SteveCollins

I use a pair of scissors that were made for fly tying (fishing lures). They've got super-fine serrations along one blade that helps hold the PE. Put the edge of the scissor blade against the edge of the PE part and cut it off. You can do any necessary trimming with the scissors once the part is free. You can find them at Cabela's, Bass Pro Shop, or any fly fishing store. They normally cost about $10, though. I haven't had any parts run away and join the Flying PE Brothers since using them. Just lucky, I guess. Steve

Dave, Welcome to IPMS and the groups. Wargames terrain, huh? Sounds like a subject for a seminar at a Nationals sometime. I know I'd attend. Used to do a lot of Napoleonics and 1/285th armor wargaming. Always a fun way to lose a day. Steve

Beautiful work, John. Welcome to the group. I've always found the Canberra to be a fascinating aircraft. From sleek, fast, and maneuverable to lumpy, bumpy, and dark, she would do anything and everything. And covered all altitudes, from dodging trees in SW Asia to extreme heights a little further north or west from there. Steve

Welcome to the crowd, Donnie. I look forward to meeting you at one of the shows out here in the Wild West. I'm just finishing a Wildcat myself. Steve

Welcome to the asylum, Phil. I look forward to meeting you and seeing your work in Omaha. Steve

Starfighter - One problem you may be facing is that the F-22 is not made by Boeing. It's built by Lockheed Martin, same as the F-35. Sorry, I don't have any of the plans to help you with, though. Steve

AMS Resins makes intake covers in, well, resin for the Tamiya kit. Quickboost makes a set, too. CAM made some at one point. The F-4 intake cover has some depths and angles to it, but they're buildable with sheet plastic if you want to go that route. Steve

"What is the warning % Dennis?" Is that anything like "What is the frequency Kenneth?" I'm just askin'.... Steve

Great idea! I've seen some fantastic models, only to be stunned to find they were paper. Let me preface my next statements by saying that the IPMS/USA 2010 National Convention organization in no way endorses any products or services, nor do we advocate against any. We were contacted by a gentleman representing Ecardmodels.com. He asked if we could pass an offer along to the membership, but we did not want to set a precedent by advertising for him on our website. This seems a good place to forward his offer. "...I would like to make this offer to all modelers/entrants. If they would like any model from my business to enter into ANY IPMS contest I will provide the model free of charge. All I ask in return is some pictures of the finished model and a pic of it in the show. To purchase their model they need to visit www.ecardmodels.com/shop choose the model they want and purchase using check/money order. Include a note as to the show the model will be entered into and I will manually approve the purchase. Thanks Chris Gutzmer Owner Ecardmodels.com" This is all the information I have. Any transactions relating to this offer should be directed to Chris Gutzmer at Ecardmodels.com. Steve

Ronald, Welcome to the forums. You'll find a pretty great bunch of people here. I'll almost guarantee that, if you post a question about a model or a technique, you'll get answers that will really help you. Big pool of talent you're standing on the diving board over. Bounce a couple of times and jump in! Steve

I don't think so. From what I understand, the manufacturer had some difficulty procuring the bottles it's sold in last year. When he found another source, it became available again. My LHS keeps it in and restocks regularly. IF yours can't find it, MicroMark sells a product called SameStuff that is supposed to be chemically identical. Steve

Mike, The guys might be right about going with what you know to first learn the double-action side. After that, you can tweak the style of brush. I started with a double-action, so I learned the hard way. But I was a dedicated Badger fan for many years. I have smaller hands (not like the guy in the Burger King ads, but...) so the Paasche brushes just don't seem to fit well. So, I stuck with the Badger brushes because they fit right and were reasonably economical. Then I got an Iwata HP-C and fell in love. So I bought another, an HP-BCS, for more general work. At Virginia Beach, Jim Clark, bless his pointy little head, directed me to the Harder & Steenbeck booth. That time, I fell in lust. That brush, the Infinity with changable paint cups and the .4mm and .15mm (yes, .15mm) needles and heads, is fantastic. But, it's pricey. So, I'd suggest staying with what you're familiar with if you're comfortable with the Paasche. If not, try one of the Badger or Iwata Eclipse brushes. Both are good brushes for general use and for detailing with the right heads and needles. Steve

I have a regular florescent light attached to the shelves centered over the workbench with a swingarm incandescent on either side of the bench. The florescent fills the blue range and the incandescents fill the red and yellows. The colors look good to me plus I get no shadowing and I don't have to move the lights around when I'm working. Steve

Welcome to the forums and to IPMS, Ron. Guys who do sailing ships all all my respect. I'm lucky to tie my shoes. Steve

Welcome to the crowd, Jesse. You might try to look up Chris Bucholtz, the editor of the Journal. He lives somewhere in the bay area and might be a lot of help to you. Steve

That might work. Depends on what the daughter is doing (she's visiting on her way moving from Honolulu to Bangor, Washington), but I'll let Mike know. Hope to see you then. Steve

Hey, Rebecca. It's nice to have someone else here who understands that 'hey' is Southern for 'hello.' Welcome to the groups. Steve

Welcome to the groups, John. Personally, I think it's sort of a natural progression from aircraft and armor to sci-fi. You can do all the research you want into the history and development of your subjects and use your imagination to take that past today into the future. Great to have you and good luck with the grandson. Steve

Aw, man! I'm gonna be out of town from Oct 9-11. Maybe we'll still get a chance to cross paths. Mike's info is good. Steve

Man, I sure hope that Sherman is 1/35 scale. Otherwise, I'm quitting right now. Great work, Ryan. Welcome to the zoo. Steve

Welcome, John. Can't be anything seriously wrong with a man who worked bent-winged bug-suckers. Well, except for the scars, maybe. Glad to have you. Steve

Beauties, Daniel. Welcome to the forums. Steve

John, Glad to have you. Wish there were more train to models crossovers. So many of the techniques are the same. Steve

Welcome, Brian. Come see us in Phoenix. November 14 is Modelzona and August 4-7, 2010 is the Nats. Look forward to seeing you. Steve

Welcome back into the fold, as it were. Ah, the Jug. "No wonder the Yank pilots always bring them home. The plane is big enough to run around in and dodge the bullets." Steve