Hawkeye’s Squawkbox

Each time there is an increase of postage rates, I find myself digging through the back of my desk drawer to sort through my collection of stamps to offset the difference. What a collection I have accumulated! I hope the person who gets the letter with all of those little denomination stamps doesn’t think I’m nuts.

There is however “GOLD IN THEM THAR HILLS STAMPS” for a resourceful modeler that is. So before you toss those empty books away of used up stamps, take a look for those that have these on them.

What you have are instant circle templates for painting roundels! Or other circular patterns that need a mask or guide. Start with the outer area to apply a white, then insert the other rings to mask for the other colors. With a little care you can use them several times.

These work well for smaller 1:48 scale aircraft as well as larger 1:72…give them a try.

If you have a suggestion for a tip you’d like to see or have one to share, drop me a note at newsletter@hawkeyeshobbies.com

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I’m no different than any other modeler. Well, we’re all different, but we also are the same when it comes to our passion…building models. As modelers we have reached a level of competency in our building skills, from novices to those which are considered “Masters” in the eyes of our peers.

I personally do not consider myself a “Master” because I am always learning and improving my techniques and skill sets. What I do view myself as is a “Teacher of Modeling Skills”. I love to pass along the knowledge I’ve gained over the years, knowledge that has been accumulated from trial and error as well as tuteladge from those who mentored me.

For those either entering or returning to the hobby can find an intimidating amount of information, tools and products related to the craft. Someone not familiar with precut masks, PE, CA and Solvents need to be encouraged not to get jump directly into their use on their first few projects. Concentration on the basic fundamentals using the minimal amount of tools and resources.

Back in the day, we (I) started with a hobby knife, clothes pins, glue, masking tape, couple paint brushes, a few assorted colors of paint and some different grits of sandpaper. Though my models were somewhat very crude in my early attempts, they continued to improve without adding more “stuff” into the process. By concentrating on the fundamentals my modeling techniques improved as did the models themselves.

As time passed, I did add more “stuff” to the mix, putty was one of my first discoveries, but ever since that first attempt at building some forty years ago I still rely heavily on the very basics of my modeling arsenal of tools and supplies. Because I learned the basics, I have been able to adapt and overcome challenges that have arisen that cannot be solved by a miracle product. Granted many of the tools and products I now use make the process easier and yield better results, they cannot be completed without the basics.

So, the next time someone asks you a “how-to” question (whether on a modeling forum or at you local club), start with the fundamentals first, help mentor (there is always someone else reading or listening in) a novice along the way. Review the basics yourself by concentrating on them in a build.

Recently I built a P-47 without the use of any fillers. It proved to me that my basic skills were still viable and alive. Proving to me that I had not come to rely on miracle products to turn out a good model. Confirming that it IS the fundamentals that makes the model what it is in the end.

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We’re all looking for ways to promote the hobby. One cost effective way individuals who subscribe or purchase hobby related magazines to do so, is to donate their old unwanted hobby magazines.

In our communities we have places such as dialysis centers, cancer treatment centers, physician and dentists offices, all places where people end up spending time waiting or sitting idle while undergoing treatment. Another place is boys & girls clubs, Scout Troops and School libraries.

These are great places to donate your unwanted magazines. You provide a captive audience the opportunity to read about a hobby they possibly forgot or were never exposed to. For many, they have had to give up their other passions in life and are seeking something new to occupy their time. Why not give them a chance to share what we love most…our hobby.

I suggest removing any address labels that include personal information. However you might consider affixing a label with relevant information to attract individuals of like minded interests to your local clubs.

DONATED BY: (Insert Club Name)

Be sure to include date, time and location of meetings!

Not only are you promoting your hobby, but you are exposing the magazines to others who if not interested themselves, may know someone who is.

Be sure to ask permission of the location you are donating the magazines to, they may have too many already, but your donation does help them too.

Thanks to a few of the gang on the FineScale Modeler Forum, it inspired me to post this article.

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