IPMS/Techmages - Adventures in Imaginative Scale Modeling

Models By IPMS/Techmages Members

September, 2005 Meeting & August Picnic

^ Lots of goodies here today

August BBQ Pics included here!

The Annual Techmage BBQ was at Sparky's. We had a small turnout: Terry, Neil P, Kevin, Ken, Neil Sr, Larry J & Jon. Not to mention Joe.

^ August was our annual BBQ held at Buildfest headquarters. . .

Hi, everybody! We had a smallish turnout at the last meeting, which was OK because somehow we only had one table, when typically we had three. Apparently a girl's birthday party trumped our model geek meeting. The struggle must continue, comrades!

Our friend Leo Limuaco visited us again, this time he made it to a meeting while in town for a conference. All hail Leo, intrepid traveler from the desert wastelands of Las Vegas! After the meeting we had dinner at The Assembly - which I thought was quite good (Chad's pun notwithstanding).

September Meeting Attendees: John L, Larry J, Jon, Tony, Terry, Neil P, Chad, Bob, Neil Sr, Kevin, Baltazar, Steve, and Joe. . .

Now, announcements:

Starship Modeler has begun a sale to benefit members of the Starship Modeler community affected by the hurricane Katrina disaster. If you have kits you'd like to donate to this cause, or would like to peruse the kits others have donated, visit here:
http://www.starshipmodeler.com/cfstore/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=79

Events News:

The Kalamazoo model show is next weekend, of course this update is too late for you to make plans to attend. Good luck to the Techmages who will attend. I'll gaze wistfully at the exit for I-94 as I continue along I-90 on my way to Ohio.

General Club News:

Joe gave us an update on the Great Greeblie Roundup. There are several sheets full of goodies, and Joe has estimated the costs for each. There will be more details and pictures to follow:

Joe also suggested a soldering demonstration for an upcoming meeting. He's identified several LED circuitry kits, which should give a novice the valuable hands-on experience needed to jump that hurdle into electrifying your kits. More details from Joe will, I'm sure, be added to this update:

Now, on to the meat of this Burgoo: the Show-and-Tell:

Joe
Joe showed some lightrope he's working with. These are small kits powered by two AAA batteries. They're not particularly bright but potentially useful. He also passed numerous greeblie bags around. Such a tease, Joe is.

Tony
Tony has been busy. He has two Sci Fi Models 1/48 Viper MkII kits he's detailing and turning into a diorama. Remember the miniseries climax where Starbuck rams her Viper into Apollo's damaged Viper? Yeah, Tony's building that. He also brought along a blast from his past. Back in high school, in the Early Eighties (for those of you who weren't around then those were the halcyon days of the Reagan Era where all was golden and happy) he modified a Romulan Bird of Prey into a Movie-Era version. Just as the Klingon D-7 got greeblized, so did this BoP. Very nice work, young Tony.

John L
John brought a Hygog (?) he'll turn into an underwater wreck diorama, complete with coral, barnacles, fishies and crabs. He's also working on a vacuformed M-12 ramjet drone. This is the recon drone planned for the SR-71 which didn't quite work as planned. He's finding it more work than planned, but is moving along quite well. An Otoscope cone makes a very nice little jet nozzle. He also brought along the new Starship Modeler kits, the Sith Infiltrator and the new Trek conversion. Look for those in the store.

Art
Art brought the ST Model Shop Tritium kit - one of the engines was miscast and John replaced it.

Chad
Chad told us about the Miami Vice Ferrari kit which is a apparently the kit-car conversion, not the real Ferrari - which is actually accurate to the show. I think that's what he said.

Bob
Bob is cleaning his garage and doing house work - and thus, no modeling. . .May we all bow our heads in a moment of silent support for Bob. . .

Neil P
Neil SAYS he hasn't done anything. But he brought along a bunch of Ogre miniatures (actually Confederation units). These he painted with his Sotar and used ink and oil washes to great effect.

Kevin
Kevin's starting to work on miniatures and such. We're gonna have fun with Kevin. He also wants to buy all your models. You will sell Kevin your models-and when his wife finds his stash of kits, we'll get them back at the estate sale!

Baltazar
Baltazar brought a number of Andrea Miniatures 54mm kits - Andrea has the best sculptors in the world and their work has to be seen to be believed. He's thinking of relocating to East Tumbleweed Texas, though. C'mon, man, we just got ya!

Steve
Steve sold a bunch of collectable AMT Star Trek kits. No, the OLD versions, the collectable kits molded in black plastic!

Terry:
I brought the new 1/72 Viper Mk II sculpted by Marc King - very nice indeed. Look for pictures later. I'm also working on the 1/72 VF-4 Lightning III. I brought some swag from Gencon, a bunch of Thunderbolt Mountain Miniatures (one of the original Ral Partha sculptors), some re-released Ral Partha minis now from Ironwind - the reincarnated Ral Partha. And Good News, Everyone - the Ral Partha dragons are all being re-released. These are very good dragon minis. Mongoose is making new Babylon 5 miniatures and Starship Troopers miniatures. Oh, and check out the new stuff from Crocodile Games. . .
http://www.thunderboltmountain.com/
http://www.ironwindmetals.com/
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/
http://www.crocodilegames.com/

Did I miss anyone? I hope not.

