2024 Plastic Surgeons Posts

President Nate Stevens relates from last night's meeting we didn't make it to, that the 12 members in attendance voted unanimously to have our next contest at yet another new venue. Next year's SurgiCon 29 will be held in the delightful hamlet of Nevada (Ne-VAY-da) IA on April 5th.
I think it's this one.
https://www.nevadacubs.org/activities/gates-memorial-hall/

The price is very attractive and there's no upcharge for use of extra tables. A huge kitchen, stage, projector and retractable screen are a few of the amenititties. Lots of rules.
An "Adult" is required.
We may have to hire an Actor!

This spot is only 20 miles away from Ames, IA and Mike Ruff's "The Hobby Shop", the very hobby shop I bought my first model kit in, 52 (almost) years ago and only 35 miles away from Boone, IA where the cool Sidetrack Hobbies railroad hobby shop is.
It's only 70 miles from our rural home and model production facility. Pfoof!, er, YAY!!

After last show's rude and unreasonable treatment of our band of modelers and members in the Bondurant Legion hall, we will not be returning there. Now, don't get to thinking that IPMS Plastic Surgeons hop from venue to venue like a bewildered bullfrog in heat. Our group merely seeks an affordable venue and we hope that past and future attendees will find their way to Nevada to join our model fun.

In days past, we spent the money for the grand metropolitan Des Moines venue and made easy access to the show, hobby shops and dining spots in or near a larger city for local and out-of-town modelers alike. I miss those days.

I don't stick around for the "Business" part of the meeting most of the time. Teresa has to work WAY early on every Friday morning.
We have our show. 2 weeks later we begin to plan the next one and talk about it at every meeting until the next show.
I do not now and never have believed the Club existed for the sake of the contest. It was not always so.

Stay tuned as more exciting Plastic Surgeon-ness unfolds!!

More hobby stuff for Russell's car model adventure. We need forceps 1 big, 1 small, and Tamiya clear red, orange and yellow to finish off the box.

We are also now ready to play airplanes, should the opportunity present itself.

It sure seemed a shame to cover those shiny gold leaf decals with Dullcote. I did it anyway. Only a few tears were shed.
These stand ready for delivery to Fred's HO scale marshalling yard.

I'm sure you're going to share when Russel starts cutting sprue?

I will help Russell find his own way into the clutches of our merry band of model miscreants. He can use the brain-vacation model making can bring, in a house with 3 little heathens in it, at least until he is old enough to move out on his own.

9 May 2024 Meeting post:

A fine gathering of Surgeons gathered at the Hobbytown Ankeny location this evening. Of note, Webb Groos, Geoerge Stevens and, after quite the long hiatus, Rodney Shackleford found his way! Joachim sent Rod an invitation.

Rod brought 2 recent completions. Revell Ag's 1/48 USAF F-86D Sabre Dog and Tamiya's 1/48 F-15D Korean War Mustang. Both very nice builds! Rodney prefers the Mr. Color lacquer metal colors over a black base coat. His results are impossible to dispute.

Ray, Colton, Teresa and I had the pleasures of dining with Club President Nate Stevens this evening. M/A member "Seven Deuce" showcased his completed 1/72 scale Republic F-84 Thunderjet fleet and his pair of MiG-15's One is a Hobbyboss model that is very well thought out. No sway braces for the long (?) range external fuel tanks. tsk, tsk Hobbyboss!

Mike Rasmussen is attempting to correct the 1955 Monogram 1/67 B-26 Invader to 1/72 scale. I wish him luck and a more modern 1/72 Invader model to build!

Young Colton Routh packed along his 1/35 Academy M-10 Tank Destroyer. He spent 3 days working on the running gear and quite a while installing the kit's impressive interior. He will start painting when he gets paint, which his Grampa Ray sprung for tonight.
The Tamiya Sherman is their 1/35 M4A3E2 Jumbo. The short 75mm was replaced in the field after the Normandy landings with the more powerful 76mm cannon. Colton diluted Tamiya putty to add texture to the Jumbo. This white stuff is not a winter camo as one might expect.

