Old Timey Hobby Shop Storefronts
One from Long Island, NY, looks like 1950s, the other from Glasgow, Scotland UK, in the 1960s.
Articles/Reviews
Ships on Wheels
Now who doesn’t need a stroller for their Graf Spee? This rig was made by modeler Ken Livingstone of Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, by converting a bicycle trailer. Said it only cost him $20 and is collapsible and fits in a car. Although we don’t usually sail our models on ponds, this device might be helpful in transporting those big 1/350th and 1/200th scale ships to model contests.
Foo(t) Fighters
WWII airplane camouflage schemes aren’t just for the workbench anymore – now they can tickle your toes. A range of socks is available for the dedicated modeling enthusiast who wants a nice pair of “landing gear.” Imagine how useful this would be in contest judging; no need to whip out your smart phone to check a paint scheme, just pull up your pant leg. Mix and match and you can have a footsie dog fight with yourself! Now available on eBay and just in time for Christmas.
Shiny B-17
From modeler James Landress of Casselberry, FL, a new technique to model polished natural metal paint schemes, using chrome markers. Amazing results!
Two Upcoming Open Houses – VLA and Trinity
Two upcoming open houses that might be of interest to ASM members at the VLA on Oct 12 and the Trinity Site on Oct 19.
VLA tours conducted by NRAO scientists and engineers, Oct 12
Free day of tours and talks at the Very Large Array in Socorro. This event will take place from 9a.m. – 4p.m. Guided tours given by National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) scientist and engineers will every half hour between 10am – 3pm. There will also be short talks by guest experts in both the morning and repeated in the afternoon. Admission is free, but advance entry tickets are required to help us control the flow of parking as best we can. Visit National Radio Astronomy Observatory (ticketapp.org) to reserve tickets.
Trinity Site Open House, Oct 19
White Sands Missile Range will conduct the Trinity Site Open House, Oct 19. Trinity Site is where the world’s first atomic bomb was tested at 5:29:45 a.m. Mountain War Time July 16, 1945. The open house is free, and no reservations are required. At the site visitors can take a quarter mile walk to ground zero where a small obelisk marks the exact spot where the bomb was detonated. Weather and roads permitting the Schmidt/McDonald Ranch House will also be available to visit. The ranch house is where the scientists assembled the plutonium core of the bomb. To get to Trinity Site visitors enter WSMR through its Stallion Range Center gate, located five miles south of U.S. Highway 380. The turnoff is 12 miles east of San Antonio, New Mexico. The Stallion Gate is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The site closes promptly at 3:30 p.m.
https://home.army.mil/wsmr/contact/public-affairs-office/trinity-site-open-house
https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/alamogordo-visit-the-trinity-site.htm
Who says you need to “build” a model?
This image from modeler Laurie Taylor on Facebook shows a whole new way to enjoy our model kits – paint and decal the sprues without assembling them, then mounting them in a shadow-box-type frame for display. Pretty ingenious!
Modeling at War
Kriegsmarine sailor with a model of the Tirpitz during WWII. Must have been an interesting modeling experience, building a replica of a ship you are actually aboard at the time. One can hope the modeler and his model made it off the Tirpitz before the RAF destroyed the ship, but there aren’t lot of happy endings in war.
2024 Nationals
Here is the awards slide show from Nationals as well as pictures of the “Best Of” models.
