EFGrune

This acknowledges that there may be structural parts that would be outside of the single media criteria that may be used. Rivets, polycaps, screws or other mechanical fasteners, metal weights, etc. They are typically structural/internal and not for detail purposes

Add neither and it will, else no it goes to the standard category. One of the goals of BKB are to do away with the 'what can I add and stay within the rules' questions.

From the prior mentioned US Archives with "USS New Jersey" + "Panama Canal" in the Advanced Search box. Original picture is zoom-able so you can more easily see the halyards & rigging Again a zoom-able image. In the Gatun Locks Look at the light effects on the paint color. The Haze Gray varies from almost white to a medium gray. Transit time through the canal is about 9 hours so the lighting will vary. There is a 1968 video (west bound) showing a foot to spare on either side while in the Miraflores Locks More from Archives, manning the rails. Check the rust at the overboard discharges.

James, which FD booklet are you recommending, the Missouri Plan Book? Its a good reference for the Missouri in August, 1945 but will not fill the bill for a modernized Nuevo Jersey, as the Tamiya. I reviewed the popular press books in my library and those listed at FD (Classic Warships, Squadron, Windward, Doyle, ShipShape) and there was not one on the New Jersey. IIRC there was someone on SteelNavy talking about a book he was working on, but also IIRC it was reminiscences, interesting reading but not a lot to model with. What might be a good reference, but will take some time, is the US Archives online photo system. I stumbled upon a large number of photos of the NJ transiting the Panama Canal enroute to her museum site. There was a good set of pictures sitting in the Miraflores Locks on the Pacific side. The photographer got many from the same vantage point. At catalog.archives.gov put into the search bar "USS New Jersey" refine the search as necessary with "Panama Canal".

In prior iterations of the Rules & Categories the Ships Class had both Out-of-the-Box Single Media and OOB High Tech categories. The Single Media rules became the template for the general BKB rules as put forward. Within the Ships Class, High Tech was eliminated and Single Media became BKB. The prior rules allowed for waterlining an entry because there are a preponderous number of other waterline ship kits and there are some modelers who prefer to keep their fleets looking similar. I allowed for that. The converse of adding a lower hull is not allowed. Since it is possible that a modeler began an OOB entry before the BKB rules were released I would consider that to be grandfathered in. Drilling gun barrels is and was allowed. No problem there. Drilling and cleaning up lattice work is similar and would also be akin to thinning to scale thickness. But always remember the more you do the more you can do something that affects the craftsmanship standpoint. And I always remind modelers that we do not judge bases; be it revetment for an aircraft, a muddy field for a tank, or a water scene for a ship. You get no extra credit for your work in the standard categories. If you want to have your base work evaluated enter in the Vignette/Diorama class

Miscellaneous

According to the product description these paints are reduced (thinned) with Acetone, Naptha, MEK, MAK, or Xylene; according to the product Q codes. Cleanup with MEK or Acetone Definitely not benign acrylic paints

Mike, go read their Material Safety Data sheets and product descriptions. They are Alkyd Enamels, they are a solvent-based enamel. Their front-page web text is wrong

Contact the local contest coordinator to inquire about the availability of a power drop

The examples which I have given are ship-related and I have given my position with respect to BKB as it relates to the Ship class. I do not want to get out too far ahead of Mark, Jim, or any of the other Head Judges. However, there are problems with reading the rules as an absolute. The individual Head Judges must be given an amount of latitude. I give you the Eduard weekend edition P-51D kit reviewed in today's Hyperscale. OMG! the kit includes a PE fret with 5 numbered parts. Disqualified! Now, go to the Eduard website and pull up the instructions. You will see that parts PE1 and PE2 are scribing templates. The instructions have you filling several access panels and since scribing lost panel lines is allowed, I take this as an acceptable use of PE. The PE is not a final detail on the entry. The remaining PE parts are several options for RWR stub antennas on the vertical fin. If you don't use them, it is still a single media entry within the spirit of BKB. If you do use them, go play in the regular categories. You can also see why providing the instructions is important. I always attempt to use the term "kit" as the items to be assembled and "entry" as the completed item on the table. YMMV Ed Grune NCC Head Ship Judge

That’s it in a nutshell. I have the Takom/Snowman 700 scale Gearing on the bench right now. It comes with both injected MK37 radars and PE ones. If I stay with the injected parts I’m golden for BKB. If I use the PE I go to the regular category.

