68 articles · 3.1K karma · 13 friends · active 9 months ago

I was born in 1967 in Nova Scotia and I my first model building experiences were building balsa wood kits with my dad. I joined the model club at school and started building plastic kits, mostly planes but sometimes other subjects. I didn't build much in my teens but my girlfriend in University bought me a Monogram A-10 because every time we went to the mall, I would go into the hobby store but not buy anything. I built that A-10 in my dorm room - it came out pretty well considering. Once I finished University I started building more but I wasn't satisfied with the results - decals were my main source of dissatisfaction. Then I found a Fine Scale Modeler Magazine with an article on how to correctly apply decals. I didn't have an airbrush so I painted clear gloss with a brush to get the decals to look better. Still not satisfied, I bought books to learn more skills (this was before the internet.) I now live in Ottawa and over the years I have gotten better and better and faster and faster. 20 years ago it would take me 6 weeks to build a Tamiya Spitfire. Now I can build some kits in a few days or take on complex projects and which take longer but I am usually pretty happy with the results. I was exclusively a plane guy for a long time. I built one aircraft carrier in 2003 but that was it until 2014 when my kids bought me a tank for Fathers' day. I did mostly armour for about two years then I started with cars. I built about 24 straight cars before getting up the courage to try an F1 car. Well, now that's what I'm building most. The nice thing is, as a result of building F1 cars, I'm now a rabid F1 fan which gives me another hobby to keep my interest. Along my modelling journey, I wanted to be able to take nice pictures of my finished projects so in 2007 I bought a Nikon D50 camera and a photo booth. That started a love a photography as another hobby. So yeah, I love modelling various types of subjects and I also love that the hobby has introduced me to other hobbies and passions. My non-model related passions are playing hockey, ball hockey and golf. That girlfriend I mentioned, well, we're married (29th anniversary this Sunday, Sept 15, 2019) and we have two wonderful daughters 20 and 16. I have this weird sympathy for anyone who doesn't build models - I guess because I get so much enjoyment out of it I can't imagine why everyone doesn't do it. It's fun, satisfying and therapeutic when the pressures of life create challenges. My wife is a knitter, crocheter and cross stitcher and we love working on our hobbies together while watching movies, old sitcoms or true-crime shows on TV. I consider myself a descent model builder but I don't enter competitions. I like to do it for me and for the satisfaction it gives me. I don't want to build for anyone else. I like to take shortcuts when I feel like it and not be a slave to accuracy. That said, I love looking at others' contest models and the amazing work people do - they are inspiring and they make me want to keep developing my skills. So, that's me. I'm a proper nerd I guess but I wouldn't trade my life for anything. If you are interested in looking at my models, I have photos of every model completed since 1997 on flicker: https://www.flickr.com/photos/98961263@N00/albums/72157603606379755

Westland Whirlwind Mk.1

Kit: 1/32 Special Hobby This is a great kit. It’s not for beginners and there are many challenges but the result is an impressively large and detailed aircraft model. The landing gear gave me fits - it is very fiddly and fragile but it [...]

Trumpeter 1/48 MiG-3 times two

Subject: MiG-3 Kit: 1/48 Trumpeter Fun kit to build! Album: (link) All my models: (link) Photo Editing: Adobe Lightroom Helicon Focus (focus stacking)

1/32 ICM Gloster Gladiator Mk.1 (32040)

This is a beautiful kit in some ways and a bit of a pain in the wahoo in others. The surface detail is first rate as is the detail in the cockpit. I ran into a lot of trouble with the fit of the fuselage halves. Perhaps it was my fault; [...]

Great Wall Hobby 1/144 B-52H Stratofortress (L1008)

The GWH B-52 is a great model. The fit is excellent and the surface details are appropriate for this scale. The only curiosity is that, although the builder has the option to pose the bomb bay doors open, there are no bombs to put in it. [...]

1/48 Hobbyboss F-105G Thunderchief (80333)

This kit is overall very nice but there are a lot of very fiddly bits that test the patience. In particular, the flap assembly and the exhaust assembly are a bit challenging since there are so many parts with little or not mating [...]

Hobby Boss 1/48 Yak-28P Firebar

Accessories: Eduard PE seatbelts (EDUFE841) and Barracudacast resin wheels (BARBR48439) Paint: Various shades of Alclad and AK real metals. The principle color is Alclad Aluminum. The build: Great kit. Fit is excellent in most places [...]

Monogram/Pro Modeler P-38E Lightning, 1/48

Subject: P-38E Lightning, USAAF 27th Fighter Squadron 1st Fighter Group Tunisia, August, 1943 Kit: Monogram/Pro Modeler (Hasegawa rebox) Accessories: Air Res resin and PE cockpit set (4223) Master Models brass guns (AM-48-114) Ultracast [...]

Hobby Boss 1/48 MV-22 Osprey

Subject: MV-22 Osprey, USMC Kit: Hobby Boss 1/48 (81769) Accessories: Caracal (48164) Album: (link) All my models: (link) Photo Editing: Adobe Lightroom Helicon Focus (focus stacking) I have to say I was a bit disappointed with this kit. [...]

Manshu Ki-79BRS Models 1/48

Subject: Manshu Ki-79B, Otsu training unit, Mukden, China, August 1945 Kit: RS Models1/48 - 48006 Accessories: Eduard IJN Seatbelts (49004) Album: (link) All my models: (link) Photo Editing: Adobe Lightroom Helicon Focus (focus [...]

Lindberg 1/48 Brostol Bulldog

I built this kit when I was a kid and a always wanted a new tool version but since that hasn't happened, I decided to search for the old Lindberg kit on Ebay and I found one for $15. I wanted a quick build after spending the last 3-½ [...]