Mark Deliduka

Because I can't physically hold a 3D computer model. Besides, the programming for that is beyond me. I miss many of the same things you all do: Pactra Paints, being able to ride down to the local store to buy a model and still have enough for some candy or a soda; sitting with my friend or alone in my garage building a model that I'd be finished with in a few hours. On the other hand, I am thrilled with the association and camaraderie I get being a member of my local IPMS club. I revel in the time I get to spend with other modelers on Hobby Day Fridays once a month just building models. I savor the moments I spend with friends I only see once every few years at a Nationals whenever I can attend them; or other friends I see at local model contests as well.

When I was a kid in Shalimar, Florida; there were no hobby shops that I knew of here or in nearby Fort Walton Beach. Instead, I'd go out and mow lawns or wash cars for $3.00. Then I'd get on my bike and ride down to the local 7-11 at the intersection of Fourth And Eighth streets in Shalimar. There I'd buy a bagged Airfix kit, some paints and glue, some candy and then ride home and sit in the garage for the rest of the day building my model and eating my candy. Later when we moved to Minnesota, I got some kits from Children's Palace when I worked there. After a few years, I moved back to Fort Walton Beach where I found an actual Hobby Shop that I frequented a lot. Once I moved out to Southern California several years later; I found myself in Hobby Shop Heaven. I also was introduced to IPMS out here. The rest, as they say; is history....

Just found it! I'm following that one with interest as well since he also had 115 combat missions in Laos; over 100 were in that -A model bird. Thanks! This one is really looking good!

This rocks! I shall be following this with extreme interest. My father had over 100 missions over Laos as a navigator on one of these birds. All I remember is the tail number ended in 600. I need to get more info and see if I can't re-build his mount. Keep going; I love seeing this.

Thanks guys! Kevin, it is 1/400 scale. And yeah, it felt good to just 'slap one together'.

Given how many models I work on at a time, I have numerous stories of catastrophes like this. I feel your pain, more than you may know. I do hope you can get a new Hiei started soon. Now I have to go and clean off my workbench some more.

Well, I finally found time to get to the workbench after all this time. Now I have another Modeling New Year's Resolution completed! This is one of the ships I had sitting for a long time. No longer! I finally completed the decals and some other details and this is now complete. This is the Mirage WWI German V-105 Torpedo Boat: I built this completely out of the box, no special additions or anything. Yeah, it's pretty crude, but then that's the way I build my ships. Now I have one more Modeling New Year's Resolution to complete. Thanks for looking in, comments are welcome.

