kpatterson

Alclad does make a transparent blue and green. That's how I always do my Interior on Japanese aircraft. Spray the transparent blue/green over the metallic coat. You will want to mix a little of the transparent green as well to get the correct shade whether its the Alclad or Tamiya colors. I suggest trying out on a piece of scrap before committing to your model to get the shade you're satisfied with. -Ken

tried that link and I get this autosearch site http://autosearch.zoominternet.net/search/?q=http%3A//www.shopipmsusa.org/category-s/100.htm&r=http%3A//forum.ipmsusa3.org/index.php%3F/topic/17764-link-for-membership-renewal/&t=0 the shopimpsusa link worked back in november when i payed the recharter fee for my club -Ken

Link for membership renewal seems to have disappeared. Can someone please point me in the right direction? Thanks, Ken

Bill, Nice Job! The rigging looks great! Ken

Best B-58 model I've seen! -Ken

All, I have two 1/48 Hasegawa kits for sale: F-14D Tomcat $45.00 + shipping F-4C/D Phantom $35.00 + shipping Continental US only. Send me a PM if interested. Thanks, Ken

James, That really looks awesome! How do you like the AK paints? I bought a couple of their washes and metallic shades at the Cleveland model show but haven't tried them yet. -Ken

Gil, Lookin real nice so far. I always love the aggressor schemes. -Ken

Fun never stops huh?. Yes, we know it contains harmful stuff and "most" of us are not going to drink it. So just leave the warning label where it was! I like to be able to read the color and/or FS number without the help of my new and shiny bi-focals or as it looks by the new label an electron microscope!

Great job Gil! Love the F4F -Ken

Mark, I saw the might Saturn V at the Nationals. It caught my attention when I walked into the model room! Really cool build. -Ken

Here is my TIE fighter I just completed this evening. It is a Revell snap together stripped and repainted and converted to a "glue model". Scale is unknown but may be 1/32?? I did all of the normal build stuff, parts clean up, seam sanding, etc. This is my first sci-fi model as I usually build aircraft. I lit the cockpit and engines with LEDs which are powered by small coin sized batteries in the base with a micro toggle switch. I added some Waldron 1/48 scale instrument dials to the cockpit but are hard to see even with the hatch open. I painted with Model Master light ghost gray and added a dark gray acrylic wash. Dry brushing was done with a lighter shade of Vallejo medium gray mixed with white. I did some weathering to the solar panels with a very diluted Model Master light gray sprayed in a random pattern with the airbrush. The base and stand were painted semi gloss black the misted with Alclad II magnesium to give it that metallic sci-fi look. I quickly took the photos on the workbench with my phone. Sorry for the messy workbench Thanks for looking, Ken

Thanks guys for the kind words. Joseph, it is 1/72 but this thing still has an 18 inch wingspan! Kevin, when we presented it to him he was overwhelmed with emotion he broke into tears. Ken

Outstanding! Really well done F-16! -Ken

That is so cool! Thanks for posting -Ken

I've had good results with the various viscountcies of super glue or the Tamiya putty. The Tamiya putty can be smoothed with Mr Color Thinner. For big gaps or seams I've used Apoxie Scuplt. It's a two part putty that can be kneaded into shape and smoothed with a wet finger for contouring then sanded when dry. I used it in the oil cooler intakes on the P-40 in my avatar picture to fill and contour the seams. Also have used it for making seat cushions and head rests. -Ken

