2022 Plastic Surgeon Meeting posts.

[Rhino]

2022 began as it usually does with our club Christmas party. Unusually cold temperatures and Life kept quite a few Surgeons from attending this year's celebration. We met at Old Chicago in Ankeny for supper and the traditional gift exchange.

Dane brought his Grampa Don up. The Stevens' boys came down. Carl Burger's sweetie was brave enough to attend. 15 Surgeons made the frigid trip to Ankeny.

Young Trennis Stevens narrowly escaped being our youngest club president. His dad, Nathan was duly elected with only one dissenting vote. Our long-serving/suffering IPMS chapter contact, Ross Petra stepped down. Our new IPMS chapter contact is Joachim Lotz. We chose the next recipient of our Surgeon of the Year award, but that is a closely guarded secret until Mike's vintage trophy is presented.

Dave Bettis is considering taking over webmaster duties for the Plastic Surgeon website. How cool would it be if the author of the original "Doc Talk" posted his impressions on-line?

Young Dane's family had a recent tragedy. In that light My Sweetie and I composed an extra silly bonus Christmas model gift just for Dane. It contained Revell's goofiest classic car model kit, a Cap-Holder-o-Matic set and a can of Flarp noise putty. I had hoped Dane would amaze and delight our group by making Flarp sounds, but he decided otherwise.

My gift was a sealed 1/35 Italeri M-47 Patton and a 1/35 Lindberg (bad-ass Hebrew) Ti-55. I gave them to Joe, since he wanted the Italeri tracks for his Takom 1/35 M-47 build. Why Joe wanted the rubber band tracks is a long story, he says. Neither model would likely have seen the light of day in my own Nut Department. A friend in need is a friend indeed!

Teresa received the 1978 issue of Monogram's 1/48 C-47 Skytrain. This issue of the vintage Gooney contained Shep Paine's diorama "How To" sheet. A classic treasure to be sure! I wonder how much the 1/48 Basler Turbo-Gooney conversion sells for?
It seemed a big night for the Revell/Monogram 1/48 Black Widow kit!

In days gone by, the Christmas gift exchange had been a white elephant affair. Members divest themselves of kits they don't care for or are of poor quality and pawn them off on some other poor bastard. This tradition seems to have passed. In spite of bone chilling Iowa cold, it was a fine time.

So begins 2022.
Happy Modeling! Keep warm! Don't do stupid stuff!

 

[moon puppy]

Glad things are looking normal again!

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Looks like everyone had a good time. That is the point of all this. Always enjoy the surgeon posts Chris!

 

[Frank]

Glad to see the gift exchange is still in full swing.
It was great that Don could make it to the meeting.

 

[Rhino]

There was a Club meeting last night. 14 Plastic Surgeons joined us at Hobbytown Ankeny. Our shiny, new Club President, Nathan Stevens was on hand as well!! We braved less than truly frigid temps to attend. We have been called "Fair Weather Club Members".
That is quite correct. I get paid to be cold. I don't like to do it for free.

President Stevens, Bob (who's last name I don't know and subsequently became "Hey Bob!") Aimee, Dane and Grampa Don, Carl Burger, Dave Bettis, Ronnie Schultz, Mike Rasmussen, with his regal profile! The much hale and heartier George Stevens, My Teresa, Joachim and Roscoe Petra, sporting a rather quizzical expression. How do you say "wuht" in German? Hmm.

As a group, we discussed our upcoming 2 April (Late Fools) contest. a great many contest subjects were covered. It seems we have so many vendors we have to rent additional 8-foot tables! A better than average turnout is expected at this much anticipated, long awaited Surgeons contest! Awards will be our usual drinking vessels, BUT!! They will be the 2020 Awards we bought but couldn't use when the panic-demic took longer than 2 weeks to abate.

Gentlemen, These are not old or outdated trophies!! These are precious, rare classic heirlooms from a much less apprehensive era!
You know, we used to do Show n' Tell before all the Contest Kovfefe. I miss those old meeting days.

