December 2020 Spare Parts

The December 2020 Spare Parts issue is available now online. You can access it by clicking here or by looking under the "Spare Parts" tab above.

No December Meeting

There will be NO IPMS RICHMOND DECEMBER MEETING, in-person or online.

Watch for information soon after the first of the year regarding a January 2021 meeting.

Everyone have a happy, safe, and healthy Holiday Season!

IPMS Richmond Events CANCELLED Until Further Notice

Due to the continuing threat of the Covid-19 pandemic, the E-board has determined that all IPMS Richmond face-to-face meetings and events are cancelled or postponed until further notice. This includes the December holiday party and the January chapter contest.

Meetings and events will recommence once Virginia health officials determine that is safe to do so. You will be notified when chapter activities return to "normal." You will also be notified with details of upcoming remote meetings.

Please note that "Spare Parts" is not quarantined, so please continue to support our fine newsletter by sending your electronic articles, kit reviews, etc. to the editor, Mark Elder, at mark701@comcast.net. An editable kit review form is available HERE.

And be sure to keep watching our site, www.ipmsrichmond.blogspot.com, for continuing information!

November 2020 Spare Parts

The November 2020 issue of Spare Parts is now available online. The link is under the "Spare Parts" tab above or simply click here. 

Next Meeting: November 9, 2020

Our next meeting will be November 9, 2020 at the Smoketree Community Center. Location details may be found on our website at www.ipmsrichmond.blogspot.com.

Our own Scott Holtz will speak on Real Space Modeling. Be sure not to miss it!

Spare Parts 2014-2015 Now Available Online

Thanks to Mark Elder, all Spare Parts issues from 2014 and 2015 are now available online. That brings the total to almost seven years of information and memories. Be sure to check them out for some great photos and models from IPMS Richmond's past.

All may be accessed under the "Spare Parts" tab at the top of the page. Enjoy!

Blasts from the Past

Several links have been repaired to the 2020 Spare Parts. Additionally, Mark Elder has provided all the issues from 2016. With any luck, we will post issues going back further than that.

The above Spare Parts tab lists links to all Spare Parts issues from January 2016 through October 2020... enjoy!

Cancellation of 2021 Old Dominion Open

After much consideration, IPMS Richmond has decided to cancel the Old Dominion Open scheduled for February 27, 2021.  The event will not be rescheduled for a later date next year.  However, we are already planning the 2022 Old Dominion Open.  We appreciate your understanding and thank you for support of our annual event. 

Our chapter’s Old Dominion Open Committee spent the past seven months monitoring the Coronavirus situation while preparing for the 2021 ODO.  We have watched as Coronavirus remains a persistent and serious hazard.  Our ODO Committee has carefully analyzed the risks involved in holding the event next February.  In light of the uncertainty of the Covid 19 situation over the next few months, the possible legal restrictions the government may mandate and the health, safety and financial risks involved, our chapter concluded that it would be impractical to host the 2021 Old Dominion Open.  IPMS Richmond reached this decision with regret and disappointment, but we believe it is in the best interests of our guests, vendors, exhibitors and chapter. 

We hope that this pandemic will be finally overcome and that hobby shows and contests can soon safely resume.  Giving the Old Dominion Open a year’s “vacation” should result in an event we can all enjoy in 2022.  We appreciate all of the generous support that fellow IPMS chapters, other hobby organizations, vendors, sponsors and the scale modeling community have given IPMS Richmond over the years.  We look forward to inviting you to the 2022 Old Dominion Open.

October 2020 Spare Parts Now Available

The October issue of Spare Parts is now available for reading or download at the "Spare Parts" tab above or by clicking here.

