I'm excited to share that I was the guest interview on the Plastic Model Mojo podcast, Episode 116! I had a wonderful time with Mike and Dave talking about scope creep and my Cylon Raider diorama build. Check it out!
This week we heard that the Sprue Cutters Union podcast would be indefinitely halted after a number of years, a bunch of episodes, and some truly remarkable insights, ideas, and interviews. I posted a few "I'm sad" comments of support on the various social channels, but I had a deeper sense of loss (and joy) that I wanted to express in a few more words. So here we go. Community and Connection SCU was more than just a podcast. I listen to plenty of podcasts, effectively none of them have prompted as much action and connection as SCU did. Listening to Will Pattison, Tracy Hancock, and Chris Meddings ramble, rant, joke, and support reminded me of one of the core reasons I love scale modeling: community. I was inspired by their camaraderie to reach out to people I wanted to be friends with and learn from. I felt a sense of [...]
Since the base is effectively done, I wanted to share a few photos I've taken. (Figures not yet included) [foogallery id="9229"]
As part of the Cylon Raider Diorama, I needed springs.... those kind that the Mak. guys add to their armored suits to look like power cables. I'm running electrical wires across the deck and wanted to hide them in a "big ass power cable" and springs was the easiest way to get there. The problem was... the way I wanted to run electrical wires required a spring bigger than I could find easily. (Read more about this on the Cylon Raider project page) I had previously purchased a bunch of beautiful springs from HobbyLink Japan. They were relatively inexpensive, long enough for my needs, and arrived quickly. But... there was no way they were big enough to fit the large wire I was using. I search Grainger, McMaster-Carr, and a variety of spring selling online businesses. I even ordered a few off Amazon and realized I'd gone way wrong. I did [...]
At the IPMS Nationals 2023, I was lucky enough to receive an incredible award. It wasn't an official medal from the IPMS judges. Nope. I got a couple of those and they were cool, but not as cool as the real award. A poker chip. This chip was from one of the members of the Las Vegas club. They put a few of them down on their favorite creations as a way to say "good work". These are "challenge coins" as people commonly call them. Receiving one of these was a fantastic feeling. It wasn't an award that comes from rules and judges and comparison and some level of randomness that comes from a particular group of judges. It was a single person saying "Damn, this is cool". The day that coin showed up next to my diorama, Matt McDougall and I were at lunch talking about how cool it would [...]
Thanks to a wonderfully helpful call with Barry Biediger recently, I now understand some of the fundamental basics of LED lighting. It's funny how the LED tech has made it so damn easy to wire up basic lighting that works well and lasts a long time. Because Barry is awesome, he followed up our call with some details that he was cool with me sharing with y'all. I'm also adding a few tidbits I've learned from Barry and others along the way that may help you. Wiring tips and tricks My current supplier of choice for LED lights and related accessories has been Evan Designs. They provide reasonably priced, high quality products, are quick to respond to questions, and ship fast. Recently, I picked up several different types of LEDs: Pico, Nano, Chip. I asked them how much different the amount of light each one kicks off vs. the other. They [...]
It’s been a loooong time since I’ve done any sort of blog/social media “year in recap” of my modeling work. Like a really long time. Mainly because my productivity and completed output has been, let’s say, minimal. But 2023 was a bang up year for finishing shit. At least by my standards. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, getting on Zoloft and quieting the inner voice of harsh personal criticism was a huge reasons for the productivity. As was finding new friends in the hobby and really spending time in the SMCG Facebook group. It was a perfect storm that came together to make some good things happen. 2023 was the Year of the Diorama for me… I finished one that had been in the works for several years, started and finished another for an existing unmounted model, banged out a cool vignette in record time, and made significant [...]
Unless you've been living on a moonbase (the kind without internet access) the last few months, you know that the IPMS USA continues to step on it's own feet in a Looney Toon sorta way. Every time a new issue involving IPMS flairs up, I can't help but think about Bugs Bunny bending Elmer Fudd's shotgun barrel back on him... so when Fudd goes to shoot the Wabbit, he instead blows his own head to smithereens. We continue to hear well intentioned members of IPMS leadership ask "what would you want to see change?" and we continue to see folks offer a laundry list of potential changes. As a follow-up, there is a near total lack of feedback and/or action about those suggestions. It's become a regular cycle: Issue happens Discussion flairs up IPMS leadership has to be shoved into participating in the discussion, if they participate at all Ideas are [...]
I can't learn anything from Sam Dwyer. OK, that's not at all true, but bear with me while I make a point. Sam Dwyer is a well known, immensely talented scale modeler who is so revered that people call him "The Sam Dwyer". His work is amazing. Per Olav Lund won a gold medal at Scale Model Challenge for "Men and Whales" and just thinks differently than I can. As the Sprue Cutter's Union podcast guys pointed out, he painted the water on that piece to represent reflected light off the bits and particles in the water. Amazing work. Jean Diorama does some absolutely amazing work in ways that I can't believe are possible with today's materials and knowledge. This list of amazing, talented artists could go on and on. The true masters of the craft that just operate at a higher level. The Lance Armstrong's of the scale model world. [...]
Let's be honest... how many of you have gone to a scale modeling convention and found yourself wandering the halls killing time after you've registered your models, put them on the tables, and finished shopping in the vendor hall? As much as I enjoyed my IPMS Nationals 23 experience, as much I as enjoy the local events, the focus is mostly operational and commerce based. Come in, register and set down models, shop, kill time, awards, home. Now, before you start screaming "I see my friends! I make new friends!" let me slow you down. Yes, I too am always excited to see the people I know and meet new people as well. Sometimes the folks I know introduce me to new folks. That's great and happens a fair amount. But unless I am completely comfortable introducing myself to random people I've not met before or unless I get an intro [...]
