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ghodges

IPMS/USA Member
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Everything posted by ghodges

  1. Welcome Scott! You sure sound just like most of us, including the "stash" we'll never finish off. Glad to have you here. Let us know how we can help you have FUN! Gil
  2. Nice! Just glancing at the resin castings show you obviously had some molding challenges to overcome. And it's yet another esoteric air machine I had no idea existed. Gil
  3. The words that immediately come to mind are "museum quality build"! It shows the complexities of the model which also in turn infers the degree of skills you posses to build it to that level. That's going to turn some heads wherever you put it down! Thanks for lettings us ride along and I look forward to the "glamour shots" when you complete its display. Gil
  4. Excellent work and progress! That loop antenna really has a scale look to it. Did the metal gear "drop fit" in place of the kit gear, or did they need some modification? Gil
  5. There is one other significant difference between the UK, Europe, and the US.... TRAINS! The UK and Europe have extensive passenger train service EVERYWHERE.... from across a country, to across the continent, as well as even under the English Channel for those going to the UK from Europe and beyond. I'm betting the majority of Telford visitors drive and ride, and only a very few fly in. The train system makes it much easier to travel with the models as compared to flying. We don't have that here in the US. Our passenger service is almost strictly local commuter, and that is limited to the northeast for the most part, and longer passenger service for vacationers which is MUCH less extensive and also generally more concentrated on the east coast. Also, passenger service is not much less expensive than flying here, making for even less incentive to ride than to fly. Add to that, our passenger service is notoriously s-l-o-w.... adding time to a long trip that many may not have. Express train service here in the US is pretty much a thing of the past. That means here in the US if you have to travel more than 12-16hrs, you usually try to fly; and that raises the expenses of attending our Nats, and also greatly limits what you can take with you to the show. That's also why our shows that are in the eastern half of the country draw more people.... they're close enough for more people to drive to. When held in the middle of the US and on the west coast, they HAVE to be near the larger population centers so they can draw enough driving attendees to be profitable. While it may be interesting to compare Telford and the IPMSUSA Nats.... you really cannot. It IS an apples to oranges comparison. Their abilities to bring more models and other items and set up club displays/booths has always made Telford more display oriented with a smaller contest. The travel distances in the US have always dampened the ability to do the same, so our models all got lumped into the "contest" area without many displays. BOTH have served each convention very well. Trying to make one more like the other isn't the answer going forward. Instead, EACH show would need to poll attendees to see what changes THEY desire and would support going forward. Gil
  6. Actually, after reading your post more carefully.... I got its BIG BROTHER.....the very rare 1/8 Scale kit! It looks complete, but the wings and the engine have been partially built (and very well it seems). I have NO plans to build it, but will probably see if one of our Jaxcon vendors wants it as it for a bargain price. The average price on Ebay is $1000+!! Gil
  7. I think leaving the cowling and prop off and displayed beside it would go right along with the uncovered surfaces that show all of the interior rib detail. I think I would create a base for it all to sit on for that type of display as opposed to just sitting them beside it on a shelf of table surface. Astoundingly, I was able to find THIS kit in a nearby estate and get it! I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it on the floor, as the guy generally built 1/72 a/c and tanks.... but there it was! Gil
  8. Welcome! Glad to have you here with us. Please be sue to post these great looking builds down in the Gundam and Sci-Fi build topic areas further down the page so more people get to see them. Let us know how we can help you have more fun with modeling! Gil
  9. Cameron remarked (to my post): Correct me if I am wrong. It sounds like you do not want our maybe care about having a bigger organization. Are you worried that if we are more inclusive that they will become the main event and traditional plastic models becomes a side event? Seeing what other events, even visiting quilt con as I have, to be successful will make us more successful. What I hear is that successful to you is Catering to the current membership and making them happy. Not worrying about growth. Yes, you are reading me correctly... I am NOT in favor of growth JUST for the sake of growth.... I am NOT in favor of courting paper model builders, wooden model builders, RC builders; over trying to attract PLASTIC model builders. Each of the others have their own societies and clubs. Do WE have the right to go to them and expect THEM to change to accept us? No.... and thus if they want to join IPMS, they have