Howdy, all!
There have been several times along the way in my scale modeling adventures where I have learned or discovered something that changed the way I built models. The short list:
- Monogram Models diorama sheets. These diorama sheets were written by a guy named Sheperd Paine. I had never heard of him, but the dioramas he built were stunning. He laid the path that eventually I would attempt to follow. The models were unlike any I had ever seen. It whetted my appetite to know more.
- Challenge Publications' "Scale Modeler" magazine. Before I saw that March 1978 issue at the local Albertson's, I had no idea that magazines like this existed! The models I was looking at and reading about were superb. The authors spoke of things I had never known about--liquid cement, filler putty, decal solvents, airbrushes--and I figured if I was going to get better, I needed them. I also saw ads for exotic kits from exotic lands, aftermarket decals to decorate the model differently that the kit manufacturers specified, specialty paints that matched any one of a dozen heretofore unknown to me "standards", and doo-dads to detail models. Until this time, I had seen their mention in passing in the Paine diorama sheets in the Monogram Models kits.
- Warrick Custom Hobbies, Orange Blossom Hobbies, and Universal Hobbies. It was inside the walls of these establishments where I could actually see the things I had been reading about. As a bonus, I could see completed models that matched or exceeded the work I saw in the magazines. I've written about these shops before since I started this blog, so I won't re-take old ground. Suffice to say that had I not had good hobby shops in the area when I was growing up, my pursuit of the hobby may have been very different, indeed.
- Kalmbach Publications' "FineScale Modeler" magazine and their modeling books. I discovered FSM at the same time I saw Paine's "How To Build Dioramas" book and the "Hints and Tips For Plastic Modeling" book right next to it. Between the covers of these pubs, I uncovered even more superb work. I was still a relative neophyte, looking back, and still had a lot to learn. My skills had improved, but I still had a lot to learn.
- Joining the IPMS/Flight 19 Chapter. Joining a club put me in touch with like minded folks who shared my passion for little plastic airplanes, tanks, ships, cars, and the like. That was reinforced when I took a break after moving to South Carolina--after nine years, I dipped my toes back into the club scene when I joined the IPMS/Mid-Carolina Swamp Fox Modelers and the AMPS Central South Carolina Wildcats, and haven't looked back.
As I have presented "Model Building 101", I tell the stories of lessons learned. For instance, when I get to the section on using fillers, I relate how a younger me would smear Squadron Green Putty over every glue seam as soon as the cement dried--and not in a thin layer, either. I would squeeze out a blob of putty on my right forefinger and smear putty over every seam to bury them--and spend the next day sanding it all down. I relate how I began using CA as a filler more frequently in my dotage--my previous attempts didn't quite end in disaster, but they didn't exactly win any awards. I learned, in time, that it wasn't what I was using, the problem with the CA (like the Green Putty) was the how much. I was simply relying on gobs of putty or a river of CA when, had I done my prep work better, I would have needed a small smear or a few drops. Yeah, I'm hard-headed, what can I say...
The same thing goes for all the techniques I use today. As I tell the folks who attend the seminar, most of the techniques I use were learned over the years. Some of them I use exactly as I was taught, others are variations on the theme that I developed to work for me. Which brings me to the most important thing I try to teach--model building is as individual as those who pursue it.
**************************************************
If you want to see "Model Building 101" in person, come to the 2019 IPMS/USA National Convention in Chattanooga. I'll be presenting it there, tentatively on the schedule for Thursday morning at 9 AM.
**************************************************
The preparations for the Second Annual South Carolina Scale Model Mega Show are almost complete. We're about two weeks away from the festivities--if you'll be in the neighborhood of the National Guard Armory on Bluff Road in Columbia, SC on Saturday June 22nd, stop in and see us!
***************************************************
This weekend is the 87th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I look forward to all of the sports car endurance races, none more than Le Mans. I don't know why I place this one above Daytona or Sebring, maybe it is the international draw that has been missing from the other two since the mid-1990's.
My favorites for this year? I'd like to see the #8 Toyota repeat this year in LMP1--being the only hybrids in the field, they have an advantage and unless they experience problems, the Toyota Gazoo Racing TS050 Hybrids are favored. In the petrol-powered cars, I like the Rebellion Racing teams. They have a strong driver lineup, and they do well every year.
LMP2, for me, is a toss-up between DragonSpeed, Jackie Chan DC Racing, and United Autosport. A lot depends on the durability of the cars and how well they stay out of trouble.
The LMGTE Pro field is usually hotly contested between the Corvette Racing teams and Ford Chip Ganassi squads, although the Porsche GT teams are strong every year, too. Given this is the final year of factory support of the Ford GT, perhaps a swan song win would be nice.
My long shot for LMGTE Am is the Keating Racing Ford GT. They're an American team that only runs Le Mans on the ACO schedule. Another favorite is the Dempsey-Proton Racing team and their Porsche 911's. Patrick Dempsey is a real racer, and to see his team win is special.
************************************************
That's all I have for now. Thanks for reading. Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.
Comments