AMPS-CV 2020 Modeler’s Retreat INSIDE THIS ISSUE VFW ...ampscv.org/newsletters/AMPSCV_10-2019.pdfAMPS-CV 2020 Modeler’s Retreat The retreat runs from Tuesday the 4th until Sunday

AMPS Central Virginia | ampscv.org

AMPS-CV 2020 Modeler’s RetreatThe retreat runs from Tuesday the 4th until Sunday the 9th of February, 2020 at the Fort A.P. Hill lodge. This month, Mike Petty begins taking reservations, which require a $20 deposit. You must have valid AMPS-CV membership from 2019 and in 2020 all paid up ($12 per year) to participate. There is space for 18 participants and it’s first come, first served. A final cost will be calculated closer to the date of the retreat, after everyone has locked in their participation. The total cost of the facility is divided by person and by number of nights. Questions? Contact Mike Petty ([email protected])

VFW Post Work Day and Model Building DayOur building hosts have requested we help out with carpet cleaning on Saturday, November 2, starting at 9:00 a.m. We’ll arrange for a carpet cleaning machine that will be reimbursed by the VFW Post. When we’re done with cleaning, we’ll spend the rest of the day building in the club house, so bring a model. This would be a good time to work on your “Build It As It Is” group project.

AMPS-CV Second Saturday Build Days in 2019Our next build day is scheduled for Saturday, December 14. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at VFW Post 10657. Bring electric cords if you require task lighting. Drinks are food allowed, but alcohol is not. Be aware that sometimes there are conflicts with other events at the VFW Post, and we will update you if there are any changes.

NRA National Firearms Museum OutingAshley has arranged for AMPS-CV to get an inside tour of the museum on Saturday, January 11, 2020. Details and schedule are TBD. NRA National Firearms Museum

Central VA Chapter, Armor Modeling & Preservation Society | John Robinson, Editor | Volume 24 No.10

MEETING AGENDA6:30 BUSINESS

7:00 DEMONSTRATION

8:00 PASS IN REVIEW

9:00 ADJOURNMENT

(segments can vary in length)

UPCOMING MEETINGSVFW Post 10657 11568 Cedar LaneAshland, VA 23005

Thursday, October 24Demo: Airbrushing Camouflage With Masks & Stencils by John Robinson

Thursday, November 21Demo: Bases & Scenery Pt.5 by Ashley Abernathy

INSIDE THIS ISSUEHeadlines ........................................ 1

“Build It Like It Is” Challenge ............... 4

ArmorCon 2019 photos .................... 2-3

Demo from last month ..................... 5-6

AMPS membership ............................. 7

2019 calendar .................................. 8

Member projects ......................... 10-17

Quartermaster .................................. 9

PRE-MEETING DINNERA number of members meet for dinner at 5:15 at the Pizzarro restaurant located at 9966 Brook Rd., Glen Allen, VA 23059. www.pizzaropizza.com

Page 10 Page 17

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AMPS Central Virginia | ampscv.org 2

ArmorCon 2019 Photos by Tony Bowery

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ArmorCon 2019 Photos by Tony Bowery



AMPS-CV “BUILD IT LIKE IT IS” ChallengeSeveral years ago, AMPS Central Virginia instituted the “30.5 Skills Challenge” to encourage you to improve your modeling skills by periodically evaluating and providing constructive comments on your work. This process helped several members attain Advanced or higher skill levels.

This time, the “BUILD IT LIKE IT IS” skills challenge is designed to improve your basic modeling skills by building and completing a military vehicle model straight out of the box in a short period of time (60 days or less). Most of you add various upgrades to your builds so this challenge is intended to encourage you to work outside your comfort zone and make the best model you can with the limited contents of the kit box.

All members are encouraged to participate!

Meeting the challenge

• You may not start construction of your entry before 1-November and it must be completed by 26-December (the December AMPS-CV meeting. If possible, please bring your (unstarted) unbuilt kit to the October meeting. You are not disqualified if you’re unable to attend the October meeting. However, NO CHEATING!

• Build any military vehicle kit you wish. This kit can be any scale and vintage. Since you have 60 days or less to complete your entry, we suggest not using a 1,000-piece kit, but it’s your choice.

• The model you select must be built straight out of the box with only the parts provided in the kit (which may include plastic, resin, brass or metal). NO aftermarket, kit-bash or scratch-built parts can be used.

• On your build, you are free to fill seams and gaps; sand off rivets; drill out gun ports, exhaust pipes, or other appropriate openings; thin parts to scale and re-scribe panel lines lost in construction.

• All finishing and weathering techniques are allowed. Decals from other kits or after-market manufacturers may be used. Insignia, markings and instrument panels may be hand-painted rather than using decals.

• You may place you model on a base and add figures, however they will not be judged as part of the model.

• Provide the entire instruction sheet/booklet with your model.

