braille scalers.

Well, I guess I'm mainly a "1/72 scale builder". All my aircraft are in 1/72 scale, and all 395 of my Armor kits are 1/72 or 1/76 scale.

I think I've built every Esci kit that was ever released; a few of them multiple times to account for use in different armies. I've built about 2/3rds of all Hasegawa kits released, and have built 98% of Revell/Germany 1/72 scale armor kits. I think they are my favorite. I don't like building ACE much because of the flash, but they do build into some nice kits once you get past all the deficiencies. Besides, they are the only ones who put out kits of the armor I need to complete some of my armies! I also enjoy building PST kits despite the soft plastic; that's another company putting out great Soviet and Russian equipment. I've built about half of what they've released. Someday I'll have a rather complete photo representation of all my Armor I've built.

Hey Frosty, this might give you some incentive to finish that Marder:



That's what you have to loook forward to!

i've only been modeling afvs 4 just over a year now.
i consider myself a braille scaler since almost everything i've built up 2 now
has been in 1/72 - 1/76.
likes: scratchbuilding, adding detail & conversion parts, good fitting kits
dislikes: putty, sanding, excessive flash, thick sprues, brittle plastic
in my limited personal experience, each manufacturer has its gems & dogs...
i have built a couple of kits that have made me want 2 build them again:
hasegawa panther ausf g
italeri/esci sherman m4
italeri/esci t34/76
hasegawa panzer iv ausf g
i also have a revell marder 1a3 which is a really nice kit...
i have no idea why i haven't finished it yet,
except maybe i'm in too many group builds rite now ?
the revell tiger i looks really fine also, looking forward 2 building it at some point...
i also like the common scale of 1/72 4 afvs & a/c 4 display & comparison, & because i'm used 2 making parts in that scale ...
& the finished models don't take up that much room !
small scale rocks !

frosty

Chris,

I wish..! I have build some patterns for SMA, SHQ, MMS, Exokit and a few more but I'd dare say the kits that came out in resin/metal are not necessarily their best..! Far from it. Believe me. I've done a lot of rather esoteric and little known stuff for those companies, so reference is not always available and obviously, detail suffers!

Larry is absolutely right, some of those 1/285 'kits' are fantastic! It's a bit too small for me though, 'cause I like to still be able to open up a few hatches and show some internal details so 1/72 (and 1/76) is OK.

I am just curious as to why you think i should build 1/285.

Larry, you made me break my vow. I couldn't resist. Some prime movers and prime movees on their way.

I build 1/72 for wargaming or for fun. Whenever the spirit moves me, I'll put one together. Most of my modeling is 1/35th though.

M1, you should try 1/285th scale. I'm serious! Get a pack of the tiny M1A1s and you can build a diorama of an entire platoon maneuvering together across the sands. A board that's only a foot in all directions, or even less can show formations and all, with sand marks for the treads, the whole nine yards.

And the detail on these things is truly astonishing. Check them out:
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n61.html

Five of them for nine bucks.

Chris,
I prefer 1/72 for almost all of my models, armor, planes, boats (haven't got my hands on a Flower Class or U boat yet) and Sci-fi (Star Wars, Robotech). Started with 72nd when I was 6. Like to be able to compare the different vehicles in the same scale. Built a lot of Airfix, Fujimi, Nichimo and Hasagawa when I was younger (early teens) but got away from armor and into cars (Tom Daniels Monogram kits, anybody got any they want to get rid of). Always built planes (dad is retired AF) and just recently traded almost all of my 35th armor for 72nd kits. Currently working on the Revell Abrams (check out my post for help). The new Revell kits are great. The new Hasagawa are pretty good too and like the Italeri repops of the old ESCI kits (how about a Matilda?). I picked up a Hasagawa US halftrack the other day and found out why I don't care for their old stuff. May have to my a photoetch set just to get it looking decent. But their German 251's are very nice.
Got a couple of PST tanks and the new Dragon Challenger 2. Now got to invest in some MR resin conversion kits for the Sherman and go to town.

Most of my builds are 1/72 or 1/76th. I build a few 1/48th and 1/35th, but I really like those little kits.

hey domi, you are the manufacturer, right??

Nice breakdown of companies, Domi.
I agree with you on old ESCI and Italeri kits. I also like Hasegawa. I have yet to build Dragon or Trumpeteer kits. I started with Airfix kits in the early 70s..that was it until ESCI and Hasegawa came along. Then the fun really started!

Dan

I plan on nothing but 1/72 after I finish these 1/16 monsters (Tiger I, M4 and T-34)
It would be nice to be able to complete something in a reasonable amount of time.

I suppose I can consider myself a braille scale, as far as AFVs are concerned... Favourite manufacturers are varied, because it very much depends on the type of models. Modern AFVs, I'll put Revell Germany above all I think, but their Pz III, IV and variants are great too, and so are their KingTigers and other more recent WWII subjects.

ESCI and Italeri have originality to their credit, and a decent amount of details. Back in the '80, those were the best AFVs in small scale.

WWI subjects, there's Emhar. Very good stuff. So is Airfix's old Mark I (probably the only Airfix kit of an AFV to recommend).

Matchbox kit are a bit too simple, but some subkjects are not available anywhere else... The older Heller stuff is a bit like the Matchbox offerings.

Older Fujimi and Hasegawa are OK.

But 1/72 is getting more and more popular and now we also have lots of other manufacturers with braille scale stuff. Trumpeter (very good), Dragon (mixed feelings on those), ACE (lots of flash!), Roden (great),.. plus the older manufacturers such as Heller, Fujimi and Hasegawa producing outstanding models now.

And then there's a myriad of more esoteric stuff available in resin, white metal too... I'd recommend MMS and S&S of England, Fine Scale Factory of Germany, Exokit/Retromodels and AlBy of France, Rhino Models in the US,...

Accessories? More and more available from lots of sources now. Scale link, Scale Model Accessories, SHQ, Retromodels to name but a few great ones!

I like the challenge of working in such a smaller scale. Also i like the fact i don't have to go crazy detailing every square mm of these things. They are a very nice break from 1/35. That said, new revel is my favorite for fit and detail, followed by dragon. Then Hasagawa and old matchbox kits. Bill

I build a lot of 1/72 scale kits. I am mainly known as a modern 1/35 US armor builder, but rediscovered 1/72 scale armor modeling. I was away at school living in the Army equivalent of a hotel room and my 1/35 scale project kept getting disturbed by the cleaning lady.

The PX had the Italeri Abrams, and that got me restarted on the 1/72 scale kits. The smaller kits could fit into a shoe box that I could slide on the closet shelf and they stayed out of harm's way.

I still build in other scales but do build a fair share of Braille scale kits. I tend to build both 1/72 and 1/76 interchangeably although I will stick with one scale throughout a project.

I have won a few awards with my 1/72 scale kits. Nothing extraordinary, but it was kind of nice to get some recognition at local shows.

In fact all of my armor has been 1/72 until a little bit ago. I like SOME of italeries especially their M4 Sherman. I have only built one dragon kit, but it was probably the nicest build i have ever had. pieces fite together perfectly and the directions were almost completly clear. Although acadamy only builds one kit, WWII Ground Vehicles Set, I liked it alot. Revell, was ok. I would like to build hasegawa some time soon, lots at my hobby shop too. They are really cheap. Thats why I like building 1/72, small and cheap. But 1/35 definetly has its ups, definetly.