Hi;
Hey! have you EVER built a Model? You might ask, What's a Model? Yes, I have actually run into folks as old as myself(77) and older who have or had never heard of them. Can you believe that?
I find it hard to believe myself. Of course I knew what models were from an early age. They got new clothes, And had their pictures taken for magazines! The ladies in those new clothes, showed more leg than Mom would dare to. Oh no, that's right! We are talking about Miniatures here!
Miniatures ? What's that? A Miniature is a smaller version of the real thing! I actual saw ON A Model Box, these words. Enclosed - One Miniature Model! Talk about double speak. A model is a miniature of the real thing. A miniature is a smaller version of the real thing. I think you can see where this is going. Aren't they both the same? YUP, for our purposes they certainly are.
Now here's a trip down Name Memory Lane. Guillows, Magic, Comet, Strombecker, Gowland and Gowland, Renwal, Cannon, Revell, I.M.S., A.M.T., S.M.P. and Monogram. Did you folks know that A.M.T. stood for Aluminum Model Toys? Then there are these, Bonden, Scientific, Bluejacket Shipcrafters, B.a.D. Shipmodels and ad infinitum.
It seems like there were many like the above as well, Aurora shall not be forgotten as well as Life Like, Pyro and Too many more to name. What did they make? To many they made Toys! Many folks thought they were actually toy companies! Well, Lindberg, Marx and a few would qualify there.
I have thought for a long time about this. How would a book go over, guiding folks through one modeler's life at the bench. Especially the techniques he developed over the years to handle a myriad of subjects. Why Not? Well for one thing It would be a thick book. Secondly it would be to complicated for folks that don't want to get dirty.
Modeling is NOT a clean hobby! Why Not? Well, there's spilled Glue and Paint and Thinner. There's dumped over boxes cheerfully feeding the Carpet Monster. I have modeled in Immaculate Workshops and crowded T.V. Tables. I have modeled in The Captain's Stateroom on a ship! and in the Crew Quarters of a U.S.Navy ship!
Who do you remember from the modeling world, that tried to teach us something! Shep Paine comes to mind, Dave Shuklis and many others. Why? Who needs to learn anything. It's a Model Toy right? NO, No!
Did the Pharoah actually play with the little reed boat found in his tomb? Nope! It was a model of the Boat that would take him down the river Styx to the After-Life! Was it a Model or a Miniature? Those words still get mixed up! Who Built it? A Craftsman who could build miniatures of real things, hence a model.
I will end this with this note. Those who slave over a workbench creating Molds for Plastic Companies that sell models, opened a whole world to me. Thanks Folks! Oh, one more thing. I forgot about these, Zvezda, Airfix ,Bandai, Oh ! never mind!