Greetings and salutations to one and all! Well folks, this is it. We are heading into the show season and I'd love for us to attend as many shows as possible. More importantly, remember to wear our club shirts to show our support!

IPMS Niagara Frontier Meeting Agenda - August 16, 2022

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 20th at the Knights Hall, 2735 Union Rd., Cheektowaga, NY 14227, starting at the usual 7:00pm at the usual meeting room in the rear building. There will also be a 50/50 raffle held at the meeting to help raise funds for the club.

Section 8 Hobbies is now holding a build night every Wednesday from 4 to 9pm. All are welcome to bring their latest projects and work on them in the company of other modelers.

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 our 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.

A NOTE TO NON-MEMBERS

The minutes from the August 2022 general meeting are included below. Thanks to our Secretary, Al Germann, for the meeting minutes.

August 16 - President Mike Butry led the meeting.

• Old Business:
  • Tom Faith started distribution of new club name tags for paid members.
  • Tom Faith provided basic financial report.
  • The Tony Bartozek "I'm Not a Modeling Loser" challenge build ends tonight and models are presented on the tables with a varied completion rate.
• New Business:
  • Vendor tables at the RoCon show in September are $30. This would be an opportunity for the club to sell select high value kits from the BuffCon inventory. No decision was made.
• BuffCon #38, April 2, 2023:
  • Flyer is nearly complete with design and categories.
  • Mike Butry is continuing to contact potential sponsors and raffle donors.
• Miscellaneous/Open Floor:
  • Show season starting with RoCon in September, Syracuse in October and Cleveland in November.
  • Rich B. stated there was a very good article on the future of the modeling hobby.
  • 50/50 raffle was run at this meeting with the tickets sold resulting in a $48/47 split.
  • Bob C. stated there will be World War II aircraft coming to Niagara Falls airport, likely part of Air and Space museum located next to public terminal.
  • Presentation of members' models on the tables took place.

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.

August 16 - President Mike Butry led the meeting, held after the general meeting.

• Old Business:
  • None.
• New Business:
  • None.
• BuffCon #38, April 2nd, 2023:
  • Discussed elements of categories:
    • Add a Lego category as this does have impressive kits and will attract younger age groups to the hobby and BuffCon. May include "my own creation". Awards may use medallions. Justin S. has action item to send category phrasing to Frank B. E-board pass motion to include Lego category.
    • Dan P. has action item to send details of Sci-Fi and Fantasy to E-board and Frank B.
• Miscellaneous:
  • None.

September 12 - President Mike Butry led the meeting, held at Tim Hortons on Harlem Rd.

• Old Business:
  • None.
• New Business:
  • Tom Faith provided basic overview of club financial state which is in a good/standard state.
• BuffCon #38, April 2nd, 2023:
  • Discussed final draft of front page of the flyer. This can proceed without categories for distribution at the RoCon show this coming Sunday. Tom had some printed for applicable members to take to the show. This does have the new Lego category started on this page.
  • Dan P. has action item to make minor revisions to fantasy categories for scale/size.
  • Tom F. stated thoughts on table rental and is at the point of starting negotiation.
  • Trophies were discussed with the target of reducing budget by $300. This will help offset other costs as they are expected to rise. Tom F. is the interim trophy coordinator.
  • There was some brainstorming on the thought of a "one-room" BuffCon. Both competition and vendors would be in one room. This was not well received but briefly discussed.
  • Mike B. stated he has a few additional models for the raffle. Al G. is raffle coordinator.
  • Dick S. stated he reserved space in 2 issues of the IPMS Journal magazine for advertizing BuffCon. It was agreed to skip advertizing in Fine Scale Modeler due to the higher price.
  • Larry O. has action item to get BuffCon #38 website up and running.
  • Tom B. Sr. led discussion on trophies for the kids categories. We have a good inventory of the medallions and these will be used. The new Lego category will also use these as a "participation" award.
  • Our club will not rent a vendor table at the RoCon show. There was lower interest by the E-Board members and it will provide more of the desired kits for the raffle at BuffCon.
  • It was reported that Dave Schwab stated there were no clubs willing to host NorEastCon 2023, although there is one club somewhat interested in a small-one day show whereas traditionally it is a 2 day event.
  • Next E-Board meeting will be back at the Southgate Business Center.
• Miscellaneous:
  • None.

