Custom Harley – 1/35 Scale

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This is my entry for the “out of your comfort zone” contest. Despite not being an aircraft I still enjoyed it quite a bit. Helps that it was about the size of most of my planes.

This kit underwent quite a bit of customization. I’ve always loved hearing about how guys came home from WWII and started modifying EVERYTHING to make it faster and louder, and that was my inspiration for this. Some guy just home from the war decided to chop up a service bike and repaint it.

The rear fender was shortened, the front was removed. All the equipment brackets and support brackets removed. No blackout light. Shortened exhaust. I had to scratch build the shifter linkage because that’s not included in the kit for some reason. Also scratch built the side kick stand to replace the kits rear wheel stand.

I originally wanted it to have no “chrome” parts. This guy wanted everything simple and black. However, it looked really boring like that so I decided to pick a couple parts to paint silver just for some variation. Everything is Vallejo acrylics, glossy parts simply coated in Future. The leather seat and hand grips got treated with some brown washes to attempt a textured look. The helmet decals are from the T-7 decal sets i made.

One thing that annoys me is that there is no chain, but it’s not super obvious. However, I may make a diorama sometime in the future with a broken chain on the ground and maybe a figure inspecting it on the side of the road. But I’m done for now.

-Chad

Richmond ODO 2025

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Good day gents.  Here is a report on the Old Dominion Show in Richmond on February 22 2025.  Attending as contestants were Randy, Scott, Chad, and myself.  Mark was there as a vendor and Martin, Rick, and Tom Lacy came to check out the show and share in the comradery.

This show was very crowded with entries on each table.  The level of builds across all categories at the show was amazing.   It was inspiring to see so many fantastic builds by members of all the clubs who showed up for the event.

I volunteered to judge the maritime categories and one modeler’s rendition of the USS Arizona was superb.  The aircraft category took a long time to judge due to the sheer volume of kits on the table.  I envied not the aircraft judges as they had a hard job!

I am pleased to report to you all that Randy won two Gold and one Silver; Chad won a Gold, Scott won one Gold and one Silver, and I won one Silver and one Bronze.  The Raven-hood did well, with each member who entered winning something. We are a small club but consistently punch above our weight.  Good job Randy, Chad, and Scott!!

As you are all aware, this coming Saturday the club will hold its own intra-club contest with the “build out of your comfort zone” show.  This is meant for fun and to make some folks realize their skills in one area can transfer to another!

Mark mentioned to me that some members would like smaller sessions, like 3 or 4 to 1, outside of the regular meetings to practice some particular technique.  The basic idea is Topic X would be offered and whomever would like to participate in a smaller session with a presenter of that technique would show and actually practice and/or observe the presenting doing the technique.   Welcome your thoughts on this broad idea.  The logistics of how to do it would need to be worked out and there will still be informative sessions at the regular club meetings.  Welcome your thoughts on this idea and your thoughts on what topics for 2025 you all would like to see in the normal meetings and for the small sessions if that is a path you want to explore.

Best
Chris

Swine!

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Hey gents. Working on a fun little project from
Danielle Found Miniatures.  These are the heads of the 3-figure vignette set.  I just took a swab at pig skin color mixing signal white, red, and desert tan.  For the noses, I added a few extra drops of red to get a slight pink and for the highlights I added more white.  For depth I added more desert tan. All three shades were airbrushed and were from the AK lacquer paint line.  The eyes and skin-crease lines were hand-painted with British khaki using a 10-0 brush from the AK acrylic 3G paint line

Now to their bodies.  It’s not what you think!  Stay tuned. Oink oink

-Chris

Saturday, February 1st

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Good day gents.  Sorry, no photos to share as I just forgot to take any at the February meeting.  The meeting went very well with Randy taking the lead on what judges look for in competitions with a good assist from Scott from the builders point of view.  The use of the room by the kitchen at the church is a much better venue as it gives more space.  Everyone welcome our new members Robert the Big and Robert the small (father;son duo) to the club.  Robert (the dad) was offering good conversation on car builds so we look forward to hearing him out on other occasions.  The models on display were quite good.  I especially liked Scott’s before and after versions of the same model truck – a neat display idea.  Scott’s idea is to place those two trucks on a nice display board with a simulated road way.  Should be another of Scott’s wins at a upcoming show.

Speaking of Randy, he brought the first diorama he ever made many moons ago.  When I asked him why he kept it all these years, he said he used it as a reminder of where he was skills-wise to where he is now (which is remarkable).  That was a neat story.  I thought it might be a good idea if others might want to share a good modeling story like that.

Speaking again of sharing, it is 2025. Everyone think of topics they would like to have presented during this year.  Ours is a teaching club so let’s continue to learn from each other by having presentations on this or that technique, this or that paint or paint method, this or that anything.

It came out in the meeting I am running for IPMS/USA Secretary.  The election is sometime in 2025 and one other person is running for the office.  Voting is done by IPMS/USA members so when that comes out I would appreciate your vote and your getting the word out to friends in other clubs near and far.  It would be a great thing for propel the Raven-hood forward.

