Writing About Models

Hello again from here in Corvallis.  Yes, it has been awhile again since I wrote last, that is how life goes.  But as one of my friends says... "blog, blog blog... you need to write."  So here I am writing about my favorite subject again.

I really do love everything about this hobby.  I mean I love it all.  Of course I love building models.  But I also love reading about the hobby, going to shows, hanging out with my friends and talking about the hobby, reading the magazines.  And I love writing about it...

The highlight for this past month has been my trip to Nationals in Loveland CO.  My wife and I and my friend Ron drove from Oregon to Colorado and had a great time.  My wife got to visit her cousin in Denver while Ron and I had a great week at the convention.  As my wife observed during the drive out, "I had no idea there was so much to talk about for models for two days." Yes there is indeed dear.

As to builds, I am working on the new SWS kit of the He219 Uhu.  What a high tech kit.  Can you say "they even mold the pistons into the crankcase?!? Serious?"  Yes they do.  And it is a great kit.  More to come on that later.

I am also working on Russian KV-85 in 1/35 scale.  It is from a Russian manufacturer, Polar Express.  The first thing I need to do is get out my Dremel tool and sand off the Polar Express stamp on the bottom of the hull.  That is, of course, after I build the hull by adding the side and end plates.  My friends assure me that this is normal for these lower volume eastern European kits.  BUT, I kind of like it and actually the detail on the tank is pretty good.

I am venturing into a new area of model photography.  At nationals I attended a seminar by Aaron Skinner from Fine Scale Modeler magazine on how to photograph your models.  It was very good and very practical.  So I invested in a few items to create my own photo booth and am going to start using it to document some of my builds and work.  I never thought I would like doing this.  But I surprised myself and find that I actually do.  We'll see where it leads but I want to use it to help my model writing.

Speaking of writing, what exactly do I want to write about?  You know, I never have seen myself just writing about "how to's" for builds or techniques.  I have always had interests in the historical side of the hobby and the "softer" side of why and what we build.  But I don't know.  I will probably do both and this site may take on different shades of emphasis as I develop and mature at this.  But I am continually drawn to the "whys" and "whats" of our hobby.  Why do we do what we do?   And what happened in history to cause us to build this or that.

So, we'll see what comes next, and when.  Hopefully the when will be much more regular.  And... as for the what, what would interest you?  What of the "whys" in our hobby would you be interested in exploring?  Let me know and we can explore it together.

Thanks and Keep Building.

OK... it's been awhile, but let's get back to modeling

Wow, has it really be over a month since I posted?!?!  My friend Bruce was over yesterday and he reminded me that I needed to get something out here.  Or more like, "Hey, when are you going to post something next?"  When I set up this website I figured a post a week or maybe two posts a week, well, so much for the best laid plans...

So what have I been up to?  Well, work!  Yeah I was was back in Taiwan for another month.  But this time I was jammed the whole time with work.  Very little free time.  Hence very little writing time.  And, of course, no modeling time.   Got back last week, took the encouragement from Bruce, and here I am at the keyboard... so let's get back to modeling.

So what do you do when you haven't been able to work on a model for about four months and all the inspirations you had seem like a distant memory?  Well, for me, I start over.  I put away all the half started projects and I look through my stash and I find something that I just want to build for fun.  I still have my F-14 that I want to finish and I pulled out an armor kit, Tamiya's M3 Stuart light tank.  I figured its an easy and quick build.  And maybe I can even get it done before Nationals.

Oh, yeah, and that is another piece of good news.  I am going to go to IPMS Nationals this year!  I had thought I was going to be in Taiwan and would miss it.  But I am back and able to go.  We leave next week.  And just maybe, I will have an M3 to take along.

Something else you do when you have been away from the work bench for a while, you clean house.  I realized how much junk I have accumulated after being away for a while.  I am in the process of cleaning, sorting, reorganizing, and generally thinning out my stuff.  This includes my stash of kits.  The deals you pick up at shows that you can't pass up but then realize you will likely never build. So my stash and my build room will be a lot thinner soon.

Ok, this has been pretty rambling, and a bit unorganized.  But its where I am at.  I guess I feel a bit unorganized at the moment.  Have you had times where you have had a lengthy absence from the hobby?  Either forced or by choice?  Share it.  Why were you away?  And what did you do to get back into things?  Or are you still away?  Maybe its time to start thinking about what you miss and starting back.  Anyway, what does that look like?

Thanks for reading my rambling post today.  And thanks for finding ScaleHistory.  I hope this can become a place for you to stop by more often.  It won't be a month until my next post.  I will talk to you soon.

Until then... keep building.

FINALLY....

Yes, finally!! Home and working on models again!  Yes, it does feel so good.  Nothing fancy this time... here is what I am doing...