MODELS!!

President Stevens' 1/72 Italian Regiane fighters. All the in-line engine variants that sprung from one purloined Seversky design. Nate's "Project Truck" frame. He quips he has been under a good many cars and trucks in his shop and never once saw a clean, black frame!

Dave Bettis' 1/72 and 1/48 Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II "Wespe" self propelled guns. The Bandai 1/48 kit is particularly nice!

Don has found a fondness for Young Korean busts. The Norseman and the SS Machine gunner with the interesting facial expression are exquisitely cast and fun to build. You can see the results for yourself! The metal effects on the MG-42 are truly dazzling! Linkie!

Young Miniatures

www.young-miniatures.com

Grandson Dane is making a Polar Lights figure of Emperor Palpatine. His robe is a little longer than his legs. I hope The Emperor will be wearing Adidas under his gown. Teresa votes for wingtips.

A bit of Nostalgia! Joachim tells me his very first model ven he vas a cheilt in Chermany was an Airfix 1/72 RAF Beaufighter. For that reason he has always had a fondness for that airplane. His current project is a 1/48 Tamiya Beaufighter MK VI. The kit includes no PEE. Joe's Beau appears to be a pretty good kit!

Nate offers Hey Bob advice about his 1/72 Academy A-10 War Thog. Bob has recently returned to modeling and choose a nice model to build! This will be his first Surgicon with our merry model maniac band.


Ross provided the German Luftwaffe historical lesson for this gathering. These are World War II original Luftwaffe badges, awarded to German soldiers for outstanding achievement. He usually has something fascinating to show & tell about!

 

[Rhino]

In other Club news from our honorary member in Wisconasin:

Mark Karolus has built Revell Ag's 1/72 PCF Swift boat model. When he mentioned it, I thought his med's were off! I thought for sure he was making the 1/48 Monogram/Revell kit! It turns out, once again, that Mark is on top of his ship model game much more than I am of late. Mark's review hasn't been posted on Finescale Modeler yet.

My own spank brand new 1/72 Vietnam Swift boat arrived Wednesday last! I am chuffed!

2022's Chuck Sterns classic model award is more in line with our Club's other prizes. I so loved honoring my old friend with a giant Eagle trophy, but I wished not to upstage the other contest awards this year. I also bought an unpictured "Best Helicopter" award for this year! The recipient will just have to be patient!!


Unexpected presents were bestowed upon me last night. George brought me a copy of Navypedia Reference Fighting Ships of World War II 1937-1945. Vol. II United States of America book. A fine present! Ron Schultz moved. He found a USS Iowa cap he bought from the Ship on a port call when she was in port near his Destroyer. You can tell the US Navy issued caps from repro's by the lack of an embroidered vessel's profile on the front. My USS Enterprise cover is similar.

That's all the news that's new and approved by the IPMS Plastic Surgeons. The sweetest smelling, most creative, least P/C Club in all of IPMS!
For now!

See all y'all on 2 April the the East Euclid Hy-Vee building!
https://calendar.ipmsusa3.org/event/ipms-plastic-surgeons-surgicon-26
Be there or be a Bay City Roller!!

 

[Frank]

Cinda and I will be there.
We have been looking forward to this event.

 

[moon puppy]

Wish it was close enough for a day trip. Hope you gave everyone our regards

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Looks like you had fun Chris. Time for another Meet it seems.

 

[Duke Maddog]

This rocks! I wish I could be there but due to my nonexistent income; I guess I've no choice but be a Bay City Roller.

I also have one of those swift boats; I started it a couple days ago.

Love these posts Chris! Keep them coming!

