Clik here to view.
Weathering Tamiya’s 1/32 F4U-1 Corsair, Pt 2
In Part 1, the focus was all about chipping and fading. In Part 2, things will shift to dirt and grime and oil and grease. Let’s get filthy! Washes, Filters and Stains, Oh My! The Corsair was so prone...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Eight Dream Kits
It’s a great time to be a modeler. It seems like every other week, some amazing new kit is announced. But there’s still plenty of ground to cover…so here’s a list of eight dream kits that, if produced,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Not Dead Yet
This month’s Sprue Cutters’ Union question pokes the perennial hornets’ nest: “Is scale modeling a dying hobby?” Groan. It’s one of the most common – and most tiresome – rants one encounters in this...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Happy Place
Modeling is supposed to be a hobby, right? A way to have some fun and relax. But let’s face it, there’s a whole spectrum of fun and relaxing. At one end, there’s swearing horrible seams in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lighten Up, Francis
Recently, I committed the apparently way over-the-line act of teasing someone who really, really cared quite a bit about the accuracy of a certain upcoming kit. By posting this… Well, it kicked off a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Trumpeter 1/48 Su-9 Fishpot Quick Review
With the 1/48 Sukhoi Su-9 Fishpot, Trumpeter adds to the growing list of new-tool Soviet aircraft that have been ignored for too long. The Su-9 was a heavy, all-weather interceptor designed to counter...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thoughts on Tamiya’s New 1/32 Mosquito FB.VI
Well, it’s official…ish. Recently, Brett Green spilled the beans all over the interwebs. Tamiya’s next 1/32 kit will be the De Havilland Mosquito FB.VI. Speculation regarding Tamiya’s next subject has...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That
The Combat Workshop asks an interesting question this month: do you bother with details that won’t necessarily be seen on the finished model? The short answer? No. The longer answer? Usually not. It...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Rocky Year…
Man. Somehow, it’s already late August. 2015 is just about two-thirds of the way done. And what do I have to show for it so far? Two completed builds. Just two. And one of them was mostly done in 2014…...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gluing Shit Together 101
When I came back to modeling in 2010, I initially had a lot of questions about glue. After all, my last experience had been building models as a kid, and the glue situation was pretty much as follows:...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Out with the Old
Labor Day weekend. The family out of town. The house to myself. The heat of summer starting to (kind of) relinquish its grip. The perfect time, in other words, to give the bench a good, deep cleaning....
View ArticleClik here to view.
On Scales
The Combat Workshop poses an interesting topic for September’s Sprue Cutters’ Union: What’s your preferred scale(s)? What do you like, what do you not like, and why? I’ve put a lot more thought into...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Interview with Baris Tansoy of TANMODEL
Since returning to modeling in 2010, I’ve seen several new kitmakers come onto the scene. Quality has sometimes varied. Some manufacturers burst out of the gates while others took a few kits to find...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Problem with Panel Line Shading
So this is the post where I get to shit all over other people’s builds! Not really. Or at least, that is not my intent. My intent is to talk about shading panel lines (mainly pre-shading, but also...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Down with Attaboy Culture
Recently, a certain modeler shared his latest build on a certain forum. A very nice build, with some really excellent touches that I think a lot of modelers often miss. The thread predictably filled...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thoughts on a Show
The annual Austin IPMS contest was today. Despite falling on the same weekend as ACL and the TX/OU game, turnout was actually pretty good. There were a lot of entries, hopping vendor tables, and blah...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Decals Matter, Yo
For October’s Sprue Cutters Union, The Combat Workshop asks: Whether it’s a part of the assembly process, a finishing technique, or a particular tool, what do you think are the essential aspects you...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Panel Lines: Do They Even Exist?
My recent rant against egregious panel line shading has drawn quite a hefty response. Plenty of voices of support…and of butthurt and defensiveness. A few who have mistaken the entire thing as some...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The 4 Key Attributes of Kits – and the 2 Reviews Usually Miss
Butthurt Prevention Note: This hobby is highly dependent upon preferences and perspectives. What follows is my own. Yours may differ. And that’s totally fine. When I first came back to modeling, I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fetishizing the Enemy
Fellow modelers, we need to have a talk. Because…what the actual fuck? What’s the deal with this hobby’s fascination with German crap? A 109 here, a Panther there, I get it. In moderation, German...
View Article