I'm actually going to start where the meeting ended. We had a discussion about going back to in person meetings. Jerry and I tested Zoom using a personal hot spot in the basement at Rockler. The idea being that we can continue to share our meetings with our out of town visitors as well as record the meetings for anyone who can not attend. What we learned was that I could use my phone to share video of the room, but when we tried to stream the power point presentation it just would not work.
While we were there we ran into some guys from the woodworking club. They explained that they are in the process of upgrading the video monitors, cameras, and adding a high speed wifi system independent from Rockler. I explained that we could not participate in the purchase of this equipment, however we are interested in being able to use their wifi if we can come to an agreement on a reasonable price. I will follow up with them and see what we can come up with. We're also exploring some other options but I think this is the best solution if we can work it out.
After the meeting I received some messages with concern about in person meetings. COVID is not over yet. I sent out the following suggested guidelines and requested feedback.
If you are vaccinated, mask is optional.
If you are NOT vaccinated, you must wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth.
Sit at least six feet apart.
I've only heard from a few of you so far. So let me know if you're okay with this approach and if you have any suggestions.
Okay, back to the meeting...
We started the meeting off discussing Jerry and Mattias' work on the CB-90 making parts to convert the Tiger Models kit to a US variant.
First photo shows the railing that Mattias created. There are also various components unique to US Boats that were added.
This is the kick stand that mounts to the back of the boat and allows it to sit upright after the well deck of the mother ship has been drained.
Next Tim Senecal shared his MENG Chibi type VII U-Boat. Tim explained that he's planning to build a large scale RC U-Boat based on this design. I have to say that should be a fun build and very unique in the RC world. Both Blake and myself are working on one of these as well with different twists.
David Angelo gave us an update on his tankers. David is doing a test of the photo etch to make sure it's all working well. These are really looking the part!
Gerald Schafer treated us to two new destroyers.
First up is the Aoshima kit of the J Class, HMS Jervis. This kit is 1/700 scale. Very nice build! This kit is available from retailers and eBay for about $24.
The second kit Gerald shared with us is the White Ensign Models, M Class HMS Milne. This is a resin kit. Gerald discussed how he went about fixing a nasty twist in the casting. White Ensign Models was sold to Atlantic Models, who sold to Starling Models. This particular kit is not in production. You might be able to find it in secondary markets. Originally the kit sold for about $37. I'm pretty sure I've seen a new kit of this subject in 1/350 scale, but I can't put my finger on it right now.
Jerry printed the tug boats designed by David Angelo for me. These little guys are exquisite and about an inch long. The next trick is getting some photo etch organized for them. Amazingly the Titanic set from Tom's Modelworks will do the trick for railings. I found some 1/700 photo etch caged ladders from FStar Models. I'm also going to try some 1/350 railings to see if they might work as caged ladders. These caged ladder sets are also available in 1/350 scale.
Rob Weilacher wasn't able to join us, but he completed the Loose Canon 1/700 kit of the USS Long Island. Rob was really impressed with this kit and we'll hopefully hear more about finishing it up the next time we see Rob.
While looking for topics for this meeting I came across this story. There is a movement to name a US Naval vessel after USN Fireman 2nd Class, Telesoro Trinidad. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor during peacetime, and also served in both WWI and WWII. He won the medal rescuing his ship mates on the USS San Diego ACR-6.
There are few kits of Armored Cruisers, however Combrig Models is about to release a 1/700 ACR. The attached images are exceptional. With minor conversion of the stern mast, you can model this as the San Diego.
PIG Models? None of us had heard of this company. But they are coming out with a 1/35 5"/38 twin mount. It would be interesting if it had a full interior. This is a company that has previously released 1:1 scale WWII tank rounds. We'll see what comes of it.
Also following this trend of naval armament is a 1/35 kit from Combrig 152mm/45 Canet Gun. I'm assuming WWI era. The castings are traditional resin and look quite good.
Some surprising offerings coming from TAKOM. Traditionally known for armor subjects. They are broadening their offerings to include the following...