Hey Bob Haag is working on his 1970 Chevelle SS kit. He got the dazzling finish he wished for and is adding engine and interior details before he makes his final assembly.

Joachim Lotz is readying 2 models for the 1/35 scale Hypothetical category at the upcoming National Convention at Madison Wisconasin.
His Syrian E-75 paper panzer will guard the capitol and the royal family in Damascus shortly after the 6-Days War in 1967. His E-75 is wearing Jeff Herne's 3d printed tracks. Joe comments that they fit and go together very well, unlike the Tyranosaurus tracks.
The other model a Swiss conversion pf the Hetzer 38t Panzerjager. The Takom 1/35 G-13. Muffle, muzzle brake and other mod's make the Hetzer in to this Swiss vehicle. They served Switzerland into the 1970's.


My Sand Land chogokin tank model got some Sandgelb paint this afternoon, but was too tacky to attend our meeting tonight.

From the sunny South, Greg Metge is wrapping up a 1/35 Kharkov PzKpw IV G. "It's a DML Smart Kit. I guess it's college material." quips witty Greg. HA!

A fine time was had during our short meeting tonight. I cain't say how good it was to see ol' Rodney Shackle-chevy again!

A club Barbeque (Surgi-Q) is scheduled for Saturday, 8 June from 1000 to 1500 hrs. at the Lotz Home in Colon, Iowa.

On the way home in the car, I tried a Knock-knock joke on Colton. NO ONE taught this kid about knock-knock jokes! Unglabbar!
Perhaps starting a Teen-ager with milder knock-knock joke would have been gentler, but................
I sang Colton part of John Valby's knock-knock/Gang-bang song. OOPS! Click this link at your peril!!
I'll do almost anything to get a laugh out of Ray. His newest Chemo regimen is taking a heavy toll on my old friend. Rhino for the win!
We dodged all the deer and made it home without loss or casualty. It was a fine evening out!

You're on it tonight! That unmanned Arctic Cat drone followed me all the way home, guess I'm keeping it.

Thanks for the report Chris. @sevendeuce maybe you can share with us your NMF technique?

sevendeuce said:

You're on it tonight! That unmanned Arctic Cat drone followed me all the way home, guess I'm keeping it.

Click to expand...

That must have been quite surprise! I admire the close formation the drone kept with your Chebby!

We delivered Fred's 1947 The Challenger rail coaches last night. We had a swell visit and Fred had a picture!

The Challenger ran from Chicago To Omaha at speeds up to 90 mph. The Hudson 4-6-4 Streamliner was a hallmark modern steam locomotive speed and style. In their hey-day, there were 4 "Challenger" trains. Fred's Dad worked on the Chicago And North Western railroad after his return from World War II.

Fred commented he thought the paint and decal job was "Perfect". I was pleased to a favor for a patient Army Vet in our hometown.

Those streamline steam engines had more class than these stainless wedges they trying to push on us.

6 June 2024 Meeting post:
Quite a few of our merry band made tonight's meeting.

Ray was chomping at the bit to go on a car ride somewhere besides the hospital, so we carried him along and fed him supper.

Tonight, was the premier of the 1/350 US Coast Guard Reliance class WMEC waterline model. None of our membership had seen much of the "Big Cutter" kit as I believed the appeal to be quite narrow. USCGC Active "The Li'l Tough Guy" was well received and admired. I am humbled by the praise offered by my fellows.

The Sand Land Chogokin tank, Maverick F/A-18Egg, my castings of the the 1/72 USCG rescue RHI and....

The new TLAR Models Rick Raccoon 10th Anniversary figure kit also appeared. Sea N' Sky Board Member George Stevens received his new Rick Raccoon kit with appropriate glee!!

New Raccoon figures for the Board are cast in white, just like my model kits were in 2015 before I began to add pigment to my liquid polyurethane plastic.

Of note: Ross brought a 1939 Wehrmacht dress tunic from the 58th Artillery Regiment. A real piece of German Army history. Ross told us a very interesting story about this colorful, historical garment. I was so interested in Roscoe's story I neglected any photos.
No, A dress tunic does not come with a belt and heels! Silly!