Well, I finally found time to get to the workbench after all this time. Now I managed to get enough progress to show here. I'll start with my armor. I had left off before my trips with the Atomic Annie unfinished so she was the first one I started on. I completed the wheels and some details and touchups. Now to clearcoat this for decals: This one is so close I can taste it! Next, I decided to start a new model for the next Braille Scale Group Build on another Forums. This is the Modelcollect 1/72 scale T-90A with the welded turret. I started by assembling the road wheels and then gluing them with Gator's Grip Glue to the (metal) lower hull: Since I couldn't get the road wheels to line up properly, I adopted a radical solution: I placed this in a vice and carefully tightened it up until all the road wheels were aligned: Yeah, crazy idea, but it worked! I doubt I'd try this on a plastic-hulled tank though... Moving on to my latest aircraft progress, I decided to work on some aircraft that had been sitting for far too long. One of these was my F/A-18 Hornet I'd started for the Modern Aircraft Campaign on the Modelers Alliance. So, I pulled it out, dipped the canopy and windscreen in Future, and then continued with the extensive sanding and filling and sanding again until I'd gotten it done as well as I could expect. Then I installed the canopy and windscreen on the model: When this was dry, I applied the liquid mask to the windscreen and canopy in preparation for painting: As I was waiting for that to dry, I realized that my little Mustang was right about at the same stage as the Hornet. So, I pulled this one out next. Now this Airfix 1/72 scale Mustang was a raffle prize I'd won at the Nationals and I'd started it at mt brother's house after the Nationals. Here is where I was on this at the time I came home: So, I dipped the canopy and windscreen for this in the Future and then filled and sanded this while waiting for the Future to dry. Fortunately, I didn't have to fill and sand as much as I did on the Hornet. After I finished, I added the canopy and windscreen to this Mustang: After that was sufficiently dry, I masked the clear parts along with the Hornet's clear parts: Now I'll have two aircraft ready for paint once those masks dry... Now I went back to trying to finish some aircraft that had been sitting for a long time. The one most in need of attention was my ancient Aurora 1/72 scale Jet Commando. I had lost the main windscreen pieces and couldn't for the life of me, fabricate a suitable replacement set due to the complex curvature of the cockpit area. So I had set it aside to be a long-term shelf queen. No more! I found another Aurora Jet Commando being sold at the Nationals, and it was only $7.00 because it was "started". Well I snapped it up, and now that I'm home, I pulled this out and the old one out and I started once again to work on this. The first thing I noticed was some incredibly bad sink marks on the main wings where the plastic at the wheel wells had shrunk. Out came the Mr. Surfacer 500 which was liberally applied to the upper wings: I apologize for the severity of the brightness/contrast on this pic, but the original was so washed out, you couldn't see the Mr. Surfacer. Here you can see how much area had to be covered. Later, after doing other work (shown below) I sanded and buffed the wings until they were smooth and ready for paint: Now back to the fuselage. I added the curved windscreen pieces to the front of the cockpit area, but the side windows were unusable due to having massive injector pin marks in the center of the clear part! You can see it more clearly on the left hand window. So, I did what anyone would do: I used Testor's Clear Parts Cement and Window maker on the side windows. However, it didn't dry completely clear! I still had a bunch of white on the window, so I took them out. Here's what I saw: (pic taken after I'd removed the glue) That was after a day and a half of drying; that's why I pulled it out. I then used Micro Crystal Clear to make the windows and they came out far more clear and clean. You can see it here after it was first added: Next I did some rudimentary painting of the interior of this plane. I only did a suggestion of the interior due to it not being seen too well from outside since the windows were so thick. Here's what I did do though; the tan on the lower section was supposed to represent paneling. Not how clear the Micro Crystal Clear turned out in the side window: Here's a slightly better view of the interior cabin: Next, I added some nose weights just to be sure. (the bullet weight in the previous pics was shoe-horned into the nose after some modifications) Then it was time to close this bad boy up: Just for fun, I dry-fit the wings, tail surfaces and engines to this plane to see how it will look down the line. I am really pleased with this little jet: Anyway, aside from all that, I was able to complete a small ship that had been sitting for a while. It was one of my Modeling New Year's Resolutions that I resolved to complete by the end of this Year. Feel free to check it out in the Ships Forums. Meanwhile, thanks for looking in, comments are welcome.

I am following this as well especially since my father was a Hurricane Hunter and Typhoon Chaser. I would love to be able to build one of these to represent his aircraft. Thanks for showing this, I'm looking forward to seeing more.

Thanks Rob! I also lie the model and I'm finally thrilled to have been able to add a 1/72 scale Saturn V to my collection. It is great to see Real Space so well populated as well. I can't wait to finish my 1/72 scale Space Shuttle with Boosters now.

Sweet! 1/144 isn't my scale either, but I'm half debating placing it on a base with a 1/35th or 1/24th scale guy holding a radio controller and calling it the "World's Largest Radio Controlled Aircraft"! LOL! Looking forward to seeing your Columbine!

LOL! Thanks Bob! I humbly accept the 'Order of ModeLenin'! In a way, I figured that if I was going to place in any small scale armor category, the Mack would do it. It is still quite the stunner that the Topol took one, especially given how trashed it was during the trip.

That was awesome! I have one of those too; I only hope mine turns out half as good.

