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Scale Modeling Tips & Tools Monthly, Issue #062-Man Cave February 16, 2012 |
February 15, 2012Who would have thoughtThe Man-Cave is a relatively new development in my life and is a major improvement over the days I used to do my modeling in an outside shed. Now I have the prime room in our condominium, most would call it the Master Bedroom. My wife is not an HGTV junkie, but she can teach them a thing or two about color selection. She has transformed a rather plain room into a place where I enjoy spenidng eight hours a day writing and modeling. It's a good thing too, this is my retirement. Between God and my wife, I thought I was just along for the ride for this particular move. It went like clockwork and it was so much easier, moving into a place where the floor replacement and painting had already been done. We have tried it the other way. “In this age, which believes that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest.” Herman Miller. During previous moves, we moved and then remodeled. Not so good. I really like where I am now, working eight hours a day on my websites or a modeling project is a pure joy. I have to thank God for this blessing as it could have happened no other way. The four-shelf corner bookcase in the background is where I will display new dioramas that will depict my choice modeling venues. I plan to build each diorama on a lazy susan so that it can easily be seen from every angle. Noah's Ark Readying For the WorstIf it wasn’t for God’s Mercy; I never would have come to know there is a link between scale modeling and the Lord’s plan for the end of days. I would have liked to have been more directly involved, but I have been a reporter most of my life and it shows no sign of ending.In my research on Noah's Ark I came across a real treasure trove of information on the Ark, "Answers in Genesis", an organization headquartered in Kentucky. This site offers a real treasure trove of information on the Ark and all of Genesis including the Creation Museum and on going construction of a life-sized Ark, Tower of Babel, and a walled city. Ken Ham, founder of AIG is also author, along with Tim Lovett, of several books including "Thinking Outside The Box", The story behind the Ark displayed at the AiG Creation Museum! This book made me realize, God never intended that Noah navigate or steer the ark. It had not need for a bow, a stern or even a rudder. "As we learn more about ancient shipbuilding we must ask the question, “When Noah constructed the Ark, did he use the technology of the day to follow the Lord’s directions and build a ship able to withstand the oceans tempest?” Ark researcher Tim Lovett applies new findings to the shape of the Ark while maintaining an unwavering commitment to the Word of God. Rest in the authority and inerrancy of God’s Word as the Ark and its reality is affirmed from the pages of Scripture and the most recent of research." Building Northrop's Black WidowBuilding a model of the Northrup P-61, Black Widow is something I have wanted to redo for decades since my first effort at building this plane proved to be a disaster since I lacked the key element--pateince.It''s the old "Tortoise vs the Hare thing"... I have found that by simply taking my time, allowing time to take my time, contributes greatly to my success whther it is a modeling project or writing another newsletter. It has never improved my results to be right up against a deadline. There is a lot to be said for having adequate space to get the job done and have tghe ability to store all my modeling gear in a whole closet with a 16 slot shelf unit. just for that purpose.
I have learned good scale modeling is much more than just dobbing on some pain and gluing together a handful of parts in the right order. I start with researching the subject of the model. My goal is to learn more about the subject than I ever learned from movies or textbooks. It is through research I gain a certain zeal for the subject and my desire builds to do a really good job. I intend to create a diorama similar to the Black Widow diorama by Sheperd Paine. It shows a lot more detail of the Widow than a standalone model. Dealing With The Weight DilemmaMany a modeler of the Black Widow wether in 1/48 scale or 1/72 have had to come up with a way to alter the plane's front to rear weght ratio to keep it from tilting back on its tail instead of riding on all three tricycle landing grear.Commonly referred to as "tail sitting" this balancing act must be dealt with by each and every one of us. Most apporach the problem by leading in the nose using shotgun pellets or lead sheathing from a roofing project In all such cases, you are fooling around with what the FDA calls a poisenous substance, lead. You Can HelpCan The Little Guys Really Change GoogleIt's a funny thing how dots connect.I was alerted to the fact Google is trying to railroad me into surrendering my last bit of information security by simply consenting to their new information policy.
The idea is a lot more simple than wading through their "page-long" fine print of their terms of service-come on, who actually reads them! Here comes one of those little dots: Change.org which is full of inspiring grassroots stories about how "the little people" topple monoliths like Big Banks, Big VISA, Big Government. Why not Google? My friend turned me on to a petition developed by an associate company of mobility-scooter-solutions.com, Site BuildIt in Montreal. Little Guy's Voice Now it is your time to act. The Road AheadI am looking at a lot of exciting changes coming as 2012 begins. It promises to be one of my favorites as I look back over seven decades. This reminds me of the utter foolishness of teen suicide.My wife and I are moving into our own Condo after a decade of renting (I know, the rent alone would have paid for it). We're excited by the prospect (a garage in snow country is a big deal). I have launched my new website all about my experiences with mobility scooters. You can bet it is another SiteBuildIt site Check it out: Your Help and Ideas Needed
Making daily decisions involving
www.scale-modelers-handbook.com
for the past 62 months has led to the creation of over 425 pages of articles on the various facets of scale modeling, this monthly e-zine and a host of modeling questions answered.
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