2011 Solid Modelling Goals or Resolutions

[Peter]

Well 2011 is almost upon us. Yes, I know, I should be working on finishing my first plane before thinking about future projects. But that's not how hobbies work, right? Besides I'm stuck at work typing this on my Blackberry surround by very grumpy gamblers!

So here are my solid modelling goals for 2011;

-Finish my 1/72 ID spitfire. I have now decided to paint it properly instead of just black.
-Build a 1/60 scale Sopwith Tabloid based on the Fiddlersgreen card model.
-Build a 1/144th scale Battle of Britain mobile for my nephews bed room ceiling. This will be two German and two British fighters chasing each other in circles. My plan will be to reduce ID models to 1/144 scale.
-Build the Seth Parker schooner in the file section but convert it to a ship in a bottle.

Also several non solid model wood working projects. Does anyone else have any goals or plans for 2011 yet?

Peter

[lastvautour]

I vow to finish:

1/72 Yukon
1/48 Argus
1/32 Sabre
1/24 Hawk

As too what I will do next:

1/72 ID + Texan/Harvard and F4U Corsair
Attempt placing undercarriage on ID + models
Do some work on the Bonnie, and
Build whatever inspires me.

Happy New Years to all and keep your blade sharp.

Lou

[cliff strachan]

Happy New Year Again To All Our Members. As to plans I got this far and that's planning enough for now. But I hope to finish my P51, Hellcats and redo a Mosquito in the New Year - maybe more but never as many models as some of our members are able to complete.Also, perhaps we could rethink our general approach to cook ups. Could we have a cook up that included a subject- eg. an era, or aircraft that in total were of  a particular historical significance regardless of say, country of origin. In this way we may be able to contribute more as a group to model building's importance.
Cliff.

[Ken Pugh]

Cliff, only requirement for the cook ups is two people agreeing to do them.  If you have an idea for one, feel free to post it.  If someone else seconds it, Ray will happily sends us on our way.

As my main project for the year, unless someone changes my mind, I would like to build a Sopwith Triplane in 1/32 scale.  I wanted to build it the year after the Pup but others bumped that project.  It doesn't technically fit the WWI cook up but that's what I want to build!

Cliff, I hope you come up with something different and interesting.  I like a challenge.

Ken Pugh

[lastvautour]

Why doesn't the Sopwith Triplane fit in the WWI cook-up?

Lou

[dave_t]

It had to be an allied biplane.

[lastvautour]

Thanks Dave. I forgot that criteria. Does anyone know how many WWI triplane type there were. Perhaps we can have a Triplane cook-up. 1/32 is not a bad scale for WWI size crafts.

Lou

[Mark Braunlich]

Does anyone know how many WWI triplane type there were. Lou

Lou, according to the excellent book The Fighting Triplanes by Evan Hadingham there were approximately 90 different triplane types built during 1914-1918.  Of these only two made it into operational use in any number.....the Sopwith Triplane followed by the Fokker Dr.I.

[Ken Pugh]

There are many aircraft from WWI I would love to build, triplanes, monoplanes, and biplanes.  It might get out of hand creating a different cookup for each.  Maybe we should consider what many other modeling forums do and that is have categories for different eras.  We can have an aircraft category, at the same level as general category.  Inside that category, we can have all the different eras setup by admin, i.e. pioneer, WWI, golden age, WWII, air racing, flying boats, lighter than air, helicopters, early jets, cold war jets, and a next generation era of jets topic.  The last topic title would need some thought, maybe 21st century jets?  Members would post threads inside these topic areas within the categories.

I say set up an aircraft category because as we expand, we may have specialists in cars, ships, scifi, etc. that can all have separate categories.  Admin can also create subcategories in each of these.

Our active community has grown so much maybe it is time to provide the structure for specialization.  With the introduction of categories and eras, this would allow members to post their thoughts, research, techniques, etc. that are specific to particular types of aircraft.  I, for one, build my WWI planes differently from the other solids.  I build the fuselage stick and tissue style but everything else is solid.  I have also seen some beautiful WWI models created entirely from paper, not the typical paper models but built up with different colored paper with different textures.  I think it would be interesting if eventually some of us build our models in the Japanese style with built up interiors and clear canopies.  Having these different categories can also encourage someone who is a ship modeler or car modeler contribute instead of thinking this is an airplane only forum.  It would be great if the scifi modelers contributed their electronic techniques for light and sound.