Ter_or

Regarding the GGRU:
Here's the listings:
The First sheet A.K.A. the LS sheet (mostly parts from Larry S):
   Cost is $1.49 Approx. 75 Parts
The Second sheet A.K.A. the TM sheet (there are 2 plutonium reactors from the Back To the Future Time Machine:
   Cost is $3.05 Approx. 100 Parts
The Third sheet A.K.A. the PS sheet (The scaffolding ring piece from the Pilgrim Space Station):
   Cost is $3.33 Approx. 120 Parts (some tall parts in there)
You can see pictures of the GGRU here, sheet's 2 & 3 will be posted soon. . .

Regarding the Solder demo:
There is a posting in the Club Cornner:
I've ordered some kits. I'll try out the cold soldering iron on one when it gets in to see how it works with circuit boards and ICs (chips).

--snip--
4 * K-3287 LED Flasher (soldering kit)
These are up for grabs:
John
Baltazar
Maybe Neil

2 * MK-102-FLASHING LEDs (soldering kit)
Chad gets one

2 * K-6825-LED Sequential Light Chaser (soldering kit)
Chad gets one

--snip--
2 * K-4431 Sequential Led Flasher (soldering kit)
up for grabs

2 * MK-107 LED RUNNING LIGHT (soldering kit)
1 for me
This is the pushbutton controllable multi sequence kit

1 with extra tip * OLC-98 Variable Temperature Soldering Station (Replacement Tip for OLC-9
If no one wants it I'll keep it

I suggest getting your own soldering iron to practice with, so you're used to that iron's characteristics.
It looks like the ColdHeat iron Neil loaned me to test works well, I'll try it on one of the kits when they come in and let everyone know. They're $19.99 at Radioshack, but they also have cheep ~8.00 'fire starter' irons. As long as the kits ship in a timely fashion we can have the demo in October.

Joe 'Sparky'

August's Techmage BBQ

Image: Techmages Gathering

Image: Crackers n Garlic Buttery from Gilory

Image: Neil

Image: Terry Kevin and Jon

Image: Ken, Neil P, and Neil

Image: Techmages

Image: Chicken Boobs

Image: Polish dogs are ready

Septmeber's Attendees trickled in . . .

Image: Baltazar, Tony, John, and Bob

Image: John, Chad, Bob, Neil, Kevin, and Terry

Image: Tony's kickin' it

Image: Kevin!

Image: The Meeting's Wrapping up

Tony's Dual Viper Dio, Scene where Starbuck hooks Apollo's Heavily Damaged Viper and scoots it home

Image: Apollo's Port engine damge

Image: Port Engine exhaust damge

Image: Close up of that engine access panel

Image: Starboard Engine and wing edge detials

Image: Belly and laser cannon detail

Image: Starbuck's Viper starboard engine detail

Image: Starbuck's starboard engine detail

Image: Towed by laser

Image: Engine and aft details

Image: Nose details

Image: Viper engine intake details

Tony brought an old model he did, his idea of a Movie era Romulan (feather pattern is freehand)

Image: Impulse/aft detail

Image: Nice Phasor damage near bridge

John's Vacu-form UnManed Recon Drone, Launched from Blackbirds

Image: Unmaned Rcon Drone

Image: Funnel is from an ear exam disposable cone

Image: Bondo repairs thinned walls

Image: Ramjet intake

He was able to put together a Gundum Teddy Bear while the foot was healing

Image: Nice detail inder the armor

Image: Even these thrusters are open and rotate

John's Got Samples from SM
Infiltrator

Image: Pack of parts

Image: The main Hull (port side)

Image: Gear bay detail

Trek conversion original design, a PIONEER-CLASS DSE

Image: Lower primary (extra dish mount) and secondary hulls

Image: Upper primary hull, lots of thingys

Baltazar brought some Andrea white metal figures

Image: Techman Cop, Elf Archer, Humman w/egg

Image: Box art

Neil P's Got some Orge minis done with a Sotar using the standard needle

Image: Hover Tank

Image: Missile Support Tank

Image: Heavy Tank

Image: Opposition's Orge equivilant Tank Fencer-B

Image: Tail guns

Image: Side guns, missiles, an antennae

Terry's Build up of the smaller scale viper MkII

Image: Viper on a stick

Image: Aft details

Image: Engine access panel

Image: Nose detail strip

Image: Top fin is separate

Image: Engine turkey feather hoops, lasers, & gear

He's brought an old Macross resin kit

Image: Macross Plane burnishing the surface helps the primer go down

Image: Macross Plane

Image: Enigne intake detail

Terry's got the cold navy fleet painted up

Image: Kharadorn Fleet

New Earth Force Mini's, will scaled up before release

Image: Apollo/Warlock missile crusier

Image: Troop Transport

Image: Some neat sci-fi soldiers

Image: A minotaur of course

July 9th	Home	October Club Meeting
Star wars Eps. 3 model reviews, and Cassini Updates. . .	Up	Solder Demo