Mold Lines FEBRUARY 2018 AN INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC MODELERS SOCIETY CHARTER CHAPTER.

Mold Lines FEBRUARY 2018 AN INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC MODELERS SOCIETY CHARTER CHAPTER.

IN THIS ISSUE Mil Mi-24D PLUS Club News brings us all the coverage of past and upcoming events from the Sonoran Desert Model Builders In Modeling Reviews - Damon Blair reviews Great Wall Hobby s 1/48 scale T-33 In Tips & Tricks - we talk about how you can improve your chances of winning at a Scale Model Contest 2

Mold Lines is the official publication of the Sonoran Desert Model Builders Modeling club. We publish it on a monthly basis and it is your source for Club news, interviews, model reviews, photos or our member s modeling work as well as articles on modeling techniques and other articles of interest to our members. MEETING DATES 2018 JANUARY 4 FEBRUARY 1 MARCH 1 APRIL 5 MAY 3 JUNE 7 JULY 5 AUGUST 2 SEPTEMBER. 6 OCTOBER.. 4 NOVEMBER... 1 DECEMBER.. 6 WHO ARE THEY? The Sonoran Desert Model Builders is a chartered IPMS model club in Tucson, Arizona dedicated to advancing each others skills through tip sharing, encouragement and, most importantly, hands-on building. Our members enjoy a deep camaraderie and level of respect for each other as well as a passion for model building. We build it all... cars, airplanes, armor, ships, figures, sci-fi... Our mission is simple LET S BUILD! WHERE CAN I FIND THEM? We meet at the Northwest corner of Alvernon and 22 nd from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. 1100 South Alvernon Way Tucson, AZ 3

Editor s Workbench Hello fellow modelers and dear friends. This month we bring you a newsletter full of cool stuff. So full that it ended up way longer than the usual edition. I apologize but I just couldn t resist to include all the new material. Our friend RJ shares with us one of his latest builds that also happens to be one of my favorite models (someday I will build one I keep promising myself), the Mil Mi-24 Hind D. RJ has put together a very nice looking bird. RJ would bring the Hind each month to our meetings and we got to see it every step f the way and I hope you enjoy the build as much as we did. We also bring you a model review of Great Wall Hobbies 1/48 T-33 by Damon Blair. Great Wall Hobbies has done a really good job in reproducing this icon of the early jet era and Damon has done the kit justice by creating a wonderful looking plane. This year, the IPMS Nationals convention is hosted in our backyard, Phoenix, AZ. One of the most fun aspects of any model contest is taking part in the judging. You get the chance to really get up close and enjoy all the great work from modelers around the world. It is very rewarding and you learn so much from doing it. Inevitable when the conversation of judging a contest comes up there are always some common questions that get asked. What can I do to do better at contests? How can I improve my chances to win? So, in this issue we are going to talk about winning. Specifically, winning at a contest such as the IPMS Nationals. One thing that is very important to keep in mind is that modeling is a hobby. It s the one thing we have chosen to do to decompress and relax and forget all the stress of our day to day routines. You should build for fun and for what you like. The problem is when people build something for fun then take it to a contest expecting to win and get disappointed when they don t. Building a model with a contest in mind can be lots of fun, but it requires a slightly different approach. There is just a little more preparation and thought behind the project before you start and there are a few more factors to consider that most of the time are not so obvious. Sometimes these factors are contrary to popular beliefs. In this issue we bring you the first part of a 5 part series titled The Road to Nationals where we will talk about those not so obvious factors that in the end can swing the odds in your favor during the Nationals. So sharpen your modeling knives and lets get building! Until next time! Model on!! 4

UPCOMING EVENTS CLUB NEWS Make and Take at the Pima Air and Space Museum - This event is designed to introduce children to the hobby of model building and the math and historical research used to build accurate scale models. It will be held on March 3 rd, 2018 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. Support our Monthly raffle! Each month during our club meeting we hold a raffle with new and used kits. For every 10 tickets sold one model will be given away. Tickets are only $1 each. 5

CLUB NEWS UPCOMING EVENTS Plastic Model Swap Meet Saturday, April 21 st, 2018 9:00 am 1:30 pm The modelers of Arizona would like to invite you to join us for the 2018 IPMS/USA Nationals on August 1-4, 2018, in Phoenix, Arizona. The convention will be held in the Phoenix Convention Center located in the heart of Phoenix For information visit: http://www.ipmsusanationals2018.org/ 6

CLUB NEWS RECENT EVENTS Monthly Club Meeting The SDMB held their monthly meeting on February 1 st, 2018 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. There was a lot of ideas bounced back and forward about making a club display for the Nationals. Stay tuned for more on that. For now, enjoy the great models on display. Dick Smith s Tamiya KI-61 Mike Bilcik talks to us about his 1/72 EC-121 Warning Star Pat Harrington s 1/48 Bristol Beaufighter 7

