DennisTennant

What a great way to expand and promote our hobby! Thanks for sharing, Dick.

Gil, let's not start that discussion here in the public modeling area. Thanks.

Oh yes. Thanks Mark. Much better.

Somebody grab the wheel and steer this thread back on topic, please...

Actually, this practice has been around for quite a while. I remember ordering a new lens for my camera from a fairly large NYC photo retailer back in the early 1980s only to see my credit card charged before my lens was ordered....from Japan! I'm glad most of the photo vendors I deal with have stopped that practice. Or was it me moving on to other vendors?

Nicely done, Mike. I'm gonna bite the bullet and make an order to the Scenic Express folks for some of their buffalo grasses. I love the way it looks!

Dan, I hope you noticed that the "wild things" are kept within their own special forums (Bull Pen) and that IPMS/USA business and the political aspects of this society are in separate forums too. If you have no interest in the sometimes petty wranglings that happen there stay away. The modeling forums are open to everyone and helpful topics such as our tips and techniques and photography forums are found there. So please feel free to comment, add tips, show off your newest project and connect with other members. As forums go, this one is extremely welcoming to new people and we love to see photos of your work. Again, think of the forums as a buffet, if you only want dessert, you know where to go! Enjoy, Dennis

I want one! Mark, sounds like a group build....

Uh, yep. Mark makes a great point there. Please us the posting tools properly, it makes keeping track of your pearls of wisdom much, much easier.

I agree with Jessee, the Xuron product is great for cutting PE from the frets. I've had a pair for over 10 years and they're still as sharp as the day I opened the package.

Dan, a violation of the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), better known as the forum rules. One violation will usually trigger a written "word to the wise" from me or a moderator. Repeated or gross violations will cause to to have a ding added to your warning bar. And like Eric said, it's not something that is seen by other members, just those who volunteer to keep the forums running in a civil manner.

Eric is right. They are a tool for us to see who has been naughty recently and for you to know that your behavior here has you on our radar. They disappear whenever I feel they've served their purpose, usually six months or so after an infraction...but don't hold me to that.

I saw a demo at my club recently about building quick bases and the guy used Silfor grass tufts to fantastic effect. Before I go and spend more money, does anyone have experiences using this product they could share here? Any advice on the best place to purchase the product other than Scenic Express? Any discussion appreciated!

Thanks for that link, Mark! I see a Space Marine that needs to be in my collection....

RAW files are essentially the entire data dump from the sensor to the memory card. No compressing (the process that makes an image a JPEG or TIFF image file) is done and the person doing the post processing has full control over image contrast, color and exposure. Processing a raw image allows for the photographer to do non-destructive modifications to the image and then export the image in any image format they please. I normally process my RAW images and save them as TIFFs (if a gallery print is in the future), JPEGs (if it's for publication) or .PSD (for use in other Adobe imaging products). The thing I like best is having the ability to tweak color balance after the fact. Most shows are lit by a variety of different lighting sources and the raw format allows me to set the color balance after the shoot. You don't need expensive software to use raw since most camera manufacturers give away their own versions of raw processing software. Adobe also offers their raw format processor free (it's called Adobe Camera Raw, ACR for short). I use DSLRs for my work and have a digital point-and-shoot that shoots raw too...the Canon S90.

I thought I'd start a thread about the joy of shooting in the raw digital format. I stopped shooting jpegs three years ago and haven't looked back! Any RAW lovers out there besides me?

You have a nice touch with that 'brush, Mike!

Mark, You're obviously very emotionally attached to this concept. I wouldn't dare pick the wrong helmet! Mike, Thanks for the offer but I shan't be making the trip to Omaha. Too far, no vacation left. I wasn't referring to your sarcasm, of course, I was referring to the concept of friendly, open, bromantic sarcasm. Lt. Gray, It's not too late to run away....I hear the Food Network has a pretty wild forum....

Sigh....you find it, I'll see what I can do....

Jeeze. More feelings hurt. This is a national tragedy. We are a club in dire need of a "sarcasm" emoticon, aren't we?

Jeff, As I said in my earlier PM, welcome aboard! I see Mike M. has already started the welcoming process. Take care, Dennis

Understand, fellers, that you're seeing a VIRGIN modeling bench. It has yet to see its first project. The shelf underneath is completely filled with paint, thinner, etc., so it's kinda like a 30" by 6 foot long bench, Les.....plenty big enough for me, a lowly armor modeler....hehe

I'm glad I didn't mention that I it was also a reviewer corps kit, done for a review a year or so ago....hehe. I am appropriately shamed......

My spouse wanted her drafting table back for a quilting project and that meant I had to find another workbench. I had been eyeing a stainless steel prep table at the local restaurant supply store and finally bit the bullet last weekend and made the purchase. While a tad pricey at $200, I figure it'll last me just about forever. It also gave me a chance to clean out the corner where I do my work and tidy things up a bit. Dennis p.s. that thing with wingies on my cutting pad is the model I use to test shoot my paint.....hehehe