Two Zeppelin offerings. Notice that these are done in conjunction with Snowman Models. This could cause me to sell some more kits!
And also a modern German Frigate. Interesting choice. The CAD drawings look superb. It is calling out for some photo etch railings. But again, also in conjunction with Snowman models. This is one of three built in this class and is currently in operation.
Another new one. Doggy Industries? Some interesting choices in here.
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Cyclone class patrol boat. I seem to recall talking about these a while back. These are small combatants with a big punch. They currently serve in the Persian Gulf. Here's an interesting video on this boat. I would like to see this in a larger scale though. 1/144 would be perfect!
An interesting kit in the bunch is the South Vietnamese destroyer, 1/700 scale. This ship served in the US Navy during WWII, then in the US Coast Guard, and finally in the Vietnamese navy.
The odd one in the bunch is the 1:2000 Clemson Class? That's going to be tiny!
Some interesting subjects to say the least.
Next up with new offerings is from AJM Models. We're familiar with these kits from John Widmar. These are the new offerings for 2021.
Not shown above is another new offering from AJM. This one is quite unique. It's a communication ship that was used during the D-Day landings. This kit appears to have some 3D printed fixtures and guns. This looks like it would be a fun one to rig!
The latest release from Black Cat Models is this all 3D printed 1/350 scale, LCI kit. They are producing this in three different styles. This particular boat was modeled after the museum ship in Portland, LCI 713. This is a HUGE improvement over the Iron Shipwrights offering.
Also just released from Black Cat Models is the 1/350 scale, HMAS Castlemaine, which is a Bathurst Class Corvette. This is a resin hull and mostly 3D printed parts including photo etch. This is a museum ship in Australia today. This is
I think that's it for this months meeting. I'm looking forward to seeing you all and your models in person for a change. Also looking forward to going to Las Vegas and the IPMS Nationals. They are expecting more than 4000 entries! See you all in August!
Sunday, June 6, 2021
Thanks for those who attended tonight. It was a light turnout, probably due to the hangover from the Colpar open house. I understand we were well represented there so glad we made the adjustment. But most of us were enjoying the outdoors on this great spring day in Colorado.
We started off with some industry updates. Kitty Hawk/Panda closed. Not really ship related, but another big surprise from the kit manufacturing world. I joined the hoarders and bought this before the prices get stupid...
Moving along.. In other news the person who previously ran Midship Models, now has taken over the assets and rights to Squadron. We'll have to see what becomes of this resurrection. There were some concerns brought up, but we'll have to see.
Next we had an update on David Angelo's Cimmeron tanker. David is planning on making four different versions of this ship, including Neosho, Salimonie, and astubula. I will probably be in for the Neosho after reading the book about here entitled "The Ship That Wouldn't Die: The Saga of the USS Neosho.
David also made some great Modern Tug CAD drawings which Jerry printed on his new 3D printer. Here are the drawings...
Here are the prints. The masts look incredibly fragile and the Fire Moniters or Water Canons on the roof of the wheel house are incredibly fine. As described by Jerry, the size of a human hair.
We had a good discussion about working with 3D prints and how to use them. Watch the video to learn more.
Next Rob shared his work on the USS Long Island. Rob describes the amazing photo etch and design of this kit. If you watch the video you'll appreciate how much Rob loves this kit. Really nice work Rob! And also love the B-24 which is a 3D printed model.
Here are some photos David sent me after the meeting that show off the photo etch of this kit.
A new kit coming out from Artist Hobby is the 1/700 USS Constitution. It's available for pre-order from a number of sellers outside the US. The prices shown are from Hobby Link Japan. The oldest active duty ship in the US Navy. These look like great little models and amazing detail. Must have for me!
Jerry brought to our attention a new precision sander from Dspiae. We're familiar with the quality their products. The bar on the back slides left and right. The bar can be locked down to and degrees are marked extremely well. You can find these on eBay and a number of other places.
Jerry also brought to our attention a video from Paul Budzik. If you're not familiar, Paul is a dentist and many of the tools come from his practice. In this video he uses rubber dam material (flexible rubber) for masking certain model parts for painting, etc. Give it a look.