CLUB NEWS RECENT EVENTS Kent Week s Wingnut Wings 1/32 FE.2B See more awesome model photos from our meeting at: www.sdmb.yolasite.com Bob Duke s WIP, 57 Chevy Bell Air 8

Mil MI-24 Hind D By Juan Gallego Revell s 1/48 th scale MI-24 Hind D has fair detail and the build was relatively easy. I took a little time to assemble it as I was building three other helicopters at the same time. In my opinion one of the things that can improve any build is to spend a little time ahead and do some research. And spend time comparing reference photos. After I was done with my research I chose to depict my model as a Hind in Polish service. The main colors for the Polish version are the dark yellow and dark green for the camouflage and the light sky blue for the belly. The color of the interior is also a light blue. One of the features that stand out the most on this vehicle is the large bubble type canopies for the pilot and the gunner. I knew the interior of the cockpit 9

would be visible so I took my time with the crew stations. I sprayed the interior of the fuselage using Vallejo 71317 (Light Blue). I chose to paint the details on the instrument panel in the pilot s station instead of using decals. This came out very well. Behind the crew station is the troop cabin and right on top are the engines. I painted the engines and transmission even if the only art of the engines that will end up visible are the exhausts. 10

The model has the option of building the troop cabin s doors opened or closed. I chose to build mine with the doors opened so after going over several reference photos I weathered the floor of the cabin to represent the wear generated by the constant troop traffic. For the fuselage exterior, I used silly putty to mask the camouflage pattern and paint inside the Iines. The yellow was Vallejo 70.340 (Afrika Korps) and Vallejo 70.896 (Dark Green). It didn t work so well. The silly putty would lift and allow a lot of over spray so I choose to the paint and repaint the exterior by free handing the camouflage pattern with my airbrush. For the underside of the helicopter I mixed light blue and gray. The canopies where masked using Moltex Vinyl Masks. 11

I added a fun touch to the build by painting a pair of evil looking eyes on the engine covers. The finishing touches where a coat of clear gloss to apply decals and then semi gloss to finish. 12

In conclusion, the kit was fun to build and assembly is easy. Fit issues are present as it s a Revell kit but if you take your time and take care to work on the seams, you ll have a nice crocodile for your display case. 13

Check out the February 2016 edition of Mold Lines at www.sdmb. yolasite.com for walkaround photos of the Hind D. 14

Modeling Reviews Great Wall Hobby 1/48 scale T-33 By Damon Blair Great Wall Hobby s 1/48 scale T-33 is all-new tooling with petite raised panel lines and a great fit for the most part. I used an aftermarket photo etched set to add details to the model, as the details of the kit, while adequate, just did not have that pop of realism. One nice thing about this kit is that there is a separate sheet with the parts layout on the runners. This is great for locating parts on the runners. My particular version of this kit was the Republic of China special markings, with some minor detail differences between this version and the USAF version. 15

Modeling Reviews Great Wall Hobby 1/48 scale T-33 Assembly began with the cockpits. Each seat is comprised of 7 separate parts, which builds up into a reasonable resemblance of the ejection seats. One thing to keep in mind while building the seats the T-33s were normally parked without the parachutes and survival kits in them. The kit duplicates this by having the cushions as separate pieces. I left the cushions off of both seats. Great Wall took an interesting approach to the instrument panels they re built up like a sandwich: a flat backing, then a decal sheet, and finally a panel with the instrument bezels and control knobs on it. Don t forget to put the rudder pedals on the instrument panels before gluing the instrument panels into place. There are also decals for the side rests in both cockpits. 16

Modeling Reviews Step 3 shows a solid chunk of plastic (part A18) being used as weight in the nose. I would advise to use regular lead weights in place of this part, or add more weight separately. With just the plastic weight glued in place, the model just barely sits normally on its landing gear. Great Wall Hobby 1/48 scale T-33 The nose is molded as a separate piece, which brings up the possibility that Great Wall could be doing different versions of the T-33. On the nose itself, there are oval panel lines where it would appear that gun ports were covered up. Depending on the particular T-33 you are modeling, these panels may not exist. On the actual aircraft I was representing, the nose does not have those covers. The nose piece also does not perfectly line up with the fuselage contours, requiring some putty and sanding. Both intakes are an interesting build the twisting trunk to the engine section is fairly well represented, and is a welcome change from the seemingly usual intake that looks fake. Paint the interiors before assembly, as it will be all but impossible to cover the curves totally once they re glued together. The two pieces of each intake trunk fit together quite well, but there are still a couple of seams that could show. Undoubtedly, one of the aftermarket companies will come up with a seamless intake for the kit. 17

