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ghodges

IPMS/USA Member
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Posts posted by ghodges

  1. I know what ya mean! :smiley7: I thought I'd have this one done a month ago!

     

    The good news is that the new markings are on the tail. The bad news is that we hit a cold spell of below freezing every night and a high of only 45 for several days this week. Since I model in an unheated Florida garage, I've been taking a break from the bench until it warms up. It's supposed to be back in the 70s for this weekend, so I plan to finish decaling it then. After that, it's merely a matter of installing all of the fiddly bits.......

     

    GIL :smiley16:

  2. :smiley16::smiley20:

    Had to put my shades on to view the pics! Is that the International Orange, or the Flourecent Red/Orange (can't quite read the bottle)? If it's the Flourecent, how did you get it to spray without spider-webbing? Lookin' GREAT!

     

    GIL :smiley16:

  3. Looking good James! It's been a hoot following your build and the "others" on other forums who are also building this beast. It's my guess that how impressed you are with its "quality" is directly proportional to how badly you wanted a 1/32 Ta-152!

     

    GIL :smiley16:

  4. Beautiful and intricate work on both! I find it interesting that both scultpures use such sad countenances, as if they'd seen the future and what it held for their tribes. You painting really brings that emotion to light. Congrats!

     

    GIL :smiley16:

  5. MIke: While I know you plan to build this for the Omaha Nats, you'll probably take it to other shows too. Keep in mind that for most shows, you be limited to 1 of 2 categories: dioramas (all); or aircraft dioramas. The composition of the diorama will not really matter outside the US Nats, where that distinction is made.

     

    Build it the way you envision it and then consult the rules and/or head judge for each show you enter ahead of time. Cheers!

     

    GIL :smiley16:

  6. Hi Tom! You have some sage advice from the guys above about where to start, so I'd like to address your last question about the airbrush.

     

    1) No- not having an air brush will NOT keep you from building nice models and enjoying the hobby. As Ron pointed out above, rattle (spray) cans and good quality painting with a brush can go a long way; especially as you get back into the hobby and resharpen your skills. The airbrush is simply a tool that allows you to do some things that are difficult or impossible to do without it.

     

    2) Yes- IF (and that is IF) your goal is to put paint finishes on your models like you see from a lot of the folks on this forum, then you WILL eventually need an airbrush (eventually). It allows you to do soft edge camo, intricate splotchy camo jobs, and allows you to put the thinnest and most even finish on your models. It's an investment in money and time, that with practice, will allow you to build models that you MAY derive more satisfaction from. It can also be a frustrating teacher and task-master-until you learn to use it!

     

    My advice is to follow the advice above and start simply. Get a few models under your belt. Get a feel for what you like to build and how you like to build. Do NOT feel pressured by the models you see on the forums! We all have varying skill levels and varying amounts of experience. It will take you a while to develope both of those, so cut yourself some slack, build models, and do it in the way that gives you the most FUN!

     

    We'll be here to help you along the way if and when you want it! Cheers!

     

    GIL :smiley16:

  7. Generally, diorama size deals witht he number of subjects in the dio. A pilot climbing into a single plane with the crewchief standing by with a fire exringuisher would be a small diorama. The same scene, but done with 3-4 planes and multiple pilots and crew personell (like "pilots man your planes" on a carrier) would constitute a large a/c diorama.

     

    Go to IPMSUSA.org and click onto the National Contest Committee and then click onto the Contest Categories and then scroll down to Dioramas. You'll see that they use the term "composition", which may help your understanding a bit. Hope this helps!

     

    GIL :smiley16:

  8. Hello Tom! I thought I detected the minty fresh smell of a newbie on the forum! :smiley2: Glad you started modeling again and that you're here on the forums with us.

     

    As for a suggestion to narrow down what to build.....how about starting with a piece of nostalgia? Find and build one of your favorite models you built way back when. In any case, always remember rule #1...

     

    RULE #1: HAVE FUN!!

     

    Cheers!

    GIL :smiley16:

  9. Well, after almost 2 more weeks, I v'e done some decalling on the tail fin, and then ripped them off with tape because I didn't like the way they looked. Thus, the model (after repainting the tail fin) looks EXACTLY like it does above! Well, that is, exept for the windscreen getting knocked off! :smiley7:

     

    I was trying to use some very small white letters and numbers for the ac/serial and designator on the top of the tail fin. Tedious work; as they have to be applied individually (20 decals). However, as small as they were they weren't really small enough, so I tried compromising their postion on the tail (etc) and it just didn't look good. Also, the decal "B" squadron codes I made didn't go down well either. That's why I started over!

     

    The solution (I hope) is a set of Woodland Scenics dry transfer decals that are VERY VERY tiny and will have to be rubbed into place individually (for the most part). I've got new decals, and the paint on the tail fin is drying (with the "B"s masked off this time), so perhaps I'll have this puppy decaled by the end of the weekend. I'll post some progress pics after I have pics that look like I made some progress! :smiley20: Cheers!

     

    GIL :smiley16:

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