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Dakimbrell

IPMS/USA Member
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Posts posted by Dakimbrell

  1. 1 hour ago, ShutterAce said:

    A vehicle diorama is 2 or more vehicles. That is what I based my opinion on.

    That is not what the rules say. Two or more vehicles is a large comp diorama. But there is nothing that says you can’t have ten vehicles and one figure in figure diorama. The ten vehicles would just make it large comp. 

    I.E. Tank Man and ten T-59s. 😉
     

    Dak

  2. 24 minutes ago, EFGrune said:

    But perhaps stick a piece of tape over the 'Captured SdKfz ... ' plaque on the front of the base.   It confuses the story you want to tell.

    I disagree, Ed. The whole scene was inspired by the captured half-tracks in the picture and the desire to show the Germans surrendering. Without the figures, some people would not get the significance of the stars on the vehicle. In my opinion, the 25 figures dominate the scene and tell the story. If the 251 was removed, it would not change the story. The halftrack is merely background, like the wall.

    And they won't be judging the plaque. Noting that it is captured is an effort to inform those that are confused by a Nazi vehicle with American markings. I didn't want someone thinking it is part of some German deception like Panzer Brigade 150.

    The rules say nothing about what separates vehicle dioramas from figure dioramas.

    Dak

  3. 27 minutes ago, Rusty White said:

    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.

    Rusty, that is my take, also, but I have others feel my opinion is grossly wrong. In 2011, I had one with a vehicle which I enter in figure diorama and it got moved removed from where it had a good chance at a win (IMO) to the vehicle category where it got lost in the crowd.

    The contest rules have vague points in them and people seem to have a fit when there is a challenge. I just don't want a big argument at the show because this surprises someone. Nothing actually states what is the clear defining line between diorama categories.

    Viva Las Vegas!

    Dak

  4. Just got back from Las Vegas. This was a trip for gambling, a granddaughter's volleyball tournament and sight-seeing. For those going for the first time in August, I can recommend the NMoAT. Take the 202 line bus for $2. The Mob Museum is also good. There is a speakeasy in the basement of the Mob Museum.

    One thing I found at the NMoAT was this picture of a Ki-61 Tony that was assigned to Kamikazes. I have never seen it before. The artwork is a plane crashing on a ship.

    Parking is no longer free in the big casinos. 

    They have plexiglass shields up between seats at the gambling tables.

    I don't know if everything will be the same in August, but many restaurants check you temperature before they let you in.

    Lots of pot smoking. I smelled it everywhere.

    Dak

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    • Like 1
  5. There are several photos of the aircraft. I included on on the plague on the base. There didn’t seem to be anything on the wings in the photo. I did take artistic license by leaving the rear canopy in place. I believe the pilot jettisoned it before landing. 
     

    Dak

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  6. These are two Masterbox figures in 1/24th to go with a car model I am currently working on. I haven't seen many done, but they look pretty good when you get them together. There are a bunch of men and women in the series, mostly in modern attire. As you can see, the one girl comes with a mobile phone.

    MB never quite matches their box art and they have some seams and flash.  I used a hot knife to enhance the hair. These are all done in enamels.

    Dak

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    • Like 1
  7. I was looking at the contest categories for Las Vegas and noted there are 13 in the aircraft categories 10, in the military vehicles and 3 in automotive.

    I found it odd the aircraft are scattered through the categories, while the tanks and cars are grouped together. Not that it makes any real difference, I guess.

    Carnage Hall, indeed!

    Dak

  8. On 2/10/2021 at 9:13 AM, Ralph Nardone said:

    We need to stop the illusion that the current IPMS/USA contest format is good for modeling.  It may have been at one time, but I've seen too many cases of how it has turned into a ruthless and cutthroat blood-sport, where the guys who have cracked the code continue to win more and more while less experienced modelers wonder why they cannot "win", too.

    Looking at this again, I have to say I don’t think it is true. First, it is extremely rare, but not impossible, for a newbie to win the top awards at a National. It’s all in the work and what else is on the table on a particular day. 
    Second, there is no code to crack beyond work and dedication.

    Less experienced modelers are not normally super model builders. They have to gain that experience working with kits, coming to clubs, and contests to learn what categories best fit their interests and skills. Why would anyone assume a novice would automatically beat out an experienced modeler?

    You play, you learn, you get better. It is the same whether you are playing a violin, pitching a ball, shooting at a target, or building a model. The only way to to Carnage Hall is practice, practice, practice. 

    Far too many expect instant gratification. 

    Dak

  9. 22 minutes ago, rcboater said:

    My personal perception is that a lot of OOB entrants (and winners?)  are people entering as a second chance to win with their Favorite subject/ kit build

    This is my basic perception, too. 
     

    As I have said, today’s kits make it much easier to build a very competitive entry with and OOB model.

    From the day they started OOB, the rules have been continually modified to accommodate various aspects. Rigging, drilled out guns and exhausts. Replacing decals, and on and on.

    IPMS members enjoy pushing the rules to the absolute limit. This puts some—who played by the rules—at a disadvantage when someone pushes a bit a gets a dispensation at the contest.

    If you want out OOB, then make it EXACTLY that. No additions or substitutions of any kind. But if you did, everyone would start screaming how unfair it is.

    The way it is done now just seems pointless except to create more categories.
     

    Dak

  10. Over the years, I have seen a number of builders who did well at local contests, where they were the wunderkind, go to regionals and nationals only to get their...hat...handed to them. Insulted, and embarrassed they never come back. That is good because we don't want or need them. They spoil it for the rest of us. While an early win is a sure way to get them hooked---Las Vegas learned that long ago---it also creates unreasonable expectations. As Wall Street says---past performance is no guaranty of future performance.

    If you want to win, you have to play. I have entered many contests and come home with nothing but memories....and a lighter wallet. But I still play. Sometimes I bring a knife to the gunfight, but after 55 years of entering contests at all levels, I still show up to enter. That's the real secret to winning and having fun.

    The nationals generally are well run these days. That wasn't always the the case. It is also no reason to think this is the ONLY way to do it. Sometimes you have to take a risk and make changes. I think it is time to start doing away with OOB and create categories to replace them which refine the competition and still give beginners a chance to participate and learn without getting discouraged.

    Dak

    • Like 1
    • Sad 1
  11. 36 minutes ago, ghodges said:

    IPMS should keep OOTB because those perceptions ARE important,

    Gil,

    Why? Most of us, the membership majority, are adults. They know what is going on, or at least should. All the current set up does is make more work for everyone for no real gain.

    In this photo you can see it replaced the kit string for the tow cable with a homemade wire cable. It is hardly a big thing and if I said nothing about it, it would probably go unnoticed. Yet, it totally excludes the model from OOB and forces it to compete with the "honchos". Wouldn't it be more "fair" to make the "honchos" compete separately?

    Personally, I don't think there really are "honchos". I think it is a myth created to justify categories for those who don't want to compete on a level field. The perpetuation of OOB does nothing but make IPMS look like a bunch of geeks playing with toys. And that is not true. About 90% of the models at Chattanooga were EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE and most of the OOB entries could have competed fairly in any category. The only "honchos" I saw were in the scratch and conversion categories.

    Dak

     

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