Military modeler vs. Dave Deal

[flounder]

I gave my good buddy Scott CARter an old Meter Cheater build up abd this is what he turned out in a month.

Flounder
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[RatRod]

That's pretty cool!!! I sure would love to see this series make it back.

[customcruiserroy]

Awesome build!

RSS

[Deleted]

Now That's a great twist...... talk about prompt arrival times.

Lance

[DVS]

AWESOME, Very cool.

[davea]

Neat turn on that!

[TheMadModeler]

M*A*S*H.. with mag wheels... and a blower...COOL...
BiLL..

[mykturk]

Looks like he found an mild engine upgrade over the kit motor...
Nice weathering and a clever concept. But not a lot of room for a stretcher...

[ZINGER]

COOL, RAT ROD RESCUE

[kettlekettle]

thats one very sanitary ride... nice work.

[barten]

Love it!
Great stuff!

GB
barten

[Eggzilla1]

You did an excellent job on this build. It's almost believable. What a great imagination. Keep up the excellent work.

[gfgcollects]

Truly different take on this one... me likes!

Gerry G

[Nani Colmer]

This car is awesome. The paint job is perfect! Way to go Scott!

[flounder]

Of course we know that not all models need to be glossy to be good and entertaining. But with that said I want to relate an interesting story.

Recently Scott CARter invited me to attend the SCAM show. This is the premier show for figure and diorama modelers. It's like the GSL of this type of modeling. The work I saw there was amazing in detail and execution. Our own Mike Good was there as well. The guy who won best of show is a professional model maker in the film industry. I've posted a picture of the 100% scratch built Best of Show winner below. The detail on these is right up there with any of our top notch hot rods. Take a long look at that figure. The buckles, the machined bullets, the chips in the right places on the binoculars - this is talent!

Now here is the funny part. Scott encouraged me to bring a few of my models to show. I was uncertain, but I did it. In fact, they were well received. More than one of these modelers confessed to being uncomfortable with glossy paint. I was very eager to let them know how easy it is to sand base coats and apply in layers to get a smooth finish. I hope at least one of them gives it a try, because we will be in for a real treat.

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This was built by John Rosencrantz. You can find him in the list of credits on the movie Avatar. He and his team built a full size battle droid. So Cool! Really nice guy. Gave me a couple tricks on shading folded materials like seat pleats.

Flounder.

[Steve-o]

Awsome job !! Love the idea nice work Scott
Steve-o

[keith]

May 8, 2010 12:08:25 GMT -6 hizoot said:

Absolutely beautiful,

I simply love how he made the snow on the helmet (that is snow isn't it)..? His face looks real..! Hope by now you've guessed that my point is not to insult military modelers or yourselves but to simply point out that like ourselves, they think & work in their own world.

Scott CARter had an opportunity to use glossy paint but chose to relay on his military skills instead. Like you just said, as soon as " one of them gives it a try, we'll be in for a real treat." As for movie credits, bravo for him.

Hizoot

PS- what scale or size was this in, just curious..?

In WW11 Russia - the Germans and allied troops would white wash their helmets as camouflage in the show.Yes this is well done!I would say this is 120 or 200 MM 1/16TH OR around 1/9TH scale.These are common scales for larger figures.Keith

[Wardster]

I used to hang out with a bunch of guys in the now-defunct "Planes of Fame" IPMS chapter, when I used to live in California ... and yeah, for the most part, most of those guys focused on World War II aircraft ... which almost always had non-glossy finishes. And, as implied here by others: that seemed to be almost an "I'm chicken of trying glossy paint jobs" sort of thing. An exception or three to that rule, amongst those guys, were the guys that also did non-WWII models, from time to time: jets or helicopters, or even the occasional figure model.

This is not meant in any sort of a derogatory way -- since I think a LOT of the skills possessed by other modelers whose work I've seen over the years; even if we don't love the same types of subject matter -- but I always had the idea that the military airplane folks had sort of a Top Secret (even sometimes to each other) set of conformity rules that prevented experiments. If a bunch of other people tried something, first, then the crowd would also try it. If virtually no one else was trying something, the group would avoid trying it. It was like they'd be rejected by their peers, if they "went outside the box" and/or did something the herd wasn't doing all of the time. I don't say that to be mean to anyone. If anything, I felt sorry for such attitudes.

Meanwhile, the auto modellers I've met have exactly the opposite mindset. Thinking outside the box is not only welcome, in certain circles ... it's expected.

