...or, News from The Nameless One
Well folks, summer is here: weeds to pull, windows to paint, and lawns to mow. Summer traditionally sees a slow-down of modeling around Chez-Hanna. But not this year. Both First-Lady Samantha and I are working feverishly to avoid paying-out for this year's "I Am Not a Modeling Loser Challenge." After adding the late-entries, our current sign-up shows a record 26 participants. There are more entrants than some folks have pieces to glue together! To put this into fiscal perspective, if only one person does not complete his or her entry and the other 25 participants do, that Loser owes $125 worth of gift cards to all those who did complete. Ouch!
In show news, I was able to attend TORCAN on May 29th up in Toronto. This show is a joint effort of IPMS Toronto and the Peel Scale Modelers. It was my first time attending this show, so I was uncertain as to what to expect. Parking was sparse and a little pricey and getting there was typical Toronto traffic, but the contest area was certainly worth the trip. I don't know the exact model count, but it looked to be close to what we normally see at BuffCon. The quality was up there, especially from what I saw of the dioramas. This was also my first time seeing a 1/6th scale Tiger I in person. The fact that the interior was entirely scratch-built only further blew my fragile little mind.
I have to say that the venue itself was great with phenomenal lighting. Floor-to-ceiling windows will do that. The vendors were plentiful and there were deals to be had. We were a little late getting there, however (see my remark about Toronto traffic above,) so I missed out on a couple of things that I really wanted to do. One of which was to attend Tony Bell's seminar. Some days you get the bear.
Overall, it was a good show. Our Brothers-in-Plastic from the Great White North should be very proud.
In other news: Please remember that we have extended our club's IPMS/USA membership incentive: more on that later in this issue. Also, we're still looking for workspace pictures to share. We're starting to have some real fun with this. After these many years, I was finally able to see what the inside of the Collignon Tank Factory looks like. Be afraid folks. Be very afraid. The first batch of pictures will be on the club website very soon if not already by the time this newsletter goes out.
As mentioned at last month's meeting, Niagara Hobby is going to be display some of our completed models. We are going to have a sign-up sheet at the up-coming meeting if you wish to lend out any of your completed works. We'll do this by rotating displays as there is limited space in the cabinet at Niagara. If you wish to get on the display roster, please see me or Bob C. We're looking for models of reasonable size and good quality. Thanks in advance!
As always, the next meeting will be at the Harlem Road Community Center starting at 7PM. Stan Keysa is going to do his tree-making demo. Also, for those entered into the I Am Not a Modeling Loser Challenge, I encourage you to bring your projects so that we can see progress (or lack therein.) This is not required of the rules of participation, it's just pretty much to bust chops.
See you then!
Justen Hanna
President
IPMS Niagara Frontier
IPMS USA #45680
May 2010 Model Table
I'm filling in for Bob Raithel this month so here goes.
It's first time up for new President Justen Hanna. He did OK and lasted the whole meeting!
There were lots of announcements this month.
First - TORCAN 2010 is coming on May 29th (Sorry this didn't get out in time - ed.)
It's a premier model show, held every other year in Toronto, sponsored jointly by Peel
Scale Modeler and IPMS Toronto. The 2008 show was great so hopes are high for this year.
Pretty easy drive, and it's a real good opportunity to see some different models. Flyers
were out on the table and you can Google TORCAN for more.
Second - It's time for the 2010 Tim Hortons' "I Am Not a Modeling Loser" contest.
There is a separate article all about this as well as a list of the suckers who signed
up and their entries. Some of them are pushing the limits with parts counts nudging the
single digits. Very daring, I'd say.
Third - The IPMS USA promotion we're running has been extended through the end of
April 2011. We did pretty good at BuffCon this year so we can continue to offer a half
price rebate on your new or renewed IPMS USA membership. You can get a membership form
from Dave Schwab or on line at www.ipmsusa.org.
Fourth - We've started a
new section on our website where you can post pictures of your model building work
place. The gallery is started with pictures of Bob Collignon's "cave" and Justen Hanna's
workbench. Take a look and consider showing us yours (in digital format if possible).
Fifth - John Kavalich has offered us display space at Niagara Hobby for a rotating
exhibit of 4 or 5 models in a safe display area where we can put out some of our new
membership flyers. Bob Collignon will be coordinating this with John. We're set for
the first round but think about what you might want to put on display.
Lots of good stuff on the model tables too.
Bob Collignon - Bob showed a couple of new figure kits, a 1/10 scale bust of 'La Hire'
a Mercenary Soldier, Battle of Patay, 1429 from Young Miniatures and a nice US Marine in
Tripoli, 1805 by Dave Ackerman.
Ray Weick - Ray needed both hands to bring in his brand new A-Model Hughes HK-1 flying
boat, the so called "Spruce Goose" in 1/72 scale. He got it through Squadron and it is huge.