IPMS Richmond Helps Fork Union Academy Scale Model Club

 

IPMS Richmond Helps Fork Union Military Academy Scale Model Club with

Donation of Supplies

by Bob Walls

In August,  Major David Wallace of Fork Union Military Academy’s Scale Model Club requested help from IPMS Richmond in obtaining model supplies (paint, brushes, glue, tools, etc.), reference books, and hobby magazines for the cadets discovering model building. The membership of IPMS Richmond gladly approved obtaining these supplies for the FUMA club.  Angel Garcia-Ablanque, the owner of MicroWorld Games, LLC, graciously agreed to source model paints and tools plus offered to discount the items. Angel then reached out to Squadron Shop who helped by reducing their price.  He then reached out to Ammo by MIG. They went beyond giving a discount and donated “How to” books and a case of Ammo’s Extra Thin cement. IPMS-Richmond obtained Car Model paints and detail brushes. A collection of over 200 model books was donated along with various models and other materials. The total retail value of the donation was over $2,000.00.  All this was done as we operated under Covid-19 requirements.  Social distancing slowed our efforts but did not prevent this project from happening.  On September 29, Angel and I delivered the supplies to a grateful Major Wallace.

 

Angel Garcia-Ablanque, owner of MicroWorld Games, LLC, provided a large discount of the retail prices and also obtained a wonderful donation of items from Ammo by Mig Jimenez. The retail value next to each item totals over $1,000.00.  Angel drove from Lynchburg to Fork Union to deliver the donation.

A BIG thanks to all the club members and to Angel Garcia-Ablanque, owner of MicroWorld Games, LLC for everything you did to make this happen. A new generation of model builders just might get the spark and a desire to build models.

WrightCon Region IV VIRTUAL Regional, November 13-14, 2020

WrightCon Region IV Regional Nov. 13-14th – Deadline to enter Nov 7th.

COVID has really suppressed our ability to participate in many things. It’s certainly suppressed our hobby. Taking away our ability to hit up a show, checkout some excellent models, shop the vendors and even join in a raffle or two! And the most important part is not seeing all our friends that live far away. Some clubs have stepped back, others are taking a wait until next year approach, others like the Wright Field Scale Modelers club in Dayton OH are trying some new stuff!

Wright Field is an IPMS and AMPS affiliated club. This virtual show is an IPMS show with IPMS rules and is their Region IV Regional show!! The show works a lot like the in person version. Please visit their web site for all the details. We would love for you to enter, and also sign up to be a judge, or simply stop by and visit. If you would like to help out and judge please sign up on the site.

Please note that the entry deadline is November 7th!

www.wrightcon.com

Modeling the Long Range Desert Group and the Special Air Service in World War II

Bob Walls has written an excellent article, "Modeling the Long Range Desert Group and the Special Air Service in World War II." He summarizes the history of the two groups and examines some of the models and after-market accessories available. He also lists some applicable books for further reading at the end.

His article can be accessed under the "Resources" tab above.

Well done, and thanks, Bob!

Tough Little Kitty: The Grumman F8F Bearcat

E. L. Motley has written yet another in-depth article, this time covering Grumman's F8F Bearcat. All of E. L.'s fine articles can be located under the "Resources" tab above or the F8F article itself by clicking here.

Thanks, E. L., and well done!

September 2020 Spare Parts

 The September 2020 issue of Spare Parts in now available on-line. You can access it from the link under "Spare Parts" above or right here: September 2020 Spare Parts.

August 2020 Spare Parts

The August 2020 edition of Spare Parts can be accessed through the Spare Parts tab above.

Please note that it includes information regarding our in-person meeting at the Smoketree Community Building on Monday, August 10, at 6:30 p.m.

August 10 Meeting to be "Live"

We are going to attempt to hold our next meeting, August 10, "live" at the Smoketree Community Center. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.--there will be no pre-meeting dinner.

Following are the rules that all attendees must follow:

• All attendees must wear masks.
• All attendees must maintain the prescribed social distancing.
• Before departing, all member attendees are expected to assist with the disinfecting of all chairs and tables used during the meeting. Cleaning supplies will be provided.
• Attendees should limit their use to one or two trash cans that must be emptied before departing.

Following these rules will ensure that we are able to continue using the Smoketree building during the Coronavirus.

If any governmental agency changes social rules prior to the meeting, the above may be revised or the meetine may, once again, be canceled.