 

[Rhino]

17 March 2022 St. Patrick's Day meeting post:
The most important bit of Club news is the awarding of the Surgeon of The Year Award. Once again, Mike Trent's donated trophy makes it's way to it's new home with this year's sweetest smelling, most fastidious modeler and all around great guy.
The Surgeon of the Year is chosen by club majority vote. For his modeling prowess, for his good humor, generous nature and for putting our merry band of model miscreants together on ZOOM meetings during the CCV lock down, we are proud to present the 2021 Surgeon of the Year award to Mr. Francisco Melendez! (I honestly cain't say I know what he smells like) He paid for the Zoom meetings with his own money and helped us stay connected (with our beverages, in our jammies) on-line. I am grateful for that beyond what I can express.

Congratulations Francisco!!
A rehash of Surgicon 25 contest policies and procedures (yes. again) dominated the greater part of the club meeting. We all really excited about our Show!! It seems like forever since we welcomed our friends, modelers and countrymen to a Surgicon. Awards are ready. Raffle prizes are piling up. So many Vendors are coming we had to rent 15 additional tables! I hope we have enough room for models and modelers!

18 Plastic Surgeons attended this night. President Nate, Francisco, Joachim, Ross, Amy, Teresa and myself, Carlton, Hey Bob, Kurt , Don, Dane, Ron, and his buddy (I don't remember his name. Apologies!) Mike, Jeff, Good ol' Ray Powers and his grandson Colin came after a long hiatus. It was good to see Ray again!

How about some models? I miss the days when we used to do Show & Tell first.

Don's got himself a bust of Chris Kyle. This is another of Yung Models figures and it actually looks a lot like the famous sniper himself!
The rifle is amazing!

Ray built the 1/48 Hobbyboss Vought F4U-4 in Royal Navy markings. Ray says "Buy the Tamiya or Hasegawa kit. This is just a knock-off of the Tamiya kit. The plastic doesn't like glue or paint. It's brittle and vinylie at the same." Ray didn't care much for the kit decals either.
Colin built a Tamiya 1/35 early Tiger I with extra figures and stowage. This Junior Surgeon is progressing nicely. I bet Grampa Ray tutors and advises as often as is necessary.

Robert "Hey Bob" Haagman is building his first airplane model in a long time! Academy's 1/72 A-10A Warthog. I shared the "Schmush-Schmush" liquid gluing trick with him and referred him to Modeler's Alliance for our Tutorials pages. We MUST get him away from tube glue!

Jeff prepared a very detailed Intelligence Briefing about Russian Armor being used in the Ukraine assault. Not exactly a modeling subject. Jeff's printed hand-outs obviously took a lot of effort on his part.

In other news:

From the wilds of chilly Wisconasin, Mark Karolus is applying Takom's anti-skid decals to a Skywave 1/700 Sumner-class US Navy Destroyer. He likes the fit and look of the decals. His 3D printed HNLMS Kortenaer class Dutch Frigate model arrived. Not so very long ago, in April 2000, some of the female crewmembers of HNLMS Bloys van Treslong offered up a topless salute to other NATO vessels while departing an Italian port.
I believe this event is the one Mark wishes to model. I could be wrong. I fear my "Three Mile Limit" powerboat crewmembers may have inspired Mark.
I know. I know.

I offer this picture for training and educational purposes ONLY!

I took my Tiny Tiger Tank and "Three Mile Limit" powerboat, but all y'all know all about both of those models from the website.
Thanks for looking in again! Have good time! Make BIG mess!!

 

[Rhino]

12 May 2022 Meeting post:
Our evening began with a much awaited trip to Tasty Tacos. "Taco Happy" is the nickname of this iconic Iowa establishment, and the food has that effect on one's tummy. Effects on other parts of one's body are inevitable and won't be described here.

12 Surgeons made the journey to Hobbytown Ankeny. I got the chance to return a few favors and bestow a gift for Club President Nathan Stevens for his very own 1/72 XP-67 resin Moonbat build.

Thanks to Ronnie Schultz for getting me the windscreen parts I needed for an aging 1/24 Monogram NASCAR Buick Regal kit.

Our meeting began with yet another discussion about our last Show. The Cliffe notes version of more than an hour of discussion is that we almost broke even and options are being explored for SurgiCon 27, which would fall on April Fools day, 2023.
I'm calling that a win!