Finally we talked about paint pens. These pens are actually paint and not felt or ink markers that we're familiar with. They have a small agitator inside. Press down on the tip and it fills with paint. Dab off if there's too much paint. The top photo are Edding 780 and are available from the UK. The bottom are from a company called POSCA. The best for our use would be the PC-1MR. This is a .7mm precision point. The Edding 780's are all the same type of point. You can buy POSCA on eBay and Amazon. They come in a variety of colors and sets. Everything from basic colors to metallics. For our purposes the blacks, grays, and whites are extremely useful. I would caution that the POSCA red isn't very red. It's more of a florescent red or pink color. I ordered one of the Edding 780 reds to see if it's a better color. To show how effective they are I showed how I painted GoodYear lettering on a 1/24 model tire.
Moving forward I will try and set up a test of a live feed from Rockler. Hopefully we'll be able to live stream for our out of town visitors. I also brought up the idea of following through with the idea of a bench night where we can work on our models and chat. If you have any thoughts about this let me know.
See you next time guys!
Monday, May 3, 2021
Thanks for attending our May meeting. We covered a lot of territory again. Here's the LINK to the recording. You'll need the following password...
Access Passcode: =E8*fEnZ
We kicked it off with a little comedy from Terry J of Monte Python fame.
David Angelo led off by telling us about his KKMoon Airbrush. This is a knock off of an Iwata airbrush. This is a double action airbrush. It has what David described as a non working MAC valve under the color cup. It comes with three needles and matching nozzles in sizes .2mm, .3mm, and .5mm. It also includes a quick disconnect. You can buy this on eBay from China, delivered for $26.89. David reports that other than the MAC valve, it paints well. I was unable to find replacement parts, but for $26.89 you probably couldn't find replacement parts for that cheap. If you're looking for a low cost airbrush, or want to try one out, you might want to give this a look.
They also sell one with a mini portable compressor as well as one with a pistol grip. Here's a link to a review of a similar airbrush. Shopee as David described it is similar to Amazon.
Next we discussed an idea I have for displaying my Flower Class Corvette, HMS Compass Rose. Replace the steamboat with the Flower Class Corvette and the giant alligator with a U-Boat.
The next challenge is forced perspective. I wanted to make the submarine appear deeper in the water. Not crush depth which in the same scale is about 28 inches. 1/700 scale is too small because that would look like double crush depth. So I'm going to add a 1/400 scale type VII U-Boat.
The trick to forced perspective is to frame the scene. To do that I'm thinking of building a solid base that only allows the viewer to see the submarine from above. The submarine will be blurred by the coloring of the water and surface texture. The smaller scale will make it look deeper.
But what about the submarine? Do I go with the original plan and use a 1/400 submarine model? Or do I use a photo or image secured to the bottom? Good suggestions from the group! I'll be sure to play around with both ideas and see what makes the most sense.
The entire display will be covered with an acrylic case to protect the Corvette floating around on the surface. So I don't want to make it too tall. Certainly not more than 4 inches, otherwise I'll need to take out a second loan!
So much to think about and more to come!
Next John Widmar shared his latest creation. Welcome to John's World! John picked up the buildings from a company in Spain. He added 1/700 Frigate's and added his own style with aftermarket rat lines and made his own sails. John also added tons of palm trees adding which tied the scene together. All we need now are villagers!
I especially like how John creates depth in his water. The water medium is not that deep, but using darker colors next to the shore line sells it. Really nice work John! And John's World would not be complete without a light house and some wrecks at the base of the cliffs.
Next up was Gerald and his latest creation from Warped Ensign Models.. er... White Ensign Models. Gerald told us about the challenges he had with warping in the hull. It was twisted. Gerald implemented the right fixes by heating up the hull and reshaping it until it cooled, but this resin has a long memory. At the end of the day it turned out well.
Gerald mentioned that the antenna on top of the gun director gave him fits, but it certainly looks the part. Nicely done!
