Rhino
Super Moderator
Just a tip. The AmTech KC-135 kits used to come with 2 sets of fuselage halves, because warpage was so prevalent. Not any more.
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2025 Plastic Surgeons Meetings and Other Fun!
- Thread starter Rhino
- Start date
4 maybe...that's why we don't cook like that anymore. 
Rhino
Super Moderator
Thursday, 25 September Meeting post;
It was good to see my Surgeon friends again! I gave the "Cliffe Notes" version of my recent procedure and assured everyone that my Sweetie was taking the best of care of me and that I am modeling, on the mend and doing well.
The wimmin-folk converse on all things yarn and knitting while the men-people explore the vagaries of plastic miniatures. I encouraged my Sweetie to crochet this interesting, neck supporting, pillow, as it is sure to be a BIG seller, but she just smiles, give me a kiss and works on something else.
Models now, I guess! First up, Jon Bond has returned with a precise build of AA Products 1/48 John Brown RAF tractor kit. As you can see the winch spade operates and Jon wound a six inch bit of cable on the winch. A really nifty little wartime tractor model!
accurate-armour.com
Jon bought his from an eBay seller and avoided the insane shipping prices from Ireland.
Francisco is building a "Cheater Scale" Das Werk 1/16 Leopard 2A7 kit and marvels at the kit details. I should hope, so for the everyday low, low price of just $220.00! Joachim and Francisco kibbitz about the model, the build and how it goes together. Joe bought his a while ago, but hasn't started his yet. It turns out Joe and Harold Bauske, the owner of Das Werk in Germany are friends and grew up not too far away from one another. You can always tell a German...................
Between Francisco's big Leopard and my 1/350 Sturgeon-class submarine build, "It's Joe's fault" is the club mantra.
Francisco is also smilin' Curt Young's "plastic pusher". Curt likes 1/32 scale model kits of esoteric, usually Russian subjects. The 1/32 scale ICM kit came with the Russian stars blanked out on the box, but they are included on the decal sheet.
Curt & Tooties apartment is too small to support much model making but Curt buys the occasional kit regardless.
Club President, Nathan Stevens "Man Scale" production continues! Monogram P-36, Heller AR-196, Matchbox (No kiddin'!) F-5 Freedom Fighter and Hasegawa's Brewster Buffalo in her Battle of Midway USMC scheme. Nate makes a pretty 1/72 airplane model.
I finished my Revell 1/72 S.E.5a build and work continues on the MikroMir 1/350 US Navy Sturgeon class SSN, but I had deliveries to make, and didn't bring any projects.
As a group we agree that our upcoming Christmas party will be held at The Wig & Pen. Aimee thinks she might not try the meat lovers pizza there again.
Kevin Nelson has returned form the High Country. Chagrinned, but hopefully wiser for the experience.
George will return to Iowa from his Thornton, Colorado home on 7 October 2025 for an 11 October celebration of life for his beloved Clarlee at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Ankeny, Iowa.
maps.app.goo.gl
My Sweetie and I plan to sing this song for Clarlee. Any other voices are welcome.
That's enough for now, I reckon.
Have fun! Seek Joy! Remember your gratefulness!
It was good to see my Surgeon friends again! I gave the "Cliffe Notes" version of my recent procedure and assured everyone that my Sweetie was taking the best of care of me and that I am modeling, on the mend and doing well.
The wimmin-folk converse on all things yarn and knitting while the men-people explore the vagaries of plastic miniatures. I encouraged my Sweetie to crochet this interesting, neck supporting, pillow, as it is sure to be a BIG seller, but she just smiles, give me a kiss and works on something else.
Models now, I guess! First up, Jon Bond has returned with a precise build of AA Products 1/48 John Brown RAF tractor kit. As you can see the winch spade operates and Jon wound a six inch bit of cable on the winch. A really nifty little wartime tractor model!
K48006 DISPLAY MODEL | 0.00 GBP
THIS DISPLAY MODEL IS PRESENTLY AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE For further details please contact [email protected] quoting K48006DISP. The successful buyer should then arrange collection in person from the showroom or arrange suitable courier collection. The display model will be boxed and the weight...
accurate-armour.com
Francisco is building a "Cheater Scale" Das Werk 1/16 Leopard 2A7 kit and marvels at the kit details. I should hope, so for the everyday low, low price of just $220.00! Joachim and Francisco kibbitz about the model, the build and how it goes together. Joe bought his a while ago, but hasn't started his yet. It turns out Joe and Harold Bauske, the owner of Das Werk in Germany are friends and grew up not too far away from one another. You can always tell a German...................
