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ipmsusa2

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  1. ipmsusa2
    Sounds like a broken record in some respects, but: Floquil Pactra MicroScale/Superscale Profiles Monthly magazines besides Finescale printed in the U.S. Aurora kits (some of'em) Comet kits (some of the plastic ones) Monogram kits Testors kits (some of'em) Williams Bros. kits (the original company) Hawk kits (some of'em) Original singlespeed Dremels with external speed control box. You could pull those down to 100 rpm. 35mm film cameras Ilford HP5 b&w film I've been in this game so long that I shudder to think how long this list could wind up being. And one more thing: In spite of this being a relative golden age of model kits where detail and huge parts number are concerned, I miss the good ol' days of kits with 80 or 90 parts that could be built into National prize winners. How many of us really want 1/48 or 1/32 single seat fighters with 400 - 500 parts? Worse, half the parts replicate detail fitting inside the fuselage where all that detail will never be seen again!
  2. ipmsusa2
    There's nothing like having the original tech orders that specified how camouflage was to be applied to aircraft, both Air Corp and Navy, in WW-II. Even better are the exact specs for insignia and the dates when each insignia style was used. 51 years ago, Jay Frank Dial...a professional modelbuilder and amateur aviation historian...produced a thin book that summarized that information using nothing more than the original tech orders as his source. Jay passed away many years ago and his book has become virtually impossible to find. Since I knew Jay at the time he produced the book, I have an original. To honor Jay and to make that original material available to one an all, I have produced his book in a downloadable PDF format. It has also been enhanced with an index to make finding the information easier, along with ten photos of actual aircraft to help you see what the camouflage patterns really looked like. Viewable with an Adobe Acrobat Reader or print out any or all of it as a hard copy. Price is a paltry $9.99 and can be purchased by going to this link: http://modelersweaponsshop.freeyellow.com/camouflagebook.html
  3. ipmsusa2
    Paul, your comments about making the convention more appealing to unaffiliated modelers...even the general public that simply finds modelbuilding interesting but not necessarily for them...brings up a question that I haven't seen addressed. Have there ever been any conventions that focused on publicizing the convention...and even the ipms/usa itself...on the general media? I'm talking local newspaper(s) and television news. Keep in mind that local tv news...whether 6:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m...are always looking for human interest stories as fillers. Find a local IPMS member who will be attending the convention and promote him (or her) to the news station as a potential story subject. That way you can tie in both the Convention and the IPMS. Then there's radio ads on local talk shows...or even music stations. Advertising cost is generally very low. And keep in mind that model railroad clubs will frequently create a modular train layout that can be transported and set up at a local mall for the Christmas season. Believe it or not, they charge admission, with some of the proceeds going to a charity of their choice. IPMS could do something similar to promote the convention. Richard
  4. ipmsusa2
    Bruce, You're entirely correct. This is also something that few people think about when they agitate for the way things are done in Europe being copied in the U.S. Direct applications...even semi-direct applications...don't transfer for a multitude of reasons, the first of which is the sheer size differential. Then there's attitude, culture, transportation options, etc., ad nauseum...............
  5. ipmsusa2
    If this discussion has done anything, it's resulted in some very interesting and creative alternatives to the current Convention system. One thing that has become apparent is that there are significant aspects of the current system that we either don't want to change or shouldn't. Still others...such as a non-convention center venue...could be a smart move. Will changes be made? Certainly. That's inevitable given the economics of the day, constant price increases, our own Convention requirements and on and on. It's interaction such as what is occurring on this thread that is needed to help guide us in the right direction.
  6. ipmsusa2
    Jim, Based on nothing more than I've been reading in this thread, having the Convention in the same centrally located city every year makes sense. Particularly if the costs can be kept down, lower fees can be offered to attendees, Omaha is ready, willing and able to shoulder the load every year and we still make a decent profit when all's said and done. That said, there's a slew of us who would rarely if ever make another Convention. Is this fair? Not hardly...but life, as has frequently been said, isn't fair. Of course, any of us who REALLY want to make a Convention can always start saving for two or three years down the road. The problem there is that savings have a nasty tendency to be absorbed by various unexpected emergencies at the worst possible moment. Maybe my observation makes sense. Maybe it doesn't. Maybe there's a better solution. If there is, I'm all for it. Maybe the best thing we can do is keep rocking along the way we have, on the premise that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." After all, the way we're doing now has worked for a lot of years. Comments anyone?
