26 October meeting post:
We had quite the quorum of Plastic Surgeons last Thursday.
First, from honorary Plastic Surgeon and Fine Scale Modeler magazine ship model reviewer Ace, Mark Karolus.
He taking a small hiatus from Takom's huge, complex ABSB-1 floating drydock model to work on Dragon's 1980 USS Long Beach. USS Albany shadows Long Beach on his desktop.
Club "Plank-owner" Curt Young brings his 1970's Italeri's 1/9 scale kettenkraftrad and his Revell 1/32 Bf-110G Zerstorer airplane model. Curt hasn't built much lately, but we all can plainly see his skills on display. Curt's Momma took her Trip up to Heaven recently, so he's moving his models out of her house so it can be sold. Curt built the K-rad when the kit first came out. Bravo, my old friend!
Dane Jerisk joins us this night. He received his first ever Club t-shirt. Thank you to "you know who you are" for Dane's club 'colors"! Note: Dane really was awake! I promise!
Kevin Nelson is back at his bench! He brought a couple of kits from before his surgery. It pleases me no end that Kevin continues to improve after such an invasive procedure. With his return to model making in mind, I bestowed a Fying Fluck casting upon Kevin. God alone knows what he will decide to do with it!
Joe returned from his trip no worse for wear and is putting Takom 1/72 mine sweepers together.
Trennis Stevens and I collide while taking pictures as Japanese Tourists might. "2 Japs!"
Ray Powers is working on Tamiya's 1/48 Vought F4U-1D Corsair for an appreciative relative. He tells me this will be VF-17's CO, Tommy Blackburn's "Big Hog" airplane.
Grandson Colton is bashing "FwankenTigel 3.0" together. Parts from 4 different 1/35 Tiger I kits! Honey Hush, that's a big buncha Tigel parts!
Ross Petra receives his 1/35 resin "care package" most cheerfully! Ross sorted through Don's used 1/35 German armor decal box and found some useful items too. We all of us miss our big buddy.
Jose' brings Monogram 1/48 F-15CJ Eagle, Tamiya 1/35 Jackson tank destroyer, Hasegawa 1/72 CF-104 Canadian Starfighter and Airfix (yup! the old turd!) 1/72 Hawker Siddeley S2B "Operation Granby" Buccaneer. These are builds Jose' did before he moved to Iowa. He brings them so we can see his efforts. I was clearly very interested in the Buc and the CF-104. I for one, am interested in models Jose' builds after his move!
Nate Stevens' 1/72 assembly line slows a bit for models with more than one fan. The Revell Halifax came out nicely. The Airfix Beaufort is cool too! I likes me a Beaufort!
Francisco (Frank) Melendez toils on with the awful Trumpeter 1/48 C-47 Dakota. I offered him a Monogram 1/48 Gooney kit during one of my "Call friends on Tuesday" calls, but Fernando is resolute. He's sure he can make a nice model from this kit. I continue to tease him. I DO NOT doubt his skills or talents. His new model space should be handily able to produce an award winner, even from a Turd like this one!
Ty Stevens is building a Hobbyboss 1/72 F-14 Tomcat. A subject I am VERY familiar with. Ty disdains my input. It isn't my model airplane.
I premiered TLAR Models Fying Fluck casting and the new 1/72 Airfix DH.88 Comet cockpit kit. Is this the end-all for the old 1/72 Comet cockpit? No. No it is not. This is the foundation to adding more details to the Vintage Classic Airfix model airplane.
That covers the models. WAIT!!
Loren Perry joins our merry band of Model Maniacs yet again! Loren has built 1/72 and 1/700 models. He DID! I saw the pictures!!
This night, yet again, Loren demonstrates his model kit purchasing savvy. No, Really! Look at all the cool kits Loren bought! If you want to know anything about an airplane, ship or a tank, ask Mr. Pine. He knows everything about almost everything! He's really an amazing guy.
I await Loren's next build!
The Club conducted nominations for 2022 Surgeon of the Year. This award always runs a year behind. As a group, we aren't terribly formal or structured. I cain't say I appreciate the lackadaisical way our club did it this time.
See here an example of a "Surgeon of the Year" nomination from 2010:
"Sir,
I would respectfully like to nominate Greg Metge as Surgeon of the Year. Qualifications follow:
1. For his devotion to the IPMS Plastic Surgeons Club;
A. Continuous service as long suffering Treasurer, and an IPMS Plastic Surgeons "Plank-owner"
B. Stellar attendance (unless he's in Greece)
C. Pre-meeting "wake-up" calls
D. His expertise, dedication, diligence & experience as they apply to our annual contest, judging & preparations.
2. For his continuing enthusiasm for the hobby:
A. Proliferation of completed kits, that may have rumbled & ground their way off any WWII eastern front
battlefield.
B. His "3-D snapshot in Time" Dioramas, both simple & complex. Fascinating in their presentation, Precise
in their execution
C. Greg's willingness to advise & share techniques. Answering the most basic queries without laughing outloud.
(until later)
D. His uncanny abiltity to kit-bash an unusual Wehrmacht vehicle moments before Dragon releases a kit.
3. His Character (not what a character he is)
A. He's a cheery friend, ready with a joke, or a quip to brighten the dreariest of winter snow-days.
B. Our hairstyles are similar. our body-fat percentages are not!
C. He's wily enough to be retired before he wore out. (you lucky sonofagun!)
D. He's nice to people, even when they don't deserve it.
E. Mostly he's forgiven for wanting to retire & close Great Hobby Adventures. Except for one I know.
I submit my nomination to the appropriate Officer for consideration & review.
Respectfully
Chris R. #47036
c}:{)"
7 Surgeons were nominated. Votes were submitted for 2. I am unsure if one of the contenders was active in our club much during 2022.
One was FOR CERTAIN!
Surgeon of the Year seems not to be what it once was. As a group, we seem to forget excellence, service, improvement or even who was actually active in the club last year. Is this now only a popularity contest? This saddens me.
I think Joe or Aimee deserve some recognition.
For myself, as I age, I find I crave little affirmation from many peers. My good friends know who they are. I am too old a rabbit to think any trophy improves that.
I make, and have since 2015, resin ship and boat model kits that most of our membership and most M/A members aren't interested in. How many others modelmakers can say they create anything for the hobby? Most members are not my customer. None have to be.
I do use that last little bit of liquid plastic to cast dinky things for people that take good care of me. I am NOT griping! I do what I love to do.
Once again, I am out of pictures, so I must be out of Story again.
Happy Modeling!
OH!
Happy Halloween!
In the only contest we have been to lately, My sweetie and I won first place for our Roaring '20's costumes.
Francisco found this Halloween idea!
Go with God. Be safe from evil.