Next we shared progress from Rob Weilacher's USS Long Island, the first Escort Carrier. Rob's making great progress and we look forward to getting an update in the future.
We checked some history on the Long Island and learned what became of her post war. She was saved from the scrap heap when she was converted into a passenger liner. She was used for everything from transporting emigrants to a youth hostel. She ended up being a nice and interesting looking vessel at the end of the day. I think it provided some inspiration to David Angelo.
I was back up with my annual Easter build completed! This is the Zucas Studios Perry Class Frigate Q/Egg/Distorted/Toon/whatever you want to call it. I call it just plain fun. Zucas Studios is working on the Arleigh Burke class and I'll look forward to adding that one to my collection!
For Tool Time we have a product used by Dentists. Posted Notes? Nope! But same idea. They are mixing pads that Dentists use to mix up resins, etc. They have a protective coating that keeps anything wet from transferring to the other side. They are great for putting down spots of glue, mixing epoxy, etc. And when done you just throw them away. They cost about $3.00 for a pad of 100. Jerry and I each picked up a set and I've already started using them. I think this is going to be a keeper for my work bench. This idea was originally passed on to us form Will Pattison's YouTube channel.
We looked at some interesting kits coming out to the market. One of the most interesting is this Bismarck model from Agora models. It's 1/200 scale and has all the bells and whistles including lights and fully functional turrets. This is really a giant diecast model on steroids when completed. The way it works is you sign up for the program and pay monthly. In turn you receive every month a section to complete. There's no painting. Simply screw or assemble the parts each month. At the end of a year you have a completed model. They make other stunning high end models as well. This ship will cost you about $1500 in the end.
Another company we talked about was Kraken Hobbies. They produce 3D resin parts and upgrade sets for model ships. If you're not a fan of 2D photo etch weapons in 1/350 and 1/700 scales, this company can help you out. We talked about them before and they seem to be expanding and adding quickly to their catalog. They are worth checking out. Here's the Kraken web site. Check them out!
That's about it for May. I look forward to seeing you all next month!
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
During the meeting we talked about high density foams that could be cut with a hot wire. Tim pointed out that there is a product that is very dense (no visible air pockets or variations) called REN Shape Tooling Board, or REN Board, or RENShape Board. I contacted some of the suppliers and was advised that this material is too dense to cut with a hot wire. It's designed as Tim pointed out to be cut with tooling machines.
That said it is a very interesting material and could be used to make model bases as it is very consistent and cuts easily with the right tools.
What you want to use is High Density EPS Foam boards or blocks. The construction foam board "project Panel" I bought from Lowes works very well and is very low cost. There are denser materials out there and can get pretty pricy.
Monday, April 5, 2021
Thanks to everyone who was able to attend our meeting Saturday. Here's a link to the recording if you're interested in reviewing.
We started the meeting with a quick update on IPMS Nationals in Las Vegas. It looks like we have a few that are planning on attending. It should be an interesting show.
David gave us an update on his tankers he's been working on. David is focusing his efforts on the Housatonic and making good progress. David also sent the photo etch sheet which looks great and resulted in a good discussion about how he designs and has them made. I was surprised how many different photo etch suppliers David and Richard (Tom's & White Ensign Models) have in their arsenal.
David also told us about the tool he uses for drilling with small bits. The plate where the part to be drilled moves up with a high degree of control to meet the drill bit, rather than the drill coming down to the part. David says the control is great and has a better sense of feel when drilling.
Rob Weilacher gave a nice review of a Corsair Armada kit. It's an AGP PT Boat Tender. I was interested in this kit to go along with the tiny little 1/700 Flyhawk PT Boats I recently purchased. The kit is close to release date. Rob actually built the kit a couple of years ago. Glad to see it's finally coming to market.
John DuGene suggested that we look at a video by Paul Budzik about applying decals to our models and then have a discussion about it. I like the idea and we gave it a go. Everyone had some good comments about Paul's approach. There were some good take aways such as keeping your desk clean, using sharp knives, etc. But I think we all agree that it was a bit over the top for most of us. Great idea John!