Despite the pitfalls and human error involved, I believe most Plastic Surgeons and entrants had a good time. After canceling our Show two years in a row, attendance was on a par with our usual contest. Not truly the rousing, glorious "Return Of Surgicon" our band of merry modelers hoped for but still, pretty darn good.

It is a FACT that this year's contest is in the past. Further discussion seems a waste of breath. As with every show we put on, there are lessons to learn and mistakes we hope not to repeat.

More on next years Contest details as this never-ending story comes to light.

We had a little bit of actual modeling to share!

I think Ross called this the 1/35 ICM German KHD 3-ton German Army truck kit. Ross commented that the build was not to fiddley and the clear parts fit well. We all know ICM is not Tamiya or Italeri but meticulous, thorough Ross seemed unfazed by the kit's complexity. His results are impossible to dispute.

Joe is working on a 1/48 Tamiya Opel Blitz and a Kinetic Models 1/72 MQ-9 Reaper. The nifty lil' Opel comes with a driver figure and goes together the way we have come to expect Tamiya products to go. The 1/72 RPV shows how big the Reaper really is. I will confess ZERO affinity for pilotless aircraft and I will soundly scoff at any drone operator calling himself a "Pilot" with no other flying experience.
The model seems a fine rendition of the actual drone. One of Kinetic's few 1/72 scale kits so far.

Now, without further adieu, Barry Rolow brought in something to play with!

NOT a model, BEHOLD!! The Lego #10274 Ghostbusters ECTO 1! If you haven't seen Ghostbusters Afterlife, do so! This is the newest movie version, with an opening hood displaying a Cadillac engine, a retracting gunner seat, R/C ghost trap, rotating gizmos and opening doors.
I have loved LEGO since my much earlier childhood and this set looks like so much fun!
2357 pieces made this a 3-day build for Barry. No P/E is included so he felt comfortable actually assembling his fun set!

I brought a few of my 1/700 projects to share. I choose not to. I wonder if I have bored my Fellows overmuch with such things.

I remember fondly the days when Club meetings were more focused on models and fun of making them. Perhaps I have reached the age at which club membership is less attractive to me.

We bid friends and club members good evening around 8:20 PM and returned home before the hour was too late.

Thanks again for looking in!

 

[moon puppy]

Thanks for the report Chris. I can't see you not doing the club scene, even from here.

 

[Rhino]

I joined IPMS Plastic Surgeons in 1994. I am a "Plank Owner". I remember why we started a new IPMS chapter. The Hawkeye Modelers were too critical, full of themselves and too complacent as "Iowa Oldest IPMS Chapter". BFD! Every damn thing is Iowa is "Hawkeye" something. It makes me wanna puke!

In the "Golden Days", it was more fun and less covfefe! If I didn't remember nearly everything, I might not so mourn the passing of what once was. The only constant in Life in change. Good ol' Chuck Sterns built lots of fine model airplanes and did so without any Chapter affiliation at all. I'm an IPMS National member too. I don't know if I will renew.

Teresa and I worked our tails off at the last few Shows. The question I wonder most about of late is "What does my IPMS Chapter do for members?"

 

[Heavens Eagle]

You know Chris, you kind of hit my thoughts on the matter square on the head. The local chapter has declined to just a get together on the last Saturday of the month at 10am. I usually do sleep catch up on Saturday and I have gotten rather "Who gives a crap" as no one wants to do ANYTHING! I have offered numerous times to drive to a meet or model show and anyone can ride along. No one gives a royal rat crap or is even interested. Last months meet I just blew off, and will probably continue to do so from here on out.

I get more interaction and interest from the people on this forum in a week than from the local mess in a year. So. Why. Waste. My. Time.

 

[Rhino]

Understandable. How I spend or waste our time becomes more important as time goes on. The days of remaining friends with people with different points of view seem over with. I possess little tolerance for the guy that knows it all, with nothing left to learn. How sad for him.

