noelsmith

Tom, try generating an extra email address for yourself and try registering again on Scale Motorcade is all I can suggest. One thing about site, if you go past the very first opening page the login will fail. Try logging in as soon as the first page shows. Incidentally Nick has more stuff on the Britmodeller site to look at just now.

Never seen Megan Markle with a dog or cat in any photos. Am I missing something about how she appears to be an authority on animal feeding to write a pet recipe book? Just cashing in on being married to a royal I guess. More interesting things in the world than an ex actress writing about feeding pets, like the future of Fine Scale Modeler. It 'absorbed' Scale Auto. Well that was doom for auto modelling enthusiasts straight away! I have seen a number of magazines go that route where the absorbed magazine content dwindled to nothing very soon after. Nothing changes does it?

Up to now the only upgrade to the big Airfix Bentley was a set of Hartford Shock Absorbers from Shapeways. The great news for big Airfix Bentley builders is that there is a guy named Nick over here in the UK who is developing 3D printed after market upgrades. He is developing wire wheel kits, engine detailing, chassis and suspension upgrades. I believe that he will be marketing the upgrade kits to suit different modeller's requirements and alternatively a full upgrade transkit that will have everything included. He has indicated that a full kit might also be in the offing as well. He is marketing under his website Unobtanium that shows what is already and will be on offer. Nick has a presence on the Britmodeller and Scale Motorcars websites where you will be blown away by the examples shown of his 3D CAD developments and renders as well as photos of test pieces that he has already printed up. I am really looking forward to what he has to offer as I have donor kits of the Bentley in my stash already.I Incidentally, Nick already has wire wheel kits available for an Alfa Romeo kit by Italeri.

You might get a medallion for your last post Dak! Lol.

This thread has strayed from being a GSB discussion. As previously pointed out a GSB contest will be unpredictable depending on the quality of the competition entries. Ralph mentioned that generic GSB medallions would be the best option. They could be bought in bulk and used year on year pulling from stock until a stock top up is required. Probably the best option both flexibility and cost wise for any GSB contest.

James Earl Jones?

Nice model.

Ralph, thanks for coming back about how open competition is interpreted in the US. Telford and your Nats are IPMS members only competition. Telford allows IPMS members from any nation to pre enter. Is it the same with your convention? My understanding of open in this context is that IPMS members can enter these two competitions directly without having to go through branch/chapter eliminators beforehand. We used to run eliminators at local UK branch level a number of years ago but it was dropped in favour of direct entry for a number of reasons. Local shows in the UK tend to be open competitions for any visitor to enter on the day. I guess the US is similar at local level. From what I understand is that GSB gets referred to as open in as much that there is more latitude to present more awards to models reaching high set points gradings as opposed to the first past the post 123 system. There are pros and cons for both that have been discussed ad infinitum in other threads however.

And the band still plays on regardless!I Including me now I have read the thread a bit further! Incidentally, am I missing something? I keep seeing open competition judging referred to in posts. What is open to you guys? Telford is an open competition in as much that it is open to all IPMS members to apply to pre enter directly without branch/chapter eliminations taking place beforehand. Also, reference was made by one poster here that a European show dismisses entries if a certain painting style has not been adopted. Please name that show and what evidence you have. Or are you just repeating rumour? If the show in question is a general model show and not a niche subject show that inference would simply be an impossibility. In ANY show I would imagine that judges look at the basics of assembly first like alignment of parts, sink marks not filled in, mould seams left untreated, the list goes on. At least that is the criteria of any judge worth their salt to sort out the also rans first and foremost. Then and only then should the paint job and/or decal application be judged. There is an old saying that a coat of paint covers a multitude of sins! Not so as a scale model is only as good as the preparation and that includes the assembly basics!

Kalmbach has a number of different subject magazines, and maybe some of those are suffering as well as FSM. At least it is still going as a general subject model magazine. Airfix Modelworld and Tamiya International are the only other commercial English language ones I can think of apart from the Journal and IPMS UK magazine.

And the band kept playing on! Titanic 1912

Must be struggling, particularly as they have just 'absorbed' Scale Auto'.

The Alpha Chiron I believe is in resin not plastic, as is their Vision Bugatti. They both are lovely kerb side kits.

Guys, some of the posts in this thread are getting a bit fractious. Maybe this thread has run its course now and the arguments are becoming a bit repetitive. Some of these replies must be eating away at a lot of modelling time! Why not just agree to differ and move on.

Guys, I think this thread is now getting a bit wearing. Hopefully we all agree that judges give up a lot of their own time to adjudicate and do the job to the best of their ability. We should be thankful for those folk taking the task on. Debating about contests, classes, trophies, judging and so forth can go on ad infinitum, and this thread appears to be testament to this. Judges feedback. The idea in principle is good, but I fear that it can lead to judges setting themselves up for face to face confrontation with an aggrieved contestant. You can please some of the people some of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time.