Rusty White

Now that's more like it! NOW I know what you A/C guys are talkin' about. Keep those pics comin guys. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I kinda like it's looks.

Aw c'mon guys. Not ONE photo?? If you're going to say it's the ugliest, let's see how ugly it is. Those non-A/C types like myself will be thankful. I mean, I don't what the "Flea" looks like although I have heard of it.

Paint it up and stick it on a driving range. It's just smaller than a golf ball.

Mike West and I have been working (mostly Mike) on a civil war recon balloon kit. The plan is to market it separately as a stand alone kit and together with the Flagship Models CSS Teaser kit. The CSS Teaser started life as a tug and was purchased by the Confederacy and converted to a gun boat. While serving in this capacity, she was chosen to double as a recon balloon transport. For those who do not know, this small contribution gave the little ship the honor of possibly being the first US A/C carrier. I realize the Custis was the first purpose built A/C carrier, but the Teaser was probably the first US ship to carry an A/C as far as my research can verify. If someone can provide proof otherwise, please let me know. The Teaser was also the first purpose built mine (torpedo) layer/sweeper. Anyway, I have been asked to post the progress on the little balloon kit. This may be a small kit, (each square you see is one inch) but it is fraught with design challenges. How does one make a balloon kit that looks real with such fragile support lines attaching the basket to the envelope? How would one show the delicate netting keeping the envelope from shooting into the air? I have posted those questions here and on other sites seeking advice and opinions. Mike West of Lone Star Models replied and we have been working together on the project since. For weight savings I decided to go with a vac form design since the plan is to have the balloon supported by a series of thin brass wires attached to the basket. I was able to cobble together some CAD drawings of a typical civil war era recon balloon. To determine scale, I found a photo showing a man in the basket. Lacking any actual plans, I relied on the photographs and lithographs of recon balloons that are available. The average male back then was around 5'-9". So using the man as a scale reference, I determined the balloon diameter to be about 25 feet. Not an exact figure, but close enough. My balloon is of the "round" variety as opposed to the "teardrop" design of the likes of the Intrepid. No real reason why I went with the round design. I just liked it better. Below are the master pattern and basket, a resin half mold for the vac form process, and a assembled prototype of the vac formed halves. Above that you will see the netting I have chosen for the balloon. This is where some experimenting is still needed. I want to add the netting to the resin half male, then create a "female" mold and see just how well the netting detail will come out. If it looks good, I'll proceed with production. If not, then I'll design photo etch netting for the balloon. Unfortunately, that will raise the cost of the kit (boo, hiss). Below that is the pattern for the Teaser to give you an idea of scale. Together this should be a really cool kit. More to come.

I'll do that, but I need to get the CSS Teaser model in production first which I'm working on now. The Teaser was one of the first US A/C carriers. It ferried the balloon to its' destination (inflated) to recon Northern troop placements.

Exactly. The largest part of the balloon (the upper 2/3) will be 2" or a bit smaller diameter at 1/192 scale. I'm off tomorrow to find a suitable sized fishing bobber which should be perfect for the top part. The Mattel machine is just too small, but I plan on purchasing an 8x10 plate machine in the next few days or as soon as I can get the balloon master done.

With a name like "Soapy's", how could it NOT be a great shop???

After receiving a lot of good advice from board members from 3 web sites, I have decided on a plan of action to make the observation balloon kit. Since the balloon needs to be supported by brass wire, I'm convinced that vac formed parts is the way to go to insure the lightest possible part. Here's the plan: (1) Find a suitable sized ball or fishing bobber (plastic if possible) for the upper portion of the balloon. (2) Use epoxy putty or Milliput to sculpt the lower section. (3) Sand and smooth to shape. (4) Use light weight fishing line for the netting. Secure the netting with water thin super glue. (5) Make a resin cast for the vac form master. (6) Vac form both halves for kit parts. I plan on designing the kit so that brass wire will support the vac formed balloon. Anybody know where I can buy a vac form machine cheap????

Where do you get your putty spatulas?? The coffee stirrers would seem to work well. Anybody got a source for those?

Me too. Been doing the BB thing as long as I remember. I also have one of those hobby "paint shakers" that REALLY does the job. No matter how long the paint has been on the shelf, with the BBs it will thoroughly mix the paint back to new condition.

I have often wondered why more models haven't been released in 1/87 scale. With the multitude of railroad stuff on the market, the diorama possibilities are huge.