 

[Duke Maddog]

Wow, after reading the "Nationals Anyone?" thread and being saddened by the sentiments there, this is even more depressing! At a time when I savor every moment with friends and fellow hobbyists; seeing this really makes me sad. Granted, those who refuse to learn more or accept a different point of view are not worth being around, but those friends who are special that I feel I never have enough time with already makes clubs and shows even more special to me. Bob's passing drove this point home even more poignantly. I live for these club and show experiences.

If you stop going, I shall miss these club updates. Thay have always been one of the best highlights of these boards.

 

[Rhino]

23 June 2022 Club meeting:
On a not too sultry June evening, 11 Plastic Surgeons gather at Hobbytown, Ankeny.

This evening Hey Bob brought two of his grandsons to share in our fun! Kaden and Parker brought Lego creations to share. Such things teach following instructions and promote creativity. Some of these are quite complex!

Kaden's Vemon head. This one is a 12-years and up set. Young Kaden is just seven years old and seem to have mastered the complexity of his project.

Parker is a shade older. I didn't ask how much older to be certain. Parker's Star Wars Imperial Light Cruiser has quite a few operating features and 5 mini-figures! She is unnamed, but looks like lots of fun. Perhaps in the fullness of time, these two young creators will wish for more complex toys. Modelers you shall be, hmm? Your destiny it is. Yes.

Carlton Burger finished his Monogram 1/48 B-26C Marauder. He checked off all the boxes. Metal landing gear, resin tires, aftermarket pin-up decals and D-day stripes. The 1989 issue of the Monogram classic was well served and very well constructed. The red and white lights on the starboard side nacelle are bomb bay door position indicators. Carl is one of those unassuming, thorough guys that makes a fine model airplane!

Joachim Lotz is working on a Meng 1/35 Leopard 1A3 and a pair of Dragon 1/350 US Navy nuclear submarines. His Flight 1 Los Angeles class attack boat is coming along very nicely. His other 1/350 Dragon kit is the Ohio class SSBN. I expressed my sympathies and imparted some of the pitfalls the truly LOUSY Dragon model submarine kit. Club President Nate Stevens looks manically enthralled by USS Chicago, does he not?

Nate's projects included the old-tool Airfix 1/76 British Male and Female tank model kits. The original tooling dates back to 1967.
Nate comments both models build easily into convincing models and fit well for their vintage. Next up, 1/24 scale Pontiac engines. A conversation began about why car model builders settle for the dearth of detail that say, Armor modelers do not? Lump for a starter, imprecise fuel pumps. Downright lumpy indistinct intakes and alternators suspended by Unicorn Magic that hang from a chunky belt.

We wondered if cars modelers are just easier to please or if car model makers care little to improve their issues. Airplane models improve and evolve. The detail of modern model armor kits is stunning. The 4 pictured Pontiac engines should be exactly the same dimensions from 326 to 455 cubic inches. Any thoughts from our membership?


Ron Schultz brought a blast from the past. the 1933 Oscar Mayer Wieniewagon bank. Time was, Wieniewagons roamed the earth dispensing fun, hot dogs, whistles and Oscar Meyer t-shirts. One must take care these days when and where he might sing the old Oscar Mayer song!

Ron's big wienie caused quite a stir!


I was honored to receive one of Ross Petra's models from many moons ago. This Monogram 1/48 P-40B Kittyhawk was Ross' first use of Polly-S acrylic paint with his Badger 200 airbrush. She shall be placed among models from other friends I respect and admire in my "Nut Department".

I showed my 1/700 PT boats and small progress on the small pontoon drydock. Plans were laid out for upcoming voyages to the National Convention.

A fine meeting of friends with the fun of models and model making as the foremost subject. Not so unlike they way the Plastic Surgeons got our start in 1994!

Thanks for looking in again!

 

[moon puppy]

Nice turnout!

 

[Frank]

Sounds like a wonderful evening was had by all.