to be willing to accept IPMS as a PLASTIC model group that either limits or excludes their participation at some levels (like the Nats contest, NOT at LOCAL club meetings). I AM in favor of catering FIRST to the current membership, who PAID US to DO SO. Go figure! That is what I meant by tempering any future changes to be sure we're not throwing away what works or destroying who we are; which is PLASTIC model builders. And as a paying member, I expect our Eboard to take care of MY needs ahead of "potential" members who may or may not join. RETAINING current members is a higher priority than "growing". I AM in favor of growth, but in two specific ways, and I don't care what the eventual size ends up at: 1) Look at what we can do to KEEP members from dropping/lapsing their membership and get past members who didn't renew to look at us once more and join again. In other words, look at what changes and perks we can offer to "IPMS" members, current and past. Grow IPMSUSA by first keeping more of our members for longer time periods. 2) Target the vast majority of PLASTIC model builders everywhere who never joined IPMS and may not even know about us. We made need to make some changes for them and offer more "bang for the buck" to do so, but at least they're a group with a like interest, as opposed to train hobbyists or your quilters (and I doubt you'll find crocheters welcome to display at the quilting show, by the way!) Doing both of the above has the potential to substantially grow IPMSUSA from its steady 4000+ membership to probably 5-6000 or more, and is much more realistic because it targets people familiar with us as well as those with the EXACT same interest. If that sounds like I'm a bit less inclusive, or even inclusive ONLY to PLASTIC modelers for growth, then you ARE reading me correctly! I am NOT for "diversity" for the sake of being politically correct and do not feel the need to appeal to other types of model builders, as much as I might enjoy and even envy their skills. Gil
  10. To begin, I want to extend my thanks to you Jeff AND your staff for your hard work, as well as your outstanding communications for your show that set you and your committee head and shoulders above past shows. As one of the people who followed the rules and got screwed, I appreciate your clarification of what actually happened and why most of us had no honest shot of getting a room even if there were no glitches. As a past Nats host member (1997 Contest Chairman) I can also appreciate the feelings of frustration and even mortification when something you tried to make work blows up in your face, whether it was within your direct control or something unforeseen. I personally appreciate your answering the questions I posed in starting this topic. Perhaps the lesson to be learned from this year, and last year, AND the years before is that the idea of creating a "room reservation date" is a bad one, or at least one that has since become unwieldy and unworkable. Why not just leave it up to the hotels involved to take reservations whenever they want, and as far in advance as their systems will let them? Why saddle future hosts with the extra job of trying to control who gets rooms? The real "reservation fight" isn't a brawl among all of our members, it's just generally among those of us who attend regularly and plan to go to as many as we can.... and leave THAT to the hotels and that group. As for myself.... I'm hoping to score a room at the ES when they become available. And don't be surprised when many of those at the outlying hotels book the ES too, and then cancel their first reservations at the outlying hotels. You may run the risk of not meeting your room nights AT THOSE, or it may seem so til closer to the show when others may fill those cancelled rooms. In other words, your frustrations with room reservations probably aren't over yet.... On a side note.... I do hope that between now and the end of the convention, or at least the end of the year you'll reconsider quitting IPMS. I know we disagree on some issues going forward as to the overall direction IPMSUSA should take, but IPMSUSA needs clear thinking and dedicated people like you. We'd be a better Society with your input and membership. Cheers! Gil
  11. Vision..... that is a good question to ponder for the future of IPMSUSA. To begin, I completely disagree with the "2030 Vision" proposed my ex-Eboard member Rob Booth. I disagree with its basic premise of growing and expanding the Eboard and also with the idea of being ALL inclusive and trying to appeal to ALL modelers, instead of targeting PLASTIC modelers. I also vehemently dislike its ideas of Ethics Committees and "periodic training" to educate the membership as to what they should think according to IPMS and to be an IPMS member. And it's not just a problem of "philosophy".... creating more board positions, more committees, and more tasks for both creates more work and the need for more people in a volunteer Society that has a tough time finding enough qualified people now. The entire thing is designed and offered as if IPMSUSA is some sort of corporation with "employees" instead of paying members, vast resources, and a much larger budget than it has. That said, I agree that there HAS to be a solid vision proposed going forward that while allowing for change, secures and preserves the things that have