Best
Chris

Saturday, January 18th

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Happy Monday, everyone. The January meeting went really well despite being delayed a week due to bad weather.  We had a few folks return after long absences and even had a few new faces! I believe there were 21 people in attendance.

The main focus of this month’s meeting was an airbrush demonstration by Dave Monet, the instructor that Tom has been taking classes with.  He was generous enough to come down from Hagerstown and give an introductory lesson for us at no cost and was able to answer some questions folks had.  He also gave a few of us a chance to try using an airbrush for the first time.

Dave said he’s more than happy to come down again in the future.  If enough people show interest in having him come back then perhaps we can make a list of things we’d like to see covered and let him tailor a more specific session for us.

As a reminder, make sure you’ve updated your calendars to show our new meeting schedule.  We’ve switched to the first Saturday of every month which means our next meeting is just 2 weeks away!  No big demonstration is planned so be sure to bring in anything you’ve been working on or want to talk about.

For those of you who didn’t pay your dues at the January meeting, please remember dues are….due… between now and the March meeting.  See you guys in February!

-Chad

Fighting Fires with the Thunderbolt

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With the fires in California being all over the news lately, it reminded me of an article I had seen in a magazine about P-47s being used to fight wildfires. I’m sure by now we’re all familiar with the large tankers and specifically-designed aircraft that are currently used to drop water and suppressants on fires, but it’s probably not as well known that aircraft like the P-47 were used with converted napalm tanks.

Anyway, not entirely model-related but maybe it’ll inspire someone to make a US Forest Service P-47 at some point…

Click the image below to read the entire article.

-Chad

D.A.M.N. Ferrari Group Build

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Last summer I received a gift in the mail from one of my D.A.M.N.* friends. It was a 1/43 Ferrari 121 BBR kit. A very expensive and gorgeous kit. A few days later, I get an e-mail from my D.A.M.N. friend asking if I had gotten a box with the kit in it. Shortly thereafter, another of my D.A.M.N. friends told me he got one of these kits. Once all of my D.A.M.N friends got their kits we were told he was never going to build all of the Ferrari 121s kits he has but wanted to see them finished. All of these D.A.M.N. guys are award winning 1/43 builders, so what a better way to get them built than a building challenge. They are all due by the 2025 Old Dominion Open. So far, two have been finished, the the last two are almost done. One of the D.A.M.N. guys passed away, so we are now 1 short of a club entry, sadly. Still, these are amazing kits and we will love to see the expression on some of the guys to see not 1 but at least 4 of the beauties on the table at the same time.

The Ferrari 121 was their Sports Car /LeMans entry in the mid-1950’s. Contemporary of the C & D-Type Jaguars and Mercedes 300SLR. Fastest of the 3, but the Jag had better Tech and Mercedes had better drivers.

I still need to add the final details: Windshields, Racing, Brake, and Marker lights, various straps and lock pins, and other details. I polished the paint with Tamiya Polishing compounds using my Proxxon and cloth buffing wheels. Panel lines with Tamiya Black wash. The completed model will be revealed at the O.D.O. along with the other 3.

Mark Tutton
Starfighter Decals/Marks Models & Toys
starfighter-decals.com

*D.A.M.N.= Distinguished and Accomplished Modelers of Note

-Mark

GMC Astro 95 with triple axle gravel trailer

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My latest model builds. Special thanks to Chris King for picking up the MPC triple axle gravel trailer kit for me. I thought a cabover tractor would be cool to build for the trailer. You don’t see many cabover tractors hauling stone and gravel. Definitely old school idea.

The trailer is box stock. The chrome spider wheels were painted as there are never chrome spider wheels on trucks. I decided to paint the dump bed and Metallic deep blue, something different than the silver beds everyone does. I used shaved Styrofoam roughed up and airbrushed semi-gloss black for the load of coal in the trailer. Looks quite realistic.

The AMT GMC Astro 95 is a good kit and it goes together quite well. I changed the wheels from spider wheels to 2 hole Bud wheels made by fellow club member K.J. Humphreys. Each wheel has a set of lug nuts that are glued into individual holes on the wheels. The front wheels are from Chad Kennedy. I used only one fuel tank and added a storage box on the passenger side. Airlines were added and hook up to the gravel trailer. It’s going to the NOVA IPMS Spring show and contest.  Cheers 🍻

-Scott

Mercedes CLK GTR

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I finally finished my 1/24 Build of the Tamiya Mercedes CLK GTR GT1 on New Years Day. I doubt I will ever try one of these again- not to this level that is for sure. These were great cars from this time: Porsche GT1 and GT1 EVOs; McLaren GT1; Nissan GT390s; Saleen S7r; and so on. Having to cover every part of the chassis and interior in Carbon Fiber Decals without any detailed photos or masks was more tedious than I want to do again. If I can’t find the Studio 27 Carbon Fiber set for the car, not going to bother.

Enjoy the photos. I may take it to Richmond IPMS show as I have a BTSK entry I have to take & enter for that show. Photos of that soon.

-Mark