Okay, as promised, here are my latest additions to the Trophy Case. I took two Third Place awards: One in OOB Small Scale Softskins and one in Small Scale Tracked Vehicles, Post Korean War. The one in Post Korean War was expected as I was only up against one two other contestants. It was for the 1/72 scale Russian TOS-1 MRLS: The other Third Place winner in OOB Small Scale Softskins was a complete and total surprise. I was up against at least 12 other contestants and the model I placed int hat category was the one that was most broken up by the trip. I had to take it back home and effectively rebuild it. I never expected that to even be considered. My other Third Place winner: 1/72 scale SS-21 Topol Nuclear Missile Launcher: Overall, I'm still surprised and pleased at this outcome. It was far beyond my expectations. I had a great time at the Nationals.

Some good score while I was gone guys! Well done. Now I have some time to get some pics posted. Here is what I was able to score at the Nationals in Columbus: 1/72 scale Heller Warning Star: This next one was a raffle prize my friend won. He gave it to me because he said I'd done so much for him already: 1/72 scale Trumpeter Be-6 Madge: This next one was something I saw at a local hobby shop when my friend Steve and I went around to visit the local hobby shops. I bought it to build for my niece who loves horses: Another raffle prize, won by yours truly: 1/72 scale Airfix P-51 Mustang: I started that while I was still at my brother's house. It was a fun little build. I hope to get pics later in my Manufacturing Thread. I already have one of these, but it was missing too many pieces to complete. This one is more complete so I'll be able to finish at least one of these: 1/72 scale Aurora Jet Commando: Now for some armor scores. There were so few to choose from due to some fool buying up almost all of Freetime Hobbies' stock of 1/72 scale armor. I was so pissed. Anyway, here's what I did get: 1/72 scale SS-100 Gigant tractor: And the trailer for it to pull: a 1/72 scale Modelcollect T-90 tank with a welded turret: and finally, a 1/72 scale Diamond T cargo truck: Well, that and a ton of new tools and supplies are what I was able to get at the Nationals. I'll be lucky to be able to acquire anything else now that I spent so much getting back and forth to the Nationals and buying this stuff there. Oh well; lots more to build!

The impression to these members was that the board didn't seem to care about ever scheduling a Nationals in a West Coast city as the attitude seemed to be that the west coast was too expensive and difficult for the majority of the members to get to. I can see the perception here myself, and yet in reading many of these responses; I don't agree with this premise. Still, I would think that if all modelers in IPMS USA were equally important to this organization, then Phoenix should have gotten the nod and Omaha gotten it in 2018. Frankly, I've resigned myself to not ever attending a Nationals again unless some massive miracle occurs; I have cancer and may not be around when the next West Coast Nationals is awarded. I shall continue however, to suppose and promote my local club; and every other club here in SoCal by attending every show and contest I can get to. Mark, your are correct about the AMPS organization in general; since they've never had a West Coast show, they have no dog in this fight. I already knew when joining AMPS that I'm never going to attend an AMPS National since they won't ever have a show out here in my lifetime. However, many AMPS members are also IPMS members who come to and support our Nationals here and in the context of being IPMS members, I think they do individually have an interest in this situation. My apologies to you Mark for the comment that 'jerked your knee', no offense was intended.

Thanks Joseph. I have to apologize though, my Saturn V didn't place. Two of my armor models did; there were too many better Real Space models that beat out my Saturn. I'll try to get them posted later today or in this week.

Hey Phil, my condolences on the loss of your son. If you ever want to make that stop in Vegas, feel free to come to any Orangecon. I'd love to see you there!

Actually, either way would work. Do what you feel is easiest as both techniques will work. Looking forward to seeing you work on this.

Phil is was great seeing you again! I feel we just didn't have enough time together. Amtrak did okay, but some models did break. Not as many as did on the way out though. Haven't opened Dora or the Saturn V yet; still trying to find some time to unpack. As for Omaha, I just don't see me ever getting to another Nationals as long as they are on the east and central regions. They are prohibitively expensive for me. It's gonna be a long while before I can get to a Nationals again, if ever.