Great tip! I have a Waldron Punch set, but I never considered filling in ejector pin and sink holes using it. Thanks much.

I want to welcome everyone to the ship modeler's forum. It's a pretty easy task for me as I am a ship modeler just like you guys, and enjoy just about anything ship related. Carry on and just follow the IPMS/USA Forum rules and all will go great and you will hear little from me. I wanted the ship forum moderator's job when Bob Hester first created it, but he already had someone selected for Moderator from day one. Being an avid ship modeler, this will be my favorite duty for IPMS/USA. Photos, build articles and in progress stuff is encouraged. If you need any help with posting these types of articles here, just ask me or Erik.

YOU ARE NUTS!!! What a paint job. Well done!

SoonerCon is growing! Year before last the con was put on by IPMS Metro, last year it grew bigger with the aid of the Oklahoma Historical Modelers Society helping us out and this year it gets even bigger and better with the addition of our local AMPS chapter adding their special talents to the armor categories. Meet us in OKC this weekend for a lot of fun, lots of vendors, door prizes and a very unique modeling contest! Unique because we will be using TWO types (GSB and 123) of judging. The armor categories will be judged by our local AMPS group and the GSB medals technique while the balance of the categories will be judged by three man teams using the standard IPMS style (123) using the IPMS standard of judging. If you are curious as to how the AMPS and IPMS guys judge, here's your opportunity to learn. Check out our web site at: IPMS Metro OKC Prowl our site and let us know if there is anything we can do for you. We will have the usual vendors, contest, Make and Take for the kids, and lots of fun, so please come join us. We have a limited number of vendor tables for sale (first come, fist served). For information on vendor tables, contact Greg Rose at: (405) 590-7130 If you have any questions at all about SoonerCon 2010, feel free to contact Rusty White at (405) 330-6525: shipmodeler@sbcglobal.net See you there!

GREAT photos! Taken just after my birth (1955). I love this stuff. Please post more!!!!

I will be wiping all the previous months posts at the end of each month so we can start fresh with a new subject. So if for whatever reason, you wish to make copies of photos, or comments please do so before the first of each month.

Welcome all! The purpose of this forum is to give IPMS/USA members and visitors alike a place to post photos of models you have built to a specific theme that will change every month. This will be a place to have some fun relating to modeling only. Feel free to post questions and comments relating to any photos you see here, but no criticism please. I want this to be a place where EVERYONE can feel free to post photos regardless of skill level without fear of any negative comments. The first few themes will be posted by myself, while future themes may be determined by you using the poll feature we have on the forum. No conflict of any kind will be allowed. That may sound a little Pollyanna, but that is what I want here. There are plenty of forums to deal with any modeling subject you can imagine, so please take it there. Just fun here.

I can only go by by what I was told in the email sent to me. As an architectural model builder I am very impressed with his structures. The auto models, built by him or not, are very impressive, but that's neither here nor there as far as I'm concerned. I posted it here because of this guy's amazing photography skills. Absolutely fantastic the way he seamlessly blends the far background and his near "modeled" backgrounds. Note how he added the electric lines and telephone poles in some of his photos. It adds so much more realism and ties it to the background seamlessly. Great work.

Check this out! This guy built all the models in the foreground AND the structures in the immediate background. Sometimes he shows you in B&W the photos of the real stuff he used for inspiration. This is the best photography work on models I have ever seen. Enjoy. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/...ith/2346008881/

This was one of their "FAQs". "Q. What is meant by "Flash" and "Bubbles" on a Resin Model kit?" Hmmmmmm. FWIW.

I just want to welcome everyone to the new Diorama forum. This forum will deal with the display, discussion of techniques, and general construction of dioramas. I am a big diorama fan and I look forward to learning some new techniques from you more experienced builders. Feel free to post (the more the better) photos, conceptual drawings because it helps us all to see where your concept came from. Also, I would like to see in progress shots of your builds. I'll be pretty light handed with the moderation duties. Just follow the Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) and we'll have a great time.

VERY nice job on an old clunker of a kit. Let's see what you do with that crappy old Hood kit! Seriously, I saw a guy at the Nats turn one into a masterpiece!! Talk about Sadomasochism.

Very well done figure! To me. the most challenging figure genre are the flats. I am never ceased to be amazed by those who can turn a one dimensional casting into a three dimensional work of art with the use and techniques of paint and shadow.

Not me! That's an expensive kit.