out over in the gallery: Moson Model Show Gallery And if you're interested in more details about the show, Mario sent me a description. Adding Croatia to the travel wish list for 2015! Moson Model Show was held in Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary, from 12th till 13th of April 2014. What started as a small local show 18 years ago slowly transformed into a huge international event with about 1500 models displayed this year. The supporting program spurred a lot of interest... not just [...]

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00May 26th, 2014|Random thoughts|0 Comments
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That time I met Shep Paine…

The first time I was actively modeling, it was the late 80s. Back then, access to information and tutorials and talented people was a whole different world. I went to a lot of model contests, mostly to meet other people and see other people's work. That tiny Reader Gallery section of each Fine Scale Modeler magazine didn't do it! Every once in a while, I'd come across a book or a magazine that had some helpful tips, but most of them at that time weren't really written for the purposes of teaching, or at least not by "teachers". Or there simply wasn't that much content. One book, however, was an absolute godsend when it was released. It was written for the unskilled masses... i.e. me. It was clear, covered the key issues, and was generally fun to read. (All things that modeling book authors could stand to learn a thing or [...]

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00May 23rd, 2014|Travel|0 Comments
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