Modeling Reviews Great Wall Hobby 1/48 scale T-33 Step 5 is where the main landing gear wheel well is glued to the wing. Prepainting the wheel well is a must, as there are areas that can t be reached once the piece is in place. Also shown is the eight actuators (4 per side) for the flaps. This step also shows where to cut for raised or lowered landing gear. I painted both sides of the gear doors, but left them intact until final assembly. Doing this saved me a lot of frustration, missing doors, and part location issues. Steps 5, 6, and 7 show the assembly of the main landing gear, doors, flaps, and speed brakes all before gluing the wing assembly to the fuselage! Since there are some minor fit issues with the wing assembly, it is best if those steps are done as final assembly items. I would also imagine the breakage issues of some of these parts, especially the more delicate ones. The wing fits to the fuselage fairly well, and the only fit issue I encountered was a section near the nose landing gear wheel well. Some putty was required to blend in the two sections. 18

Modeling Reviews Great Wall Hobby 1/48 scale T-33 Wingtip fuel tanks are an easy identifier for the T-33, and the kit duplicates them faithfully. However, one issue with the instructions is that they don t tell you which assembly goes on which side! I had worked on some T-33s while in the Air Force, and the best way of identifying which tank goes where is to look for a circular fuel filler cap it is only on the topside of each tank. These filler caps are represented by a pair of circular panel lines, one inside the other and on the forward upper half of the tank. Painting began with a coat of FS 16473 Aircraft Grey overall, then Flat Black on the areas of the radomes and the tail tip. The actual aircraft that this kit is modeled after does not have a lot of other colors, other than the green zinc chromate on the flaps and flapwells. For the most part, I did not use the kit decals, except for some small maintenance and rescue markings common to all T-33s. The national insignia, TAC patch, red tail stripe, and tail numbers all came from aftermarket generic decal sheets. The aircraft represented is on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum. 19

THE ROAD TO NATIONALS By Dave Diaz The IPMS Nationals convention is approaching fast and maybe you are thinking of putting together some models and enter the contest. Perhaps you have never entered a model contest before, or maybe you have been to a few of them and you are wondering, what really goes on during a contest? What happens when the doors close to the public? Most importantly, you may be wondering what can I do to improve my chances of winning something? Before we dive into these subjects it is very important to establish one thing. Ask yourself, why am I entering the contest? Are you seeking to win an award? Do you want to test your skills against other modelers in your favorite categories? Bragging rights? Or are you entering just for fun? Reality is that whether you are trying to get an award or entering the contest just for the fun of it when our work is recognized with a medal or a trophy it is something that empowers us. It feels good when others value all the hours and work you put into your model. But in order to get there you must keep in mind a series of factors if you want to improve your chances. 20

THE ROAD TO NATIONALS You may say, but Dave, building a good model is not enough to win? Again, truth here is somewhat different than what most people assume. Winning at a model contest involves as much strategy as technique and skill. Factor No. 1: The Rules It is not the same to compete in a local town contest than to compete in an international contest like the IPMS Nationals. Most well-organized contests have their rules posted in advance in their website. Do your homework and read the rules. I will be highlighting examples along the way of why it is important to know the rules of a contest. Factor No. 2: The Judges Judges in contests are often modelers that are recognized amongst their peers as good modelers and are supposed to be knowledgeable in the subject they are judging. I say are supposed to because one of the greatest challenges any contest organizers are faced with is the lack of judges. Often it happens that a judge that is a good automotive modeler is drafted to help judge aircraft for example. Organizers always try to allocate the judges where they best fit but often their choice is limited by whoever they have available. So while judges are familiar with the basics of modeling they may not be completely familiar with the category they end up judging. 21

THE ROAD TO NATIONALS Judging is also something very subjective. While contests often do their best to stick by their judging guidelines remember that judges are modelers just like you and me, and like us they have certain preference as far as what styles they find attractive and what they don t. An Armor judge may find all Automotive entries to be way to clean when the popular style for car models is to present the subject in an almost unrealistic pristine condition. Often there are discrepancies between the judges between what model should take first place or second or so on. Many times, when the contenders are really good, the final decision comes down to a vote. Keep in mind that judges have very little time to go through all the entries and pick the winners. Usually, with horrible illumination. Judging at the Nationals is done after hours so often judges are tired or hungry. Trust me when is midnight and you still have 100 models to go through to pick a winner after a long day it may not be much fun. So, by far the most important thing to consider when entering a contest is... YOUR NO. 1 OBJECTIVE IS TO CAPTURE THE ATTENTION OF THE JUDGES! 22

