Category Archives: Modeling

Model Completed: Battlestar Galactica

I’ve added a page for the Moebius Models Battlestar Galactica model that I finished a few months ago. Overall a fun build, and I’m really happy with the result. That’s really the only problem with building commissions for others (as this model was): If it turns out really well, then it’s really hard to turn it over at the end of the project.

As with all of the other Battlestar Galactica series ship builds in my gallery, this model now belongs to a private collector. One of these days I’ll build something Battlestar related and actually hold onto the thing.

Photos and such are HERE.

Save

Gulliver’s Gate

gulliversI recently realized that, other than updating my biography, I hadn’t made official mention on my website of my new job. As of September 2016, I have been working as a model builder at Gulliver’s Gate, a new edutainment attraction opening in Times Square this year. My daily duties involve 3D CAD design, 3D printing, assembly, and painting of models for the exhibits. To say this is my dream job is an understatement. For an idea of what to expect when we open in April, check out the Gulliver’s Gate website.

Review: IPP Lacquer WWII Navy Hobby Paints

This is part of a review of a new product line by IPP out of Korea. The original post, as below, that I did on the US Navy colors, and the follow-up review if the IJN colors can be seen HERE on the Modelwarships.com website.

bottlesMatt of Kraken Hobbies sent along some samples of the new lacquer based ship paints from IPP of Korea. The range is mostly made up of USN WWII colors at this point, but does also have some WWII IJN colors, as well as modern colors. The lineup as of now is, per Matt’s ability to order:

IJN: Sasebo Grey, Kure Grey, Linoleum Brown

USN: 20B, 5-O, 5-L, 5-H, 5-S, 5-N, 5-P

Modern USN: Deck Matt, Flight Deck Matt, Freeboard Superstructure Matt

JMSDF: Freeboard Superstructure Matt, Deck Matt

Per Matt, they also offer their own brand of thinner and leveling fluid, which I would recommend. More on why later.

The following paints were tested by myself and IJN expert Dan Kaplan. I’ll comment on the three USN colors, Dan will chime in on this thread with his thoughts on the IJN offerings. Testing was done by spraying the paints on white styrene, unprimed, to match as close as possible the Snyder and Short paint chip cards (hereafter S&S) that both Dan and I possess. Continue reading

Brooklyn Navy Yard Museum and the USS Maine

2015-11-25 12.40.50Recently I finally got some closure on a project from some years ago. I made it out to the museum in Building 92 of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Part of their collection is a large scale model of the famous battleship USS Maine. A model that I helped build.

Back in 2010 a friend of mine, ship modeler extraordinaire Gary Kingzett, asked me if I’d like to assist him on a build for a museum. My odd work schedules over a 5 or 6 year period allowed me the freedom to travel to his home and workshop in northern New Jersey. Material for the ship’s hull was a large sheet of poured urethane resin, known as butter board. I’ve put some photos in the Continue reading

54mm Steampunk Sybil Figure Finished

2015-09-17 21.36.56Several weeks back I attended the 2015 Jersey Fest show here in New Jersey. As part of the three day weekend, I registered to take a miniature painting class, taught by Maya at Morland Studios. For the class fee of $65 you got two figures, one of which is the Sybil, Steampunk Lady Bust shown here, multiple bottles of paint, some high quality brushes, and, not least of all, hands-on training and critique by an extraordinary figure painter.

I used to paint a lot of gaming miniatures. While in the Navy they were the only things portable enough for me to take with me to the bases and aboard ship. I was never very good at them, though, as soft modeling (organic shapes and surfaces) has never been my forte’, I’m better suited to the realms of hard modeling (mechanical items). I’ve always wanted to learn to paint realistic skin tones, Continue reading