Started my 1/700 Hasagawa Akagi.  I did say there was a ship model in my future.  Assembling the AA gun turrets.  Just put photoetch railings on them.  Man, they are small.  Next up... the funnel and island assembly. 

Continuing my 1/32 Tamiya F-14A Tomcat.  Putting on several of the decals before I clutter things up with the gear and ordinance.  Next up is the gear and ordinance.  Might get all that done before my next trip.  Maybe.  The cockpit will likely have to wait until August.  We’ll see.  BTW, I have loved building this model.  My first 1/32 scale kit since I was a kid.  And it has been a blast.  Probably an average build quality wise, but its size alone will make it an attention getter.  Very fun!  

OK... ‘till next time... keep building.  

So what are you up to?

This time while I am writing this I am sitting at over 35,000 feet and traveling about 600 mph, somewhere over the Pacific and about four hours out of San Francisco.  I have finally wrapped up the eight weeks in Taiwan and am heading home for a month.  I learned so much about my new job in that time, and about myself too.  You can’t do this and not come home different.  Hopefully its all in a good way.   So what did I learn about modeling?  Good question.  I learned that after a two month absence that it really is a part of my life.  It is the creative and artistic expression for me in my life.  I missed that outlet and found that I need it.  And that is a good thing.  

So what does that look like?  Well, I have a number of projects that have come to the front of my mind.  As usual the problem will be that I can’t work on them all at once.  But let’s talk about them and see what’s out there.  

Ships.  For some reason I have been really attracted to ships while I was gone.  I visited a great website, ModelWarships.com, several times to read their forum, look at the gallery, and check out their resources.  Boy, talk about rivet counters!  That place was full of them. Guys that really care about the accuracy of their kits.  I do too, but mostly I want to build them.  So I am not going to be the guy re-doing the hull of my Hornet to give it a more accurate shape.  But anyway... I found that I really want to build more ships.  Over the years I have collected a reasonable ship stash.  Both in 1/700 and 1/350.  I even have the Trumpeter 1/200 Arizona.  

Last year I started the Trumpeter 1/350 Hornet.  I am detailing the full hangar deck and plan on putting it in a display on the Doolittle raid and include the US Navy blimp that was part of a resupply mission when they were three days out of San Francisco.  So far I have the lower hull put together and most of the hangar doors cut open.  I purchased a great set of plans for the ship.  I am using the Gold Medal Models and Tom’s Model Works PE sets for it.  

I was thinking though that before coming back to that I should tackle something a bit simpler.  I have this habit of just diving into the most complex hairiest projects I can think of.  It might be good to step back and practice building some ship models.  I have built two to date.  The older Tamiya Musashi in 1/700 and the Trumpeter 1/350 Lexington.  I loved building the Lady Lex.  I am still not quite done.  The ship itself is done, but needs a complement of airplanes and rigging.  

So what would I do?  I have several 1/700 ships available.  Maybe one of the Japanese ships from Pearl Harbor.  I had started the Akagi at one point.  Maybe I should finish that.  I also could do one of the prewar US carriers.  I have most of those in that scale.  Not sure.  I also want to do a resin ship.  So maybe that.  We’ll see.  But there is a ship in my future.  

For airplanes I always have a ton of projects to work on.  The one that came to the top of my list was to build is the Trumpeter 1/48 C-47.  I got that kit about three years ago and I need to do it.  I would like to do a base displaying it in flight and disgorging paratroopers.  I also have to finish my current projects, mainly my 1/32 Tamiya F-14 and Trumpeter Bf-109 in 1/24 scale.  

For armor, I am not sure what my next deal is.  Before I left I got out my 1/16 T-34 to have a look at.  I saw a beautiful one done up at the Vancouver show and was excited to try my hand at it.  I have really enjoyed my recent forays into armor.  A welcome break from my typically steady diet of airplanes.  

Wow.  I’ve got a lot ahead.  I’d better get home and get busy.  I’ll close this up and get it ready to post when I get home.  What projects are in your head... or on your work bench?  Go ahead and leave a comment and tell us about them.  Sometimes its as fun to talk about what you want to do as it is to do it.  Talk to you soon.  

Until next time... keep building.  

What is an "Everyday Modeler" anyway?

Well, I think I am.  So what does that mean... anyway?  I had actually been thinking about that term a lot while I was thinking about the idea for this website.  I mean, I didn’t have the term right away, but I was thinking about the idea of it.  

So, what was I thinking about?  

I wanted ScaleHistory to be for the average modeler.  But what is an average modeler?  I wasn’t thinking just skill or interests or time invested.  I was thinking more along the lines of an everyday kind of guy who loved what he did at the model bench.  That was it... an “everyday” modeler.  I thought it fit me.  Average skills?  Sure.  Limited time like everyone else?  Sure.  Love the social part of the hobby?  You bet.  Trying to get better and learn new things?  Definitely.  But I’m one of the guys who just happens to love this hobby and all that goes into it.    

