Planes, Trains & Automobiles--Scale Modeling

[Fishmanic21 137]

Here is my 11 inch scale model of a 1938 37 ft triple cockpit barrelback Chris Craft boat. It was built mainly from sticks included in a kit. Took about 25 hours to build it and then stain and paint it. I have it displayed in front of my bathroom mirror.

I covered the seats in eel skin.. attention to detail.

 

[Fishmanic21 137]

One more metal art pic. Tank is 3 inches long and is composed of about 50 tiny parts.

 

[Back in the fold 9]

The detail in those is something else. Very fine. Is that what is called photo etched parts ? I saw a few of those in Hobby Lobby. One in particular, the Lunar Lander, seemed to be calling to me. Are they true scale models ? How big are they ?
Edit: oh, Okay, the dollar bill shows the size. That Chris Craft is beautiful. You Are a talented modeler.

 

[Fishmanic21 137]

The detail in those is something else. Very fine. Is that what is called photo etched parts ? I saw a few of those in Hobby Lobby. One in particular, the Lunar Lander, seemed to be calling to me. Are they true scale models ? How big are they ?
Edit: oh, Okay, the dollar bill shows the size. That Chris Craft is beautiful. You Are a talented modeler.

I try. Yes they are photo etched. You need a very tiny wire cutter, small flat blade tweezers , and small needle nose pliers. I really don't have a lot of experience building models. These are pretty much my first.

I did build a plastic model of a 1971 Plymouth Barracuda recently. For an amateur it came out pretty good. I don't have an airbrush, so it was done with a rattle can.

 

[Fishmanic21 137]

Pics of 1971 Barracuda model.

 

[Fishmanic21 137]

I changed the title of this thread to better reflect its content. It is now called "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles..Scale Modeling

After I changed the title, I remembered there is a movie by the same title starring Steve Martin and John Candy. I found the movie available for streaming online. Well...It looks like over the next 2 hours, I will be watching it!

 

[Back in the fold 9]

That's a GREAT movie. Steve Martin shows how funny a true straight comic can be and John Candy shows a very different side of himself. Classic. That's a great model car. Pretty good paint for a rattle can. Actually not bad at all. Looks like a real every day driver and not a show car. I want an airbrush really bad. An airbrush opens up a whole new realm of possibilities in modeling. For instance, Germany had some weird funky camoflage in the Luftwaffe and Wermacht in WWII. You can't mask it and make it look authentic but you can draw it on very well with an airbrush. I have a 1/48 scale Messerschmitt 262 that I'm holding off on til I get an airbrush. Expensive plastic kits of WWII warships have a lot of photo-etched parts. Tamiya makes a USS New Jersey (BB 62) with massive amounts of PE parts. Railings, rear aircraft recovery crane, ladders and superstructure detail. It's also a $175 dollar kit. I like your metal kits. I think I'll try one.

 

[Fishmanic21 137]

Make sure you either have on hand a decent small tool kit. They sell them on amazon under "metal earth tool kit" for about $15. The proper small tools makes it go quicker. Plan on about 6 hours or so of tedious work to assemble each model.

The models themselves are also sold on amazon for roughly $10 each.

 

[Fishmanic21 137]

If you build one of the models, you might get one of the rotating displays bases like mine. It takes a AA battery and also has solar panels. It will keep rotating for about 4 to 6 months.

 

[Fishmanic21 137]

Here’s the model of Notre Dame Cathedral. I have it on a lighted color changing rotating base . The lighting makes it really look awesome as the light shines through all the tiny openings in the model and projects onto the ceiling.

 

[Fishmanic21 137]

Don’t be shy. Post up some pics of your models

 

[Fishmanic21 137]

You might check out the B-24 Liberator 4 prop plane by Metal Earth.

 

[Back in the fold 9]

Yes, you need the right tools. I have a lot of specialty tools for plastic. That base in your pics is great. Rotates huh ? That's awesome. A B-24 you say ? A real one came through Billings here this summer along with a B-25, a B-17 and Mustang. A half hour ride was $425 dollars. Wished I was rich instead of good looking. Now for something awesome. Accurate Miniatures makes a B-25 that has lighted cockpit, all running lights and spinning props. The base has realistic sound and the model does a run up then shuts down. Ready to spend $200 semolians ? The nose even goes down at full throttle. Maximum cool.

 

[Fishmanic21 137]

Do you have a link to that working model of a B-25?

 

[Back in the fold 9]

I have made the statements that , number one , I need to get busy and that I am lazy. Here is testament to my laziness. I will have to poke through my back issues of Fine Scale Modeler to find the information you want. Maybe you can find it faster with your computer skills.