I built this B-24H on commission for an old friend of my Dad's who recently turned 90. He was a navigator with the 446th BG (Heavy). This was one of the aircraft he flew some missions in. This model was presented to him at his surprise birthday party. He was over joyed to say the least. The kit is 1/72 Hasegawa. I used CMK resin wheels and cockpit enhancement set (instrument panel and seats) I fabricated all of the throttle and mixture levers with tiny strips of extra brass from a photo-etch fret and small drops of white glue. The engines were wired with fine 0.012" wire. Kieth Davidson from Red Pegasus Decals did the amazing nose art and tail codes and serial numbers from pictures provided to him. If you ever need a custom decal for a project for aircraft, car, ship or whatever, he is the man. He is reasonably priced and delivers in a timely fashion. The finish was done with various shades of Alclad II and model master enamels. All staining and streaks were done with a thin mix of black, gray and tan through my Iwata Custom Micron. The display base is just a pre-made wooden plaque from hobby lobby stained black. The tarmac section is scribed 0.060" sheet styrene. The name plate was laser engraved by my buddy at Pittsburgh Engravers (www.pittsburghengravers.com). Enjoy the pics... Ken

Got the Monogram Tijuana Taxi kit for Christmas in 1971. My Dad helped me build it. Thought it was great getting to use all his paint and x-acto knife for the first time. http://www.tomdaniel.com/images/85_tdkit_images/tijuana_taxI Ken

Don, The Arduinos are really cool. Endless possibilies. Great for controlling lights and flashing beacons on aircraft or sci-fi models Ken

Great, now I'm hungry for chick fil a I use lint free camera lens tissues for airbrush cleaning but found that they are great for smoothing out rough spots in paint finishes especially wing roots where you get that overspray from the airbrush sometimes. This happens often when spraying flat paint. Just rub lightly and the rough overspray is gone leaving a smooth finish. Ken

Wondering what everyone's favorite type of wash for panel lines and details? Why? I prefer acrylics. Easy to use and dry quick. I use liquitex acrylics from Hobby Lobby. Use one part paint to about 12 parts water and one very small drop of dish detergent for good flow. Lately I've been mixing in larger quantities and keeping spare paint jars. Recently I've been using Vallejo paint for washes with good results. Your thoughts? Ken

I found some 40 gauge wire that is lacquer coated that is used for speaker coils. I can't remember where I bought it from. When I remember I will post the site. You can get similar very thin wire from an old electric motor from the the armature windings. These can be found in anything with an electric motor such as old tape recorders and VCRs. Ken

Used to ride my bike to a store called Bargain Port. They had a good selection of kits, paint and supplies. I remember riding home with a Revell 1/32 F-4 Phantom in one arm and steering the bike with the other. We had two good hobby stores in town that I would go to with my Dad on Saturdays. That was where the real modeling bug kicked in. Full lines of Testors and Pactra paint, squadron signal books, walls full of kits...heaven Ken

I too miss the Pactra enamel paint. Great stuff. I use mainly Model Master enamels but I some of the acrylics are good too. I watched a demo of the Vallejo line at the nationals and was impressed. Miss the Floquil paint as well. I did some model railroading when I was a kid and learned how to use an airbrush using Floquil. I miss my local hobby store that just closed at the end of July. It was a great place where you could go and hang out and talk shop with other modelers. I did buy out the rest of their Alclad II for a great price. I also miss discussions like these instead of bickering about where the nationals will be held -Ken

My daughter happens to be in town from Baltimore and she mentioned to me that west coast driving is different than east coast driving in many respects. We westerners consider a 500+ mile drive as not out of the ordinary and no big deal. That is because most of our interstate highways have a 70 to 75 mph speed limit and are laid out for cross country driving. There are 6 metropolitan areas in California larger than Omaha and a total of 10 that are about the same size and all are within "driving" distance of each other. I would consider an area bounded by San Diego up to San Francisco over to Las Vegas(or even Salt lake) and down to Phoenix to be reasonable for Nat's purposes. I also don't see the Seattle area as that far out. The issue is getting a chapter large enough and willing to host the event. No, the west doesn't have the population density of the east, but that is certainly no excuse for bringing it to the left side. Now San Diego, Las Vegas or Salt Lake would be great locations. I think LA and San Francisco would be more costly but still great locations and a lot of things to see and do. I personally would like to attend a west coast nationals. I missed the last one there, I think it was 2007?? Ken