served IPMS well and that have been proven to work. It needs to be simple enough going forward so that when one Eboard eventually steps down the next can easily pick up the reins and continue that work. And it has to be a vision with LESS direct control of of our membership, not more. Consult "outsiders"? Why? What other group? Anyone else we might look at has a singular advantage over IPMS: they all have a vested appeal to ONE group. NNL serves CAR modelers and doesn't worry about pleasing aircraft and armor builders. AMPS attracts armor builders and isn't concerned with including sci-fi builders. A show like Wonderfest is targeted at figure and sci-fi modelers and only include VERY limited categories for "others" out of politeness, and not in order to attract them to the show. IPMS, on the other hand, has to try to appeal to ALL PLASTIC model builders.... and THAT in and of itself is a big disadvantage because most modelers just aren't interested in genres they don't build themselves. THAT limits who we can appeal to, even within the plastic modeling community itself. We do indeed need a vison going forward. But FIRST we need to decide HOW big we really want to be, and then exactly WHO we want to target to join us. That will hopefully tell us IF we need to change and HOW MUCH we need to change. Then we can seriously consider our options that give us the best chances to achieve those goals. But I can say that having been a member of what has been a solid, successful hobby group like IPMSUSA for almost 50yrs, that we need to be very careful not to destroy WHO WE ARE in trying to be something we were never designed to be to begin with.... a club that welcomes every sort of non-plastic model builder like the 2030 Vision proposes. Gil
  12. It's with a very heavy heart I announce that James Corley passed away on Monday afternoon in Pensacola. He suffered a severe stroke last Sunday and didn't recover. His wife Debbie is requesting some privacy at this time, no flowers be sent, and will announce when a memorial service may be held in that area. For those of you who didn't have the privilege of personally knowing James, he was a very long time, very active IPMSUSA member. He served on past Eboards as Secretary, was RC-3 for many years, as well as helping run his local chapters. He was a long time Atlanta GA resident and in those years ran a very popular hobby shop and also was one of the principles who helped host the famed 2005 Nats there. I know I'm going to miss his grin, as well as his posts here. Gil
  13. Great looking work.... I'm not a Gunpla builder, but we have several in our local club who've been educating me! I know the MOST impressive thing I've seen, and one I'm still waiting to see bleed over into more traditional kits is the ability of companies like Bandai to mold different colored parts on the SAME set of sprues. I could hardly believe my eyes at how much more advanced Gundam kit molding is compared to more traditional kits! As I stated elsewhere, we've added a dedicated Display Zone/category JUST for Gundams/Gunpla at Jaxcon 2024. We're looking forward to seeing what turnout we get. We've also been promised several Gundam kits as donations for our raffle by one of the local shops doing a hot business in them and they'll have their own separate raffle can for those wanting to win them. Gil
  14. I've never like the cotton gloves! I always felt like I had less feel and grip when using them, and less confidence and more anxiety with them on. I suggest IPMSUSA provide nylon types of gloves, which give better tactile feel and grip, while still providing protection from skin oils and fingerprints. I too hope to make Telford, and generally have heard nary a negative word, except for trouble being able to get a hotel room anywhere near due to its popularity! Gil
  15. Good looking sheet! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.... I'll have to keep an eye peeled for that sheet! Gil
  16. I talked to Bruno a couple of weeks ago and he yelled at me too! 😁😁😁 If we quit, they win! Besides... as I stated somewhere else.... at this point I'll stay in IPMS JUST to make them squirm with my every post! 😉 Thanks to you, and to anyone else willing to step up to at least try to help and/or work at bettering IPMS and to repair the damage done last summer! Gil
  17. Love the wood grain painting. Nice project, and you can enjoy watching the movie for reference! Gil
  18. Good looking work! Question: Did the engine logo and placards come in the kit, and if not, where did you get them? Gil
  19. The Eboard will try to move on..... and rather than just blather here, I tossed my name into the ring to be considered. BUT..... IN MY APPLICATION I ALSO SAID I WOULD ACCEPT NO APPOINTMENT WITHOUT A SIGNED STATEMENT FROM THE EBOARD THAT THEY WOULD NOT "BOSS" THE NCC, AND LET IT REVERT TO WHERE THEY WORKED THROUGH THE CHIEF JUDGE, AS BEFORE. As I said above... I'm willing to work towards making changes in IPMS and help if I can, but I will not work FOR them, like some lacky. We'll see who will step up to work for them if they don't loosen their hold on the NCC. While I believe there will be good people with good intentions, I don't see how any "new" NCC can have the experience needed for Madison. Hopefully, for IPMS's sake, I'm wrong. It wouldn't be the first time, after all, I'm married! 😉 Gil