July 2020 Spare Parts

The July issue of Spare Parts is now available for viewing under the Spart Parts tab above.

Don't forget about our monthly meeting on Jitsi Monday evening, July 13!

July 13, 2020 Meeting

We will meet via Jitsi for our July 13, 2020 meeting. Our intention is to return to Smoketree for our August 10, 2020 meeting. 

Jitsi is easy to get up and running. Linked below is a document with instructions for downloading and using Jitsi. However, here are the basic steps:

• Download the Jitsi app (www.jitsi.org)
• At 6:30 p.m., enter the meeting by typing "ipmsrichmond" in the Meeting box. There is no password.
• Either watch or participate.

Our meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and for the first half-hour we will simply chit-chat and work out any installation or usability bugs. At 7:00 p.m. we will begin the actual meeting with whatever club business there is followed by the main event of Show and Tell. I know everyone has quite a few quarantine projects so please share them with us!

By the way, the "ipmsrichmond" meeting room is always open, so you can certainly log in earlier to meet others or just try it out.

Click here for the Jitsi instructions

2020 IPMS USA National Convention Canceled

The following is a joint announcement from the San Marcos 2020 Convention Leadership team and the IPMS USA Executive Board.

We jointly appreciate all the feedback we received regarding this year‘s convention. We’ve taken your comments and concerns into careful consideration, while maintaining an ongoing dialogue and negotiation with the Embassy Suites convention center in San Marcos. These negotiations have been proceeding carefully due to the significant financial exposure that IPMS would be subject to if we simply decided to cancel the convention unilaterally.

We are now prepared to announce that the 2020 National Convention is officially canceled. While this may disappoint many, including your authors, we believe it is the prudent, safe and sensible thing to do.

On a more positive note, we have been successful in negotiating the use of the Embassy Suites San Marcos location for the 2023 convention. Therefore, the rotation for the next three years, circumstances permitting, will be Las Vegas in 2021, Omaha in 2022, and San Marcos in 2023. Tentative dates for the 2023 convention will be August 2nd through the 5th. We are currently finalizing details of the contract with Embassy Suites and expect a finalized version within a week.

For those who have registered already for the convention, we will be processing your refunds. For those who have booked hotel reservations at one of the convention center hotels, it will be up to you to cancel those on your own. Vendors will be refunded their money for tables as well through our vendor coordinator, Craig Gregory. Chapters and individuals who have sponsored contest categories may also receive refunds for their sponsorships.

Again, we want to thank you all for your patience and support during these trying times, and hope that you recognize we have made the best possible decision for all under the circumstances.

For any questions please contact John Noack at: IPMSPresident@ipmsusa.org

Or Len Pilhofer at: director.nats2020@gmail.com

Respectfully submitted,

Len Pilhofer, 2020 Convention Chairman 

John Noack IPMS USA President

Pearl Harbor's Salvaged Battleships

E. L. Motley has written another fine article: "Pearl Harbor's Salvaged Battleships." You can read it by clicking here or under the Resources tab above.

Thanks, E.L.!

June 2020 Spare Parts Now Available Online

Click this link for the June 2020 Spare Parts. Thanks, Mark Elder!

June 8 Meeting

Since we will not be able to meet in-person for our June 8 meeting, we have decided to hold a video meeting via Jitsi just as we did in May. It is easy to get up and running. Linked below is a document with instructions for downloading and using Jitsi. However, here are the basic steps:

1. Download the Jitsi app (www.jitsi.org)
2. At 6:30 p.m., enter the meeting by typing "ipmsrichmond" in the Meeting box. There is no password.
3. Either watch or participate.

Our meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and for the first half-hour we will simply chit-chat and work out any installation or usability bugs. At 7:00 p.m. we will begin the actual meeting with whatever club business there is followed by the main event of Show and Tell. I know everyone has quite a few quarantine projects so please share them with us!

By the way, the "ipmsrichmond" meeting room is always open, so you can certainly log in earlier to meet others or just try it out.