Next I talked about a new tool I bought for cutting blocks of High Density EPS foam for making modeling bases. I had been using a hot wire and a straight edge, but after watching Martin on Night Shift use this hot wire table, I knew it was a tool I wanted to have. I'm happy to cut foam blocks for anyone wishing to make bases. Lowes sells "Project Boards" made from this material which cost $6 for a 2' x 2' x 1" board. However we had a good discussion about different materials with even high density that are perfect for display bases. I'll look into that and report back to the group.
Jerry Beasley reported that he was working on a not very old Revell ship model and couldn't get a good bond. He tried Tamiya Extra Thin and CA to no avail. We suggested that he try Revell Contacta Professional which he ended up buying at Hobby town. That did the trick! If you're not familiar with this glue, it is a fairly thin glue, but thicker in viscosity than Tamiya. It comes in this blue bottle with metal tubular applicator. It is a slower drying product, but bonds quite well. It's excellent for gluing ship hulls and decks together. Or anything where you need some extra time. While this glue is new to our market, it's been available in Europe for some time now and is very well received. Definitely worth having in your arsenal.
Gerald shared some of the 1/700 kits he's been working on. Several of these are nice little additions to larger subjects. A nice bonus often found in Aoshima kits.
Another nice add on kit, this one with some additional markings and photo etch.
One more, this one from a resin kit
Here are the two new Corvette's, along with the previous two that Gerald built and shared with us.
Next up were a couple of beauties from Roger. This first offering is from Tamiya.
This next one is from Pit Road. Roger built her as the USS Flowler. This particular kit comes with a pair. Great value!
Next I talked about my slightly larger (1/350) Flower Class and replicating halyards with double lines coming off the blocks. I succeeded in getting them the way I wanted. I did this using UV glue which I'll discuss next. They look much finer in real life than in the photo. I used 40 denier lycra rigging line for this project.
The UV glue I used was a fly fishing kit from Solarez. The kit provided three different UV glues. Thin Hard, Thick Hard, and Flex. I tried them all and the best for our purposes is the Thin Hard. The process was quite simple but you need to steady your hand when doing this process.
Attach the line at the yard arm. I put a tiny bit on the yard arm, and a tiny bit on the line itself. I touch them together and hit it with the UV light. In about 5 seconds the glue is fully hardened..
I then attach the bottom line to the rail in the same fashion.
Next I form a block at the top of the line. It took about 3 tiny drops to form the blocks.
Next I put a tiny amount of glue on the block and the same for the line coming off the block. I hold the line to the block and hit it with the light.
Finally I attach that second line next to the first on the rail in the same fashion.
All I have to do next is paint the blocks. Job done!
It's not cheap. But I would recommend buying only the Thin Hard Solarez glue and one of their UV flashlights. You can find them at a number of places including their own web site, Amazon, etc.
In this photo I glued a gaff to my practice mast with the UV glue. I then ran some tungsten wire from the end of the gaff to the upper yard arm secured with this UV glue. Really happy with the performance of this process.
I finished the saga of my battle with my once favorite primer, Stynylrez. What a horrible experience this has been. It's official now, I've formally broken up with Badger and Stynylrez. Time to find another solution.
Martin clued us into a special Das Boot 40th Anniversary Release (it's been 40 years? Crap! ) of the type VII U-Boat from the movie. It comes with a special price, poster, paint, and the Contacta glue we discussed earlier. The only problem is that you can't order this directly from Revell as we thought. Fear not, you can order the same kit from Hannants in the UK, and if you order now you can get a 10% discount for ordering it through their backorder program. This is a great little kit and there are several upgrade sets on the market.
We ended with a movie I came across on Amazon Prime called "Kaiser's Pirates: The Wolf". This is an epic story about a WWI raider that the Kaiser sent out to disrupt commerce. It's an amazing story and includes commentary by the author of the book. Speaking of the book, you can find it for very good prices in hard cover, on Kindle, and also on Audible. There are lots of open questions and I've already heard back from a few of you that you've bought the book and watch the movie. Check it out.
