Karmodeler2

Hey Terry, You might just be right. I read it with an open mind all the way through and let me think about it. It would allow the entrant to describe what he has done and it would also let the entrant see some flaws that they may have overlooked, but someone else on the team found them and gave the entrant instant feedback. It really does make some sense,.....let me think a little more about it. I hope others will chime in. David

Try Task 9 from Smooth-On. It has a 7000 lb tensile strength and you can tap and die it. I can throw bodies on the floor, and they won't crack. Great stuff. I don't know why the other casters don't use it because it's the same price as the white/yellow stuff. (321) The only draw back is it's translucent, and to see the detail, you have to put a coat of primer on it, but you were going to do that anyway before you painted it. David

I have judged several shows, including IPMS Reginal and National, Local model shows and even some on the west coast. My biggest complaint is judges not knowing the subject matter. If you don't know, ASK someone who does. Use your laptop to find info on the subject if you have internet access at the show or your I-phone. We all know that there is usually more than just the entrant that knows something about the subject. I don't know NASCAR and refuse to judge it. I don't know what I'm looking at. If you expect the entrant to know his model and know what class it should go in, then do the entrant the courtesy of having knowledgeable judges. If you have not built in 10+ years, then I don't think you should be a Head Judge or a leader. We have had so many advances in modeling in the past decade or two, that if you have not used the products, you have no idea the difficulty level or how they work. I think you should have some current building experience to judge. I would not want a single engine Cessna pilot flying my 767 with his experience. I know that's a drastic analogy but I fly 76's for a living. Sorry. David

You are welcome. I always thought that if you didn't win awards with your models, you should build better models. To hear someone else say the same thing is music to my ears. Thanks for the input. David

Sorry Mark, I could not remember the scale!!! And thanks for the wonderful responses to this thread. I appreciate you and the others that have taken the time to respond. We sorta got off on the "hooters" tangent, but I think we have made some great progress. Thanks to you all!!! David

Good point. Even have a popular vote for that class where the judges can't pick their own, and the people pick what they think is the best. David

Hey Dick, IPMS does have their own set of rules, and to answer another question, yes GSL does do pics of the winning models. They have several hours (when the contest is closed from 5pm to 4 am) to do this and they know the results. At a one day show, it is hard to know which cars will win and you would have to photograph each model (ATL had 700 last year or so), and then organize them all in a short time while votes are being counted so that you could have them on the screen. While I would like to see this, I don't know if a one day show could pull it off. David

Great Ideas Mark. I have seen a perfect (well, almost, but judged that way) OOB take 4 awards including BOS because it had no flaws (IPMS event, their rules). There were several, more detailed, "more skilled required to build them", etc, etc...than the OOB. So would your point system eliminate this? David

Thanks Mark. Great words and I agree with you. Nicely put. And your other words were good as well, just thought these rang home for me. David

Hey Ron, I read your post and thought that I might have written that same thing in my sleep under your name. I wish ALL members of this board would read what you posted. You make some ABSOLUTELY awesome, and truthful comments that I find myself telling people all the time. If you are not winning, build better!! Well said. Most try to get the rules changed so they can win. Little do they realize that it has done NOTHING to improve their skills of building. It's only given them an award that basically means nothing. Oh, by the way, don't give awards to the members of the host club, it has the appearance of impropriety. I agree. Even if it was fairly judged, and the award was deserved, it still has the appearance of impropriety. Even if it's just a glimpse, it leaves a bad taste in the minds of the entrants. Thanks for you input!! David

Thanks guys for all the input and some of it is stuff I had not thought of (that's why the thread!!!). I tried to edit my first post in the thread and I could not accomplish that successfully. I left out what I like about one of my favorite shows and that was the style of awards handed out. I know that Mark Jones will not mind me sharing this so I will. At his show on the west coast (if you are there, you definitely need to attend!!) that is held in conjunction with a real car show ( which gets about 3000 1:1 cars....you can't see them all in the one day show and see all the models too!!!), you really are on sensory overload all day. When it's done, and the awards start, that's when I think one of the coolest thing happens. When you place, either 1st, 2nd, 3rd, you get a trophy but you also receive a model kit of the subject matter of the class you entered. And the closer you get to 1st, the nicer the kit. For instance, the 1st place for OOB was a Tamiya Enzo kit, which lends itself to a nice OOB. The best motorcycle was a Tamiya motorcycle kit. The best paint award was a Chezoom which lends itself to showing off a really nice paint job. Best of show was a Tamiya 1/20 scale race car that sells for about $500. I know not every show can do this, but I just thought it was a cool idea. And some of the models were donated, still sealed, for the prizes to go with the trophy. I just thought the whole concept of give a modeler a model (and a trophy) was a better solution than give a modeler a trophy that does nothing to advance the skills of the modeler. Just my 2 cents. I will address some of you individually so I don't post one long paragraph. David

