4 February 2021 Meeting post.
Welcome back to another edition of IPMS Plastic Surgeons meetings. Such as they are these days.
On the home front here in Iowa, Governor Kim Reynolds has lifted all Wuhan Virus restrictions beginning 0001 Sunday morning. The possibility of fo-weel Club meetings begins to be more likely! Not that Zoom hasn't been fun but I treasure every little thing that might seem more like the real life of pre-panic-demic life.
My hat is off to Francisco Melendez for hosting all the Zoom fun! I don't know about anyone else, but the on-line meetings did loads to lift my spirits and keep my Model Mojo flowing.
11 Modelers attended Thursdays Zoom meeting.
Francisco, an airplane guy, finished his Tamiya 1/35 "Sturmtiger". It's actual title was Sturmmorsertrager for the huge rocket launcher it was armed with. Francisco applied drywall plaster and textured it after it dried for his zimmerit.
It looked convincing! His attention to detail and modeling skills are evident on what I think was his only Armor model to date. Imagine getting direct fire from such a thing? Holly Molly! 4 gigantic rounds a minute!
Joe shared a picture he took of an actual surviving Sturmtiger for Francisco. I wondered aloud if it was parked in Joe's shed. Evidently it is a little further away than that.
Joe finished his T-14 Armada. It's KUHL! (He hasn't posted any pictures of it here since his return to M/A.)
The 221 he did post a start on was in the paint booth drying so we didn't get to see that model. Joe's woes continued with his Eduard 1/48 Bt-108 Taifun. He admits this go-round of model agony was mostly self-induced. Still, it's a pretty good kit.
Greg's 1/35 SdKfz 7 (Early) from Trumpeter is nearing completion. I am informed this is not the vehicle the Dirty Dozen made their leisurely movie escape in. This model, not unlike most of Greg's 1/35 builds is stunning. Greg's I.T. Help desk (his wahf Maria) assisted with stubborn Zoom screen sharing so we could admire his model. We discussed classic airplane models and what we did to make them just so. I fetched the Matchbox 1/72 T2C Buckeye Aggressor model Greg built from it's Place of Honor in my Nut Department so the guys could admire Greg's aircraft prowess as well. The non-afterburning Rockwell Buckeye was a rock-steady, forgiving, flying machine for nugget US Navy Aviators to learn from. Little tweety-bird jet engines, great visibility and excellent low-speed handling characteristics. Just slightly underpowered.
Mike shared his Dick Dastardly and Muttley figures. It looks as if, completely by accident, that the finished Yankee Doodle Pigeon will be right in line with the scale of both funny cartoon figures! The Yankee Doodle drone pigeon barrel bomb may actually come to fruition for Mike's silly project! Somehow I just cain't help myself!
Bob Maloy is still working on his '49. When you chop the beejeebers out of a model car top, the '"surgery" needs concealment. Headliners and custom fitting of winders are his next chore. I gave Bob the sad news that Archer Fine Details lacks the ability to make the resin decal louvers I asked about. Woody says the thickness would be too great from rivet to louver. (Sob. Sniff.)
Nate is healed from his CCV exposure. He enjoyed the solitude of being left alone in his Shop to be productive in his business and made lots of progress while quarantined in his model space. His 1/72 P-51D Mustang assembly line is running full blast! Nathan prefers the Tamiya over the new tool Airfix Mustang for accuracy, but Airfix' poseable flaps are a nice feature. His Zvezda 1/72 Me-109F-2 and Yak-3 are coming along. These are both snap-tite models but the cockpit detail and features are hard to beat. Evidently Zvezda has come a long way since their older toolings.
I featured my new castings and some of the stories behind them. Mike Rasmussen's Yankee Doodle Pigeon mold and castings set a new record for the TLAR Models production team! From idea/request to finished casting in just 10 days!! It was a fun to deviate from intense research, precise measurements and agonizing over every little detail to just make something silly from my earlier childhood. Milliput epoxy does not react with Moldmax 10 to create any problems. I still have to solder up copper wire bird legs for Mike and them I'll ship his Birdie off to him.