Dave Armitage sent in some photos of his latest projects. He started with a paper model of a Haunted House.

Dave explained his second group of photos: "The Club requested in the last newsletter, what are the oldest models or kits you have. I have many, here are a few. The white boxes are Hudson miniatures model cars from 1950. The only plastic parts are wheels and head lights. The 1959 Ford is self explanatory. The Highway Pioneers are also from the 1950s. These are a few duplicate kits, I have built and collected the complete series. Pictured are three of them."

Dave's next photo was interesting: "Not all models are small scale. This is a full size 1908 Sears model K, which I entered in a car show Sunday and got a trophy. Hope the guys will find this interesting."

Dave also sent in a photo of a Model T pickup Rod with trailer made from an old Monogram kit in 1/25 scale.

Dave's last model was a 1953 Studebaker Commander in 1/25 scale, a vintage kit from AMT.

John Doerr sent in some photos of earlier builds. He described the first group: "In the summer of 1943, the 15th Fighter Group was being assembled in Hawaii. The 45th FS flew P-40Ns, while the 46rh FS had P-39Qs. They were to be assigned to the coral Islands of the central Pacific. Because they were being sent to coral islands, they were painted shades of the color coral. I don't believe they aided them on on white crushed coral."

John's next group included a Hasegawa P-38G in markings from North Africa, summer of 1943, and the Tamiya Brewster Buffalo in RNAF in Indonesia in 1941.

John followed up with one more photo and some comments: "Here's an additional photo and more to add to the 15th FG article. The P-40 is the AMT kit. It lacks the detail of the Hasegawa kit, but the fit was superb. Both kits were 1/48 and the cockpits were enhanced with the Eduard PE sets and US seatbelts."

Moving to the model tables, Steve Weller brought in a new kit of a Mig 29 "Ghost of Kiev" in 1/72 scale from ICM (Ukraine). Steve said it's to be built, and includes decals for the pixel camo scheme. He mentioned that it's a fundraiser for ammo for the Ukrainian army - 50% of the purchase price goes to the Ukrainians.

Frank Blonski showed us his Tony Bartozek "I Am Not a Modeling Loser" challenge build, which was unfortunately not finished. It was a 1/25 Lindberg 1966 Chevelle SS done in "Paint Scratch" Lemonwood Yellow with a clear overcoat. Frank did a vinyl top using masking tape, added the rear C-pillar molding and scratch-built a distributor with wires. He suggested that if you build this kit, follow the directions very closely. Frank said a friend bought a real Chevelle and wanted him to duplicate his car.

Bill Borkowski finished his entry for the "I Am Not a Modeling Loser" contest, a Tamiya 1/24 New Volkswagen Beetle. He used Tamiya acrylic and spray paints, and built it out-of-box.

Dan Marafino displayed his completed Hasegawa 1/48 Macchi C.202 Folgore, his entry for the "I Am Not a Modeling Loser" contest.

Dan also brought in a work-in-progress, a Hobby Boss 1/48 P-38L. He's planning on using Vallejo paints for an olive drab and neutral gray finish. Dan recommended that you have a tube of putty nearby if you build this kit, since it needed a lot of filler. He chose the subject because it's from WW-II, his era.

Dick Schulenberg displayed another new collection of aircraft models. The first was an Academy 1/72 T-6G Texan, a work-in-progress being built as a USN SNJ-5/6. He plans on using Tamiya spray can and Vallejo acrylics for painting in an overall yellow scheme with willow green instrument trainer bands. Dick said he did some minor removals and omissions to get to the SNJ configuration, and added tape seat belts. He mentioned that this is a beautiful kit, with no fit problems at all. It's part of his collection of 1950's stuff.

Dick's second model was a Special Hobby 1/72 Temco TT-1 Trainer for the US Navy. He's building it straight out of the box, with added tape seatbelts, and will use the usual Tamiya spray paint and Vallejo acrylics, and it will be a clean build. Dick said the kit had no issues, and was very well done. It's more '50's stuff, and the markings will be for the Naval Air Test Center, Pax River, 1958. Dick mentioned that this was a neat little jet, but underpowered, so it lost out to the Lockheed T-33-based trainer jets. There were a few used at Pensacola.