Click here for the Jitsi instructions

Acrylic Paint Test with Different Thinners

Following is an article written by Bob Walls--great information! Thanks, Bob!
-------------------------------------------------------

I watched a video review of the AK 3^rd Gen acrylic paints where the reviewer had issues with alcohol as a thinner. And I got comments regarding alcohol gumming up airbrushes when added to acrylic paint, so I decided to test out the thinner I use versus 91% alcohol. My “go to” thinner for acrylic paints is a home brew suggested by posts on the internet and by club members. It is made of 66% distilled water (I have used tap water which worked), 25 percent 91% alcohol and 10% Windex and 6-7 drops each of Glycerin and Glycol. Per comments on the internet, the Glycerin, Glycol and Windex act as a flow improver, paint retarder and lessen surface tension so the paint lays down better. Or they do none of that, take your pick. I have used this home brew with every brand Acrylic Hobby Paint I have ever purchased with excellent results. But that may or may not be duplicated in your case due to airbrush type and PSI you use.  The real reason for my test was not to prove which Thinner is the best to use for airbrushing but to see how they all react to different brands of paint, particularly 91% alcohol.  All the “thinners” tested are widely accepted as being “go to” thinners by various posters/experts.

The “experiment” was conducted by placing approximately the same amount of 5 different “thinners” in cups on my pallet and dropping 2 drops of each paint into each cup. The first observation was after the paint drops had been sitting in the thinners for 90 seconds. I call this my dispersion test to see if the paint and thinner would mix without any stirring. I followed that with a test where I stirred the paint and thinner with a toothpick with 4 or so stirs. Finally, I used my finger and mixed the paints over my sink just before I washed the pallet out for the next paint test.

Attached is a PDF with the results (link below). I tested Mission Models, Vallejo Surface Primer, Vallejo Air, Vallejo Color, Tamiya Color Acrylic XF, Badger Stynylrez Primer, AK Surface Primer, Apple Barrel craft paint, Reaper Master Series, Vallejo Metal Color and Vallejo Plata Liquido.

The results varied slightly by paint except for the Vallejo Plata Liquido.  All the other acrylics liked distilled water and mixed well with it in all tests. Some better than others but plain water will work to thin acrylic paint. NOW IT MAY NOT spray well. I did not test that. The home brew came in second in this test, third was water and Windex and alcohol and Tamiya thinner tied for last with an exception or two. All the acrylic paints including Vallejo Metal color will mix if you use some effort to stir the two for a while. The only paint that hated this process was the Plata Liquido. It formed a solid film on water-based thinners and Tamiya XF-20a. It was fine in alcohol.

Check out the PDF to see the differences between brands and there are visible differences. None of the acrylic paints (except the Plata Liquido) gummed up to the point where you would have to break your airbrush down and clean it, like seen in the review video of the AK 3^rd Gen paint.

One thing I noticed is that the Home Brew interacts with the paints. Even when NOT stirred if given 5 minutes or so it mixed itself! Check out this video on the Vallejo Metal Color which is easier to see due to the metal pigments moving and swirling in the paint.  It is obvious that something is going on. There was no fan blowing and I did not mix the paint other than the 4 stirs with the toothpick. But the paint is obviously mixing itself through reacting to the home brew thinner.

Here is a link showing the paint swirling in the home brew thinner.

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AgEbCXDGlJ3CsSeCiUAzJUvuMmbx?e=pDhAR2

At some point I hope to pick up one bottle of the AK 3^rd Gen paint and perform the same test on it.

Link to PDF showing results.

May Spare Parts Available & Calendar Updated

The May 2020 issue of Spare Parts is now available online at the tab above.

Additionally, the calendar has been updated with known cancellations and postponements.

An ODO Wrap-up by Nick Strocchia

A big thanks to Nick Strocchia for his recap of how the Gundam community appreciated the 2020 Old Dominion Open and how they're making inroads with IPMS. 