Mark Johnson is working on his "Albatross" 1/24 '57 Corvette Gasser model. He calls it "Albatross" but it looks more like a work of art to me. Again, I was so enthralled in Mark's gasser story, I neglected any photos.


Hey Bob brought some diecast racing cars. #8 is a Mercury Comet. I thought it was a Starliner, so I had to have a closer look!
Bill Ellet (?) came with some fine looking 1/35 German armor.

Nate Stevens model airplane production line is featuring Heinkel He-111's! These are all Italeri kits. I cain't hardly wait to see how the desert camo scheme comes out!

It must have been Hornet night. Jose's run from the 1/72 Blue Angel to the vintage 1/32 Revell kit! I found his camo scheme on his ship model most provocative! I think this is the Monogram DKM Tirpitz. Very cool!

Joe is working on a 1/72 Rebel Snowspeeder. He has a brass template set to make the disruptive black basing pattern that goes under the paint. It works, because at a glance I couldn't tell his model was a Snowspeeder. I'll be glad when this model fad passes. Paint rarely weathers from the inside out. Well, The ol' F-100 did. The tail section got so hot the paint cooked off the jet.


Dave Bettis is putting a couple of vintage classic 1/76 scale Tiger I's together. The Airfix and a Fujimi kits. The Airfix Kit is a very early version without a storage bin, or exhaust shrouds. Dave asked me to make copies of the parts he wanted for the Airfix Tiger from the Fujimi kit's bits.
Dave is an old friend and a great guy. He's never asked me for a model favor before, so I could not refuse.
He didn't ask for rear fenders, but it's a shame to waste space in even a small mold. Who takes care of his friends, Huh? Who!?!
See here these items readied them for molding.
These are not parts I can offer for sale. The intellectual property isn't my own.
I'm out of pictures, so I must be out of Story.

Thanks for looking in again!

20 June 2024 Meeting post:
We picked up Ray-Ray and carried him along. "Mr. A-B-C" grandson Colton, is off visiting his cousins in the Earlham for a time, so we were without his original commentary.

Quite a few Club members were in attendance this evening. Young Curt Young and Webb Groos made it. Even Jack Kuhns came, but wife Terry didn't come along.

Ray is coming up next week on cataract surgery. He's modeling with just one eye, like Don used to. He choose the Academy (Accurate Miniatures) 1/48 Vought SB2U-3 Vindicator (wind-indicator) USMC scout bomber, circa 1940 as his next project. It looks to both my eyes like Ray did a good job on an airplane model that is not easy to put together. He wasn't quite finished yet, but she looks pretty good so far!

Mark Johnson brought his 1/16 Don Garlits Swamp Rat XXX rear engine dragster model. It looks pretty neat apart or all put together. Mark is an expert in the field of automotive model making. Mark has years of work and a myriad of minute' details in his build.

Nate Stevens' trio of 1/72 Italeri Heinkel He-111's progress. I'm waiting to see if Nathan will tell his own story about these 3 airplane models.

Hey Bob Haag and Ron Schultz had an assortment of car models in 1/43rd, 1/32nd and 1/25 scale. Ron had a Jimmy Flintstone resin girl (butt girl) figure he was decorating. Jimmy says butt girl is 1/25 but it is easy to see she is overscale. Ron & Jack talked about Jimmy Flintstone for quite a while. They had just seen him at Vintage Torquefest. Jimmy makes a lot of model car bodies, but they require quite a lot of finishing and shaping.

Joe has built a 1/35 E75 Tiger III in Syrian markings. She is designed for the "1/35 Axis Armor Hypothetical" category. Joe likes to win awards. An award from the National Convention is a big deal, so I hope he does well in the opinions of the judges! I don't think Joachim's green is correct. Ross!!?

Joachim is also building a Bandai 1/72 scale Rebel Snow speeder. He's using a brass template to apply that weird black bruising undercoat. A hypothetical sci-fi subject could have any kind of finish you want, right? Bruised or otherwise.