CSS Arkansas and USS Carondelet's castings are better than expected from the dubious molds. The rest the parts I cast came out nicely as well. USS Carondelet is up for a few improvements and a new mold. She could be better. She WILL be!
Casting will continue at a brisk pace here on the frosty prairie. Once the seals are broken on the liquid poly-resin I like, you have to use it up before moisture affects the quality of the castings. I'm ALL about quality for my models.
Mark Karolus (who is a snow-lover. PFFFGHT!) showcased his submarine models. In a demonstration of Perestroika, he bought his US Navy submarine models from Micro-Mir in Ukraine! Mark comments that the Russians make a very nice, accurate US Navy Nuclear submarine model kit. He's working on a 1/700 US Navy DE-R Destroyer Escort for an aging Sailor. When I mentioned the re-tooled turret for my 1/700 Asheville class PG, he requested 2 of the new turrets for his '60's model ship. How can I possibly refuse!?!
Mark makes a fine submarine model. You expect nothing less from a guy that owns an actual Gato (Pronounced Balao) class WWII Submarine.
For any interested party, If Mark makes it to the 17 April 2021 show in Monticello, he's bringing a ton of model ship kits that need new homes at a VERY attractive price! I have requested old green skywave kits and WWII US Navy Carriers. Since he loves funking Snow so much, I expect weather not to be a detriment to Mark's attendance!!
We will remember to bring our own garbage bag this time so Teresa doesn't have to rob the ladies room garbage can to cart away all her raffle winnings.
Bob (Moonpuppy) appeared to join the jocularity. His 1/1 scale puppy dogs, Sugar and Honey are darling.
He missed my horrible "All you need now is Iced Tea pun" (Sugar Honey Iced Tea? Get it?) It was good to see Bob. Life has been happening in SC. It happens all the time.
Paul (MR. Entertainment his own self, Heaven's Eagle) hung out for quite a while with us. His Horton is coming along really well. "If you're hiding all the instrument panel wiring, why do it at all?" He takes my jibes in the proper spirit! Just as they are intended.
A treat to be sure was having John (Jeaton) join us for the first time, from sunny California. His Matchbox 1/72 RAF Wellesley and Heyford models were astounding! He's building 3 1/32 Tamiya F-15C Eagles from RAF Lakenheath for a movie production. Given John's vast airplane model and aviation experience, His input was most welcome. We got to see the Lindberg 1/48 Convair XFY Pogo his old friend super-detailed. A treat to be sure!
It looks exactly like the one in the video! Land that on a moving Ship?!? Not THIS fat kid!!
John's resurrecting a Lindberg 1/48 Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon with the goal of the same sort of detail as his old friend that "Went West" recently attained on his Pogo model.
Called away for other duties, Francisco made me Host around 2030. The "Wild Thing" commenced!
Mike, Nate, Paul, Mark and myself continued our Zoom no-holds-barred! The Wild Thing isn't always just about models. It's more about what fun friends can share until my eyelids make it impossible to continue. I am in the comfort of my own home, so I may have cocktails and smokies at my leisure. Runs to "the Bar" and potty breaks are common. (My frigging prostate is FINE, Sara!) I'm sure the same is true about most other Wild Thing stalwarts.
If you haven't the stamina to stay up late on a school-night that's totally OK! Mark took us on tour of his basement and garage. He DO have a bunch of model kits! Maybe more than I do, maybe! That's rare!!
Teresa says "Nate is a bad influence!" Bad, naughty Nathan! The was no Grail-shaped beacon to light.
Nate and I zoomed until the wee hours of Friday AM and it was great fun!
"That's all I have to say 'bout that."
Thanks for looking in!
Happy Modeling!
Have fun!
Don't get hurt.
Don't do stupid stuff!
us02web.zoom.us