  20. As of THIS date, AFTER the passing of the last batch of amendments last fall, the NCC (whoever that is or will be) DOES indeed WORK FOR the Eboard. Ron is correct in that "technically" it has always been that way... BUT the Eboards of the past were SMART ENOUGH to take advantage of the NCCs experience and let them operate autonomously. As it stands now, IF THIS CURRENT Eboard insists on directly managing/bossing the NCC, I know I will never be a part of the judging corp again under ANY system or in ANY capacity. As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Nats have ALL been successes and grown larger for the last 10+yrs, yet they see the need to try to "fix" it. They're wrong in their approach to both that and their relationship with the NCC as it now stands. I consider that a separate issue from any perceived rules changes, contest changes, NCC make-up, or IPMS image changes; as the financial health and therefore IPMS's future depends largely on the Nats. And for those of you who are for MORE control by the Eboard as compared to in the past.... I must disagree and stand against your ideas. Gil
  21. Perhaps I mis-used the word.... Askew maybe? Anyway I meant I like the way they seem to be posed in a position not straight and implying they'd just been shrugged off and dropped down into a "just used" position, instead of placed or draped on the seat like you see most of the time. Sorry for the confusion! Gil
  22. Cameron asked: "Isn't it common for committees to answer to the e board? To be on the ncc right now they are looking for people that have been there for 10 years. Where is there room for new thoughts? " Yes... and up til now the NCC CHIEF JUDGE (not the entire committee) "answered" to the Eboard, and he served at the "pleasure of the President". HOWEVER, the NCC as a whole also worked autonomously without direct control or interference in the running of the Nats contest by the Eboards in the past. The Eboard in office last summer changed that by taking over the NCC, issuing orders instead of suggesting new guidelines, and some Eboard members directly told Head Judges (face to face) "YOU WORK FOR US". Thus, instead of working WITH the NCC, and using the Chief Judge to affect change (fire him if he doesn't lead in the direction you want to go), they decided to arrogantly dominate the entire NCC and that caused most of it to resign. As for the 10yrs of seniority and "new thoughts... With the loss of nearly every Head Judge IPMS lost DECADES of contest administration experience. The people they're asking to step up have to know HOW to run a contest, not just how to judge. AND, with the Madison show growing ever nearer, there's NO TIME to recruit neophiles and inexperienced volunteers to fill positions that need experienced guidance. There's room for new thoughts.... but there's a time and place also. Right now the Eboard and the interim Chief Judge have to put solving the Madison judging crisis as first priority. After that, perhaps starting with the NCC meeting on the Saturday after the judging there, THAT would be the place to start making suggestions and offering new ideas. Until then IPMS better rely on what's tried and true and has worked up til now. But what about your suggestion in the judging room that was laughed down (and was this at the Nats, or a local/regional show)? My guess is that it was an idea that's been tried and didn't work (and therefore was considered "silly"), but I'd like to know why you got that reaction. Would you mind asking it here? If not, feel free to message me separately and maybe I can help figure out why it got such a reaction. I can certainly sympathize with being made like feeling your idea wasn't even "worthy" of a civil or polite reply; which is a shame, though I tend to doubt it was intentional. Gil
  23. That "good old boys" moniker, or the idea that there's a "special grouping" which takes some sort of ingratiating go-along mentality (and perhaps learning a secret handshake) in order to be a part of is a complete misnomer, and one perpetuated by outsiders looking in. It's common everywhere in all kinds of volunteer societies, where even some members view other members as somehow being more accepted or privileged. And it's true.... BUT NOT in the way generally portrayed or thought of! People who volunteer to SERVE as officers at the local and national level, by their service, duties, and the interactions created in doing so become a separate group apart from the majority of those who do not serve. The volunteer officers and other appointed "officials" usually don't look askance at those who sit on the sidelines (well, there was that one "freeloader" comment....), BUT they do have something in common with each other that the rest cannot relate to because the majority are not "in" on those interactive dealings and the inner workings of the organization. That is why TRANSPARENCY and TRUST are so important for those who DO step up to do the work. It minimizes the bad perceptions created by the gap between those who serve and those who don't; and from those "in the know" and those who can only look on and hope their best interests are being taken care of. Those who serve are not better, or special, or more privileged, but they are (especially over time) a separate group within the group and can be viewed as good old boys who seemingly all