  7. ipmsusa2
    Good points have been made all around, but there's one other that needs to be added. When I announced my How To Make Your Own Decals ebook, I was contacted with a request to do a seminar on the subject. Sadly I had to decline due to both the financial and time requirements that reared their head when you considered driving round trip between Fort Worth, Texas and Columbus, Ohio. I'd suggest this also has a bearing on others who might be requested to do seminars from time to time.
  8. ipmsusa2
    Mark, I know what you're saying. The only Nats I've ever made was Dallas in 2000. That's also when we had a blast furnace summer and I was driving back and forth from Fort Worth in temps that were 105 plus. It doesn't where the Nats are, it's a long haul for me. The closest they've ever gotten outside of Dallas for me was OK City and I doubt that'll ever happen again. So, like you, it's local shows for me...if I can even make them. Keep in mind that it's 210 miles to Austin, 270 to San Antonio and about the same to Houston. Problem is the miles don't tell the whole story. Oh, yeah, if they ever had a decent local show in El Paso, that's out of the question. 600 miles. Sigh! Looks like the dream of attending another Nats while I'm still breathing has crashed and burned!!
  9. ipmsusa2
    Jerry was a pioneer in this industry in about any way you care to name. While he was operating from Hazel Park, Michigan, Jerry was one of the first...if not the very first to supply me with sample kits for magazine articles. I still have the Tamiya 1/25th scale Tiger I that was built for...I believe...the old Model Car Science magazine. It still looks pretty darn good, too, even after nearly fifty years. Yes, indeed, Jerry was special in so many ways. Richard
  10. ipmsusa2
    John, appreciate your comments. Now go make a decal for yourself!
  11. ipmsusa2
    Skip, Thanks for your comments. I've had a decent response so far. Hopefully it'll keep selling! Now to get started on my next ebook, which'll be a construction how-to on one of the old Monogram kits. I'm also revising one of my early CD-ROM photo galleries with larger photos where possible and a little more information. Richard
  12. ipmsusa2
    Noel, part of your next to last sentence..."not to mention ambulance chasing lawyers and parents too willing to sue over the slightest accident" identifies one of our biggest problems. I have thought several times about trying to develop a modelbuilding class for kids...meaning ages 8 or 10 on up...at either a Hobby Lobby, LHS or even a nearby library and have decided against it. Why? Several reasons, such as: 1. They can't build a model without either handing them an exacto knife or having one available for their use. This alone puts you in danger of being accused of 'transferring a weapon to a minor'. Remember, some model kit manufacturers have gone so far as to put a notice in their instructions that you need to "be sure to push the knife away from you because knives are sharp and you might get cut." 2. Even a sprue cutter can draw blood if you get your finger in the way. That's a lawsuit that would claim you 'failed to exercise proper control of a dangerous tool'. 3. Model glue, liquid or otherwise. Since the fumes are toxic if concentrated or deliberately inhaled, the only solution to that one is to hand out respirators to everyone attending. Of course I've been using glue of all kinds for more decades than I can count and I still have both my liver and my brains. But the courts would ignore that fact. I could go on, but things are nowhere as ridiculous as that list sounds. They're worse. Recently, a father in the Ft. Worth area accidentally discharged his gun inside his OWN HOME while preparing to clean it. The slug went thru an inside wall, barely missing his daughter. While that might have been stupid, it was nothing more than an accident that occurred within a private home. In spite of that, he wound up being charged with Injury To A Child, which is a felony. Since the daughter wasn't hurt, where is the justification for the charge? Is it any wonder that we have to think three times about the legal risks of anything we do these days? And don't get me started about copyright and intellectual rights violations! That one is a quicksand bog all its own.
  13. ipmsusa2
    Comments and orders are very much appreciated. If you like it, recommend it to anyone you know. Clarence, thanks for the Wings card. Richard
  14. ipmsusa2
    Hi all, It's February 16 and the Decal E-book has just been made available for sale. From now until the 1st of March, the price is a mere $3.99. After that, it goes to $4.99. So where do you get it? All you have to do is click on Scale Publications and you'll go right to it. I hope y'all enjoy it. Feedback is encouraged so it can be improved and expanded, depending on what you would like to see. Richard p.s. If someone in the review corps wants a copy for review, I'll be happy to send one to them. Just give me a shout.