I guess I'm saying that getting diehard military modellers to adapt glossy paint jobs might be more of an uphill battle than one would think. But, like others: well worth the effort! If, as has already been stated, even one "expert" in those circles tries something outside-the-box, and openly displays that finished piece in front of their peers ... well, that's an excellent start.

There's a lot of skill out there, and a lot of patient building, in military circles. Brian Criner was a man I considered to be a good friend of mine, back when I was living in California. I'd love to see what he could do with "glossy paint jobs" ... and it bugs me that he's (last time I heard, anyway) taking a break away from modelling, as a hobby ... partly because (in his book on how to build the Japanese Zero aircraft) he tackled a "natural metal" Zero really, really well.

I figure that if a person can do "natural metal" finishes well, that they're one teeny tiny step away from doing up fancy automotive paint jobs. And he liked hot rods, as a younger man ...

I'm glad you guys started this conversation up! It's making me want to pester Brian, again.

As advice, I'd suggest that anyone trying to get a talented military modeler to put their foot on the slippery slope of doing glossy paint jobs, might do well to suggest a natural metal subject, as their next project ... since, as stated, that's very close to what car folks are into.

And also: it's always nice to see one genre of modellers thinking well of other's subject matter; and speaking well of their skills and so on. But then again: car folks are nice folks! :-) I've always been really fond of the kind and cooperative spirit of automotive modelers.

-- Ward Shrake --

[Wardster]

May 8, 2010 9:52:48 GMT -6 flounder said:

Recently Scott CARter invited me to attend the SCAM show.

No offense meant, Flounder, but I think you misspelled that acroynm. I'm prety sure there's an "H" in there, before the "M" -- Southern California Historical something something -- miniature society, or something? Just sayin', as Google searches would likely turn up more relevant hits with the SCAHMs spelling.

[Tory]

May 16, 2010 12:11:31 GMT -6 Wardster said:

I guess I'm saying that getting diehard military modellers to adapt glossy paint jobs might be more of an uphill battle than one would think.

I started off a military aircraft modeler long before I built model cars and can tell you that certain subject demand a high gloss finish. I agree some military modlers shy away from gloss paint, but not all of us!

B-57B




P-26

[flounder]

Wow. The tread continues.

Zoot- The figure I posted was just under a foot high. But most of these guys go a lot smaller.

Ward - Thanks for the correction. I could not remember the name of the group.

I can tell you that these guys were very nice and everyone I met was very open to any questions I asked about how they acheived a certain effect. We had a really great day there even. Another truly gracious group of modelers.

I wish I had more pictures. There was one guy who hand painted medievil textile patterns (paisley, etc) on figures that were only 3 inches high at best. They were perfect! It was incredible.

Tory - Killer planes. That P-38 looks like a plane I saw at the Chino Air museum.

Flounder.

[Wardster]

May 17, 2010 12:03:46 GMT -6 Tory said:

I started off a military aircraft modeler long before I built model cars and can tell you that certain subject demand a high gloss finish. I agree some military modlers shy away from gloss paint, but not all of us!

Come to think of it, technically, my beginnings were military models, too. Meaning: back when I was eight, my dad took me to Jack's Hobby Castle in Cleveland, Ohio, and bought me a four-barrelled (probably anti-aircraft; maybe Aurora; if not, then Monogram) tank kit. We put it together, together -- with him showing me how ... and after that, Hobby Castle got any money I got, for many years! A lot of those purchases were (cheap, 1/72 scale) WWI biplanes. Some were wildlife -- birds, deer, etc. At least one stick-and-tissue biplane, just for the adventure. If it looked cool on the box, and I had the money, it was fair game.

In looking back at what I said, previously, I'd word some things differently ... but I think for the most part folks here get what I'm saying? Hope so, anyway. I have a heavy respect for WWII airplane builders / painters; for the 54mm (and other scale) figure folks; for gaming-mini painters and sculptors; for lotsa folks!

I guess my primary disappointment with certain sub-genres was that some of them ONLY stay in their little world. It just felt like a lot more fun could be had, by all, if they looked around a bit more, and saw what other folks were doing. And, if any of it looked like fun ... maybe give it a try.

Then again, I'm more about techniques than finishing models -- so, of course I'd think something like that! Other folks put their chosen subject matter first; and techniques are (largely) just a means to that end. Which, because I'm wired differently, just never made a lot of sense to me. But, hey: to each his/her own!

Tory, I can't help but say it: that B-57B would look awesome with a set of ghost flames under that awesome, dark, shiny paintjob! (But of course, it looks pretty darned spiffy, already!)