Good ol' Dave Bettis brought his 1/76 Fujimi and Airfix Tiger I tanks back. I delivered his resin cast parts, so he can wind his bitty Tigers up! he seemed pleased with the castings. My business is your pleasure, esteemed friend.

Thanks for looking in again!

So far, grandson Russell hasn't cut any sprue. He's in chorus, and playing football. There was a girl. She was icky and they got caught in public.
I was SO proud. I have never been caught in publick.

Anyway, The first anniversary of Don Barry's Trip Up To Heaven coincided with the Plastic Surgeon's meeting Thursday last.
I asked Don's friends to gather for desserts and funny stories to tell.

As it was Joe, Aimee, Nathan, Trennis, Mike R. Bob Bidler, Ross, Jose', Myself, Teresa, Webb, Francisco, Kurt and Kevin gathered to remember our Big Buddy and enjoy our just desserts. New junior Surgeon "D" attended as well. NO! NOT Double DEE! How do these things happen?! BUGGER!

Ironically enough, Nathan is building a Revell Chevy Pick-up kit not so unlike 'Pup's model. Nate is recreating in scale a build Kowboy Kustoms did of a 1/1 scale truck in his shop. He used pen springs for the rear suspension. Bouncy indeed!

Trennis Stevens is making a '73 Mustang with a blown Boss 429. It's not easy being green. You blend in with so many other things.

Bob Bidler built artillery! His Amusing Hobby 1/35 FlaK 40 128mm gun and FuG (something) radar were pretty cool. Initially I thought this were Ross' models, given the fresh finish. I was sadly mistaken!


Kevin Nelson displays his Italeri 1/35 Opel Maultier build. Kevin's 2nd build since his fairly serious cranial surgery. He did GOOD!

Francisco shipped his legendary 1/72 USCG Island class 110' WPB model to Rafael in Florida today.

Joe started working on this 1/72 HobbyBoss model. 25 minutes after he opened the box, there were complications.

Jose' has a few projects going on. In a departure from his usual motif, a very modern Airfix 1/72 FAA Swordfisch Mk.1 and a kit bash of the Tamiya 1/35 Jadgpanter are underway.

My intention was to observe the first anniversary of the passage of a much loved and experienced Plastic Surgeons Plank-Owner.
Teresa made mini-pineapple upside-down cakes (Don's favorite) for the meeting with no prompting. I helped serve out members and because Jose' confessed this was his favorite, he got 2 servings. There were other treats and our membership shared anecdotes of Don and his generosity and adventures. Given the presence of a very young junior member, I held the "Dog Vagina Breakfast story" for another time.

As the "Club Spokesman" I went first, but almost everyone had a good Don Story to share. I shared the "I'm having a better day than YOU! I'm painting BOOBS!" story. Don had LOTS of references! Kurt's Don Santa Claus story was over 30 years old and especially cute.
I am certain our big buddy smiled down on us from the hereafter. It didn't seem like a year had passed.
I miss him everyday. (Sob, sniff, wipe eyes) I do my best to take good care of friends and kids. TLAR's marketing guy tells me I should charge for such things. He's the same dipshit that thought making a resin 1/72 cockpit for an ancient, discontinued Airfix 1/72 DH.88 Comet (turd) model was a good idea.
God in Heaven, I miss that Big Guy. He was consistently good company.
I cain't go on anymore.

Good report with some nice eyecandy. Is that a test to see if you get more views?
I ended up putting a brass tube inside the coils, kind of a coil over arrangement. It was too much bounce and I didn't know where the shocks would end up in the end. I really gave it some thought about how to make that suspension live but I just don't have it in me.

moon puppy said:

Good report with some nice eyecandy. Is that a test to see if you get more views?
I ended up putting a brass tube inside the coils, kind of a coil over arrangement. It was too much bounce and I didn't know where the shocks would end up in the end. I really gave it some thought about how to make that suspension live but I just don't have it in me.

Click to expand...

Some might say I am not without my wiles, don't you agree?

