Rusty White

Nick, If IPMS/USA were to guarantee a set profit to the host chapter, then I'm certain we would all be in it for the "fun". Maybe it's just my mercenary and capitalistic way of thinking, but I didn't consider it too much "fun" putting our club's and my own personal reputation on the line in '03. 😁🤣😂 It wasn't a terrible time I assure you for those two years, but a guaranteed profit would have sure helped. Walk up to anyone who worked a nationals for their club and ask them ; "how much "fun" was it?"

As Ed so eloquently stated, the sci-fi categories are well represented IMHO as a starting point. FYI, all the head category judges are supposed to observe the entry numbers in their respective categories each year. IF an increase is observed in a specific or new category, it's the HCJ's responsibility to propose a new split or category to the NCC as a test for three consecutive years to see how the new numbers increase or decrease. IF at the end of three consecutive years, the HCJ can petition the Chief Judge for a vote by the NCC to accept the new split/category as permanent. Of coarse, the opposite NCC procedure applies if categories/splits have declined in popularity as well. The long and short of it is; nothing categorywise happens overnight in IPMS/USA and sci-fi categories are no different. The category will grow over time as popularity designates.

As has been amply explained here, there is no way to make everyone happy with GA. My policy at the '03 nats was first and foremost, that it was a business intended to make a profit; plain and simple. As I recall, we made the GA fee as equally fair to everyone as we could. Making money on the event was, and always should be, the major consideration for the host chapter. As long as the GA fee is published in advance, everyone can make an informed decision if they want to attend.

What's even better; he's a SHIP GUY! Like Civil War warships? https://flagshipmodels.com/

You answered your own question earlier in this paragraph. We're all "human", and competing is just part of the human condition.

I love reading about builds of these golden oldies. An interesting contest our chapter has from time to time is everyone build the exact, same kit to see who could make the best silk purse out of an old sow's ear. Wouldn't it be great to see who could build the best of this one? Please build more of these oldies-but-goodies Ron.

Now THAT'S Out Of The Box! Nicely done. I enjoy seeing these golden oldies built up.

This is where investing in good quality brushes really pays off. Properly thinning your paint is also imperative for brushing.

At least you got the kit cheap (hopefully).

GREAT diorama. The simple ones are the best!

Because scenario #1 (death by A/A gun) is intended to be horrendously gory, to be remembered by observers. Scenario #2 doesn't involve any death or gore, but tells the same story leaving the gore up to the onlooker's imagination. IMHO, that alone would make for a better dio.

Interesting viewpoint here. I have often contemplated building an "execution diorama" but there two ways to look at it. I wanted to do a dio of Kim's execution of one of his relatives (sorry, I forget who) who was supposedly executed via A/A gun. Not the version showing the bloody aftermath (which I would not want to see for obvious reasons); but my version would be just before the act. That is, having the victim tied to a pole or stood against a wall, with the A/A gun about 30 yards away I guess and a small crowd of officials looking on as a "reminder" of the cost of disobeying Kim. Having said that, I KNOW the aftermath dio is not allowed in IPMS/USA competition BUT, would the "PRE-EXECUTION" dio be allowed? No blood, no gore, cuts or anything else. Just the observers, Kim on a stage with his handlers (complete with notepads), the A/A Gun and the victim .

That old Lindberg kit never looked so good. Well done!

Don't be so hard on yourself Lawrence. It has happened to us all. I have made plenty of mistakes in the past. Years back when I was an AC builder, I built a 1/32 scale F-4 Phantom that I was quite proud of. I took it to the club meeting and proudly displayed and discussed the build with members. After my presentation, I asked if there were any comments. A good friend of mine said the star and bars are upside down! I couldn't believe I missed something so obvious. EMBARRASSING, and everyone had a good laugh!! Most of the meeting was then spent by the group discussing mistakes all have made.

Well done fixing that decal problem!

Bill, Wow. You chose a really esoteric category of model to specialize in. I know what you're dealing with, as my company produces only American Civil War naval subjects. I would suggest that you checkout Shapeways (https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace/miniatures/ships). They are a 3D printing company that has many products that Shapeways shop owners sell to the public. Unfortunately, most of the products are pretty pricey, but I guess it just depends how badly you want them. The link I provided will take you right to the ships section. Good luck.

For such needs, I would suggest buying a mold/resin kit and cast your own. That will prevent this problem from occurring in the future. Don't worry about copyrights. If you don't sell any and make them just for your own use, you're good to go.

Sorry to hear about the masking end of the business. I wish you luck and prosperity with the new Gator's Model Studio. 👍

The loooong promised 3D printed kit of the USS Choctaw ironclad ram is now available from Flagship Models. Price is $170.00 plus shipping and worth every penny. Incredible detail abounds such as iron plating, doors (with hinges and other detail), full blown photo etch sheet, 3D rendered instructions, painting guide, real Mahogany masts, detailed paddle wheels, boat davits and other parts metal cast at correct scale, not to mention the Choctaw is full hull. This model isn't intended for beginners, but anyone with experience working with multi-media ships should have no problems. If you want correct era 3D printed figures to go on your Choctaw to add some life, we can help with those as well. For all the info., check out the Flagship Models web site.

Nope. This sort of thing is exactly what the category is for. Always remember (I'm sure you're aware of this) the story the diorama tells, and how well it tells it, (plus the workmanship of course) is the key. BTW, well done! The accompanying photo is a nice touch.

I can never get the finish on my models to look that nice and "wet". Well done.

I guess Squadron owed them money.

Gil is correct about watching the amount of moisture you use. To prevent cracks, apply it in rather thin layers. Make CERTAIN the Celluclay is COMPLETELY DRY before adding further layers. If you apply layers too thick, it will take some time to completely dry. If cracks occur, you can fill them in with Celluclay before continuing. JUST MAKE SURE THE CELLUCLAY IS DRY BEFORE CONTINUING!!

Welcome to building resin kits! Unfortunately, there isn't any fast or easy way to remove flash which is the biggest gripe against resin kits. I would recommend using an Xacto knife with no. 11 blade to remove the larger chunks of flash, then move to jeweler's files to clean up the final configuration.

I love all those off-the-wall oddball subjects. Very nice!