Thanks Andy, Len, and Mark! You bring up some good points and I have a few issues with the judging as well. Thanks Mark and I look forward to more of your input. I have always thought (okay, well, not always) that two OOB cars, one an AMT and the other a Tamiya should be given different evaluations if they both are beautiful and close to flawless. The AMT guy worked twice as hard. I also would like to see the people choose the winner in each class, similar to the South Carolina Modeler's Association and the way they run their show. Got to go to work. Will pick back up on this later. Thanks once again for your input. David

Consider it done!!!! and how about, instead of a trophy, you get to take one of the hooter's girl home? On second thought, might not be a good idea. She would end up talking and asking too many questions: wanting to go out to eat right when you are ready to spray the base you have been waiting on for weeks, and then basically becoming a pain in the rear keeping you from your work table, so I might have to nix the "hooter girl" trophy idea. Sorry!!!

For those who compete (and for those who don't, but do attend shows), what is the one thing you really like about your favorite show each year and what is one thing you don't like that you would change to "X" if it were your show. Just curious what different elements attract you and what you would change, if anything, if you could change it. And if you have more than one of each, that's okay too. I was just trying to keep it brief so you would not have to type a college term paper. Thanks. David

Well that's just GREAT!!!! Just when I think I have a shot at another trophy, I'm discriminated against for being a nice guy. This really sucks!!!! And I had cleared off a place on my shelf for the award. Oh well....... David

Hey, as long as we are handing out trophies ( and we all like trophies don't we?), throw my name in the mix. See if someone can stuff the ballot box and beat me out of the grand prize!!!!!! Great Idea Andy!!! David and yes, there is (or "theirs" for those of you who don't know the difference) some sarcasm there (or is that "their"?)

Thanks Casey. I had a friend let me borrow the one out of his Corvette to cast. I did the whole motor block and transmission separately and it looks like it will work. Thanks for the tip! David

Hey Harry, It sounds great. I would even enjoy just a shot of a tail light/bumper or something to that effect and have to identify the car that way. My friend (yes, I only have one) has a game where you have to guess the car based on just a bumper shot, an engine bay, or dash or something that would identify the car other than an entire shot of the vehicle. I say go for it. I would like the new game, along with others here on the forum. The ones that don't, don't have to play. David

My optometrist says that is an old wives tale. Your eyes will not grow weaker by using the visor. However, your eyes will grow weaker with age. So the time you start needing and using one will be as you get older. He said that if I put it on, and my eyes take a real loud "sigh", then I needed to put the visor on. He claims it will not weaken my current eyesight. Just my 2 cents. Not worth it, I might add. David

I could not agree MORE!!! I have tried others...and gave them away because they sucked. One of the best investment I made! David

Well said Harry and thanks for speaking the truth. For some reason, a few members here have trouble reading and understanding constructive criticism, but no trouble jumping off the handle with a knee jerk reaction. If we would all read, and re-read sometimes, we would see that the advice given is sometimes the best advice. David

Terry, I put BMF on top of chrome all the time with no problems. I use it to cover the area where the plastic tree was attached to the part. If you tear the foil in small pieces, you will have a "patch" that will not be as noticeable as a square patch with clean lines. If you burrow it down with q-tips and toothpicks, you will hardly notice the fix. As far as stripping chrome, I use Easy Off Oven Cleaner....Original Formula only. All others are not effective the way this product is. Takes a few minutes to strip the chrome. Takes another bath to get the clear off the part that was put on there by the model company prior to chroming. David

Hey Terry, I'm not sure what WTP is, but WIP is work in progress and BMF is Bare Metal Foil. It's a thin, aluminum-like foil that has an adhesive back and can be used to make things look like chrome. Like the trim that goes around windows for cars from the 60's and so on. If you see some acronym that you don't understand, just ask. I see them all the time on here and don't know what they mean. I ask others who tell me. I don't text on my phone, so some of those acronyms are from the text world, and I don't get them either. David

Hey Andy, Thanks for the kind words. I'm not sure what "country" that Mark and I reign supreme in, but it can't be a good thing!!! I like to think that I don't do anything that someone else could not do if they put the same amount of patience and effort into their build. I have no hidden talent (really, trust me!!) or special tricks: just time and patience....which can run thin at times. Thanks for thinking I'm "up there", but when I see the guy from Brazil with the all brass Bentley Blower, or a Tom Kirn Duesenberg SJ where the panels were hammered out over wooden bucks, or David Cummins 1/16 scale works of art that he designed, fabricated and built from nothing, then I walk away humble and inspired to be better. And your motorcycle you had at GSL a few years ago was incredible. What a VERY CLEAN and well executed build you did on that!!!! David Glad I wasn't in your class!!!! I think you took first....right?

Thanks Matthew for the kind words. David