Jeff Herne

Its an amazing trip. Pricey, but in August its about as close as you can get to being on the ocean. November on the other hand, well...

Here's everything y'all need to know pertaining to Madison's 2024 Nats at this point. We are still a long way off, although there's much work to be done between now and then. This is, of course, Mad City's first National Convention. The clubs in the region are excited, and the team is enthusiastic and full of great ideas to make the attendee experience memorable and enjoyable. We'll do our utmost to implement whatever additional amenities we can without losing our mission focus of accomplishing all of the boiler-plated tasks required of every national convention. That being said, we're already getting negative feedback from people..."It's too far", "I hate the Wisconsin Badgers", "I got a DWI up there in 1987, so I'm never going back to Wisconsin", (yes, these are real) etc... Please keep in mind, we have a job to do, and its not an easy one. If you choose not to attend because you hate the Wisconsin Badgers (and I'm a NY transplant, so enough of that) or it's too far for you to travel, that's on YOU, not on US. We're sorry that we're way up here in the frozen tundra of the Midwest. Regardless, no matter where the National Convention happens, it inevitably becomes a very long drive for someone. If you choose to make that LONG journey from where ever you are, we will do our best to make it a wonderful experience for you and your families. Now...back to work... Jeff Herne 2024 IPMS National Convention Chairman Region 5 Coordinator IPMS 2024 Madison_Final_Ver.pptx

Thinking I might fly over this time and park next to the hangar. Will certainly make the commute shorter! Jeff

Now if we could only get some of these big corporate types to listen to us, we'd be in hog heaven. Floyd catching an error and Judy correcting it is about a best-case scenario as you can get. Both are great people who are tops in this business. Jeff

I will see what I have in seconds or sets that I've portions of, otherwise, a full sheet is about $13.00 J

Tony, I have them in paint masks, what size (actual) do you need? Jeff

I'm interested in a Connie and DC-6 if you find any. Been wanting to do a EC-121 from the Connie kit, and a C-54 from the DC-6 (I know, lots of cutting, windows, props, etc). J

He raked me over the coals a few years back on some Revell Japan Japanese bombers. I knew what they were worth, he offered me dirt, but I needed the money. Next show, he's got the models marked up to 500% over what he paid. J

If RoG were closing, why would they be releasing a 1/32 He-111 and Ar-196? Seems to me they'd be circling the wagons. J

Look at this way gents - a new facility is coming, combined with another quality museum nearby. As a former museum director, I would rather see these artifacts consolidated and properly maintained, than see them rotting away outside. Let's hope that someone with half a brain decides to start saving the APG open-air exhibits. If this new facility has space for 150 pieces of armor, then its not outside the realm of possibility. J

Its a B model, and I've yet to find any references for a shark-mouthed B. However, the 486th Bomb Squadron, 340th Bomb Group, 57th Bomb Wing, 12th Air Force had glass nosed J models with shark mouths on them. HTH, J

Thanks fellas. The Avia was originally supposed to be a Hasegawa G-14, but at the last minute I wimped out and decided that I didn't want to ruin a $50 if something went wrong...so I used a 21st Century kit instead. The ARBA conversion fit perfectly. I did rob some parts from the Hasegawa kit, like the windscreen and canopy, as I have a superb PE canopy from RB Productions for my G-14 kit. J

Here's the dungeon... The TV is over in the corner now, and I have a touch-screen PC in its place. This has all my PDF books and photos online, so I don't have to go upstairs to the computer to access data. Next step will be to network it to the upstairs machine... I've easily tripled my Gunze stock and even bought a Gunze rack!! That sits where the stereo is in these pics. Vallejos MM and everything else. The spray booth...kinda. There's a large exhaust fan overhead, piped outside. All I need to do is plug in the fan, open the window on the other side of the basement, and no fumes or paint clouds! Photo booth. The lighting has changed, there's diffusers in place now, etc. The stash, or what's left of it... The library...the beer bottles are leftovers from the last Death Build.... More books...I really need to organize these better....eventually.