My position is, a model kit which contains PE, resin, cast or turned metal, 3D printed, and/or other material parts for which there are analogous parts in the majority material of the kit, the kit MAY be entered in a BKB category if ONLY the analogous parts are used. If there are NO corresponding analogous parts, the kit may not be entered in a BKB category. Choosing to enter a kit in a BKB category is up to the individual Example: If your battleship kit comes with both plastic main gun barrels and turned gun barrels and you choose to assemble the kit using the plastic gun barrels it may be entered in BKB category. If you choose to use the turned barrels or the kit does not contain plastic barrels it may not be entered in BKB. Providing a copy of the instructions is still a requirement for BKB. Your attention is directed to the next to the last paragraph in section III.1 "All Class Head Judges and the Chief Judge will have final say as to what is permitted for any BKB entries within their Classes." Ed Grune NCC Head Ship Judge

I would love New Orleans. The WWII museum there is fantastic. Base the convention at the Higgins hotel just nextdoor. To be realistic, any East Coast convention situated north of Richmond would be just too expensive, both in venue costs and in hotel room night charges.

Reductio ad absurdum

I got booked at the Embassy after seeing Scott's post, for Wednesday thru Sunday. I booked with Hilton Honors, then called the Honors program to get the room rate changed to the convention rate. Don't know if that will futz up the room block count, but I have a confirmation number.

Is the vote count underway? Will the accounting firm of Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe put the results in a mayonnaise jar on Funk & Wagnalls’ back porch? Inquiring minds want to know.

Refer to Rule II.15. The crane which extends above the turret top would cause the entry to be placed in the vignette/diorama class. There Rule II.19 would take effect, the four crewmen would place it in the small composition/vignette category. Note that there are no Out of the Box categories in the Vignette/Diorama class. So no, it would not be allowed.

And to close the loop with Rusty, those category numbers and rules I cited were new (2020) changes which Manny Gutsche proposed and were incorporated

SciFi & Gundams are covered in the National Rules & Categories VI Space & SciFi 605 - StarTrek & StarWars 606 - Gundams (from kits) 607 - Mecha 608 - Other Vehicles/Vessels 609 - Scratchbuilt & Conversions The Rules specifically discuss the categories: "Category Definitions: ● Star Trek & Star Wars subjects (Category 605): Only spaceships and vehicles from Star Trek and Star Wars media. ● Gundam subjects (Category 606): Only characters and vehicles from the Gundam media multiverse. ● Mecha subjects (Category 607): Powered sci-fi robots, armor or machines, with limbed features or humanoid construct. Such models may contain or display an operator figure as long as it is not the dominant part of the model; mechanical features should predominate. Otherwise an entry will go in the appropriate Fantasy or Sci-Fi Figures category." Now, how closely a local or regional contest hews to the National Rules and Categories is always up for discussion. In the face of "new" genre arriving on the local scene it may be advisable to follow the NCC's lead. The organizing committee may be overwhelmed by new categories one year to be met by a famine the next. Try the new categories for a few years and see how they are accepted.

Back in the day, 99-ish, the committee for the 2000 Dallas convention discussed limiting the attendance on Wednesday to registered members only. It was felt that day-tripping non-members, those who blame and defame IPMS, were accessing the show and shopping at the vendors to the possible detriment of the paid members. This was seen as a perq for members to and an incentive non-members to join and register. Oh No! We're not showing who we are and what we do! On Wednesday afternoon only, all were free to attend on Thursday/Friday/Saturday? Oh No! The vendors will miss a half day of sales! No, the registered members will still be there with their open wallets. Due to pushback, largely from outside of the organization, Members-only Wednesday didn't happen.

May/June arrived in Texas today (wish it was the weather, not the magazine). President Noack acknowledged that the convention may be in the books as you read the issue.

Yeah. We got pushback when we went from plaques (custom, year-specific) to medallions (generic, multi-year use). Certificates might cause a riot

Anecdotal information which has been provided to the NCC indicates the number of awards given is somewhere between 50 and 80 percent of the number of entries.

Putting them in the middle, then the facility safety or fire marshall may get involved. I advocated for a local member with his diorama which requires electricity. Had him contact the Contest Coordinator (his bailey-wick anyway) for power access, that and the requirement to reserve space for an oversized entry. Running power cords across the floor become a trip hazard, even when taped down. Worse yet are jury-rigged extension cords. At the best the power cords may be a speed bump for the guy rolling the cart of models across the room. At worst the guy's labor of love falls to the floor, that or someone breaks something. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

So, is OKC Metro providing the post-show debrief and feedback on judging which Mark Persichetti (NCC) described in his March/April Journal article? If the forms are not in-hand, the R6 Coordinator (Sean Glaspell) can provide them, as can Mark or other NCC members