The third model Dick brought in was a Special Hobby 1/72 Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak experimental late '40's jet. He finished it with Tamiya spray can Italian Red and Vallejo acrylics, with a Tamiya semi-gloss clear final coat. It was built out-of-box, including the decals, with no weathering. Dick said the photo-etch was fiddly, and some served no purpose so were omitted. He mentioned that the model adds to his small but growing collection of '40's and early '50's US research airplanes. This one was a contemporary of the Bell X-1.

Dick's last aircraft model was a Hobbycraft 1/72 F-89H Scorpion. He painted it with Tamiya spray can Bare Metal and Italian Red over Tamiya spray can gray primer, with details in Vallejo acrylics. He used a combination of kit decals and some replacements from his scrap box. Dick said the kit rocket pods weren't really made to be opened, so he replaced them with 3D-printed pods and Falcon rockets from Flying S Models, which were very good. He added some staining on the pods. Dick said there were no problems with the kit, which was much better than he expected; the only problem was with "blah" kit decal choices and the lack of any stenciling. He mentioned that he really likes '50's jets - they're what he remembers as a kid, and he always wanted a Scorpion.

Dick also showed us an armor model, an ICM 1/35 WW-I FWD Truck. Vallejo paint was sprayed and brushed over Tamiya gray primer from a spray can, and the brass is Sharpie Gold. He built it out-of-box except he lost the horn and had to make a new one from scratch. Dick's weathering so far consists of a light overspray of Vallejo Sand, and some staining with watercolor pens. He said this was a well thought out model with nice instructions. He mentioned that he could have cut the hood open to display the complete engine (less wiring), but chose not to. Dick said he thinks old trucks are really interesting, and wishes there were more of them.

Paul Hines returned to aircraft subjects for his paintings this month. Paul's descriptions: "F22 Raptor - defines air dominance. It's unique combination of stealth, speed, agility and situational awareness along with lethal long range weaponry makes it the best air dominance fighter in the world."

"F-14 Tomcat with wings extended. Under computer control they fold back for supersonic speed."

"Hawker Hurricane - played a critical role in the Battle of Britain along with the Spitfires."

Mark Budniewski showed us his Tony Bartozek challenge entry, an AMT 1/25 1971 Plymouth Duster. It was painted with Duplicolor lacquer and new Duplicolor 1K Urethane Clear. Mark said he removed the windshield wipers and door handles. He said it was a very good kit, and he's built one before. He also mentioned that he unfortunately didn't finish it in time for the contest, but learned a new painting method in the process.

Jeff Keenan's Challenge entry was a Hobby Boss 1/72 EF-2000B Eurofighter Typhoon. Jeff used a combination of Tamiya, Vallejo and Mission Models paints and built the model out-of-box. He commented on his weathering attempts: "Tried airbrushing Tamiya Smoke - failed. Tried oils - failed. Tried pastel chalk dust - gave up. Pre-shading looks OK, though." Jeff said the problems with the kit were too numerous to mention, and he also had issues with painting - the Mission Models paint wiped off during the decaling. He picked the subject because it looked cool and he thought it would work well for the Challenge. He mentioned that he's not happy with it, but "at least I'm not a modeling loser!"

Jim Greenfield displayed a couple of items this month. The first was a Tamiya 1/35 Matilda British tank. He used Tamiya, Citadel, Mission Models and Vallejo paints, with dry brushing and washes for weathering. Jim modified the expanded turret with a breach and interior and a 17 lb. main gun. He said there were no problems with the kit, and he picked the subject because he loved the Matilda tank but hated the turret so he built his own.

Jim's second model was a Lindberg 1/72 Captured Alien Attacker (modified) from Independence Day. Jim finished it with Vallejo, Mission Models and Citadel paints and washes and drybrushing for weathering. He said he bought two kits so he could convert the model from the Captured Attacker to the standard version. Jim picked the subject because it's different.

Tom Brown Sr. displayed his 1-1 scale M7 Bayonet, his Challenge entry. Tom used rattle can spray paint to finish it, and wanted a "new" look so skipped any weathering. He said he ground off "Made in Japan" markings on the knife and sheath, and drilled holes and added screws. Tom collects 1-1 scale weapons. He also mentioned that his GI Joe project needs three Browning automatic rifles; he had to alter Joe's guns.