29 August Meeting post:

We picked up Ray and made sure he had fine, new headgear. He's been wearing the same grody old hat for a long time. He is working on "Ming the Merciless". The Meng 1/48 F-4G Wild Weasel Phantom II. Ray's sub-assemblies are almost ready to glue up. Meng's instructions say to mount the tail planes upside-down and backwards. Ray puzzled it out and installed them properly. The detail is good and fit is all right. Ray is building an Incirlik-based Wild Weasel jet from the Gulf War for his USAF Vet son in Las Vegas.

Our Automotive Master of scale channel, chop and shave has chosen the Lindberg 1/25 scale '53 Crown Vic to build without modifying the kit.
We chided our Bob Maloy about his ability to make an unmolested model car, but he maintains he's building his old Ford as a respite, for the fun of it. We'll see.............

Mike Rasmussen is still riding his wave of National Contest model mojo and is also building from the box. Amusing Hobby's 1/35 1946 VK16.02 German Leopard recon tank kit. Mike comments that the fit is good, the detail on his "paper Panzer" is very good and he likes that Amusing Hobby includes a jig to assemble the individual track links. Mike waited patiently until the last day of Nat's vending and bought his new kit for a paltry $20.00 USD Well done, indeed!

I brought my Sand Land Royal Army tank and my Freedom Models Maverick F/A-18E Super bug to show. The Sand Land model is as dirty as I am capable of making it. The Bandai anime' model is most excellent. Fit, detail, decals. Everything. The freedom models Hornet kit is an anti-climax from their excellent F-104 Starfighter models. The fit isn't so precise as I expected. Still, a Top Gun Maverick egg-plane? How fun is that?
Nathan Stevens' 1966 Chevy pickup model progesses. This is the 1/24 scale version of Nate's Kowboy Kustoms first actual custom 1/1 scale job.
Nate finished his 1/24 wood bed, but tells us that the actual truck is still running around with the sheet of plywood they put in the box, when the owner decided he would do his own wood box floor.
Nate's 1/72 Special Hobby RN Barracuda comes along, but slowly. Not an easy air[plane model kit to build, Nathan makes headway nonetheless.
Wisconasin seems to have left a profound impression on young Trennis Stevens. Never underestimate the Power of Plastic!


Jose bought a 1/35 Dragon USMC Mule kit and is planning his first diorama. He's also putting another vintage model ship together. Revell's 1/720 USS Tarawa LHA. Jose sawed the bottom off the old assault ship model for a waterline display. The kit aircraft are, well, turds. Not to worry. Many waterline scale Uglies, Bullfrogs and Hueys can be had on the model market place.
White Ensign Models offers p/e replacement rotors for a great many 1/700 scale egg-beaters.

We had rather a short meeting. One order of Club business that has been on my mind of late was brought forth and passed.

The Silver Surgeon.

Members of IPMS Plastic Surgeons, in good standing for 25 years or more shall now be offered lifetime club membership.
No further annual dues need be collected from these distinguished model stalwarts and fun-seekers from 1994-to-date club plank-owners or other Plastic Surgeons of suitable vintage. I brought this before our membership with the humble beginnings of our band of merry model miscreants in mind. Greg, Curt, Tom, Don, Dave, Gilbert, Ross, Ray, Kevin and a few others come to mind.

I hope we can vote to have a custom "Silver Surgeon" pin struck and paid for by the Club, as an award to our most loyal members.

I ran out of pictures and story again. That's all for this time!

Great report, thanks Chris. How many Silver Surgeons do you all have?

9 living Silver Surgeons. I remember in 1994 when the Plastic Surgeons was started in the "old Store", Greg, Dave, myself, Curt, Ray, Ross and Kevin are "originals", if I remember correctly. Randy Poole, Webb Groos ?I will ask Greg. He might recall.

I was delighted to have a less stagnant, critical group to share modelnesses with than the Hawkeye Modelers. Joe and British Dave came along in 1997 (?). I expect the Silver Surgeon insignia to be more of a reward than a bar to reach for. Dave Bettis had a gap in there, because real life happens. Real Life happens, and it happens all the time.

Wait...1994 was 30 years ago. this is both a correction and a shock!