Greetings and salutations to one and all! I can't believe summer has come and gone, the kids are back to school and old man winter is just a few blocks away. However, on the bright side, it's the start to another show season. I am looking forward to these shows but more importantly, seeing our fellow modeling friends from the various clubs that we haven't seen in almost two years.

IPMS Niagara Frontier Meeting Agenda - September 21, 2021

7:00 PM to 7:10 PM - Place models on tables with description forms.

We would like to encourage all club members to join the national IPMS. Help support your hobby on a national level. IPMS provides the insurance that allows us to have our events, and membership includes a nice monthly magazine. The website can be found at: IPMS, and an application form can be found HERE.

The monthly general club meeting will be on Tuesday, September 21st, starting at the usual 7:00pm at the usual meeting room in the rear building. Here are the safety guidelines we will be following:

1. Masks are not required for fully vaccinated individuals.

A link to the current Sprue and Glue News has been added in recent months to the Newsletter Blast emails provided by National IPMS. For those readers from other chapters, and anyone else who might be interested, our website has a Newsletter page with buttons to select any of the newsletters from the current year. There is also a button on that page to access the Archive page, which has links to all of the newsletters published since September 2007.

The Links page on the club website has recently been updated with information contributed by members. If you have a favorite website for modeling info, forums, etc., email the information to larryo@ipmsniagarafrontier.com.

A NOTE TO NON-MEMBERS

The minutes from the July 2021 general meeting are included below. Thanks to our Secretary, Al Germann, for the meeting minutes.

Jul 20th - President Mike Butry led the meeting.

• Old Business:
  • N/A.
• New Business:
  • N/A.
• BuffCon #37, April 2022:
  • N/A
• NorEastCon 2022:
  • N/A
• Miscellaneous/Open Floor:
  • Upcoming shows were listed and included Rochester, Syracuse, Cleveland.
  • Light discussion on manufacturer Hobbycraft recently going out of business but molds may end up at another manufacturer.
  • Squadron website for models and suppliers is back on-line.
  • Member's models on the tables were presented.

The minutes from the August 2021 general meeting are included below. Thanks to our Secretary, Al Germann, for the meeting minutes.

Aug 17th - President Mike Butry led the meeting.

• Old Business:
  • N/A
• New Business:
  • N/A
• BuffCon #37, April 2022:
  • N/A
• NorEastCon 2022:
  • N/A
• Miscellaneous/Open Floor:
  • Upcoming shows were listed.
  • Tom Faith provided review of AMPS event.
  • Favorable comment on design and quality of BanDai kits.
  • Member's models on the tables were presented.

To promote greater transparency regarding the operation of the club and the EBoard, action items from the previous month's EBoard meeting will be published in the newsletter. These will not be detailed minutes of the meetings, but highlights that the general membership should be aware of.

September 13 - President Mike Butry led the meeting, held online via Zoom.

• Old Business:
  • Tom Faith forwarded financial data ahead of meeting.
  • The fee for the hall rental for BuffCon should have carried over but Mike B. has action item to confirm.
• New Business:
  • None.
• BuffCon #37, 2022:
  • Flyers were discussed as Frank B. will be printing some for the upcoming show in Rochester. Final drafts were sent in recent emails for feedback. Mike B. described some minor changes since then. Mike has action item to give approval to Frank.
  • Mike has action item to post BuffCon flyer on club's Facebook page.
  • It was decided that other member having a designated task or area coordinators should attend the EBoard meetings as that is where the action items, status, etc. will be discussed. A few members were mentioned for specific coordinators, that being Ed Button for trophies and Jeff Kennan as vendor coordinator. For security, Dave and Matt as they handled it in the past.
  • Al G. has action item to review, update as needed and forward existing BuffCon task list, inventory sheet, work instructions etc. to EBoard.
  • Larry O. has action item to start website for BuffCon. The amount of content posted at this time is at Larry's discretion. It is more important to get it available for basic information and to act as a place holder for people for internet searches.
  • Dick stated he had some quotes on advertising with Fine Scale Modeler magazine. As they are now 6 issues a year and their lead time is 2-3 months, we have to formally decide somewhat soon. Initially, EBoard favored the January and March issues in 2022. Dick has action item to facilitate the writing of the advertisement. Other magazine advertisements briefly discussed were the IPMS magazine and Model Cars.
  • Al G. stated plans to continue as coordinator of the kitchen for BuffCon.
  • Category sponsorship was discussed with a couple of specific leads from Mike B. and Tom Brown Jr.
• Miscellaneous:
  • Dan P. stated he can perform a demo on painting a marbleized finish at the next general meeting if that would be approved.

John Doerr sent in some pictures of his Hobby Craft Ju 88C.

John also emailed some photos of a 1/144 Bf 110C that he will be bringing to the next meeting.

John also sent along a classic Calvin & Hobbes model-related cartoon.

Rich Bernecki also provided some photos of a couple of models he's completed over the past few months. The first is a model of Captain America. Rich said "when my grandson came to my house and saw it in my stash, he asked if I would build it for him. It took a few months, but I finished it and gave it to him."

