18 June 2026 Surgeons club meeting!
It was fine to see Curt Young, after a long hiatus! We saw him at the pet store and at Hobbytown both! I didn't do a very good job of recording members in attendance this time. Mark Johnson and Francisco are omitted completely.
Seen here are Carlton Burger (red) "Hey Bob" Haag (blue) Nate and Trennis Stevens (Black) and we all recognize Curt, yes?
If you want to have some fun, infer that Nathan Stevens is really a Millennial. Then step back.
Mark Johnson is resin casting drag slicks for his 1/16 scale Top Fuel dragsters. He's using Smooth-On Smooth Cast 300. Easy 50/50 mix, no need to pressurize and speedy cure.
Mark has one mold that makes 1 half slick at a time. He belt-sands these to whatever width he wishes for. Clever, no?
Mark is REALLY excited about the drag racing museum at Speedway, in Lincoln NE and hopes to display his fabricated digger builds therein! Our chosen scales and subjects differ greatly, but Mark and I have more in common as model makers, than I once imagined.
NOTE! Mark's 3 big top-fueler builds are NOT from kits. He scaled up the 1/24th scale models to make his own in his favorite scale!
This is a dandy chance to plug Mark's upcoming 22 August car model show!
Model Car Show & Swap Meet NNL style model car contest, with BEST OF Awards presented to chosen models.
ipmsusa.org
Carlton brought his completed build of the vintage Monogram 1/48 Northrup P-61B Black Widow. The original kit decals were cashed-in so Carlton bought a sheet of Print Scale P-61B decals. He commented he found these to be scale-thin and slightly elastic when applying them. Odd. He prefers the red spinners and red cowl flaps, so he chose "Cooper's Snooper" for his Widow. This is also the nekkedist nose art choice of the decal sheet. Too naughty!!
Hey Bob has what looks like the Monogram '57 Chevy funny car body, that may become (now let me see if I have this right) The 1957 El Belairshelibucamino. There's a mouthful for ya! A pick-up, anyway. I think.
After enough car model building Nate Stevens has the model airplane assembly line fired up again! 2 Revell Ag 1/72 FW TL Flitzers, 3 DML 1/72 Me-1101 Nachtjager fighters and 1 DML 1/72 Arado AR-234. The Ar-234 will be an historical build of an actual Luftwaffe jet, but the others will be "What-If" subjects that Millennial model makers seem fond of. The I/P is from one of the Messerschmitt jets. The more complex 1990's DML kits build less readily than the Revell of Germany models do.
This was the new era of photo-etched parts for DML kits and these are mainly stainless steel etchings. Heating/Annealing doesn't faze them. The was a "red dot sale" on at Hobbytown. 50% off the tag price. Nate picked up a vintage AMT 1/24 scale Ford City Delivery truck model kit at a very attractive price!
The plastic model kit selection continues to wane at our club meeting place. The Gundam and R/C kits are flourishing, if either of these are your "Thing". I had a long text exchange with Big Dave Bos about model supplies I wish to buy at Hobbytown and another subject that needs no mention here.
Ima thinkin' we could spring for supper for the Hobbytown late guy's supper. A B-Bop's burger, fries and chocolate shake could go a long way to showing appreciation to our Club night "babysitter". Hungry Guys are often Grumpy Guys.
The R/C company that bought Evergreen seems not to have picked up this line. It must be sourced elsewhere.
It seems since Brandon at Squadron stopped selling wholesale, Dave must place minimum orders at other distributors that sometimes cost between $1,000.00 and $5,000.00. The plastic kit choices are limited to Tamiya, Revell and AMT/Round II.
That would be a ton of Evergreen styrene plastic and model kits at wholesale prices! A Guy can't go wrong with Tamiya!
I began to better appreciate the enormity of running a retail Hobbytown location. There are a lot of moving parts and as Brandon Lowe once said "You cain't be good at everything.
Dave's bread and butter is R/C with a large selection of Bandai Gunpla kits. The wants of the 20-some plastic model makers in our club will not likely soon be met. I get it. The days of having the Shop support the IPMS club fade, not so very slowly into "In the old days...." reminisces.
Sourcing my needed Evergreen plastic can easily be down from a model railroad shop, so that's what I did. That's what Evergreen was originally for. Model Railroad guys. With so many TLAR projects underway, I don't build or buy many of "other people's" models.
One new arrival in Ankeny last Thursday was a 1/1 scale baby girl! Londyn Geraldine Bos. Big Dave and Mary made this one!
Ain't she a Peach?!
I brought some more of the models I had been making during our school year club meeting break.
Chief Tom White's "Bottom Gun" Micro Mir 1/350 USS Guitarro, SSN-695, Sturgeon class honor model build. CPO White was her Helmsman in the 1980's.
My 1/700 waterline Fleet Schnokel and GUPPY III Boat builds. USS Requin, SSK-481, USS Torsk, SS-423, rescuing the crew of a downed P6M SeaMaster, USS Clamagore, SS-343 and USS Tigerfish/Ronquil, of "Ice Station Zebra" movie fame, SSN-509
I finally got "The Submarine" out of my system. Pfoof! I feel better now!
TLAR Models kit 425, USCGC Orcas. A 1/350 scale 110' Island class cutter was also included. US Coast Guard subjects are a staple at TLAR Models. I did pass around brand new castings of the new 1/350 full-hull 52' SPC-HWX Motor lifeboat kit. It was a fun, but lightly attended meeting. I may make the 2 July gathering, but my Sweetie has to work the next morning, so she may not.
Happy Modeling! See you in the funny papers!