THE ROAD TO NATIONALS So, just how do we get the judges attention? Building good looking models, being proficient in modeling techniques or having the latest after markets will only get you so far. But if you are going to build the same Michael Wittmann Tiger I or the same P-51 that everybody builds and that you see at every contest, it will only make the judges glaze over your model and move on to something that catches their attention. Remember odds are next to your model there may be another 10 Tiger Is or another 10 P-51s. Why should a judge look at yours more closely than the others? Sometimes the reason people don t get an award is not because their model is bad, but simply because it is boring and it failed to grab the attention of the judges. This is why it is extremely important to find a way to make your model stand out. 23

THE ROAD TO NATIONALS The Game Plan The first steps to creating a wining model starts before the first part is glued. This is where the true value of research lies. I will go more in depth about research in a later article, but for now understand that research can lead to a unique photo that can spark an original idea. This may it be a version of a model that has never been done, or a very rare set of markings, or some odd setting. You could make a common model, but choose a theme that is different. Something that will make the model stand out. A photo can spark a unique idea that can result in a very interesting model. 24

A unique environment can significantly increase interest on a more common model. THE ROAD TO NATIONALS 25 By being different you will at least achieve one thing. You will make the judges stop and take a closer look at your model. Once you have hooked them then you will have to show your work is worth their consideration.

THE ROAD TO NATIONALS Factor No. 3: Don t compete against yourself This is one of those cases where knowing the rules is important. Some contests allowed sweeps, and some contest don t. A sweep is when the same modeler can win several prices with different entries in the same category. If you are one of those prolific modelers than can build several models in a few months and you are planning to enter a contest, don t enter more than one in the same category. It may seem like having more than one entry increases your chances of winning when in fact is completely the opposite. The problem lies in that when you are building many models of the same theme is hard to avoid making them look the same. Please for goodness sake don t enter dozens of the same model where it makes it look like an assembly line spilled on the table! This will create the opposite effect of making them stand out, it just creates a blurred background of similarity. The second reason is that models by the same modeler tend to have the same mistakes. Because our human nature is to look for similarities in things once you see a mistake in one model it will be impossible not to see it in the others. Even if your builds are perfect, if no sweeps are allowed, only one of them will be consider to place which means a lot of your work will not have a chance to be recognized. 26

THE ROAD TO NATIONALS Factor No. 4: The competition Ultimately this is the factor that determines how well you do at a contest like the IPMS Nationals, what is on the table next to your model. Keep in mind that popular categories like WWII aircraft and WWII German & Allied Armor are the hardest categories at the Nationals. If you feel like you re A-game is not up the that level then it is ok to branch out and build different models. There is a strategy knows as The Shotgun Approach in which a modeler enters as many and as many different categories as possible in order to get around the popularity of some categories. This does increa your chances of wining something. So remember, always be different. Add uniqueness to your models and make them stand out on the table! A unique idea will truly make your work stand out In the next part of this series we will look at how research plays a role in a contest. Research is a super fun part of this hobby and when used correctly it can help you create a more interesting entry. So, if you struggling with finding the Holy Grail, the paint with the right shade of OD Green then the next article is for you. Join me for the next issue as we head down the road to Nationals. See you all in Phoenix! 27

Over the past 4 decades the International Plastic Model Society has become a 5,000 member, allvolunteer organization dedicated to promoting the modeling hobby while providing a venue for modelers to share their skills in a social setting, along with friendly but spirited competition in the form of local, regional, and national contests and conventions. As a long time member, I highly recommend joining the IPMS. There is no better environment to learn and share our passion for the small world. Other benefits include six issues of the IPMS Journal per year and being able to participate in the IPMS National Contest. Go check out their webpage at WWW.IPMSUSA.ORG! 28

HOW CAN I JOIN THE SDMB? Test the water before you join! Here's how: Drop by and say "hello" at one of our monthly meetings (see our Next Meeting page for date and location details). If you like what you see and hear then drop by again the next month and be sure to bring your questions and we'll help you get started! The first two meetings are free so drop on by! After your second meeting we would appreciate you joining our club. Our club dues pay for various things such as community programs and sponsorships of trophies in contests. We are happy to have visitors but even happier when you join our club of award winning modelers. Visit our website at www.sdmb.yolasite.com You can also find us on Facebook. SDMB is an affiliated club of the International Plastic Modeler s Society www.ipmsusa.org SDMB Club Officers & Contacts Derek Campbell (PRESIDENT) Damon Blair (VICE PRESIDENT) Kent Weeks (TREASURER) Mike Scotto (SECRETARY) Dave Diaz (NEWSLETTER EDITOR) Mike Bilcik (CLUB IPMS POINT OF CONTACT) Steve Barlow (CLUB WEBMASTER) 4nagato1@gmail.com ec130crewchief@yahoo.com newt27@cox.net quickfixer@yahoo.com EDITOR_SDMB@Yahoo.com mbilcik1@cox.net redsteve921@gmail.com 29