Between Francisco's big Leopard and my 1/350 Sturgeon-class submarine build, "It's Joe's fault" is the club mantra.
Francisco is also smilin' Curt Young's "plastic pusher". Curt likes 1/32 scale model kits of esoteric, usually Russian subjects. The 1/32 scale ICM kit came with the Russian stars blanked out on the box, but they are included on the decal sheet.
Curt & Tooties apartment is too small to support much model making but Curt buys the occasional kit regardless.
Club President, Nathan Stevens "Man Scale" production continues! Monogram P-36, Heller AR-196, Matchbox (No kiddin'!) F-5 Freedom Fighter and Hasegawa's Brewster Buffalo in her Battle of Midway USMC scheme. Nate makes a pretty 1/72 airplane model.
I finished my Revell 1/72 S.E.5a build and work continues on the MikroMir 1/350 US Navy Sturgeon class SSN, but I had deliveries to make, and didn't bring any projects.
As a group we agree that our upcoming Christmas party will be held at The Wig & Pen. Aimee thinks she might not try the meat lovers pizza there again.
Kevin Nelson has returned form the High Country. Chagrinned, but hopefully wiser for the experience.
George will return to Iowa from his Thornton, Colorado home on 7 October 2025 for an 11 October celebration of life for his beloved Clarlee at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Ankeny, Iowa.
Resurrection Lutheran Church · 914 NW Ash Dr, Ankeny, IA 50023
âââââ · Lutheran church
maps.app.goo.gl
That's enough for now, I reckon.
Have fun! Seek Joy! Remember your gratefulness!
Duke Maddog
Well-known member
One. 'Nuff said.
My condolences to George on his loss. I'll join my voice to everyone else's....
Rhino
Super Moderator
Club President Nate Stevens has come up with a model favor for me to do for him. He wants Jet pilots. 1/72 scale pilots for all his jet airplane models that evidently hang on display. Nate provides plentiful pilots for production! The trick is figuring out how to mount these guys so as to let the air out of them when casting a mold.
Soooooo................
In this crowd of blowtorch drivers are 11 (?) different poses/figures. I recognize some of my old friends from Monogram 1/72 A-10, F-4 and F-104 model kits. Since mastering is time consuming, I will include 1 of each in the molds, in most cases. The idea is too support each guy in a way that (A.) makes them easy to clean up for finishing and (B.) leaves all the visible detail unharmed.
Casting of successful molds moves along at a comparatively speedy pace.
Nathan never asked me for anything before. Even though these are copies of someone else's intellectual knowledge and NOT for sale, I accepted his model favor request.
It's looking like a 2 mold minimum deal. I need to be able to flex the walls of the mold to exhaust any trapped air, without becoming too cumbersome. Long, skinny molds of 4 pilots each would be easiest to tool. Time will tell.
The experiment continues!
Rhino
Super Moderator
I divided Nate's herd of 1/72 fighter pilots up by mold into the more modern APH-36/HGU-33 Helmet wearing guys and the older H-8 with P-3 visor helmeted pilots of the late '50's to '60's. There are 2 awful Hindu-looking Airfix RAF pilots as well.
Most of these figures are Monogram pilots, (A-10, F-4 and F-104) except the blue Matchbox F-5E guy.
This mold will come out of the pressure pot around 2230 hrs. this evening. I'll reuse this same mold box for the earlier pilots, in the same formation.
Rhino
Super Moderator
My TLAR Models boss had me up really early today, clearing the mold, resetting the mold box and framing up the second round of Nate's 1/72 fighter pilots. I'm waiting for another model favor for a friend to arrive before I pour RTV on this one.
The first casting proves the mold. I must remember to discard my old mold release. These guys are still soft after 4 hours from demold, but it looks like the mold does what I hoped it would.
Rhino
Super Moderator
A happy accident occurs with Larry's Model favor mold. This is the cheeriest looking mold I ever made!
Other finished molds to be cast today. Nate's 1/72 Fighter Pilot mill will now run at full capacity.
Sometimes, when you feel blue or are under the weather, if helps to do something nice for someone else.
Thanks for looking in!
You can find good omens in resin huh?
Rhino
Super Moderator
Doing something nice for someone else isn't always a model favor. Like the generous tip we left in our HVAC Guy's tool bag when he refused to let us pay him. I take care of my People. James Knaus and others here do too!
Rhino
Super Moderator
2 more castings of Nate's 1/72 fighter pilot molds should suffice.
