Another batch, here we go! Pink as a camouflage color? Illawarra Plastic Modellers' Association (IPMA) show galleries - Part III - Tanks trucks and troops Better colors for the photos of your models Very cool Opel variant One hell of a diorama! (Forgive me if it's been posted before... it's too cool not to share again!) Cool build log of a scratchbuilt Italian home
Wow, some really amazing weathering model submissions at the Made in Poland Facebook contest page. You have to check this one out!
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.
More Friday fun finds! If you have something you think I should share with the community, feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email! "Follow Me!!" Opel Omnibus Kommanderwagen Great vignette
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!
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 [...]
One of my favorite online retails is Squadron. They're based just a few hours away from me, so shipping is always quick. Prices and selection are usually pretty decent, and their site is a solid ecommerce experience.... something this industry doesn't often get right. So I like to support them when I can. They recently announced they were moving their monthly mailing to a paid model rather than a freebie. On the surface, I think this is a great idea that I wholeheartedly support. To be honest, for 20+ years, I've never gotten much value out of the magazine/flyer they send out. Simply put, it's a long, uninteresting text list of kits and prices sprinkled with a few pictures of a random kit on that page. This is a product of a far gone era where we needed price lists pre-Internet. These days, however, that format is utterly pointless. I want [...]
I am going to be doing an Out of the Box (OOB) build for a local contest coming up in October. The rules for this particular category say that they will go by the IPMS judging rules... which I needed to look up. In doing so, I came across the IPMS Competition Handbook. It's a collection of helpful information to understand how judges at model events will be looking at your competition models. I thought it was worth sharing. Even if you don't plan on entering contests, it's a good checklist of things to watch during your build process. Basic Construction Flash, sink marks, mold marks, ejector-pin marks, provisions for motorization eliminated. Seams filled where applicable, especially on cylindrical parts such as gun barrels, wheels, and auxiliary equipment. Contour errors corrected. Gaps between upper and lower hulls blanked off to prevent a "see-through" effect. Gap/overlap at point where track ends join [...]
I've been delinquent in Sprue Cutter's Union posts, but this one was easy since I've already written about it! Here's the latest prompt: How do you stay in the hobby when you're away from the bench? This is a great question for me. I travel a lot for work, and the weekend time is in terribly low supply between my family time, chores, errands, and sleeping in. I have two categories of non-workbench focused modeling to occupy me. 1. Hands on modeling If I want to take actual modeling work on the road with me, I focus on figuring painting. I wrote about my mobile painting setup recently, but since I hate checking bags with a fiery passion, I avoid anything with sharp edges. That means no knives, and therefore no construction. That said, when we were out of our house for 2.5 weeks recently, I setup a mobile workbench in [...]
I love stories from "the other side"... stories you don't often hear. We've seen Band of Brothers and The Pacific, great works of art that show the US solider's experience through WWII. But the German side, at least for American audiences, goes largely untapped. To truly understand a conflict like WWII, it's crucial to understand, even if you don't support, all sides involved. I recently read (although devoured is probably the better word), a book called Soldat: Reflections of a German Soldier, 1936-1949. This book followed a German soldier through his graduation from high school, enlistment in the military, service throughout the war, defense of Berlin, capture, and eventual placement in and release from a Soviet prison camp. This book is an amazing read. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.