This site could become a repository of research into the many fields that we model.  As others come here to take advantage of the research, they may see how easy and satisfying building models from solid wood, or any other scratchbuilding technique, truly is.  I get tired of seeing plastic sites continually say scratchbuilding is too hard and you can't make wood look like metal.  As far as I am concerned, you can't really make plastic look like metal either, especially in really small scales.  We may also consider giving an idea of actual costs in our models threads.  Some plastic modelers may be shocked to find how much money they can save by building models this way.  Imagine how incredible it would be if someone like Rojas Bazan joined and divulged the technique of building models entirely from metal.

http://www.rojasbazan.com/index.html


This is just a thought for future growth.  This past year we have added several members who have contributed different ideas and techniques.  What is great is that they may not have felt they were up to par with the group, but have actually contributed many new ideas and different approaches that have benefited other members and are inspiring new model ideas.  I am sure there are many who look over this site daily and who are not showing their models, but who are actually coming around to this style of model building and may contribute in the future.

So, I raised the flag, commence firing at it!  We can debate whether we want to expand in this general way or if we would rather keep this specialized on solid wood only in the style of ID models.  There is merit in both philosophies.  

Ken Pugh

[dave_t]

You don't need to wait for a cook-up to build something/anything you want.

[Peter]

I agree with everything you say Ken. I think as the Forum grows diversifying the boards will attract a wider variety of model builders. Also we shouldn't forget attracting wood carvers too. In my opinion solid modeling is as much a wood carving
as it is a model. Maybe a beginners board would be a good idea? It would be less intimidating for new guys like me to show their stuff.
Peter

[dave_t]

For a while I lurked the old SMM, when it was an MSN forum, then I carved three or four small airliner models in my top-secret skunkworks facility before I joining up, just to be sure they would work out. It's great to see members willing to give it a try for the first time here, brave. 

[cliff strachan]

Hi Ken. I believe that I agree with the substance of all you have said. In  particular with your views regarding the requirement for specific categories of models or modelling and the Groups' contribution to the field as a "repository  of research."

My ultimate aim was to encourage the Group to somehow adopt a method so as to be able to contribute to the historic place that aviation has played in overall economic development -  widening of the market, mapping and aerial photography, exploration, mining of scarce resources, basic transportation to remote sites, development of aviation vehicles (improvements in speed and distance capabilities) - to think of a few. In brief, to contribute historically and uniquely as only this type of hobby activity may be in position to do. That is, because the models chosen are independent of external pressures of supply - the choice of model does not depend on a commercial supplier - we are uniquely able to provide a historic perspective.

In turn, because of the time involved to individually pursue such a goal, a group effort - possibly relying on a collective agreement in the form of "cook up" - is likely required.

Finally, its likely because of age that I am forced to encourage group activity and a societal or universal benefit.
Cliff

[Balsabasher]

Ken wrote -
'I get tired of seeing plastic sites continually say scratchbuilding is too hard and you can't make wood look like metal.  As far as I am concerned, you can't really make plastic look like metal either, especially in really small scales'
Well here is a good idea for a cook up,lets prove that you can make wood look like metal  in fact you can make wood look like anything you want to regardless of scale,despite what modellers think plastic does have its limitations,manufacturers sell detail these days but personally I enjoyed building the more robust plastic kits years ago,anyway regardless of this we build in wood for many reasons,why do I build solids ? mostly because you can build what you want to any scale and any degree of detail or finish,I used to display my solids mixed amongst the plastic models at shows and got fed up of people saying 'Which kit is that' ? so a bit of grain proves useful to prove it was a solid after all ! there are some excellent scratch builders of the plastic model variety out there that would be perfectly capable of carving a model given a little guidance,perhaps by infiltrating the plastic model groups as myself and Lou do our work can be shown and make others think,I am not after converting anyone but you do get a buzz from proudly showing something that was built from the ground up in scrap wood etc.
Yes this group is really growing nicely,the output on last years models is quite staggering,I bet that not many plastic modellers can equal this ? solid models are far from dead,in fact in some ways they are going full circle thanks to this group again,the pooling of plans and ideas is excellent.
So get out your best filler,the shiny silver buffed up and build your favourite metal airplane,I will even do one in balsa if needs be to show what can be done,well on reflection I did it last year with the Sikorsky S-34 in fact,almost forgot that !

Some great ideas Ken.
Barry.

[dave_t]

I was just talking to a friend on the phone last night about painting the bare-metal effect on solid models. One 1930s Popular Science magazine recommended stripping the foil from the inside of toothpaste tubes and rubbing pieces of it, gold-leaf style, with a burnisher onto the model. That technique might be a bit difficult now, though someone, I think Jeff H, recommended ding something similar with thin budget brand aluminum foil and adhesive. I think some past discussions here covered various paints.

Barry, I loved seeing those two Sikorsky models develop. I hope to build one too.