1/32 Scale Apollo CSM - Finished

Wow, this really looks great!  I built this one when I was a kid and I picked up the re-release this summer and can't wait to do it sometime.

I wasn't complaining.  However, to be honest my little Mercury Spacecraft done up as Sigma 7 is a much better model than either of the two of mine that placed.  I'm not sure what the judges were looking at on Saturday.  I had a P-51D that took a first place as well and I wouldn't have even placed it 4th in the category.  Craftsmanship is supposed to beat finish at an IPMS event but not last Saturday.  Many of the judges seemed to be awed by finishes even if there were open seams, crooked stabilizers, assymetric wings, etc. present on the model.  The theme award went to a subject that had a open seam around almost the entire back end of the model and mold lines on all the struts that had not been removed.

We're all going to have to get on the same page at contests.  IPMS has fairly clear guidelines for judging criteria and I'm not sure where these disconnects come from.  Oh well prety soon we'll degenerate into just making sure everyone gets an award just so no one has their feelings hurt.  Many clubs have already started banning sweeps which irks me to no end.  If the models are the best then they are the best and it shouldn't matter who the builder is.  If you want an award then get better!!  My stuff was embarassing in 2000 when I started entering contests and now I'm usually pretty confident going into a contest of getting some awards because I put in the effort to get better.  I'll get off my soapbox now.

Well that really sucks rocks... Only getting 1st and 3rd place? DERNIT!!!! 

Thank you.  It was beaten out at the recent IPMS Fort Worth Contest by my 1/48 Scale Gemini which took a 3rd place and my 1/48 scale Mercury Redstone which took 1st place.  2nd place went to a 1/48 CSM and Lunar Module that was built by someone else.  We'll do a little more work to it and try again down in Austin on the 26th.

That is a really great model job! I love all the detail, the interior views, etc. A great representation of a truly memorable piece of history.

We really should get some more lunar voyages going.

NOT Isopropyl.  To my knowledge that will not work.  You must use Denatured Alcohol to remove the gold top coat.  Some others have reported using simple green and or other solvents but these can also take off the chrome plate too.  I found that a lint-free cloth and denatured alcohol worked great.  I used Q-tips to get the gold out of the corners around the windows, etc.  I then scribed the panels with Dymo label tape and a scribing tool.

Thanks for the comments.  You can see it in person this weekend at the Ft. Worth IPMS shown in Arlington.

Did you rub the gold plate with iso or soak it to get the yellow out out? That's a real beauty!

I was able to peel it right off.  Fold over a little tab to grab so you don't have to try and slip something under to get it started.  If you're concerned you can always use an old trick that I've often used with regular masking tape.  Stick it to your shirt a couple of times first to remove some of the tack before you use it on the model.

I've always been curious about Dymo tape. When I've used it, many years ago, the adhesive was very strong. And because of that I've not even wanted to try it as a masking tool thinking it would be impossible to remove and would mar the surface of the chrome, in this case.

Is it that easy to remove from the plastic?

Pete