I have a plan. What I have done in the past is to present posts as a string of "build" articles. Instead, I will put up stuff in a more stream of consciousness way, show a few pics of what I am working on. "Build" articles will still get put together, but more and more these will simply end up in the IUJ (IPMS USA Journal). The purpose of the "the Joy" will be more to be a window into my world of model building and the stuff surrounding it.
A big part of this has to do with my (new) role in the IPMS. A couple of years ago I volunteered to be the Ad Manager. In that role I handle all the ads for the IUJ. A little over a year ago Jim Pearsall passed away and I took over his position as the publications director/historian for the IUJ. So my hobby experience has really changed in the last couple of years. So this blog will allow the curious to see what it looks like to volunteer for the IPMS. Let's just say it will make it easier for me to get posts out. This will be an interesting place to talk about all the texture which surrounds model building-spouses, the war in Europe, why I build what I build... I'll just dive in and see what comes of it.
Here is what I have been working on. This is a Kotobukiya kit SOL HORNET. There are a couple of things going on here. The first is the building of the kit itself, which is the orange mecha girl, who is 1:1 scale, btw.
The figure is a place holder for the "fancy" HORNET. The "fancy" one is clear coated and I don't want to mess up the finish by overhandling it. The orange one will allow me work out the pose for my Instagram pics. The second thing I am working out is building the display case. This has proved to be more challenging than I thought. Working with clear sheet is pretty challenging, in addition I am using 3D printed corners to hold the sheets together. This is the "first" one, so I am working out the bugs. The plan is figure out how to make my own cases...
I made this brass support arm to hold the HORNET. Threaded to be secured with a wingnut in the rear. The pins are soldered in and function as "keys" to hold both model and rod in position.
My club was having a contest (Deuces Wild, so anything with a 2 in it) and my wife asked if I was entering anything, to which I said "no". She is always going on about how I need to participate and not be a loser. She said "can't you enter one of your girlfriends"? (More on my girlfriends later). I had about 10 days...So I built this... A2.2 Sitara Kaneshiya Kotobukiya Megami Device kit. Uh...yeah. This is a character from a mobile game called "Alice Gear Aegis". The Megami Device IP is really confusing.
Here is the contest at Modeler Bill's. This is late in the evening after the entries had already been cleared away. I told Martha (my wife) that there would probably be only two entries to which she replied, "well at least you will place". It turned out there was four entries...can you guess which place I got?
I had an old 1/48 AJModels resin kit of the Aries. When I learned about this new plastic one from Moebius, I put my resin one on Ebay and sold it right away. I used a fraction of the money to get this one. I got it from an odd source..."Active Powersports".
When I am feeling braindead I make "stew" which basically means reducing fresh sprue into parts. Aries parts are now "stew".
I also save the nubs.
I listen to music or podcasts or YouTube lectures or the radio while I make the models. Vinyl is quite popular with the kids these days, this is "Little Bastards" by The Kills. I like listening to records...it's a good way to put a time limit on a task, "I'll trim these parts until this side is over".
Time for a reckoning of my IPMS projects. You are so lucky, we are almost done!
Every morning I scan Updates and Quarterlies for the IPMS archives as I eat my oats. These were sent to me by Jim Maas to fill gaps in the record. I am almost done, so these will get sent back. Thanks Jim!
That's it. See everyone in a week or so.
Go to the next Asra & Atreides: IPMS Stream of Consciousness #2
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