dvonalmen

I finally got my Sept/Oct issue of the Journal here in Hawaii a few days before Thanksgiving. Since I do not do Face Book I have to rely on the forum for news on the mailing of the Journal. From the look of Marie's FB post of Jan. 6th I am guessing that the Nov/Dec 2020 issue will be in Hawaii some time in February or early March - about the time I would be looking for the Jan/Feb 2021 issue. Guess Covid has slowed down everyone. Have a nice day. David Von Almen, Gentleman Modeler in the islands

Mark, Thanks for sharing. Glad to see someone building models during these crazy times. I am trying to get some stuff finished but like you my painting is not the best plus I live on an island where it rains almost everyday this time of year. I am having to learn new techniques in the paint area. But as the old saying goes - Practice makes perfect. Keep on building. Have a nice day. David Von Almen, Gentleman Modeler in the islands

Welcome back to the group. Have a nice day. David Von Almen, Gentleman Modeler

Dak, Great job. Reminds me of the back room at the Habitat ReStore. Have a nice day and keep on modeling. David Von Almen, Gentleman modeler in the islands

Welcome to IPMS/USA. It is a great place to meet fellow modelers and if you are a remote modeler it keeps you in touch with the hobby. Have a nice day and model on. David Von Almen, Gentleman modeler in the islands

Wow, these sound great to me. One question - do you ship to Hawaii? Have a nice day. David Von Almen, Gentleman Modeler on the island

Rick, Nice job on these cars. Open wheel racers are really nice when detailed like you have them. Thank you for sharing them on the forum. David Von Almen, Gentleman modeler

Mark, Very nice work. I really like the small scale cars but my eyes just don't like them much any more. Thank you for sharing. David Von Almen, Gentleman Modeler

Very nice job. I like both the forklift and the pallet jack.. David Von Almen, Gentleman Modeler

Wonderful build. I really like the Pixar lamp logo. David Von Almen, gentleman modeler in the islands

Sorry you have been having this issue. I find white to be the most difficult color to paint. On my 1953 and 1954 Corvette models I used a gloss clear that said it never yellows but over the years both have begun to do just that. Now for the question. Did you prime the body before painting? On my 1954 I primed the body with white primer and on the 1953 I used gray then white primers. The '54 has yellowed the most but it was built about 10 years earlier than the '53 and I learned a little more about paint. Sorry I don't have any idea why your paint dried flat but I just had to respond because I am a Vettehead and love talking about, building models of and driving Corvettes. Have a nice day and as they say in the Corvette world "Save the Wave". David Von Almen, Gentleman modeler

Hello Julio. Welcome to the forum. I see from your IPMS number you have known just how great being a member of IPMS/USA really is. I see you are in Perry, Georgia. Have you looked into the IPMS Gen. Robert L. Scott Chapter that meets and the Museum of Aviation? A great bunch of folks. I have been a member of the chapter for 35 years. Now I am their long distance member living in Hawaii. Check them out if you haven't already. Have a nice day. David Von Almen, Gentleman Modeler (in paradise)

Wow! What a great read. I feel IPMS/USA is alive and well. As for shows I have to say I miss those parts of the Society the most. Living in Hawaii the shows are very far away and talk about expense of getting there - over the top. However, I am really looking forward to the 2021 Nationals in Las Vegas as Las Vegas is known as the ninth island here in Hawaii and there are a lot of flights from here to there so I will be there and hopefully with a couple of models to show off. Keep building. David Von Almen, Gentleman modeler (in paradise)

Paul, Enjoy screaming down the Autobahn. I drive a Corvette Grand Sport Convertible on the island but with the average speed limit of 35mph on the island there is no screaming going on here just fun top down cruising. Have a nice day and build a model. David Von Almen, Gentleman Modeler

The first thing we need to do for our own PR is talk up modeling when ever you can. Modeling is a solitary hobby mostly done by yourself in your hobby room so a Society like IPMS/USA is a great way to make new friends and meet people with like interests. My own experience came over 33 years ago when I joined my local club and was the only automotive modeler in the group. Took some time to get in with the group but I helped myself by inviting other automotive modelers I met along the way - 6 to 8. Some stayed and some left rather quickly and life took it toll also. PR is up to all of us and we have a harder time now than ever before due to the need for instant gratification that seems to be the norm today. Having recently moved to Hawaii, I was invited to an neighbor's BBQ to meet families in our neighborhood. During a conversation on history I asked the neighbor if he built models and found out the he and his oldest son had just begun doing just that. So I offered to be a resource for questions. That is how PR should be done - get out and ask. Have a nice day and build a model. David Von Almen, Gentleman Modeler (now in the islands)

Wow Paul been a while. Germany is a long way from good old Warner Robins. I too have left the area and now reside on the lovely island of Oahu on the North Shore. Good to know where you are these days. David Von Almen, Gentleman Modeler

Thank you Mike for sharing this wonderful build. I read your post about writing for the Journal. Trust me you have the skills and the talent to write for the Journal. Heck most of your work is done with the posts you have made here. I can tell you, if I was still the editor of the Journal I would be asking you to write this build up to share with the whole society. You used techniques that all modelers can use. Please consider doing an article. The rest of us car guy would love to see it in print. Again, great build. Have a nice day. David Von Almen Gentleman Modeler

Very nice job so far. I am looking forward to the finished model. Have you thought about doing an article for the Journal. I am sure that Chris would like to have one on this nice build. Have a nice day. David Von Almen Gentleman Modeler

Welcome to IPMS/USA and the forum. I build models for the fun and relaxation (sometimes frustration). I build automotive subjects most of the time, expecially Corvettes. I have loved cars all of my life and through modeling I can own just about any car there is without all of the expense. After joining IPMS/USA I ventured into some of the other areas of the hobby and have enjoyed those trips. I am currently building a ship model. It poses different problems but I am learning new techniques that I can bring back to my cars. I can say that I am a modeler that is continuously in the build mode. For 17 years I was the editor of the IPMS Journal and during that time my modeling time was very limited. Now I am trying to get to my collection of kits and build as many as I can. My local club has and is a wonderful place to learn and just visit with friends that share the same interest. Our group has a once a month build meeting, which gives us the time to just visit and build together (and sometimes the stories outshine the building). Thanks for asking and keep modeling. David