know each other. And that group of good old boys is NOT a bad thing! The most famous "old boys club" is the CONTEST WINNERS! And those SAME PEOPLE always seem to keep winning.... Well then (from anyone who can't seem to win) it MUST be because the judges KNOW them! They're a part of the good old boys contest club and have an inside edge to begin with. It couldn't be they win because they have years of experience at their craft that gives them a leg up..... or that they're experienced judges themselves and learned the problems the judges look for (and thus the problems to avoid) and therefore make fewer mistakes..... or that they hold themselves to a higher standard than the vast majority of builders and thus build at a higher quality level... or that they consistently win because of all of the above. NO.... it HAS to be because they've wormed their way into the good graces of their judging friends and no one else outside of that good old boys club has a chance as an "outsider". It's easy to take on that attitude unless you're truly interested in an honest appraisal of your own building abilities and results. I challenge anyone inclined to think that way to come to the Nats and become a judge. It'll open your eyes as to why models win and especially as to how they're eliminated from the competition. And you'll find that the only "club" is those who've learned how to build at a higher level with fewer mistakes, and that it doesn't matter who you know. The "good old boys" club IS a perception problem that IPMSUSA will have to overcome at least to some degree in order to grow. That's why I've touted GSB over 1-2-3 as it allows for more people to be rewarded for excellent model building and could help lessen the idea of having to be "in" in order to win in IPMS. However, it's a problem of perception, and NOT a real problem. ANYONE can be a "good old boy" by stepping up to serve or to judge, making themselves less of an outsider and increasing their chances of being a contest winner. Gil
  24. Personally, if I hadn't read what you wrote before looking at the pics I'd have guessed the kit came with a real wood prop... it looks that good to me! As for that tip... it comes across to me as "stress fractures" that you might indeed see at the end of a used wooden blade, especially in the lower lit second picture. If it bothers you.... fix it.... but I'd dirty the entire prop up a bit (IF you are weathering the model in the end) and treat it as evidence of "use". Gil
  25. James: The ridiculously long number, I believe, is one that makes it immediately evident that THAT member joined AT the Nats and is assigned that number when they join there as an identifier. It is indeed a legitimate membership number, but one that the office uses to more easily track members who renew there as opposed to others who renew through the regular process or at a time other than the Nats. ALL: While we can argue over the idea of what the handling policy was, is, and should be; THAT was not and IS not the immediate problem.... the PROBLEM is that in response to the controversy over the pic (whether THAT was contrived or just bad luck) the Eboard issued an ORDER/EDICT to the NCC DICTATING a new policy for the Nats contest, and they did so BEFORE the amendments passed giving them any "right" to do so. Whether or not you agree or disagree with their idea of the handling policy, the PROBLEM is two-fold: First- they displayed an attitude of unwillingness to consider working WITH the NCC (and take advantage of their decades of practical experience), and instead adopted an immediate policy of telling them that the NCC works FOR them; something that had never been true (and still at that time wasn't). Second: The Eboard decided to double down on their totalitarian stance of being the "boss" of the NCC and precipitated the resignation of almost all of the Head Judges. It also caused the incoming Chief Judge to step back, and as of this date (and according to the Dec. Eboard meeting minutes) HE has declined to work for them too. Whatever you think of the NCC (and I've been their detractor more than a supporter) the LOSS of that much contest experience hurts IPMSUSA, and more importantly shows extreme short-sightedness on the Eboard. That leaves IPMSUSA without a group of experienced Nats contest leaders and administrators, and also calls into question how many of the judging corp will be willing to work in Madison UNLESS this Eboard takes immediate, positive, TRUSTWORTHY steps towards solving THAT problem (and I've already listed what steps I think they should take). The handling problem (perceived or real) and the percentage of "elected" Eboard members as well as how IPMS should tackle those problems (and others) in order to move forward with sure footing for the future are of lesser concern and priority at this time. Even with all of the "goodwill" that can be engendered from volunteer IPMS members and judges who go to Madison, IF the Eboard is counting on that alone to save the day and put their changes into place; I'm concerned they're banking on something that will come up very short. I'm STILL waiting after 5 pages of discussion for the President or another Eboard member to come here (or in the 3rd members only section below) and show me how my concerns are wrong or overblown. Gil
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