• Each model will be evaluated using AMPS Contest Rules. The model with the highest score will be declared the winner and receive a very appropriately designed award. If there are tied scores, the winner will be determined by vote of the members in attendance at the December meeting. Bribes may be accepted.



Demo: Bases & Scenery Pt.4

by Ashley Abernathy

In Part 3, Ashley poured the Plaster of Paris groundwork and sculpted the air-drying clay for the area behind the building wall. Since then, Ashley set the brickwork boundaries and started carving out the brick pattern to arrive at the photo below. We now pick up from there with notes from the demo:

Use the scriber needle with light pressure to carve the mortar grooves between the stones/bricks. Keep the tool upright. Any goofs can be healed with wet plaster and rescribed.

Use a small scraping tool to gently reduce the surface height of some to simulate sunken stones. Random chipping is okay, in fact it adds realism.

Use wire brush randomly to impart scrapes as a final touch. Do the same with the Nick Sander. Apply light pressure.

Materials

• X-acto hobby knife, both chisel and curved tip• Scriber with needle tip• Dental spatulas and picks• Offset spatula • Mini spoon tip spatula• Wire brush• “Nick Sander” fiber brush tool

Continued next page...



Demo: Bases & Scenery Pt.4 continued

by Ashley Abernathy

Bonus: using Balsa Foam to make a stucco wall with exposed brick

The finished piece is porous and will need a primer coat. If you want a really smooth surface, use another piece of Balsa Foam.

Use the scriber to mark out the brick pattern. Define the edge with the scriber and use scraper tool to chip the edges if desired.

Draw out the perimeter of the damage with a scribing tool. Use flat scraper to dig out the center.

Ashley will demonstrate the final part in this series during the November meeting.



1 year 2 years 3 years

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Membership includes the society’s Boresight magazine that is published six times per year. In it are exclusive articles about armor research and modeling.

To pay by check or money order, enter your delivery information at right and mail it with your payment to:

AMPS Membership PO Box 227 Fairhaven, MA 02719-0227 USA

Renew or start your AMPS membership online at: www.amps-armor.orgPayPal, Visa and MasterCard accepted

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MONTH s M T W R F s

2019 AMPS-CV CALENDAR 2019

AMPS-CV Meetings in GREEN

JANUARY 30 31 01 02 03 04 05

06 07 08 09 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Modeler's Retreat, Fort A.P. Hill, VA

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

FEBRUARY 27 28 29 30 31 01 02

03 04 05 06 07 08 09

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Armor, Figure and Modeling Contest/Exhibition, Atlanta, GA

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Old Dominion Open, Richmond, VA

MARCH 24 25 26 27 28 01 02

03 04 05 06 07 08 09

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

APRIL 31 01 02 03 04 05 06 MosquitoCon, Wayne, NJ

07 08 09 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Model Classic, Fairfax, VA

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

MAY 28 29 30 01 02 03 04

05 06 07 08 09 10 11 AMPS Int'l Convention, Buffalo, NY

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

JUNE 26 27 28 29 30 31 01

02 03 04 05 06 07 08 AMPS-CV Build Day

09 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 AMPS Central South Carolina, Colombia, SC

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

JULY 30 01 02 03 04 05 06

07 08 09 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

AUGUST 28 29 30 31 01 02 03

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 IPMS National Convention, Chattanooga, TN

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

SEPTEMBER 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 Americans in Wartime Museum Open House, Nokesville, VA

08 09 10 11 12 13 14 AMPS-CV Build Day

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 PennCon, Gettysburg, PA

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 ArmorCon, Danbury, CT

OCTOBER 29 30 01 02 03 04 05

06 07 08 09 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Modelpalooza, Orlando, FL

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

NOVEMBER 27 28 29 30 31 01 02

03 04 05 06 07 08 09

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Thanksgiving 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

DECEMBER 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

08 09 10 11 12 13 14 AMPS-CV Build Day

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Christmas 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31 01 02 03 04



Product Manufacturers

Abteilung 502AK-InteractiveAlliance ModelWorksAMMO of Mig JimenezArcher Fine TransfersArmand BayardiBadger AirbrushBison DecalsDN ModelsEchalon Fine DetailsEureka XXLHaulerLive ResinMission Models PaintsModern Masters Metal EffectsMonroe Perdu StudiosPanzer ArtParacel MiniaturesPrecision Ice and SnowTrack48

Miscellaneous

paintRack (mobile app for Android)Scale Mates

Hobby Vendors

Barrel StoreBNA Model WorldCental ToolsDick Blick Art MaterialsGundam PlanetHobby EasyHobby SearchHobbyLink JapanHobbyWorld-USALast CavalryLots of ModelsLucky ModelMicroWorld Games, LLCMMC Design-ShapewaysShapeways 3D PartsSprue Brothers Models

AMPS-CV Quartermaster

This page is dedicated to member-recommended products and places to purchase hobby products.

If you have a company you want to add to this list, contact your editor via the chapter website.