We're glad you liked our show and look forward to seeing all 0f you (and more!) in 2021!

https://www.youtube.com/watch…

May 11 Meeting to be Held via JITSI

Since we will not be able to meet in-person for our May 11 meeting, we have decided to hold a video meeting via Jitsi. This will be much different from the Facebook Live meeting last month and has benefits along with a few negatives. The first negative is that many of the club members probably don’t have the Jitsi meeting app on their phones, tablets, or laptop/computers. So this will be a new process. The good news is that many of the AMPSCV members have been using this app and successfully conducted their April meeting by Jitsi. The next good news is that it is pretty easy to get up and running. Linked below is a document with instructions for downloading and using Jitsi. However, here are the basic steps:

1. Download the Jitsi app (www.jitsi.org)
2. At 6:30 p.m., enter the meeting by typing "ipmsrichmond" in the Meeting box. There is no password.
3. Either watch or participate.

Our meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and for the first half-hour we will simply chit-chat and work out any installation or usability bugs. At 7:00 p.m. we will begin the actual meeting with whatever club business there is followed by the main event of Show and Tell. I know everyone has quite a few quarantine projects so please share them with us!

By the way, the "ipmsrichmond" meeting room is always open, so you can certainly log in earlier to meet others or just try it out.

At the April AMPSCV meeting, people showed off their WIPs and completed kits. Some folks just watched and did not use their camera. All of this is up to the users and what they want to use or what they have. You don’t need a camera or microphone to just watch the meeting but you can’t participate.

Click here for the Jitsi instructions

Quarantine Gallery for Spare Parts

IPMS Richmond chapter meetings are a "no-go" through at least May but "Spare Parts" will still be published. As a consequence of no meetings, there will be no images for the multi-page "Show & Tell" gallery.

Please consider photographing your recently completed or in-progress projects and forwarding your images to Mark Elder, the editor of SP, at mark701@comcast.net. 

Almost all smart phones take decent photos, so please just push the background clutter aside and produce some photos for Spare Parts to replace the usual Show & Tell gallery.  Who knows, you may get the hang of it and consider adding text for a kit review after things get back to normal?

Along with your photo(s), please submit the kit subject, scale, and kit manufacturer. And, of course, you will be credited.

Please send to Mark Elder at mark701@gmail.com . . . deadline is May 4!

Quarantine Projects

Please send jpg photos of your "Quarantine Projects" to ipmsrichmond@gmail.com for posting here so we all can see what you've been up to! Click on photos for larger versions.

First up is Steve Fitton:

Hasegawa 1/72 scale Corsair; VF-17 markings from Tamiya kit; Mission Models paint

Gene Rasmussen's Titanic:

Trumpeter 1/200 scale HMS Titanic; primered hull

Ashley Abernathy's in-progress vignette:

Bronco 1/35 KFZ13 German scout car from 1939

April 2020 Spare Parts

The April 2020 issue of Spare Parts is now available at the Spare Parts tab above. Enjoy!

Calendar Updated

Please check our calendar at the tab above for updated cancelations and postponements as many have changed in just the past week. 

If you are aware of any that should be revised, please send to ipmsrichmond@gmail.com

IPMS Richmond Meetings Canceled Until Further Notice

Given the current health situation, Smoketree has closed their Community Building until further notice. Accordingly, all IPMS Richmond meetings are likewise canceled.

The Smoketree manager is aware of our meeting dates of the second Monday and will notify us just as soon as they are able to reopen.

2020 Old Dominion Open Special Award Winners

(Click images for larger version)

Best in Show and Best Diorama: Mike Trentadue, 

M48A3 w/M151A2 Jeep:

Best Aircraft: Barry Numerick, Bf 109 V-30a

Best Military Vehicle: Keith Hudson, Golovin Ivis w/Launch Truck

Best Automotive: Hilton Zapata, 1999 Ford Mustang

Best Maritime: Ulrich Guenther, Katy of Norfolk

Best Figure: Robert Bourgot, Saladin

Best Historical Figure: David Hoffman, Hernan Cortes

Best Real Space & Sci-Fi: Mike Turco, Space Transporter

Best Gundam: Tim Harkins, Air Drop

Best Junior: Katelynn Argo, Matilda II Mk.III

Model Classic 2020 Canceled

A message from John Figueroa, President, NoVA Modelers IPMS:

Dear Members, Vendors, Exhibitors, Sponsors, Friends, and Families:

The Northern VirginiaModelers (NoVA) Executive Board (E-Board) regrets to inform you that we have decided to cancel Model Classic 2020 (previously scheduled to be held on April 18, 2020) due to the current situation with the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.