Rich's second model was one he built for his son for his birthday. Rich describes it as follows: "When we went to the Cleveland show a couple of years ago, he pointed out a vendor that was selling signed memorabilia and indicated that Chuck Yeager and the X-1 was one of his favorite airplanes. So I built the old Revell 1/32 Bell X-1 and put it in a display case. The base of the case included a photo of Yeager and his record breaking X-1 which he named 'Glamorous Glennis', two first day of issue postage letters with the X-1 stamp and envelopes and a first day cover, signed by Yeager and authenticated by JSA."

We'll now continue with the models on the tables at last month's live, in-person meeting. Ron Mikol showed us his 1940 Willys Pro Mod. It was finished with Orange Pearl, Black & White, Magenta Pearl and PPG clear. Ron said he modified the frame, and scratch-built an aluminum interior, the glass, and lead headers. He mentioned that he started with a resin body that was almost junk. Ron likes drag cars.

Jeff Keenan brought in a couple of models this month. The first was a Hasegawa 1/72 Jaguar GR Mk. 1/A, finished with Model Master enamels and Mission Models and Tamiya acrylics. Jeff said he plans on doing some post-shading and panel line washes for weathering, and adding some aftermarket Sidewinder missiles. He also mentioned that the only issues with the build were user error - "the airbrakes are perforated and I tried to drill them out but failed miserably. They've been puttied up." Jeff said he liked the overwing missile pylons and the British gray/green camo scheme, and hopes to have it finished by the next meeting. He also mentioned that the pilot included with the kit didn't fit, which he thought was amusing.

Jeff also displayed another work in progress, a 1/12 Bandai Scout Trooper and Speeder Bike from Star Wars. He's using Model Master enamels and Tamiya acrylics along with drybrushing and washes with a lot still to do. Jeff will also try hairspray chipping, which he said he's still learning to do effectively. He mentioned that there were no issues with the kit, which he picked because he's into Star Wars and Bandai kits are fantastic.

Brian McFee showed us his Eduard 1/48 Hawker Typhoon Mk. 1B, car door version. He used Vallejo Model Air paints in middlestone, dark earth, azure blue and interior grey/green, with Chromatemp tempura paint for weathering. He also added a Quickboost resin seat.

Jim Greenfield brought in a Revell 1/400 Typhoon Nuclear Submarine from the movie Red October. Jim said he scratch-built the catterpillar drive from the movie, which is one of his favorites.

Dick Schulenberg displayed a new collection of aircraft models.

Dick's first model was an AZ Models 1/72 Douglas X-3. He used Tamiya Fine White spray primer and Gloss Aluminum paints, with no weathering, and built it out-of-box. Dick said there were some fiddley fits and butt joints to deal with, typical of short run kits. He mentioned that he always liked the early experimental jets, and the X-3 looks great but underperformed due to underpowered engines.

Dick's next model was a Civilized Models 1/32 Miss San Bernardino Midget Goodyear Racer from 1950. Dick utilized Tamiya Fine White Primer and Clearcoat from spray cans, along with Vallejo Model Color Vermillion Red brushed on, with no weathering required. He added some bits to the cockpit, opened up the inlets and exhausts, and pinned the prop blades to the spinner. Dick said the resin kit was fine, but the decals were odd - they were printed in reverse from normal decals with the backing on the final (outside) face; they worked OK but were strange. He commented that this is a neat little airplane - he's always liked these midget racers as kind of an everyman's dream instead of the big, ex-military unlimited racers.

Dick also showed us a Northrop JB-1 Bat in 1/72 scale from a Muroc Models resin kit. He used Tamiya spray can Chrome Yellow along with various Vallejo Model Colors. He said it still needs to be satin coated and have the windscreen added, and no weathering is planned. It was built out-of-box except for wire for the tow rings and antenna. Dick mentioned that with only 7 parts, there wasn't much to cause issues, and the resin was very clean with no pinholes. Dick said this subject was a little outside his current modeling time period but pretty neat looking. He commented that the JB-1 was an unpowered, piloted prototype for a jet powered pilotless flying bomb developed late in WW II for the US Army Air Force. The prototype flew well, but the only jet powered pilotless one crashed five seconds into the first flight; end of program.

Dick's next model was a Hasegawa 1/72 F9F-2 Panther from the Korean War. It was painted with Vallejo Model Air Glossy Sea Blue, airbrushed, and Vallejo Model Air Silver RLM01, brushed. Dick built it OOB except for an Obscureco resin ejection seat and Reskit nose and wheels. He said he's not convinced the nose was worth the effort, but the wheels are nice. Dick commented that it was a typical Hasegawa 1980's kit, and he used Blackbird Decals (from the U.K.) for the F9F-2 flown by Lt. Amen VF-111, Korea, November 1950. He said the model was a perfect fit for his current postwar Navy Blue theme, with lots more blue to go.