So, what am I like as a modeler?

I love the shows and all that goes into them.  I like to compete but I struggle to build for competition because I struggle with my patience.  But most of all I want to have fun with all this.    

I love the history behind what I build as much as building what I build.  I wrote about that  last time. 

I like to talk about the hobby as much as I like building.  I guess that’s one reason for starting this site. 

I love the construction part, but there are also things about it that i don’t like as much... seams, painting is hard for me, I hate the sanding and rescribing part.  For that matter I have not done much rescribing.  So much for contest winners I guess.  

I’m finding I enjoy armor builds more than aircraft, they seem easier.  But I love the aircraft subjects better.  I love the background and connection to them better.  

I am definitely not a rivet counter.  But I want things to be accurate - to a degree at least. 

I love to write and I want to see if a person can write about modeling beyond the “how to’s”.  

For me the social aspect of modeling is as important as the construction or hobby part of it.  I don’t think I would model if I was in isolation.  I need the club, the shows, the road trips.  I need the friends I have made in the hobby.  

When I build I am very careful about some things, construction, painting, but not so careful about some other things, seams, ribbing, panel lines.  I think I have the patience to build a “3-foot model”.  From three feet away it looks great.  The problem is that judging occurs from three inches away.  I’m still learning that.  But I’m ok with that.  And that is the topic of a future blog.  

So, who are you as a modeler?  Enter your comments and let me know.  

Until next time... keep building...

Welcome to ScaleHistory…

I’m sitting at a coffee shop in Taichung City, Taiwan.  And by the way it’s a great coffee shop with some of the best coffee I’ve had.  And the owner of Cafe Gusto, Casper, is a huge baseball fan.  I first met him when I saw him wearing his Mike Morse Nationals jersey and we had a great talk about him, baseball, and my Mariners.   Well, I’ve been in Taichung for six weeks now and I have two more to go.  And I miss some things.  I miss my work bench.  I miss my new 1/72 Tamiya Zero that I haven’t gotten to start yet.  I miss my 1/32 Tamiya F-14 that I haven’t gotten to finish yet.  (And, yes, I build more than Tamiya stuff.)  I also missed the Seattle IPMS show this year.  And I’m going to miss Nationals!  But most of all I miss my Thursday nights at Step Above Hobbies in Albany.  Sitting around building and talking with the guys about, of all things, models.  Work has a way of getting in the way sometimes.  Do I miss other things, like my wife and family?  Of course I do... a lot.  But I also miss the guys.  

I love talking about models.  And I love talking about history.  I love reading about both of those.  And when I build models I love the fact that I get to bring a little piece of history to life.  I love that!  It fuels what I do in my hobby.  It’s the reason I build.  I love the stories behind what I build.  For every plane or tank or ship I love to find some story behind it.  And in some small way to show a piece of that story in that model.  Even if it is as simple as knowing what division that vehicle fought in and where it was at that time.  

Those Thursday nights are all about all of that.  It’s the night our local Albany, Oregon chapter of the IPMS meets.  We meet every week and we just build.  Every week is build night for us.  I love that.  Bring your kit to work on and share the night with some modeling buddies.  But we also do more, we talk.  We talk about models, kits, how to do things, history, shows we went to or want to go to.  OK, we talk about other stuff too, and with the personalities in our club it can get long winded and intense sometimes.  As a club we’re pretty loosely organized.  Just enough to keep things going.  We have active guys who love to model and love to talk about it.  

And that’s what I miss. 

With all that said, welcome to ScaleHistory.  You see, my goal with this website is to create a space where we can share that kind of talk.  The sitting around the table with your favorite kit kind of talk.  This is a site for average modelers who love the hobby. The high gloss magazines are great and the articles by the pros are great.  But I want a place where I can go that meets my  needs as an “everyday” modeler.  An average modeler who happens to be crazy about the hobby and the history behind it.  We can talk about anything, the latest kits and techniques are always good.  But what about your current build?  And, by the way, why are you building it?  What about the latest book you read that caused you to find the next model you are going to do?  Or, the book you had to find to help you research out your current project?  Or, that trip you took to the museum and the pictures you took while you were there.  Maybe you want to share those with everyone.  You get the idea. 

But we can also talk about things from the kit side.  What is your latest project?  Is it out of the box or are you adding something to make it unique?  For that matter how do you like to build in general?  Are you an OOB guy or a super detailer, and why?  Anyway, again, I hope you get the idea.  This is about modeling and the “stuff” behind it.

Hopefully I can keep the conversation going.  I have a number of ideas for blogs, pictures, and even articles.  And I am sure that I will find many more from what you might share.  So, again, welcome!  I look forward to hearing from you.