Larry's bits are for a 1/35 WW1 tracked motorcycle. I'll make him a couple more sets, for good measure.
I figgered Yorick and the lantern might be useful in a Great War build. I needed somethings to fill out even this dinky mold.
Rhino
Super Moderator
Finished resin "Model Favors". Larry is getting twice as many parts as he asked for. His mold took drops of LPP. Nate thinks 80-some 1/72 fighter pilots may tide him over for a while. Each 8 figure mold used about 10ml of material. Everything that needed shipped, has been.
Thanks for looking in, Bob!
Over 6k views on this thread, I'm sure others have looked in.
80 figures? that's not a squadron that's a full Air Wing.
Rhino
Super Moderator
9 Oktober, 2025 Meeting post:
We begin this night's festivities by having a nice supper and visit with George Stevens at the Ankeny Tasty Tacos location. He's back from the High Country for his beloved Clarlee's celebration of Life this Saturday. We had a fine visit, and George attempted 2 Originals for his supper. One is usually quite filling, but I decided not to warn Dad about such things. George arrived in time to attend the Club meeting as well. Our former club treasurer was warmly greeted by our little band of model miscreants this night.
Here's why Nate needed so many fighter pilot figures! He's been playing Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown on-line. In a parallel project, Nathan is building the airplane models from the video game. See here 1/72 Lindberg, Italeri, Academy and Matchbox jet models!
Rather than the accuracy and model perfection Nathan usually strives for, he's making these models with pilots, gear up, painted and decaled for the sheer fun of it. They will be mounted on acrylic rod for fighter pilot debriefs or hung from filament for display. Dork.
Francisco built Tamiya's new 1/35 Hotchkiss S-39 French light tank. For this build, he built the little tank from the box. He did modify a figure for the Commander/loader/gunner for the turret escape hatch. Light washes and kit decals round out Fernando's tidy build. This late 1930's French Calvary vehicle set a blistering pace, with a max speed of 17 mph and range of 129 (?) miles. The beavertail hearkens back to lessons learned in the Great War.
Mr. Bond has himself not one, but TWO Kotare 1/32 Spitfire Mk I's the Mid version and Brian Lane's 19 Squadron Mk.1a kite. The Brian Lane version comes with a pretty nifty figure of Sandy, before his loss on a mission to Holland in December of 1942.
The kit looks the part of rave reviews and come with quite the guide book for reference and assembly. Kotare lists this kit at $109.00 USD plus shipping, and Jon bought both of his right from the New Zealand factory. I look forward to Jon' s builds of these detail packed Spitfire model kits.
Fun Fact; Brian Lane wrote the book "Spitfire!" during his RAF service.
Carlton Burger is assembling a model he bought from Kevin Nelson's collection. His first Japanese-engineered kit. The Sabre build looks like it is going smoothly and Carlton comments on how nice the fit and kit details are. This 1/48 F-86F will become John Glenn's "MiG Mad Marine". He is using Nate's Silly Putty masking trick to keep the gear bays sealed up.
Joe had this new tool for center boring/drilling axial and longitudinal plastic model parts. It seems cool, but I cain't see what I might use one for. I use quite a lot of brass tube and copper wire. They sell for between $28.00 and $50.00 USD.
Webb Groos' son brought Webster by. Our old friend seems nonverbal, but attentive from his "Chariot".
One wonders how many more earthly days the man that once saved my life might have.
My 1/350 USS Guitarro and 1/700 Firehouse and buildings made their meeting debut. After my "Harrumph!" I continued to gab, like ol' Ray Powers used to, in observance of Plastic Surgeon club meeting traditions.
I apologized to my friends for being such a "serial texter" during my convalescence. It seems few of them are left. I offer the same apology here. I go to work next Tuesday at Whittier Elementary school, so that should abate quite a bit.
Welp. Out of pictures again.
Thanks for looking in!
We begin this night's festivities by having a nice supper and visit with George Stevens at the Ankeny Tasty Tacos location. He's back from the High Country for his beloved Clarlee's celebration of Life this Saturday. We had a fine visit, and George attempted 2 Originals for his supper. One is usually quite filling, but I decided not to warn Dad about such things. George arrived in time to attend the Club meeting as well. Our former club treasurer was warmly greeted by our little band of model miscreants this night.
Here's why Nate needed so many fighter pilot figures! He's been playing Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown on-line. In a parallel project, Nathan is building the airplane models from the video game. See here 1/72 Lindberg, Italeri, Academy and Matchbox jet models!
