Category: Miniature Philosophy
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Will We Run Out Of Prototypes?

I asked myself this one day as I idly scrolled through the catalogues of Hasegawa, RS, and Special Hobby. I was trolling for 1:72 aircraft that I had not built yet. For a time there it was looking a bit bleak. The Hasegawa people are deriving a lot of their income from kits of Gundam,…
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Charles Schultz Said Happiness Was A Warm Puppy

Charles Addams agreed, but recommended gravy with it. So it is with the scale model building hobby. We are offered many kits of things that are essentially the same, but with a different twist. Take the example of the Japanese battleship YAMATO. I have seen it in commercial form in every scale from 1:3000 to…
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Walk On

What does Pablo Picasso think of your models? Hard to say. Sr. Picasso turned in his paella spoon many years ago. Anything we say about his opinions now would be just imagining. But I do suspect Pablo would approve of them…on one condition. Do you approve of them? Pablo Picasso walked his own line for…
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The ” Worst In Show ” Award

A new era in scale modelling opens up… For years we have been seen awards presented at scale model exhibitions. They could be for First, Second, and Third, or Gold, Silver, and Bronze, or any other combination of prizes. Sometimes they have had cash or goods attached to them as reward for the modellers. Let’s…
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” That’s A Pleasure To See “

Be fair and honest. Sometimes your mates will complete scale model projects that are far better than you could ever do. Don’t be jealous. Don’t be critical. Don’t push them off the shelf onto the floor. Give them their due, and ADMIRE them. I see other modellers in my clubs concentrate on their specialities and…
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How Complex Is Enough?

Engaged in building a Christmas present kit, I was surprised to see how simple it was. A modern jet fighter in 1/72, with smooth lines and little external hardware, the build was nevertheless satisfying. The after-market enthusiasts would have a ball, but there are no ready sources of this that I know – and I’d…
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Are You As Visual As I Am?

Or as the British Lords Of the Admiralty were in the days of sailing ships? The heyday of the Royal Navy in the 18th century saw construction of many wooden ships. Plans for these were a complex thing to see and the contractors proposing them to the Admiralty often had difficulty explaining the lines to…
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Build Your Own Desires

Not those of others. You’re on this earth for a limited amount of time, and if you are reading this, you’ve used up a lot of it. Strive to make the most of the rest by doing what you want to do, in your own way. As long as it is legal and moral –…
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I Can Drink Coffee At Home

I can build model airplanes at home. I can do a lot of things at home…yet I go to a club every week, if possible, drink coffee, and build model airplanes. When I do the coffee is nothing special, and the work on the model airplanes can be very minor; a bit of painting or…
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The Whiff

Of what-if. This topic has been raised before on these pages in a somewhat sardonic fashion, but it can also have a serious side. a. Much of the whiffery revolves around Germany’s Third Reich in the middle to late 1940’s. Lots of unbuilt designs for tanks and aircraftare trotted out and kitted up. Yet few…