* Items added to the list since last month.

http://ampscv.org/https://abteilung502.com/https://ak-interactive.com//https://www.am-works.com/https://www.migjimenez.com/en/http://www.archertransfers.com/https://armandbayardi.com/http://www.badgerairbrush.comhttp://www.angelfire.com/pro/bison/https://dnmodels.com/http://www.echelonfd.com/http://www.eurekaxxl.com/http://www.hauler.cz/http://live-resin.com/https://www.missionmodelsus.com/https://www.modernmasters.com/landing/homeowners/brands/mehttps://www.monroeperdu.com/http://panzerart.pl/index.phphttp://www.paracelminiatures.com/https://www.precisioniceandsnow.com/http://www.track48.comhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.courageousoctopus.paintrack&hl=en_UShttps://www.scalemates.comhttps://www.thebarrelstore.com/https://www.bnamodelworld.comhttps://www.centraltools.com/https://www.dickblick.com/https://www.gundamplanet.com/https://www.hobbyeasy.comhttps://www.1999.co.jphttps://hlj.comhttp://www.hobbyworld-usa.com/https://shop.lastcavalry.com/https://lots-of-models.com/https://www.luckymodel.comhttps://microworldgamesllc.com/https://www.shapeways.com/shops/mmcdesign?li=pbhttps://www.shapeways.com/marketplace/miniatures/vehicles/?type=product&q=1%2F35http://spruebrothers.commailto:stug1940%40outlook.com?subject=Newsletter%20contentmailto:stug1940%40outlook.com?subject=Newsletter%20contenthttp://ampscv.org/contact.htmlhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/1527798580671870/about/


Member display models from the September meeting

Tamiya French Char b1 (Germany)

in 1:35 scale

by Alex Valz

The tracks were a nice feature because they snapped together and remain workable. Fit was nearly perfect and detail was very high. Metal chain is included in the kit. Tamiya paints were used for the German

camouflage. Dark oil paints were used for pin washes and dust was simulated with a pigment wash.




AFV Club German Tiger I

in 1:48 scale

by Robert Walls

The kit really goes together well, just follow the instructions, especially during road wheel assembly. The Zimmerit is molded onto the kit parts and is truly in-scale. The banded tracks come in the kit and were surprisingly useful. Some photo-

etched brass was provided for the engine grills and the machine gun. The base coat of Dunkelgelb was airbrushed and the Dunkelgrün and Rot Braun were applied by hand using Vallejo paints.




Dragon German Sturmgeschütz Ausf.G (Italy)

in 1:35 scale

by Brian Alfano

The kit was very detailed and had good fit. It has clear styrene parts for the periscopes and gun optics and includes basic photo-etched brass for the deck screens and exhaust deflector.




Dragon US M4A1 Sherman

in 1:72 scale

by Steven Bruce

The model is straight from the box. The base was found at a Michael’s craft store. Steven added a HO-scale cobblestone embossed sheet. Railroad ballast, grass and

wheat clumps completed the scene. Earth-colored dry pigments were applied to the base and the model.




Academy Israeli Zelda M113 Fitter

in 1:35 scale

by Tabb Tharrington

The kit is from the 1990s and is good at the basics. Tabb installed bench seats inside using styrene and cushions from a Dragon M3 halftrack. The crane was detailed with

“soft pipes” from Riich.Models and resin hydraulic connectors from Blast Models. A photo-etched brass fret from Eduard provided some of the tiny details. A table on the glacis was scratch built from styrene that was scribed to have the texture of wood. Styrene fittings and mounts were added to the stowed wheels and bins. The

jerry cans are from Black Dog and the FN MAG machine gun is a spare from Meng. Scrap brass was folded and soldered to make an ammo box. The rear ramp was textured with VMS Hull-Tex. The kit’s rubber/link and length track was replaced with metal individual links from R Model.




Tamiya German Sturmgeschutz Ausf.G

in 1:35 scale

by Robert Walls

Inspiration came from a cartoon by Bill Mauldin, who famously created the WWII characters “Willie and Joe.” The kit is originally from the 1970s and so it really fell together and was perfect for the vignette that Bob is planning.




Tamiya US M151A2 TOW

in 1:35 scale

by Steven Bruce

This one is straight out of the box and was nice except for the nasty joint line inside the TOW launcher tube. The kit comes with one figure.




Italeri Italian M14/41

in 1:35 scale

by Brian Alfano

This is the same kit that dates back to the 1970s but it still holds up well today. Brian replaced the kit’s tracks with metal links from R Model. The headlamps were filled

with ModPodge (gloss) and allowed to dry to create the lens effect.

Documents

AMPS-CV 2020 Modeler’s Retreat INSIDE THIS ISSUE VFW ...ampscv.org/newsletters/AMPSCV_10-2019.pdfAMPS-CV 2020 Modeler’s Retreat The retreat runs from Tuesday the 4th until Sunday