Rather than the accuracy and model perfection Nathan usually strives for, he's making these models with pilots, gear up, painted and decaled for the sheer fun of it. They will be mounted on acrylic rod for fighter pilot debriefs or hung from filament for display. Dork.
Francisco built Tamiya's new 1/35 Hotchkiss S-39 French light tank. For this build, he built the little tank from the box. He did modify a figure for the Commander/loader/gunner for the turret escape hatch. Light washes and kit decals round out Fernando's tidy build. This late 1930's French Calvary vehicle set a blistering pace, with a max speed of 17 mph and range of 129 (?) miles. The beavertail hearkens back to lessons learned in the Great War.
Mr. Bond has himself not one, but TWO Kotare 1/32 Spitfire Mk I's the Mid version and Brian Lane's 19 Squadron Mk.1a kite. The Brian Lane version comes with a pretty nifty figure of Sandy, before his loss on a mission to Holland in December of 1942.
The kit looks the part of rave reviews and come with quite the guide book for reference and assembly. Kotare lists this kit at $109.00 USD plus shipping, and Jon bought both of his right from the New Zealand factory. I look forward to Jon' s builds of these detail packed Spitfire model kits.
Fun Fact; Brian Lane wrote the book "Spitfire!" during his RAF service.
Carlton Burger is assembling a model he bought from Kevin Nelson's collection. His first Japanese-engineered kit. The Sabre build looks like it is going smoothly and Carlton comments on how nice the fit and kit details are. This 1/48 F-86F will become John Glenn's "MiG Mad Marine". He is using Nate's Silly Putty masking trick to keep the gear bays sealed up.
Joe had this new tool for center boring/drilling axial and longitudinal plastic model parts. It seems cool, but I cain't see what I might use one for. I use quite a lot of brass tube and copper wire. They sell for between $28.00 and $50.00 USD.
Webb Groos' son brought Webster by. Our old friend seems nonverbal, but attentive from his "Chariot".
One wonders how many more earthly days the man that once saved my life might have.
My 1/350 USS Guitarro and 1/700 Firehouse and buildings made their meeting debut. After my "Harrumph!" I continued to gab, like ol' Ray Powers used to, in observance of Plastic Surgeon club meeting traditions.
I apologized to my friends for being such a "serial texter" during my convalescence. It seems few of them are left. I offer the same apology here. I go to work next Tuesday at Whittier Elementary school, so that should abate quite a bit.
Welp. Out of pictures again.
Thanks for looking in!
No not another tool! Thanks for sharing Chris.
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Another new tool "WooHoo!"
Rhino
Super Moderator
This new gizmo would seem to have little use for me and the models I like to make.
We went to the memorial service for George's Clarlee last Saturday in Ankeny. Nate, Sara and Tucker and Trennis Stevens attended as well. It was bitter-sweet to see George and his people but for a sad occasion. The courage a man must possess to have 2 funerals for his beloved wife astounded me.
Last Monday was an in-service day for my school district. George came to pick me up and we went for a nice breakfast at Hy-Vee in town. Teresa was our server! I wanted to see "Dad" actually eat something good, and he did! When he returenrd me home, I showed him the Hobby Shop and sent him home with a Lindberg Robt. E. Lee riverboat kit I was near sure would never sell on the website. George has a "thing" for riverboats.
The best part of this visit was when 2 friends sat, just quietly, in the sunshine on our patio and bull-shitted about models, life and memories.
I have it on good authority that Dad made it to his Thornton, CO home without casualty or loss, mid-afternoon this day.
Rhino
Super Moderator
Mark and Donna welcome USS Cobia back to her Manitowoc berth. Her dock evolution was executed in a very efficient fashion.
Yesterday at school, I gave Mr. Farrell, the science teacher my bit of sea glass. His lesson was about erosion, deposition and sediment transfer. Having a bit of hydrology experience from the work on the drilling rig, I understood 4th grade science class quite well. It's a lot of fun to work at Whittier Elementary school. A wittier man, they may never find. The Mermaid Tear was a big hit with the class, so I packed up a few more for today.
A Mermaid Tear occurs when human flotsam goes in the water. Such litter causes the merfolk great sadness and they weep. Wind, wave and abrasive action of the sea floor grind broken lights, floats and bottle shards until they are smooth. The Mermaids then return their tears to land for all humanity to see, you know.
Keeping a Mermaid Tear in your pocket brings fair weather and good fortune.
Woe to them what throws a Mermaid's Tear back into the the sea. Foul weather 'n pestilence will be the wages paid. Follow you the rest of yer days, it t'will. If you believe in such things.....................
Learn something new. Thanks!