I am in Orange County, California and we have discussed the possibility of our Orange County IPMS club bidding for a Nats. When I broached the subject here on these Forums and others; I had a few supporters, but considerably more who felt an Orange County-hosted Nats would not be worth attending. Some have stated that no East Coast bias exists, yet that perception is growing more and more out here due to the awarding of 2017 to Omaha. If this organization is "By Modelers, For Modelers" then, along with costs and such, the board should have considered the time spread between the last West Coast Nationals and any future one. We west coast guys are modelers too and part of this organization, but because we don't have the population density of the East Coast, the appearance is that we are being 'punished'; or so the perception seems to most. If this organization was truly "By Modelers, For Modelers", then I feel that Phoenix should have been given the 2017 Nats and Omaha be asked to return next year to re-bid for 2018. The USA organization would still get their massive income, albeit a year later; and the West Coast would have a fair chance of having a Nationals that was close enough for us to attend, without having to wait even longer for one to come around. Yet because we can never provide enough savings to make the profit that Omaha projects, the E-board appears to be willing to pass over any West Coast bid; unless as Vlad suggests; there are only West Coast bids. Another point to consider: I've heard several AMPS members got the impression that the board making the decision could care less if the Nationals was ever awarded to a West Coast city. This is this incorrect, then lets see money where mouths are; everyone knows talk is cheap. As for "waiting for a Nationals to come to us", we are an aging society and most of us can not financially just pick up and attend any Nationals we want. Consider that many of us are retired and on fixed incomes; others of us are self employed and don't get paid unless we get hired by a client. This prevents many from being able to go to any Nationals wherever they are; even if we save up over the course of two or three years. Health issues, unexpected expenses for home and auto repairs, natural disaster that may come along; all these makes saving for an east or central Nationals more dicey. Yes, this all holds true for East Coast modelers too, notice I never specified east or west coast modelers but all. Still, far more East Coast modelers are able to make a Nationals consecutively than West Coast modelers when a Nationals is held in East and Central USA. I already do threat this as a National Convention, yet I still cannot attend every National because of expenses. The organization didn't 'train' this behavior into us; the realities of economics and responsibilities to home and family have done that. For this reason; the decision was made many years ago to rotate the contest because face it; this country is vast. I just traveled most of it by train to get back and forth to this convention so I experienced it first hand. Columbus would have normally been too far for me to attend and I would have certainly skipped it. but I am fortunate that I have a brother that I could stay with. Because of that I was able to save a bundle on lodging and local transportation costs, thus enabling me to come and represent my Orange County California club and not let anyone else forget we are still out there. With all those east coasters complaining that it's too far to drive; well, we have to fly to all your eastern and central Nationals all the time already, so why can't they take the same advice and either wait for one to come to them, or just save up for a Western Nationals. Consider that we West Coast modelers will now have to fly to an eastern and central Nationals two more times; for a total of seven consecutively; while East Coast modelers will mostly be able to drive for the sixth and seventh consecutive times. As I recall, our 2007 Nationals, despite the issues unrelated to the contest itself, had almost the same number of entries as Columbus this year (if not slightly more). So we West Coast modelers can put on a good Nationals, but only if the East Coast modelers are willing to support a Western Nationals the same way they support one in the east. After all, we are all part of IPMS USA; "By Modelers, For Modelers". Something to consider... Okay, I've gone on enough; now I'll step aside so people can shoot down my comments now... LOL!

I must have really scored! I got the Columbine and it has the instructions AND decals inside. I don't normally build 1/144 scale, but I will build this little gem in remembrance of my last Nationals.

Michael welcome! I'm glad to see another small scale armor builder here. Outstanding work on that T-34; puts my work to shame. Well done!

Gil, Dora stayed packed in her crate. She came through the trip with flying colors. I also took the Amtrak train so I didn't need to tow her. LOL! Ken I took the train. I had three boxes to transport and I surely wasn't going to trust the TSA with any of them!