IPMS Richmond Resources:

Our chapter has many members with a variety of talents. Below are just samples of the types of model reviews and demonstrations we often see in our newsletters and at our meetings. We hope you enjoy these and will find something useful that you can use in your projects.

Making Realistic Wing Tip Lenses by Glen Martin

Navigation lights can make or break a model in competition. I learned early on that Nav lights, as they are commonly referred to, are the little details that often go left unaltered... View PDF of Glen's demo..

SMTS 1967 Ford Indy 500 Racer by Chazz Klanian

I give a "hip hip hooray" to this company for they have a wonderful collection of the 1950-1970 scale model kits of the Indianapolis 500. It is quite impressive to look at the subject matter they have and NO OTHER company can even come close, period, regardless the scale... View PDF of Chazz's build review..

Base Basics by Ashley Abernathy

The best bases are the ones that look good. Take time making the base and with as much care as your model. In most cases, a well stained and fine furniture finish present the best impression... View PDF of Ashley's demonstration. See also Ashley's Base Selection Guide.

Trumpeter 1/144 Seawolf by Richard Leininger

Let me start off by saying that the Trumpeter Seawolf Submarine is an impressive model by sheer size alone. If you have been building tedious models with numerous fiddly small parts and are looking to give your eyes and brain a break... View PDF of Richard's review

Demonstration: Detailing Armor With Bolts by Glen Martin

Sometimes you encounter an armor kit that depicts the bolts sloppily due to molding limitations, or misses them completely to simplify the engineering. Adding or improving this detail can really juice up a model... View PDF of Glen's demonstration

Academy 1/72 P-38J Lightning by Chazz Klanian

This was one of the most ENJOYABLE kits I have ever made. I would recommend this kit to one and all without reservation and here are the 3 most important reasons... View PDF of Chazz's review

Demonstration: Soldering Photo Etch by Glen Martin

Many of you are already using photo etch with your models. As you know, in a styrene world we use solvents to melt our parts together. While CA glue will stick to most anything, it does have weaknesses. There is an alternative, which will be described... View PDF of Glen's demonstration

Demonstration: Flocking Auto Interiors by Rick Mascilak

If you want to make that extra level of realism to your car model, simulating the carpet and cloth surfaces is the way to go. Fortunately, there is a product widely available and the technique is easy to master. It's called flocking, and the material used is made from polyester fiber.... View PDF of Rick's demonstration

Demonstration: Water for Ship Bases by Mark Elder

This method works best for small ships, especially 1/600 scale waterline ships. I like to use this for Thoroughbred Figures Ironclads. Larger models will need other techniques to match their scale. I developed this technique after trying the railroad water products unsuccessfully. It's fairly easy and quick... View PDF of Mark's demonstration

Fine Molds 1/72 ME-410 by Ashley Abernathy:

This is a very nice kit from Fine Molds. A quick look shows about five sprue trees containing 89 parts in a light gray styrene. A very easy build when compared to other kits. The panel lines are all recessed and minute details are well represented. The only kicker coming out of the box is the decals. They look good but appear thick and slightly off register... View PDF of Ashley's article

Demonstration: Auto finishes by George Honeycutt

The true way to finish a model with a nice paint job is to start with a nicely primed surface. George begins this process by using a Micro-Mesh Finishing Kit. The kit comes with all you need to work off those blemishes... View PDF of George's Demonstration

Trumpeter 1/35 CH-47A by Glen Martin:

The kit is the Trumpeter CH-47A Chinook. The kit retails I think for around $129.00 at our local hobby store, Chesterfield Hobbies. If you get this kit, there are some things to consider and to remember. First and foremost is that this kit is huge! This injection, molded kits comes with some photo etched in seat belts... View PDF of Glen's article

Demonstration: All About Canopies by Glen Martin

For years, I tried everything to mask and paint canopies. I tried masking tape, I tried black electrical tape. I even tried slopping the paint on and removing the excess over the canopy framing with a wooden tooth pick... View PDF of Glen's demonstration