Please be assured this action is not being taken lightly. TheNoVA E-Board realizes that the commitment made by all concerned for a successful Model Classic is substantial and we appreciate the impact of cancellation to all parties. However, after assessing available information, weighing options, and careful deliberations, we find it in the best interests of our members, vendors, exhibitors, sponsors, friends, and families to cancel Model Classic 2020 and concentrate on making ModelClassic 2021 a resounding success. As soon as a date for Model Classic 2021 is established, we will let you know.

The NoVA E-Board considered rescheduling Model Classic 2020. However, the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus and the uncertaintyof the duration of the situation, combined with the realities of the current, and fluid, International Plastic Modelers Society (IPMS) Region 2 show schedule, preclude any dates that would not interfere with our planning cycle for Model Classic 2021. 

NoVA intends to refund all vendor table fees and Trophy Package Sponsorships already submitted for Model Classic 2020. If you have already paid for tables or Trophy Packages, please watch your mail for a check from ourTreasurer, Tim Barb.

The NoVA E-Board apologizes for any inconvenience that this decision causes you. We wrestled with this decision with little or no precedent to guide our deliberations. However, we are confident that canceling Model Classic 2020 is the correct decision and in the best interest of everyone involved.

As always, you can reachour Chapter Contact, Tom Henderson, at tomhenderson51@verizon.net, our Treasurer, Tim Barb at tabarbmc@gmail.com, or me at figueroa1956@gmail.com for questions or concerns.

We wish all of you and your families good health in this trying time and we look forward to seeing you at Model Classic 2021. 

Sincerely,
John Figueroa
President, NoVA Modelers IPMS

Blog Article from a Gundam Perspective on IPMS, Contests, and Judging

I came across this interesting article by Keven Hagen on IPMS, its contests, and how to give yourself the best chance to succeed under IPMS judging. It's well-worth a read.

http://mrnvlart.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-gundam-builders-guide-to-ipms.html?m=1

MosquitoCon Rescheduled to August 22, 2020

From Mike Pavlo, NJIPMS Chapter Contact:

Due to the current coronavirus situation, MosquitoCon is being rescheduled to Saturday August 22, 2020.  Everything else stays the same…same venue, lots of vendors, lots of models, lots of fun.  

As always, more detailed information about the show is on our website:  www.njipms.org

{And yes, the Wayne PAL has an excellent air conditioning system}

And thank you once again to all the clubs who so generously sponsored trophy packages.

Above all, stay safe.  We hope to see you at the show.

March 2020 Spare Parts Now Available

The March 2020 issue of our newsletter, "Spare Parts," is now available for viewing and/or download from the tab above. Enjoy!

Next Meeting: March 9, 2020

On the agenda:

• ODO 2020 post-show reports
• Show and Tell
• Club Raffle

We meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Smoketree Community Center, 11100 Smoketree Drive, North Chesterfield, VA 23236.

We will meet for a pre-meeting dinner at Plaza Azteca, 11500 Busy Street, North Chesterfield, VA 23236 beginning around 5:00 p.m. 

All scale model enthusiasts are invited to attend either or both gatherings!

2020 ODO Results

Trophy table awaiting the awards ceremony

By all measures, the 2020 Old Dominion Open was a resounding success! From the 1,154 models registered by 232 modelers to the 39 quality vendors with their 125 vendor tables, everyone seemed to have a fantastic day!

