LATE-BREAKING NEWS
It is with deep regret and sadness that I share with you the news of the passing
of our great friend and IPMS Niagara Frontier club member Chuck Nichter. Chuckie
passed Tuesday at about 6 pm while in Hospice care. We're really gonna miss you
Old Model Man, Rest in Peace Dear Friend and may your #11's always be sharp!
Bob Collignon
President, IPMS Niagara Frontier
Reminder - Special Offer for All IPMS Niagara Frontier Members
We will rebate ½ of the cost for a one-year membership to IPMS USA, our national
"umbrella" organization for new national memberships and renewals occurring from
June 2009 through June 2010. The tangible benefit to this membership is 6 bimonthly
copies of the excellent modeling publication IPMS Journal.
Adult memberships are $25.00 per year and Juniors (17 years old and under) are
$12.00, so your rebates are $12.50 and $6.00 respectively.
You will be responsible to complete and submit the application along with
payment to IPMS USA. Dave Schwab has application forms. You can also do this
on-line at the National website.
You will receive a membership card in the mail a few weeks later.
To get your rebate, you just have to show your current IPMS USA member card
to Dave Schwab and he will give you money. How simple is that?
The E-Board encourages everyone to take advantage of this offer. It's a good
way to get your feet wet and see what IPMS USA is all about.
PrezSez Mk.II (Collignon's End Game)
First order of business is: let's keep saying our prayers for Chuck Nichter - seems to be working so far, so maybe if we just pray a bit harder! We missed you at BuffCon Mr. OldModelerMan! Rob carried the family flag well, though!
Our next meeting and post-BuffCon 27 Pizza + Wing soirée will be April 19, 2010, 7 PM in our basement classroom meeting space (our regular room).
Speaking of BuffCon... BuffCon 27 obviously became WoWCon 27 - what a show!!! As club Prez, a club member/occasional Prez/occasional show chair, who has been to every BuffCon since #1, I have NEVER seen a club member effort like I saw at BuffCon. Fully 3/4 plus of our regular membership was there at 7:45 and worked till we locked the doors at about 5! Huzzah, Three Cheers, and a Big Bravo to all of you - FANTASTIC - and it makes me proud to have been your Prez over the last year!
On a more personal level, I want to thank my E-board for all the effort that youz guyz (always) put into making our club events actually happen and seem to be seamless - we know better don't we? We did quite a number of minor changes for this year's show and all seem to have worked out quite well; e.g, howz 'bout those new trophies? Great call on that one, Paul Hines! Did you guyz enjoy either of the demos? That was a new show item this year, too, and it appears the response was VERY positive! Another new item we added was the club membership table, and I think we got 3-4 new members out of it - that's terrific! I also want to thank Justen Hanna for stepping up to be our show chair this year; a most excellent job, my friend, and we all thank you for taking on this often daunting and frustrating task... so when are you running the next NOREASTCON?
Last, but not at all least, I want to thank 2 members of our growing "auxiliary": Sam Hanna and Karla Faith. You may have noticed Sam in the kitchen and Karla at the raffle bar. Ladies, thank you for your efforts above and beyond! I know both your husbands well, so I can't imagine why you were both being so nice! :) Sam will be running our kitchen next year, and I hear Karla wants to take care of the raffle table :):):)
Oh yeah, can't forget this - this is how I know we "done good": we, the club, made about 25% more money in 2010 than we did at BuffCon 26 and we made a lot of money last year! It's successes like this that make it possible for the club to offer our membership a 1/2 payment to cover your IPMS/USA membership. Remember, that offer will be ending soon, so take advantage of it.
Monday's Meeting Events:
1. Our traditional post-show Pizza WingDing celebration - bring a sweet treat if
you'd like. The club supplies the pizza, wings and pop!
2. Our yearly election. If you're interested in running for a position, you still
have time to get ahold of Tom Faith and get your name on the ballot. His phone number
and email will be listed at the end of this e-Dizpatch. We need new faces!
3. We will announce the rules and timing for our 2010 "Timmy's Challenge". This is
an intra-club modeling competition, sorry, modeling exhibition, with a possible pay-off
at the end. The "Timmy's Challenge" is what we have traditionally called the "NOREASTCON
Challenge". It was an absolute hoot in 2009 (especially if you finished your model) so
I think it will be even more fun this year. I will get into the "rules and reg's" at
the meeting and our new Prez can cover it again in the May e-Dizpatch for the guys who
miss our April meeting. No need to bring your "Challenge" model until the May meeting.
4. Our "around the room" question will be: "what was your favorite model(s) at
BuffCon 27?"
5. Check out the Torcan show coming up on May 29th. You should seriously think
about going to this excellent show. Keep in mind that A LOT of the guys walking around,
entering and buying at BuffCon were our buddies from the North! If we want them to
support our shows, (boy, howdy did they - the Best of Show winner was Harvey Low from
Toronto) then we ALWAYS have to reciprocate by supporting them. I know I will.