Larry Osolkowski brought in his completed Tony Bartozek Challenge entry, a 1/43 Marsh Models 1966 Sunoco Lola T-70 Roadster. It's finished with Scalefinishes Sunoco Blue and Yellow enamels, with Model Master black chrome for the floor pan and inside of the body. The kit included turned aluminum wheel rims, some white metal parts for the engine and side scoops, and photo-etched detail parts. Larry said the kit decals were very good, and the kit went together well.

Larry also brought in another "ambiguous object" made on his 3D printer. This one looks like a group of circles with squares inside them from one side, and a group of squares with circles inside them from the other side. Very strange, yet somehow unusual.

Nick Carluccio displayed his Tony Bartozek Challenge entry, an AMT 1/25 Sunbeam Tiger. He finished it with Rustoleum Deep Blue spray paint, and built it out-of-box, but with some fit issues.

Brian McFee showed us his MIM-14C Nike Hercules rocket. He painted it with white and olive drab paints, with a tempura wash. Brian said there were a lot of issues with the kit, but he likes the subject.

Mike Butry brought in three items. The first was his Tony Bartozek Challenge entry, a Tamiya 1/35 Jeep. Most of the painting was done with airbrushed Tamiya colors, with weathering added using Model Master paints for drybrushing and washes, and a once-over with Tamiya's weathering set. Mike said he built it out-of-box with the addition of an Archer dry transfer for the star.

Mike's second item was a Revell 1/56 Lockheed All-weather F-94C Interceptor kit, an original issue from 1954. Mike said this was just a neat subject, and it shows where plastic models got their start - very simple compared to today's kits. He mentioned that his dad built this kit when he was in high school, so Mike wants to build it, too. Mike plans to build it the same as his dad did - no worries about seams, etc., but he'll airbrush the paint.

Mike's last item was a collection of 1/35 assorted 3D-printed US Tanker figures from LDA Creative Concepts. Mike got the figures from a friend named Del, and said he wanted to give his work a shot. He said the figures are printed as single pieces and are really detailed. Mike mentioned that there will be a little cleanup, but he's looking forward to using the figures in a future diorama.

John Doerr displayed a couple of models. The first was his Challenge entry, a Monogram 1/48 F8F Bearcat. He used Tamiya Navy Blue spray paint for the fuselage, with Tamiya paints for the rest. John said he had problems with the decals, but salvaged a second set.

John's second model was a Hasegawa 1/48 Vought F-8J Crusader. He used Model Master enamels in Neutral Gray, Gull Gray, RLM 66 and White, along with Model Master Metalizer and Tamiya Yellow. John added a resin seat, which had some fit issues, and used black acrylic for the panel lines. He said this model was part of his Vietnam collection.

Al Germann had several models on display. The first was his Challenge entry, his completed Revell 1/25 1948 Ford Woody Wagon, "Driftwood", which was shown at the previous month's meeting.

Al's next item was a C-119 Flying Box Car. Al described it as follows: "Made enough progress to have paint and decals on it. This is an old Aurora kit from Rich Bernecki. As this kit was from 1960 in a 1969 box reissue, it was meant as more of a play model rather than a detailed replica. I wanted to just make it a presentable desk top model, as if I would start scribing panel lines and rivet marks, there would be no end to this. Besides, it is approximately 1/87 scale, I think it isn't always necessary. The decals are from Ebay and of the Brazilian air force in 1964. Paints were all rattle cans with the silver worth noting. It is Testors chrome spray can which looks good as dull aluminum. This is a simple but NOT an easy build. Still I am happy with the way it is turning out."

Al's last item: "The Dodge Deora started for me as a built up kit from Dave Armitage. A 1/25 scale AMT kit of a concept vehicle from Dodge somewhere around 1970. I rounded up another body and extended the wheel base about 18" and added a convertible top from a Ferrari Daytona and filling some gap with the trunk lid from a Dodge Challenger. Opened up the bed for a 12 cylinder from a Ferrari Testarossa and later the rear suspension. It's been a while since I built a full custom kitbash model and having fun being creative."

There were a number of unidentified items on the tables.

Here are the winners of the Tony Bartozek "I Am Not a Modeling Loser" Challenge.

Here are the losers of the Tony Bartozek "I Am Not a Modeling Loser" Challenge.

Finally, some around-the-room shots.

Thanks to Jeff Keenan for handling the model tables. Photos provided by Larry Osolkowski.