The next item in Dick's collection was an AZ Models Cessna T-50 Crane/Bobcat, finished with Tamiya Fine White primer and Vallejo Model Color Light Sea Gray and Vermillion. Dick said it was built pretty much OOB except he shortened the landing gear by 1/8" to match drawings and photos. He said the kit was a typical better-quality short run kit, but he had difficulty fairing the windscreen to the fuselage and probably should have checked the fit earlier in the build. Dick commented that this is the famous "Songbird" from the late '50s TV series "Sky King" (I remember watching that as a kid!)

Dick also had an AZ Models 1/72 Boeing P-26 Peashooter in progress. He said he plans to use PollyScale paint for the blue/yellow final colors, with Starfighter decals. The cockpit is a mixture of kit floor and bulkheads with Starfighter sidewalls, seat and instrument panel, and he plans on using the Starfighter engine and cowl. Dick said the Starfighter cockpit was made for an old Revell kit which has a different cross-section, causing complications. Dick likes P-26s and will be building more.

Finally, Dick had an unstarted AZ Models 1/72 Bell X-2 kit on the table - maybe his next project?

Dave Armitage brought in several models for us to see. The first was an Atlantic kit of King Kong in a shadow box diorama. Dave said he painted over all of the "glow in the dark" parts.

Dave had another shadow box diorama, this one based on a highly modified "Grave Robber's Demise" Polar Lights kit finished with acrylics. Dave said he painted over the "glow in the dark" parts except for the ghoul who pops out of the casket, and added lights for the eyes in the tree, the moon and the lantern.

Dave also displayed a couple of 1/32 model cars: a Bugatti and a 1940 Ford. They were finished with rattle can and acrylic paints, and the kits were given to him at the last meeting. Dave also mentioned to note the price on the box.

Dave's last model was the SMS Emden, a WW I German light cruiser, finished with rattle can and acrylic paints. Dave said he read a book about this ship and wanted to built it.

Dan Marafino showed us two new aircraft paintings: Marine F-4Js eliminating a V.C. camp with napalm, and a BF-109E being chased by a Spitfire, both in acrylic.

Larry Osolkowski displayed his progress on his 1/43 Merit kit of a 1986 Benetton B-186 F1 race car. The body paint is finished and the decals are going on. Larry said there were a lot more decals than he realized when he started, but fortunately the old decals went on without difficulty. He also sprayed some of the green body paint on to clear decal sheet to fill in some small areas that were difficult to paint; a small piece of painted decal can be seen in the first photo.

Larry also brought in a new kit that was recently released by Meng. Meng are best known for their armor kits, but they have decided to try doing a motorcycle, and their offering is a contemporary BMW R nineT in 1/9 scale. The kit includes a very nicely done die-cast metal tank in a brushed metal finish, and a detail set is also offered in metal for the front forks. It looks like an excellent kit with nicely done instructions.

Bill Borkowski brought in two model cars he's been working on.

Bill's first car is a Tamiya 1/24 MX-5 Miata. He used Tamiya lacquer spray paint and Tamiya acrylics, brushed and airbrushed, and added some small details to the interior. Bill said this car is one of his favorite roadsters. He mentioned that he started this kit some time in 2013 and doesn't recall why he set it aside, but he found it a few weeks ago and decided to finish it.

Bill's second model was a Revell 1/25 Porsche 914/6, finished with Tamiya lacquer spray paint and Tamiya acrylics, brushed and airbrushed. In Bill's words: "this kit is terrible! Many pieces are ill-formed and don't fit. The chassis is warped. The wheels and tires don't fit the suspension well and tend to fall off; they will have to be glued in place. The worst part of this kit is that the engine compartment is detailed but when the car is fully assembled the engine compartment cannot be seen!" Bill picked the subject for nostalgic reasons - his brother owned one.

Tim Grieve displayed his AMT 1/25 2009 Corvette Coupe. He used Testors Red Metallic paint along with Light Sea Gray, Black and Future Floor Wax for a clear coat. Tim said he had the kit in his stash and wanted something easy to take a break from planes and ships.

Tim also showed us a Lindberg 1/72 battle-damaged A4D Skyhawk. It was finished with Model Color Agressor Gray and Black, along with Testors White, Dullcoat, Red and Blue. Tim said he removed the decals over the damaged areas and added smoke smudges.

Bob Conshafter brought in a work-in-progress, a Revell 1/40 M-56 Scorpion 90mm Self-propelled gun. He used two versions of faded olive drab from Aeromaster and Lifecolor. It's built essentially out of the box, with no weathering yet. Bob said he plans on some oil washes and some dot filtering. He mentioned that the kit had no issues and went together well for its age. He plans to use an old Aurora K&B display base and the kit figures to make a scene with a more retro look.

Tom Faith displayed his diorama "Too Many Cooks", which took a Best Diorama award at the AMPS Regional in South Bend, Indiana this year. Sorry, but no info sheet details were available.

Al Germann had a couple of Mustang models on display, but the info sheets were misplaced.

There were a couple of unidentified publications on the tables.

Finally, some around-the-room shots.

Thanks to the members who sent in photos and updates on their current projects, and to Dan Price for moderating the model tables. Model table photos by Larry Osolkowski.