That's IT, My Friends; my last e-Dizpatch too. It has been, as it's been in the past
years, a pleasure to be your President (even more of a pleasure after I saw the effort
put forth at BuffCon this past Sunday.) Good Luck to whomever our next Prez ends up being!
See Youz Allz Monday....
IPMS Prez Bob C.
March Model Table
The models on the March Model Table were on display to help with the pre-Buffcon
judging seminar, which prepares club members with the basics and finer points of contest
judging. The seminar was presented by Judge Emeritus Tony Bartoszek and newly installed
Chief Judge Bob Raithel. Tim Delvanthal, Jim Hanna, and Bob Conshafter contributed
additional advice. The table moderator was Brian McFee.
Paul Hines brought a Spanish made Artisiano Latina Ship model that he built 7 or 8
years ago. It was built straight from the box and was the second wooden ship model he
built, and he spent the better part of a year building it.
Bob Raithel brought a scratch built monster made from Sculpy polymer clay. It was
a very simple project, designed to teach kids how to sculpt something cool quickly.
Surprisingly, it won 2nd place at a past Buffcon. Bob also brought a 1/72 scale Revell
Horton 229 experimental jet fighter and a 1/35 scale Tamiya T-38 German tank - the second
armor kit he built. (Writing about oneself in the third person is just plain creepy.)
Nick Morris depicted a Type B U-Boat surfacing. This was Nick's first attempt at
simulating water and he is looking for tips on how to improve the effect, although the
club generally agreed that he is doing just fine on his own.
Frank Blonski brought three car models for the judging seminar, including
"The Outlaw" took second place at The Rochester Show in the retro category. Frank
didn't give details about the other two models, and, as your humble correspondent is
a dunce concerning automobiles, we'll let the photograph speak for itself.
Frank also had a Pro Mod which he has added spare parts and scratchbuilt
parts for. He hasn't worked on it for two years.
Ernie Yuhnke showed a small ship model - the Nina, a model of the New Jersey
plus a large number of 54mm figures. They include an Aurora Bengal Lancer, Emil
DesMaltins throwing a chair, an English Hussar and his girlfriend, the Aid de Camp
of Murat, an English Navy Pressman, two 95th Riflemen, a French Guard of Honor,
a French Hussar, a Chinese Spearman, a Priesser Prussian, a French Officer in
winter dress, Horatio Nelson, an Archer from the 1400's, and finally, a British
Officer head. Ernie has painted 1,789 figures to date.
Bob Collignon's Laffley Armored car continues to develop nicely. He has been
experimenting with weathering techniques on the base and using the hairspray
weathering trick on the walls and the post. He added Vines to the post, and
added bulk to the rather flat metal gate with gel medium. Bob plans to add a
pair of yet-unfinished figures and hopes to have the model completed by the AMPS Show.
Larry Osolkowski displayed a resin and white-metal Formula One Car. The
tire markings were rendered with a photo-etched brass mask that allowed Larry
to airbrush the letters on the sides of the tires with Tamiya acrylic white paint.
Larry also brought a Solido die-cast kit, which he says was a challenge to
build. He added photo-etched seat belts and windshield wipers.
Ilya Grinberg shared his 1/72 scale Tamiya Russian Spitfire, which he has been
working on for five years, making it a candidate for the Model From Hell category.
To the plastic kit, Ilya added resin engine details, none of which fit. He states
that rather than the resin parts fitting the model, the model had to be fit to the
details! Ilya was inspired by an article in a Fine Scale Modeler publication which
ran in 2005. Photo-etched brass details were added to the cockpit, and he used both
acrylic and enamel paints to finish the model. Ilya has been continually challenged
by this project, but the effort has paid off.
John Zaranek brought a 1/72 scale Leopard tank which was masked with medical
gauze and airbrushed, a Tamiya 1/48 scale Stug painted in a conjectural paint scheme,
and a Merkava which is the first tank model he's put on a base. It was painted and
then drybrushed - no pastels or weathering.
Tony Gliszczynski displayed a 1/35 scale Tamiya Walker Bulldog and a Dodge Charger
in retro yellow.
Eric Hildebrand extensively modified Monogram's Mack Bulldog into a World War One
era prime mover truck. He scratch built the bed and removed the fenders. Eric also
brought a 1/35 scale Esci wagon which he covered with tissue.
Justin Hanna presented his 1/48 scale Hasagawa Bf-109 in Swiss markings which
he finished a couple of years ago.
Brian McFee brought his 1/48 scale Italieri Osprey which he needs to add a
multitude of details - primarily antannas. Although he has a ways to go, it is coming
along beautifully.
John Doerr displayed a Hasagawa 1/32 scale Ki-44 Shoki "Tojo" which was
destined to be entered in Buffcon until it crash-landed on a linoleum floor.
John thoroughly enjoyed painting the free-form camo pattern, but doesn't think
he'll ever get it finished.
The group gathered around the tables to listen to information about
the models brought in by members.
The meeting ended with the Judging Seminar.