Looks like a beautiful and well thought out kit. Fiberglass fuselage and plug in wings.
Smaller parts are injection molded plastic. This will be a building adventure. Ray also
brought in a book he's had on pre-order for over 5 years. "Focke Wulf Ta152" by Thomas
Hitchcock was to be published by Monogram Aviation Publications but they went out of
business. The book was eventually picked up by Eagle Editions and is finally out. If you
are interested in the subject, it looks like it was worth the wait.
Mark Gdak - Mark brought in his 1/32 Academy F-18C that he's working up as the CF18
demonstrator. Neat project. Should be a winner if his 1/32 Su27 is anything to go by.
Ed Button - Ed showed a neat wheels up restoration he did of an old-build 1/48
Monogram P-47. He sanded off all the old paint, rebuilt the details or salvaged them
from other kits, repainted everything, applied new Super Scale decals and weathered
with pastels and shaded colors. He mounted in on a stand and created a pretty good
representation of a whirling prop. Ernie Yuhnke noted that Fiddlers Green offers a
sheet of "turning props" that may be of interest.
Brian McFee - Brian finished up a repop of the very old Revell Nike surface to air
missile on its launch frame. Took some work on his part to build up so nicely but it
looks great on its base. He added some interesting figures he picked up at Ace Hobbies
to add a little life to his model.
Dave Armitage - Dave brought in an eclectic mix of models starting with a set of HO
scale (1/87) model railroad bordellos that he converted and detailed as portable logging
cabins. Also in the model railroad vein was an On2-1/2 (1/48 scale) narrow gage tank
locomotive he converted to an old timey HO scale loco. Dave also showed a large-scale
Minuteman bust and a 120mm scale Las Vegas mobster.
John Zaranek - John showed us his 1/35 Scimitar armored vehicle that he's painted
in UN colors for service in Bosnia. It looks great right now, and it will look even
better once he finishes the weathering he's got started. John's second project is a
nice 1/48 Roden Sea Gladiator, an early WWII British biplane fighter famous for its
service over Malta.
John Doerr - John's working on the big 1/32 Junkers Ju88 twin engine bomber by
Revell. He's working on the extensive interior and dressing it up with Eduard's
prepainted photoetch. Lots of promise.
Joe Szczygiel - Joe built up the new Kinetic Grumman E-2C Hawkeye straight out of
the box for an on-line build article for Aeroscale.
It looks great with light weathering. He says it was a tough build with some difficult
fits and steps to fill, but he sure did a nice job of it. Very impressive build of an
impressive airplane.
Matt Keysa - Matt was back fresh from his college semester in France. Matt had some
time to visit some of the many WWII sites, including biking between the several D-Day
landing beaches in Normandy. He brought back a number of interesting European books on
the subject that aren't available here. Great to have you back, Matt.
Tim Delventhal - Tim shared a flyer from his visit to the aircraft museum at Hill AFB
outside Salt Lake City. The museum has all the USAF fighters from the F84 on as well as a
number of WWII planes.
Tony Gliszczynski - Tony had a couple of 1/25 cars that were looking good. He's working
on a '68 Mustang for BuffCon that's coming along. His neat '36 Ford is a kitbash from a
couple of started kits he came across. It's painted with a new Grex airbrush that Tony
really likes. The flames and pinstripes were painted freehand by a friend in the business.
Nice work, nice friend.
Paul Kittel - Paul rounded out the display tables with something really different, a
set of resin cast deer antlers. Didn't see that coming. He made a flexible mold from the
real thing using bathtub caulk with wood stiffeners, then poured the resin. His final
painting really made the antlers look real. Paul always has an unusual slant to his model
building, so there's always something to look forward to.
The suckers - er, entrants for the "I Am Not a Modeling Loser" contest presented their
kits to be built. Here is a sampling of the kits and entrants:
John Doerr and his BF109D.
Frank Blonski and his FRANK.
Tom Brown Sr. and his Colt 25.
Dick Schulenberg and his Heyford.
Tony Gliszczynski and his UFO.
Dave Schwab and his Batmobile.
John Zachritz and his Seaquest Darwin and Ant.
Matt Keysa and his P-51D.
The next meeting is Monday, June 21st. I think Stan Keysa will finally
get to show us how to model trees and stumps. Bring your in-progress "I Am Not
a Modeling Loser" uncontest entry if you wish, your stuff to sell, new kits
and projects to show, or just yourself. See you Monday.
Niagara Frontier Chapter
International Plastic Modeler Society
2010
Timmy Ho's
I'm Not A Modeling Loser
Challenge
(or the" I can't get enough of Tony B and Matt's Money" Challenge)
Memorandum of Understanding
To those remaining:
Roll of Participants
