Any scale modelers out there?

[Nathans_Dad]

My son has recently gotten the model bug. Since he's 5, most of the actual building of the model falls to me. I'm not too upset by this, since I was a pretty avid modeler in my youth as well.

Anyone out there into scale modeling?

Care to share any projects?

Also, anyone have any suggestions on a decent starter airbrush? After I finish this NASCAR car, I have a 1/48 scale Spitfire in the wings. I have never done any airbrushing before, but since WWII aircraft are my favorite models to build I think an airbrush would be a reasonable investment.

[Super_Dave_D]

I still do but with work, a child and the 911, I dont seem to turn them out like I used to. Everything gets sold on Ebay to help supplement the 911 bug!

Here is a couple of mine - I do 1/35 Armor.

Tiger I

Panzer IV E

German T34(R)

Panzer II Luchs

[IROC]

I actually have a Tamiya 1/12 scale 934 model (the Jagermeister car) that I have been meaning to drag out and start building.

The last thing I built was a 1/48th scale WW2 F4U Corsair. We accidently left our digital camera with a friend - maybe I'll take a cell phone pic.

[Buckterrier]

I have built one wooden ship model, 1/4" scale, have another in progress, 14 gun American brig.

[Nathans_Dad]

Wow Dave, those are amazing!

I also give props to Mark on the wooden ships, I have always wanted to tackle a wooden ship but never got the nerve up...

[Buckterrier]

Thanks N'sD. And yes Dave those are awesome.!
It's really fun making the spares and such. Each cannon took about 1 1/2 hours to rig, and people say I don't have patience!!

[Mr.Puff]

I love building models ... can't paint worth a damn though .

Nice work guys .

[Super_Dave_D]

Thanks! I love those ships!!! I wish I could do that!

Here is a picture of the Tiger before I painted it. It shows how much time and detail I put in them.

A lot of photo-etch brass parts that have to be bent to shape and then worn for realism. It also has a turned aluminum 88 barrel.

The hardest part is the Zimmeritt. This was anti-mine paste (like cement) that was hand applied at the factory and only on the vertical areas. Most mid and late model Tigers (and other German tanks) received this treatment. As the tank was used in battle it tended to chip off. I replicated this with putty.

[nostatic]

you guys have way too much time and patience. I suggest more coffee and kids

[mikester]

I do scale radio control model airplanes. I've got the competition bug but have only been competing on the 'fun' scale level which is mostly just flying scale-like airplanes.

I'm working on moving up into an actual judged class in 2010 or so. I'm contemplating my first competition model.

[Palum6o]

Since my early teens, I was into RC cars. I simply loved building them, tweaking with gear ratios, using different wheels/tires. Back then most cars were electric, now everything seems to be gas. I was borderline addicted. My favorite car was the RC-10. I also had an RC-12 and many other Bolink street racers.

[911boost]

Nathans_dad,

When I painted one of my tactical shot guns, using the Dura Coat finish, I purchased an airbrush and a small compressor. It worked perfectly for what I was doing, meaning, I didn't want to lay down lots of paint.

I have the Fusion F1 Air Compressor like this:
http://www.dickblick.com/zz251/28/

I have teh Paasch Model H airbrush, like this:
http://www.dickblick.com/zz250/05b/

I hope that helps.

Bill

[Nathans_Dad]

I ordered the Paasche H kit today from Tower Hobbies. Got the whole thing for $50 which is a decent price I think.

I plan to hook it up to my garage compressor, I'm not worried too much about the noise (it only runs intermittently to charge the holding chamber) since there's no way my wife would let me airbrush in the house, lol.

I'm excited to try all these finishing techniques I have been seeing on these great looking models!

[JavaBrewer]

When I was in middle and high school I was an avid model builder. My holy grail of models was the 1/12 Tamiya Porsche 935 which I never actually completed. I had it in partial build status till I moved off to college. So sad. I was into the 18 wheel trucks and WWII Allied bombers before that. Sorry, no pictures.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by dmoolenaar

When I was in middle and high school I was an avid model builder. My holy grail of models was the 1/12 Tamiya Porsche 935 which I never actually completed. I had it in partial build status till I moved off to college. So sad. I was into the 18 wheel trucks and WWII Allied bombers before that. Sorry, no pictures.

Here's the one I have:



I'm hoping to get around to working on it soon.

[Buckterrier]

Don't fret guys. My wife at the time bought the first ship for me. I started it in RI, moved to Mi. where I worked on it, finally completed it once I moved to NH. and cased it when I moved here to Ct. A span of more than a few years. Moving companies always crated it, (I made sure), very well and arrived intact. I bought the second one more than 20 years ago! I haven't worked on it in more than a year but this thread may help motivate me to finish it this winter. Getting all excited about it again. Shot, maybe a build thread in OT

[Super_Dave_D]

Originally Posted by IROC

Here's the one I have:



I'm hoping to get around to working on it soon.

Thats a $200+ kit! Those 1/12 scale Tamiya's are spensive!

[javadog]

Originally Posted by Super_Dave_D

Thats a $200+ kit! Those 1/12 scale Tamiya's are spensive!

Yeah, but once you build one, it'll ruin you for everything else. I was first given one as a kid, around 1970 or so, and it opened a whole new world to me. The size, the quality of the parts...

Nowadays, 1/8th scale is the holy grail. Believe it or not, you can spend thousands on a kit and related "transkits," which offer a level of detail unimaginable in my youth. Of course, you need hundreds, if not thousands, of hours to build one properly.

I have a bunch saved up in my warehouse, if I ever finish all of the crap on my to-do list and can afford to spend time building models again.

JR

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Super_Dave_D

Thats a $200+ kit! Those 1/12 scale Tamiya's are spensive!

I bought it years ago off of ebay for $50 (after it was NLA, IIRC). I haven't had time to start it, but plan to soon.

[IROC]

I also have a Tamiya 962 model (1/24th scale, I believe) that I also bought a Jagermeister decal kit for and various Revell 911 models. Now I just need to build them...

I also love 1/35th scale military stuff, but haven't built any of those since I was a kid. They used to make alot of 1/32 scale WW2 fighter plane models. Those were cool and a great size. I had a P-51 that had actually retracting landing gear (via a small wheel you turned on the bottom), a P-40 "Flying Tigers" and a Corsair with wings that retracted also. I had a bunch of 1/48th scale stuff too - even a B-52. Even in 1/48 it was big.

We didn't have much money when I was a kid, but models only cost about $3-$4 each, so I built them all the time.