When I learned that Gunze Sangyo (Mr. Color) was going to be impossible to get in the states, I went out and stocked up. I'm sitting on (thankfully) about 200 bottles at the present time, and I'll cross the bridge of what to replace them with when the time comes. I still have to use Tamiya for primary colors, black, white, etc. I have a drawer of MM, Polly-Scale, even some old Pactra, and for the most part, they sit there unless I desperately need a color that I don't have in Gunze. Gunze, mixed with Dupont Centari Mid-Temp Reducer, is the absolute best paint I've ever used...period. Once you've used it, you'll wonder how you managed without it. As for Testors, I try to avoid using any of their products if I don't have to. I knew some of the original Floquil/Polly-Scale folks when I lived in NY, and I wasn't overly impressed with the way they were tossed aside when the big T bought them out.

Sanity? That my friend departed a looooong time ago.... :lol: Clare, if I make it to Kalamazoo, they'll be with me, unless of course the piece de resistance is complete... My "I'll have done for the next Nats" project... a 1/32 B-24. J

Thanks guys. Actually, it was Combat Models, and it wasn't that bad. Jeff Roberts has been re-working the Combat molds since he took the company over from the late John Rucks. Combat has gotten a bad rep over the years, in some instances, justifiably so. This kit went together rather quickly, less than 20 hours of work to get it assembled (basic assembly, wings, fuselage, etc). I did all the assembly work then dropped the interior into the model. Since the canopy area is so large, I was able to simply put a floor into the model to act as a bulkhead along with some vertical bulkheads. Then I scratchbuilt the cockpit and rear gunner's positions and dropped them into the fuselage. Granted, I did cheat on some parts, I used a Hasegawa P-47 instrument panel since it was about the same shape and profile, I used a leftover seat from the spares box, rudder pedals, etc. The tricky part proved to be the gunner's ring mount. I ended up building the mount from a Trumpeter SBD then scratching one using that as a reference. J

I've been a busy lad, focusing primarily on 1/32 aircraft at the moment. All of these models were started in 2010... 1/32 Combat Models SB2C-3. I got antsy and shot the model before it was 100% done, as it lacks Yagi aerials and weathering. 1/32 Combat Models Ar-234. Used some resin update parts from my friend Radu Brinzan (who mastered the all-resin MDC Arado). Arado cockpit before I closed up the nose. Pacific Coast Models Fiat G.55. One of the prettiest aircraft ever built. Look for this model to appear in FSM soon. Avia S.199 Mezec. This is a 21st Century Toys kit and an ARBA conversion. This model will also appear in FSM soon. Hasegawa F-104G Starfighter. This model was actually started in 2009, but it was sidelined early when I couldn't find decals for the aircraft I wanted. The decals are a mishmosh of F-4 Phantom decals and WW1 Iron Crosses from a Roden Dr.I. J

There's an option for comments during the slideshow, and he notes that most of these shots were done as promos for Precision Diecast Models. The photography is amazing...I'd love to pick this guy's brain and learn his techniques/settings. Jeff

Killer work as always Gil!! J

Bicker? We don't bicker...its passionate, intense dialog!! :D I like the idea, lets hope it helps to promote the society. Who's going to teach all these people the secret handshake? Dennis?? :P

I carry the Scale Motorsports tools, and I recently ordered a set of 1/12 seatbelts for a Williams Fw-14B. They look awesome. You can order direct from them, or I can get you the stuff if you like. Jeff

Thanks guys. When I was building the model, I wanted something other than OD... Turns out I used every primary color...red, yellow, blue, green, black, and white! The washes are Warpigs washes, it's an item I produce. Its on the website. Jeff

This is Hasegawa's 1/32 P-40E. It's basically OOB with the exception of seatbelts. I wanted something other than OD over Neutral Gray, so I used a set of Montex Masks originally done for the Revell kit. This P-40 flew with 2OTU at Mildura until 1945. It's Alclad, Gunze, and Vallejo. Weathering was done with (of course) Warpigs washes and pigments. J

IIRC, the decals are 1/72 and 1/48. The Tamiya kits in both scales are without a doubt the nicest of the lot. J