  15. ipmsusa2
    Hi all, Hang in there. The ebook's almost done. 13,000 words so far. In PDF format, it's 60 pages or maybe a little more. As you know, pages don't count in the various ebook formats. It all depends on the size of the screen you're reading on. If I can go without sleep...and put off some of my commission work...it'll be done by the 15th of February. Price will be $4.99 and I'll see what I can do to knock it down a buck or so for IPMS members. Richard
  16. ipmsusa2
    Hi all, Just to let you know, my How To Make Your Own Decals Ebook is moving right along. Every day I find something else that needs to be discussed, but it now looks to be finished and available by February 15. It better be, since I am scheduled to make a presentation on that date for the local IPMS group! You'll have your choice of multiple formats, including epub, mobi and pdf. Price? Either $3.99 or $4.99. Anyway, below is the current table of contents for your consideration. Richard Table Of Contents Prologue Introduction Chapter 1: Equipment Scanners Aftermarket Scanning Programs Computers Printers H-P Photosmart 8250 Epson Workforce 840 Epson XP-410 Brother J6920DW Ink Software Photoshop Open Office Draw Microsoft Paint Gimp Chapter 2: Decal Paper Who Actually Makes The Paper Testors Experts Choice Micro-Mark Papilio Chapter 3: Fixatives Testors Decal Bonder Testors Glosscote & Dullcote Krylon Crystal Clear Papilio Aerosol Decal Fixative & Ink Freeze Microscale Liquid Decal Film Deft Clear Wood Finish in Gloss, Satin & Matte Chapter 4: Capturing The Image Chapter 5: Restoring Old Decals Chapter 6: Resizing Chapter 7: Creating A New Image Chapter 8: Printing The Decal Chapter 9: Sealing The Decal Chapter 10: Applying The Decal Chapter 11: Alternate Techniques Epilogue About The Author
  17. ipmsusa2
    Hi all, I need to build a 1/200 scale C-141B for a client. The guy is a church member, recently retired from American Airlines and who did maintenance on the C-141B in Viet Nam. The Dragon kit is what I'm looking for and it was available before Christmas from both Sprue Brothers and Hobby Linc. As luck would have it, I didn't have the commission until after Christmas and everybody was out of stock. They're still out of stock. So...does anyone have one of the Dragon kits that they'd be willing to part with for somewhere around the retail price? Plus shipping, of course. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Richard
  18. ipmsusa2
    I got nuthin' too. Course when you consider this is both a hobby and business for me, it's a little hard for anyone to buy kits for me. But I did get a gift card from Hobby Lobby. Combine that with their 40% off coupons and things could be very interesting before long. Let's see...if a kit costs $80, then less 40% equals.....
  19. ipmsusa2
    If John's a glutton for punishment, so am I. After spending over a year...and counting...detailing the construction of a Catepillar 60 in 1/35 scale in my monthly The Model Shop column (converting the Trumpeter Russian Tractor with the help of an LZ conversion kit), I'm about to start a Plus Models kit. This one is the Belarus Soviet Earthmover in 1/35 scale. 232 resin parts, photoetch sheet, rubber hoses, wire and decals. Oh, yeah, I won't start it for another day or so and it has to be finished by January 15 in order to be the cover image of the March 2015 Toy Farmer Magazine. The actual construction article will be a two parter in both the March and April issues. At the same time I'll be finishing my How To Make Your Own Decals ebook, laying the groundwork for another one and either making progress or finishing four...or is it six?...commission projects for clients. Then in my spare time....
  20. ipmsusa2
    Hey Bob, Sure. Send'em on. Note that the Alps printer will not be discussed in my ebook due to its lack of availability, nor will laser printers. It'll be interesting to see if your techniques will convert to inkjets in a more efficient way. Richard
  21. ipmsusa2
    One and all, Appreciate your comments and interest. Target date is still end of December/early January. When it's ready, I will be providing a series of links that will make your purchase as easy as possible. At the present time, I'm researching another printer in order to provide as wide a spread of recommendations as I can. After the ebook becomes available...assuming y'all like it...I'd encourage you to post comments and reviews. Also, recommend the ebook to other modelers who might not be aware of its existence. Richard
  22. ipmsusa2
    That they were, Ed. That they were. Again, many thanks for the help. Richard
  23. ipmsusa2
    What can I say? Thank you.
  24. ipmsusa2
    Thanks, Mark. Glad you like it.
  25. ipmsusa2
    Hi all, Now that we can attach photos directly to email, here's a few photos that I know Ed Wahl's been waiting for. As for the rest of you, the photos and model are part of a construction article I wrote called "Dirtmaster" that appeared in the August 2014 issue of Toy Trucker & Contractor. Ed, I hope you approve of what I did with your kit. Richard
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