noelsmith

The big one is on the weekend of 10th and 11th November at Telford Internationa! Exhibition Centre UK. Hope to welcome visitors from across the pond to this fabulous show!

On their website the Big Kahuna has spoken! Still adamant that mcm will carry on. Difficult to see how any one can run a commercial model making magazine as a one man band.

On their website the Big Kahuna has spoken! But for now much longer?

Has Model Cars Magazine finally gone to the wall? Their forum is up and running, but of course that could continue long after the demise of the magazine.

Richard, what a nanny state when an employee has to pass you an aerosol can of paint instead of you picking it off the shelf yourself! Hey, next time you go in get the assistant to keep on passing you one of every colour in the cabinet taking a minute to look carefully at each when passed to you. When every colour is out on the counter choose just one after an hour of deliberation double checking the labels on all with the assistant in attendance, then leaving them behind to be put away after you go to the checkout!

Not had a Model Cars Magazine since 2016, but from what I have heard the subscriber deliveries are still way, say behind. Some of their EX WRITERS have been in contact with me privately to air their views about MCM's hierarchy that did not make good reading. Is Model Cars Magazine still hanging on by the skin of it's teeth or has it already foundered? I read on some other forum that they could not be contacted as their own website had been shut down, although their forum is still up and running.

Surprised that either Revell or Tamiya have not kitted this car in 1/24th scale with full engine detail. There are some ready built models available but no kits. Would make a bit of a change from Ferraris and Lamborghinis. Even a re tooled Jaguar E Type from Revell would be welcome, but this time in 1/24th not 1/25th.

Auto World, Scranton, PA! Remember their thick annual catalogue full of all the latest kits and bits at he time along with tips on building and painting inside. I think I can remember a line from the catalogue "Who's Rich Morgan? Who cares? You might!' OK! who was Rich Morgan then?

The Tom Cruse movie was visually good and enjoyable enough but unfortunately bore no resemblance whatsoever to to H.G Wells book. Wrong period! Wrong country! Spielberg missed a great opportunity to do the story justice when making this film if he had made it 'in period' in the Edwardian era. Hopefully the BBC will at long last do the story justice on screen with this 3 parter! Rusty, you can bet on it being available in the States in 2019. My guess is that it will be shown on one of your prime network stations. Most likely it will be released on DVD shortly after. Probably that will be the best way to view it not being constantly interrupted by ads.

Ready for Christmas viewing the BBC are filming War of the Worlds, true to the book based in Edwardian England. What a refreshing change from all the Americanized versions made for Cinema and TV down the years!

Both Bare Metal Foil and the liquid chromes are horses for courses. Bare Metal Foil would be difficult to apply around contoured curves. Might get away with it on a very gentle compound curve but tight curves will present problems with this material. The foil is great for doing trim work and windscreen surrounds. I have used smooth shiny aluminium plumbing tape as well as BMF and find that as it is a bit thicker it is a bit more forgiving. The liquids such as AK Interactive, Alclad 2 and Molotow Chrome Ink come into their own when air brushed onto more complex shapes. AK and Alclad are for spraying, and the Molotow Refills can be used for Airbrush work. The Molotow Inks come in refillable applicators similar to marker pens in 1mm, 2mm and 4mm tip sizes. Really good for touching in the points where chrome parts are separated from runners if leaving the kit chrome on the parts and for small details such as emblems, logos and raised lettering on models.

Richard, Your description of the two types of writer is pretty much on the button. In my case I suppose that I could sort of describe myself within a third category as a semi professional when it comes to writing. I enjoy writing about my model building and sharing my experiences, having done it irregularly for years for different magazines, but as an enjoyable adjunct to my full time engineering profession. But however, I would never ever write for free! Certainly there were times when I thought about becoming a full time writer, but after due consideration decided that it would have been too much of a risk. Model Cars Magazine may well find a few freebie 'think they are good' writers to fill a gap short term, but like you say if the quality of their writing is that poor I can only see it hastening the demise of MCM. That is if their subscribers don't pull the plug first due to their extremely poor deliveries and stop subscribing. It is so far behind now that it is a joke! Only a matter of time before before the subscribers have had enough of the sympathy seeking and lame excuses for ever late deliveries from what is purporting to be a professional commercial magazine. If they have not already, they will soon defect to Scale Auto and Model Car Builder Magazines.

Richard, I guess that the airing of anything controversial and critical of Model Cars Mag on their forum gets deleted. Unfortunately they do not appear to condone the idea of free speech when it ruffles a few of their feathers. If they are unable to accept criticism, provided it is factual and within the bounds of forum etiquette, and gag free speech, then it only indicates how insecure they must be. Writing for love of glory? They well may get some new writers on board, but for now long? It takes a lot of time and effort to put a good magazine article together. My guess is that there will be some dabblers out there who will test he water and as soon as they get their name known for glory will quickly move on to a more remunerative outlet for their efforts. I think they will struggle to replace the regular quality article writers they are losing hand over fist. Bob Turner spelled out the doom of Model Cars Magazine by the logic shown in his mathematical analysis of their business plan, now unfortunately deleted from their forum. Have to agree that Model Cars Magazine looks to be doomed!

Further to my last post two ex writers for Model Cars Magazine have contacted me directly to both to empathise with my situation, and to say how poorly they have also been treated by Model Cars Magazine. One of them mentioned that the truck modelling column by Tim Ahlborn has suddenly disappeared from the magazine with no explanation. Perhaps just another writer getting frustrated with writing for no reward and giving up on MC Mag? The frustrated writers that I know of could well be the tip of the iceberg regarding the number who may have also given up on MC Mag. I believe that they now cheap skate and do not pay writers fees. What with not paying their writers any more and the punters who subscribe being let down by ever late deliveries of the magazine is simply creating a toxic mix. Writers will go elsewhere and subscribers will gradually drop away as they get frustrated with the lame excuses and poor service that they have paid up front for. Cannot understand why do many subscribers have remained as faithful as they have up to now given the wholly inadequate service they are getting from a commercial business! Unfortunately it appears that the writing is on the wall for Model Cars Magazine and it will probably soon go under! Bob Turner did the math in a controversial thread on MCMags own forum and I note the thread has since been deleted!

Richard, I would heartedly agree with all you said in your last post, and it looks as though we both sing from th same hymn sheet. There is something more tactile about print as opposed to digital. Like many others, we have also embraced the digital realm via the web on forums such as this one and for looking up info, so enjoy the best of both worlds. With regard to Model Cars Magazine itself, the way they are going at present does not exactly inspire confidence for those faithful subscribers out there who wait patiently for their magazine to arrive. If they cannot get a handle on their schedule, eventually their subscribers will go elsewhere. There are two other car modelling magazines they can easily go to, Scale Auto and Model Car Builder, both excellent magazines in their own right. Scale Auto now has a new editorial team on board with many new ideas and a fresh approach. In view of this competition unfortunately I can see Model Cars Magazine becoming a casualty. Like you said Richard, specialist model publishing is a cut throat business, and Model Cars Magazine may fall by the wayside if they cannot sort themselves out.