The vendor area was packed all day

The contest area was quick to fill-up

Perhaps the largest impact of the day was the Fork Union Military Academy donations! Attendees at this year's ODO donated ten moving boxes full of kits (probably over 400), supplies, paint, and magazines. A heartfelt "Thanks!" to all who donated for passing on our passion for plastic models to a younger generation. And a second shout-out to ODO Coordinator Chris Bryan for riding herd over this during the show!

l. to r.: Chris Bryan, ODO Coordinator; FUMA cadets; Major Dave Wallace

And now that you've scrolled through all that, here's what you came for:

Click here to see the 2020 ODO results!

Fork Union Scale Modelers Donation

Fork Union Military Academy currently has a scale modelers' club, but they are running out of kits and supplies with which to keep their students involved.

IPMS Richmond will host a donation table at this coming weekend's Old Dominion Open. Anything that anyone could spare in the way of kits, paints, knives, glue, sand paper, tools, etc. would be  gladly accepted and greatly appreciated! If you don't necessarily want to build one of those great raffle wins, how about donating it to the cause?

Thanks, everyone, and see you Saturday!

"The F-111 Aardvark: Legend or Lemon?"

Okay, all you Aardvark fans. . . time to check out IPMS Richmond's own E. L. Motley's fine article on this often-maligned bird.

You can find the article under the "Resources" tab above or by clicking here.

Stay tuned for more articles for modelers by modelers!

More ODO Raffle Donations

With less than two weeks until the 2020 Old Dominion Open on February 29th, the donations for our raffle continue to roll-in--just take a peek at the kits in the pictures below! A huge "Thank you" to all the vendors who have contributed to make the ODO a success!

Donated by Bandai

More Donations from Bandai

Donated by Ebbro

Donated by Firehouse Hobbies

Donated by Macha Warehouse

February 2020 Spare Parts Available

The February 2020 issue of "Spare Parts" is now available at the "Spare Parts" menu above or by clicking this link. Enjoy!

Next Meeting: February 10, 2020

On the agenda:

• ODO 2020 update and "Volunteer Roundup"
• "Salt Weathering" demonstration by Mark Elder
• Show and Tell
• Club raffle

We meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Smoketree Community Center, 11100 Smoketree Drive, North Chesterfield, VA 23236.

We will meet for a pre-meeting dinner at Plaza Azteca, 11500 Busy Street, North Chesterfield, VA 23236 beginning around 5:00 p.m. 

All scale model enthusiasts are invited to attend either or both gatherings!

IPMS Richmond Calendar

The IPMS Richmond calendar has been updated for 2020. It lists dates for our chapter meetings as well as shows/contests. If you know of an event that needs to be included, please send the information to ipmsrichmond@gmail.com.

2020 ODO Trophies

The trophies for the ODO on February 29th are here and complete! Members Mark Groth, Chazz Klanian, Richard Leininger, and Bob Walls spent a recent balmy January day assembling the first, second, and third place trophies... Chazz assembled all of the special awards. A hearty "Thank you" to Chazz and his brother for manufacturing these fine awards and to Chazz's Deli for the tasty lunch! (And to Bob Walls for the photos!)

See everyone on the twenty-ninth!

2020 ODO Fillable Model Registration Forms

Yes, it's true! If you download, complete, and print the attached f0rms and bring them with you to the upcoming ODO on February 29th, your model registration (and that of others) will go much more smoothly and much quicker! Simply download the forms to your PC, fill them out, and print. Be sure to complete both the Master Registration form listing all your models and the individual Model Entry form for each model. Why not give it a try this year?

Click here for the downloadable and fillable forms.

2020 ODO: Firehouse Hobbies Raffle Donations

More raffle goodies generously donated by Firehouse Hobbies! Thank you!

ODO: Blue Fin Raffle Donations

Photos of the recently received raffle donations from Blue Fin--thank you so much!

Just a few of the many quality kits you'll miss out on a chance to win if you don't attend this year's ODO... be there or be square!

ODO: Kitty Hawk Raffle Donation

Kitty Hawk's donation to our February 29, 2020 ODO raffle--thank you, Kitty Hawk!

Be sure to be there!